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The PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed automatic feeder is a 12-meal fully programmable pet feeder that holds up to 24 cups of dry food and dispenses it using a conveyor belt system at exactly the right times.
Thanks to its versatility, ease of use and reliability, the PetSafe Health Pet is one of the most popular automatic pet feeders sold on Amazon. Over 1,500 pet owners say it works great – especially when it comes to regulating their pet’s diet.
That said, this is not a smart pet feeder you can control remotely using your smartphone. If you’d like that option, then we recommend PetSafe’s more expensive feeder, the PetSafe Smart Feed WiFi (also a top-rated feeder on Amazon).
Continue reading for my 5-minute in-depth review of the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed automatic pet feeder.
If this PetSafe feeder is not ideal for your needs, the check out the other leading units in my automatic feeder buying guide.
Designed for 1-2 Cats or Dogs
The PetSafe automatic feeder is designed for one or two cats and small or medium sized dogs.
It’s also a great buy if:
- Your pet has food anxiety. If they keep begging for food at all hours of the day (and night), this automatic feeder can help by providing regular meal times. Your pet learns to wait until the food has been dispensed.
- Your pet is on a strict diet. Whether it is because she has put on too much weight or has a health issue that requires a special diet, an automatic feeder is a way to go. PetSafe’s feeder allows you to set precise mealtimes with flexible portions for each.
- You have a mischievous pet that is likely to try and tamper with the feeder to get extra food. The PetSafe feeder is tamper-proof.
- You have a fast eater. If your pet eats too quickly that it causes stomach upsets, you can use the slow-feed mode to slow down how quickly each meal is dispensed.
Size and Number of Pets
The PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed works great with all cat sizes and ages from kittens to adults. The bowl is large enough for even the largest cats, and there is a very little chance they can tip over the heavy food hopper.
It’s also ideal for small and medium-sized dogs.
But don’t use it for large dogs. For one, the bowl might be too small for them. Secondly, with some effort, a large dog can tip over the food hopper.
As for the number of pets, you can use it for one or two cats or dogs. But if one of the pets tends to be rough, it can cause a feeding problem for the other meeker pet.
The best option if you have two cats or two dogs is to use a splitter adapter and two separate bowls. You can get a third party 2-way splitter adapter on Amazon.
A splitter ensures that each pet gets the right portion.
Food Capacity
The food hopper can hold up to 24 cups of dry or semi-moist kibble. This is 5.6 liters of food.
That’s a lot of food, which means you don’t have to refill the hopper every day.
It’s also great if you often travel for days at a time. The feeder will simply repeat the set schedule every day and you don’t have to worry that the food will run out quickly.
If your cat eats just 1 cup of food per day, then you won’t have to refill the hopper for 24 days. That is super convenient.
I love that the hopper is translucent, so you don’t need to open the lid to check the food level.
The feeder accepts different sizes and shapes of kibble which can be dry or semi-moist, but not wet.
Feeder Capacity and Frequency
The automatic feeder can dispense up to 12 meals a day.
When you first set up the feeder there are two presets for cats and dogs you can use. These are just to help you set up a quick schedule.
The default cat preset consists of two meals a day: a 1/4 cup (59ml) for each meal, one at 8 in the morning and the other at 5 in the evening.
The default dog preset also consists of two meals daily: 2 cups (473ml) for each meal, one at 8 in the morning and the other at 5 in the evening.
To set up your own custom schedule, there is a third user mode. Here you can schedule up to 12 meals a day at different times.
For each meal, you can set the portion to as little as 1/8 of a cup and as much as 4 cups with 1/8 cup or 30ml increments.
This is versatile enough to meet the feeding needs of most pets. Depending on your pet, you can opt for two large meals a day or more but smaller meals through the day.
If you have two pets, you can schedule as many as 4 cups per meal to make sure they both feed to their fill.
Note that you can also change the default portion and time settings in the dog and cat preset.
Jam-Proof Conveyor Belt
This PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed automatic feeder uses a conveyor belt system to dispense food.
It works reliably without jamming or getting stuck.
It’s also very accurate. If you schedule a 1/2 cup portion, it will dispense exactly that amount. You can measure it yourself if you are interested.
The food is dispensed into a stainless steel bowl. The bowl is food-grade quality and is much more hygienic than a plastic bowl. It is also dishwasher-safe.
The bowl sits on a holder which is attached to the base of the food hopper. This prevents your cat or dog from moving it.
The food hopper itself is very sturdy and bottom-heavy. Unless you are using the feeder with a large dog – which you shouldn’t – there is no way a cat or small dog can move or tip it over.
It’s also tamper-proof.
The food comes out of a long tube that prevents any paws from reaching inside the hopper. Additionally, the hopper lid closes tightly.
Feeding Modes and Settings
This automatic feeder comes with several feeding modes and settings that are handy in certain situations.
- Slow feed mode– If your dog or cat eats too quickly, activate this mode to slow down how quickly the food comes out. In this mode, each meal takes 15 minutes to dispense, which forces your pet to eat slower and avoid stomach upsets.
- Immediate feed – This feeder doesn’t have a manual mode where you can dispense food outside the normal schedule. Instead, it has a direct feed mode. Press certain buttons, and the conveyor belt dispenses the next meal immediately.
- Pause feed – This mode pauses all scheduling. Ideal when you want to feed the pet yourself, when you are traveling with your pet or when you take apart the feeder for cleaning. When you unpause, the feeder picks up from the next meal in the schedule.
Timer and Scheduling Options
The scheduling is very versatile. As I’ve already mentioned, you can set up to 12 meals a day, and each portion can be between 1/8 of a cup and 4 cups.
You can also set a precise time for each portion.
You start by selecting the hour for each portion – either in the 12-hour or 24-hour format – and then setting the minutes.
You can only set the minutes in increments of 15. For instance, for the first meal, you can only select 8.00, 8.15, 8.30 and so on.
This is not as flexible as some other automatic feeders that allow you to set the precise hour and minutes, but it’s good enough for most pets.
Once you set a schedule, the control panel will automatically lock after 2 minutes of inactivity. You’ll see the lock icon on the LCD screen.
This prevents a pet or child from accidentally pressing the buttons and changing the settings.
You have to unlock the screen using two buttons before changing any setting.
Connectivity/Apps
This is not a smart pet feeder. There isn’t wireless connectivity like Bluetooth or WiFi.
Which means you cannot control or monitor it remotely using your phone or tablet.
But this is not a big deal for most pet owners. This is a set-it-and-leave-it feeder.
Once you set up a schedule, there’s really nothing else to do other than regularly check the food level through the translucent hopper.
But if you want a feeder that you can control and monitor remotely, PetSafe also sells a smart WiFi automatic feeder with the same versatility and scheduling as this one.
Power Options
PetSafe sells two versions of the Healthy Pet Simply Feed automatic feeder.
The basic one uses four D batteries. There is a battery indicator on the LCD screen to tell you when it’s time to replace them.
There is also another slightly pricier version that includes an AC power adapter. You plug it into a standard home outlet.
If you’ve already bought the basic version, you can get the AC adapter separately for around $13.
Even if you have the AC adapter, I highly recommend you still install the batteries. They provide backup in case of a power outage, ensuring the feeder continues dispensing meals and that your schedule isn’t lost.
Price
The basic version with the D batteries goes for 
It might seem crazy to pay this much for a non-WiFi pet feeder, but I think it’s worth it – and 1,500 other pet owners agree.
If you have a busy schedule, you don’t want to worry about feeding your pet. You can even go on a 3-day trip without having to pay someone to come to feed the cat.
It’s also good for the health of your pet. They’ll have a more controlled diet which prevents overeating issues.
Finally, if you have an ill pet that needs a special diet, the PetSafe automatic feeder will it far easier (or even possible) to take care of while you are away.
Warranty
The PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed automatic feeder comes with a 1-year limited manufacturer’s warranty.
Pros
- Versatile portion and timer options.
- Fairly easy to configure.
- Large hopper capacity with the tamper-proof design.
- Jam-proof conveyor belt for guaranteed reliability.
Cons
- No remote control or monitoring – would have been handy during overnight trips.
- No meal confirmation feature. You can’t always be sure the set number of meals was dispensed.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about upgrading from a simple feeding bowl, the PetSafe automatic feeder is an excellent choice. In fact, we selected this unit as our Best Dog Feeder of 2018.
The PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed automatic pet feeder is really easy to use, has plenty of options and is built to last. It will keep your pet healthy… even if you need to skip town for a few days.
