Feeders & Cameras · Cat-First
Best Automatic Feeder With a Camera
A feeder with a camera does two jobs: it feeds on schedule when you're out, and it lets you watch the meal actually happen. The three feeders below split honestly — two real camera feeders with different strengths, and one popular feeder with no camera at all that we include precisely so you can see the contrast.
Our pick: PETLIBRO Granary Smart Camera Feeder
$139.99The most complete camera feeder here, at $139.99 for the single-bowl model (PLAF203) or $149.99 for the dual-bowl. The camera is a real one: 1080p with a 145° view and IR night vision, plus two-way audio so the cat can hear you at mealtime. Scheduling runs 1–10 meals a day, 1–50 portions per meal (about 10 g each), from a 5L hopper. The detail we like most: video can record to a microSD card with no subscription — cloud video is optional, not a toll booth.
- 1080p camera, 145° view, IR night vision, two-way audio
- microSD recording works without any subscription
- Battery backup keeps scheduled meals running in an outage
- On battery backup, the camera and Wi-Fi pause — meals continue, video doesn't
- Backup batteries (3× D) not included
- Dual-bowl model costs $10 more
PETKIT YumShare Solo 2 — the one that knows your cats
At $149.99, the YumShare Solo 2's headline is its AI camera with multi-pet facial recognition — in a multi-cat home, it can tell you which cat ate, which is the difference between a feeding log and a health signal. Two-way audio is included. Portions run 10–50 g across up to 10 meals a day; the hopper is smaller at 3L, and battery backup takes 5× AAA. Choose it when telling your cats apart matters more than hopper size.
- AI camera recognizes individual pets
- Two-way audio; up to 10 meals a day
- Precise 10–50 g portions
- Smaller 3L hopper — refills come sooner
- Battery backup (5× AAA) not included
- $10 more than the Granary single-bowl
PetSafe Smart Feed (2nd gen) — the honest contrast: no camera
The PetSafe Smart Feed costs $134.99 — within a few dollars of the camera feeders above — and has no camera at all. You get app scheduling and meal logs, not a view of the bowl. What it does offer is capacity: a 24-cup hopper, up to 12 meals a day, and 4× D battery backup. It's a perfectly good feeder for a dog or a cat whose eating you don't need to watch — but if a camera is why you're shopping, this isn't the product the name might suggest, and at this price the camera feeders above are the better buy.
- Largest capacity here: 24 cups
- Up to 12 scheduled meals a day
- Sturdy 4× D battery backup
- No camera — app meal logs only
- Priced like the camera feeders it doesn't match
The outage question, answered for all three
Every feeder here has battery backup, and every backup has fine print worth knowing before the power goes out. The Granary keeps scheduled meals running on 3× D batteries, but the camera and Wi-Fi pause — your cat eats; you just can't watch. The YumShare runs on 5× AAA, the PetSafe on 4× D. In all three cases the batteries aren't included, which is a silly way to learn that lesson during a storm — buy them with the feeder.
Feeders are only half the watching-your-pet story. For standalone cameras — and one subscription trap worth a full page — see Furbo vs PETLIBRO cameras.
Frequently asked questions
Which camera feeder works without a subscription?
The PETLIBRO Granary. Its cloud video is optional — recording to a microSD card works with no subscription at all.
What happens to these feeders in a power outage?
Scheduled meals keep running on battery backup: 3× D cells in the Granary (though its camera and Wi-Fi pause), 5× AAA in the PETKIT YumShare, 4× D in the PetSafe. Batteries aren't included with any of them.
Which feeder can tell my cats apart?
The PETKIT YumShare Solo 2 — its AI camera offers multi-pet facial recognition, so the feeding log can say which cat actually ate.
Does the PetSafe Smart Feed have a camera?
No camera at all, despite the $134.99 price sitting next to camera feeders. You get app scheduling and meal logs — the honest contrast in this guide.
How much food do these feeders hold?
The PETLIBRO Granary holds 5L, the PETKIT YumShare Solo 2 holds 3L, and the PetSafe Smart Feed holds 24 cups — the largest capacity here.