Not All That Glitters: Choosing Smart Pet Feeders with Food Safety in Mind

Taking advantage of today’s smart pet technology can be a big investment, but the rewards of regular, controlled feedings and only periodic maintenance can be very appealing. When it comes to your automatic pet feeders and watering fountains, many consumers choose products that are eye-catching, trendy, and get great consumer reviews.  

But is this best for your pets?  

As a food safety specialist having worked in the pet space for many years, I want to give pet parents some helpful tips to not only “show the love” to Fido Baggins and Catrick Swayze, but also what may, in the end, help pet parents decide on which product is best when it comes to cleaning and food safety. 

More automation and space-age design may be trendy and just flat out look cool, but underneath that chassis, do the materials and design really hold up to providing your fur baby with a safe feeding environment? Feeders and waterers that resemble furniture may blend in well with your decor, but do they provide functionality when delivering safe food and water as well? Too often, I walk through many pet food shows and a feeder or waterer catches my eye, but when I take it apart, it loses its luster. 

So, What Should I Be Looking for in a Well-Designed Feeder or Waterer?  

Look for products where the food and water contact surfaces are constructed from stainless steel as much as possible. Stainless steel is non-porous, easy to clean, corrosion-resistant, and holds up well to cleaning chemicals. Avoid porous metals like nickel, bronze, and galvanized or plated chrome. These materials tend to flake off, corrode easily, and some of those unwarranted impurities can end up in the food or water. If you cannot afford stainless or the model you just have to have is made of polymers, ensure parts that come in contact with food or water are bisphenol-A (BPA) and per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) free. These materials can shed over time and lead to serious complications for Fido Baggin or Catrick Swayze.  

Glazed non-porous ceramics and glass can also be good materials, as long as they are maintained and checked for cracks and sharp edges. You should do this at every cleaning and replace it if any are found. One fallback is that they are not very drop and bump resistant.  

The dishwasher can be your friend and save a lot of time, and it can be helpful to select designs and materials that can be easily disassembled and put into your dishwasher. Newer model dishwashers have become extremely efficient in removing protein residues, and some even have sanitary cycles. Again, this is where stainless bowls and parts come in handy, as some plastics may not be safe for the high heat during a sanitary cycle.  

Just as Catrick Swayze likes to leave his fur on your little black dress just before running out the door for a big night out, so too does he leave it in his food and water system. The beard of Fido Baggin is assuredly dragging in that water fountain as he drinks. You know it’s true when you’re soaked after getting a wet and sloppy dog kiss. Feeding and watering systems with filters help keep food and water clean while your pet eats; however, they can also harbor dangerous bacteria over time. They must be changed, and if you’re the owner who often forgets or doesn’t want to pay for constant filter changes, you might want to avoid units that have multiple filters or filters altogether.  

Is your system pest-resistant? When living in high-traffic areas for crawling and flying insects, it is important that food be covered to prevent pest proliferation. If pests can touch the food, or water is an attraction point, they can spread filth or disease. This is not something to encourage for obvious reasons, and many systems have put some thought into keeping the risk at a minimum.  

Another key design feature is the number of tools required to clean the system. To avoid the build-up of proteins, molds, and bacteria, your unit should be cleaned at least at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer. Ask yourself how hard that may be. If you are unwilling to move a 50-lb piece of furniture to the sink every week for cleaning, it may not be the right fit. You should not need more than a couple of tools (like brushes or scrubbing sponges) to clean your system.  

Lastly, avoid equipment with complicated angles or valving. These are extremely hard to clean well. Pipe brushes can bend to a point, but struggle with 90-degree angles. Additionally, valves can only be in one position during cleaning, making it difficult to clean them internally. Good feeders and waters will have break-apart impellers, flex-tubing, and sweep or paddle delivery systems. These are easier to clean and cost less to repair if something breaks.  

Infrastructure for Innovation 

Some feeders and waters have some built-in safety features to consider. My automatic feeder features a continuous decanting system designed to remove moisture from the dry kibble dispensing process. This not only helps reduce the potential for clogging but also reduces the chance of mold. Some models have alarms when they sense jams in the system or reduced flow in water dispensing systems. These can be handy to alert pet owners to problems as they occur so they can be attended to quickly. When you are relying on automatic feeders or waterers, you want to make sure Fido Baggins or Catrick Swayze don’t have a grumbling in their tummies or are parched with thirst on hot days.  

Since you have made the choice to automate, you now must make sure systems stay on and perform consistently and routinely. Power is now important. We may be able to live without TV in the event of a power outage, but we sure don’t like to lose everything in the refrigerator. We would quickly act to ice down food or have purchased back-up generators to ensure we can adapt quickly. If you rely on an automated system to feed and water your pets, take a moment to plan for a power outage. Many systems have built-in battery back-ups. For large-scale automatic feeding, there are external short-term battery packs that you can purchase in the event of a power failure. This is especially true for frequent travelers, who may leave a pet alone for extended periods.  

Many systems offer app integration so you can monitor your pets’ eating and drinking habits, as well as various dispensing controls. Some even have cameras to monitor the level in a food or water bowl and dispense as needed. Select one that has the right number of features for you, such as scheduling, variable portion control, etc. Don’t make this more complicated than needed. For you Trekkies, remember what Scotty said; “The more you overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain”. Keep it simple but valuable, and you will have the least amount of hands-on time with your system. This will allow you the flexibility needed to customize your system with your pets’ needs according to age, weight, activity level, and number of pets.  

Take-Home Tips: 

• Choose stainless steel, BPA/PFAS-free, food-grade materials to avoid chemical leaching and residues, and to allow for proper sanitation. 

• Look for easy-to-clean, dishwasher-safe parts to prevent protein and bacteria buildup. Avoid units with complex valve systems and right-angle tubing. 

• Filter-free or minimal filters will save on the overall operating cost and maintenance time. 

• Insect- and pest-resistant design is key to protecting food from contamination. 

• Freshness-preserving features, such as airtight seals, help prevent spoilage. 

• Power backup options are necessary to ensure consistent, safe food delivery, especially for frequent travelers. 

• Timed dispensing and portion control food waste, maintain proper portions, and reduce spoilage. 

• Keep it simple to avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce the likelihood of unit failure. The more things in motion, the more wear and maintenance will have to be performed.  

I hope you find some of my experiences helpful when selecting your next feeding and watering system. I know, as a heavy traveler, it has made my own cat’s routine more consistent and helped him maintain a healthy weight. I disassemble and thoroughly clean my unit regularly to ensure he always has the freshest food and water available.  

Here at BSM Partners, we are customer centric. But in everything we do, the most important thing is the health and well-being of our extended family. I welcome any thoughts or additional tips for keeping pets fed—on time, in the right amounts, and safely.

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About the Author

August Konie has been a Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Professional for over 30 years. He was worked in many sectors of the food industry including fisheries, beverages, poultry, pork and pet food, under both FDA and USDA regulatory oversight. As an active committee member in various trade organization for food and pet food organizations, he was successful of implementing new regulatory guidance. He has worked with various teams across Asian, Europe, North and South American on various food safety, quality and import/export concerns. He currently serves as the Principal of BSM Assurance overseeing FSQAR activities at BSM Partners.