Practical guide

How many days will an automatic feeder last between refills?

Use the weight of food you load and the daily amount you dispense. Hopper litres alone cannot give you the answer.

Published 31 October 2026 · Updated 31 October 2026 · Edited by Rafael Frankow

Divide the grams of food in the hopper by the grams dispensed each day. That gives an estimated refill interval—not the length of time a pet can be left without a person checking on it.

The simple calculation

Food loaded (g) ÷ total daily food dispensed (g) = days between refills.

If you load 1,200 g and dispense an existing ration of 60 g each day, the arithmetic is 1,200 ÷ 60 = 20 days. If the household total is 120 g a day, the same load lasts about ten days. These are illustrative inputs, not feeding advice or a capacity claim for a named model.

Measure your own kibble

Manufacturers often quote litres. Two foods can occupy the same volume and weigh different amounts, so a three-litre label cannot be converted into a reliable number of days without knowing the food.

Weigh the food you put in. Alternatively, weigh one level scoop, count how many scoops you load and multiply. Then check dispensed portions with the same food: a setting called a “portion” is not automatically a fixed number of grams for every kibble.

Leave room for the real routine

Use the amount actually loaded, not a brim-full theoretical capacity. Include every scheduled meal and any regular manual dispensing. Refill before the last theoretical portion, and follow food storage and cleaning instructions even when the hopper is not empty.

A wet-food tray is a different calculation

Polar offers three prepared compartments. Count meals, then follow storage and cooling instructions. Riko prepares compatible freeze-dried food with water; its ingredients and water supply need their own checks. SureFeed Connect is an owner-filled bowl, not a hopper releasing a new portion at each meal.

Using a feeder while away

A scheduled feeder can handle meals while you are away, with a pet sitter checking your pet, water and the feeder.

Show the sitter the usual schedule, the food to use and how to notice a missed meal or empty bowl. Leave the manufacturer’s instructions and your contact details. Food remaining in a tank does not tell you whether the intended animal ate it, whether water is available or whether the unit needs cleaning.

Choose around the feeding job

One RFID combines scheduled dry dispensing with one paired collar tag. PIXI Smart is a simpler open-bowl dispenser without selective access. If separate cats need separate diets, solve the access question as well as the refill arithmetic.

Explore the technology

PETLIBRO · One RFID feeder

Catit · PIXI Smart Feeder

PETLIBRO · Polar wet-food feeder

Neakasa · Riko

Sure Petcare · SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect