How to Set a Cat Mate C50 Automatic Pet Feeder

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I sometimes pet sit for clients who use the older mechanical version of the Cat Mate 5-portion automatic feeder, and this puppy can be hard to figure out!

I thought I'd share a short tutorial to explain how to set a dinner or second meal for hungry kitties who are being fed by a sitter or pet parent in the morning. This is a tutorial I arranged to train other pet sitters as to how to manage the evening meal.

Keep in mind that some clients or pet parents will have the newer digital version of the Cat Mate or a smaller one, but this rotating mechanical one is still in good use. It can feed wet or dry food to cats and small dogs and features ice packs to rotate in and out. It's old-school but a workhorse, so here's how to keep it trotting along.

Cat Mate C50 Mechanical 5-Portion Feeder Instructions

This sets the feeder for ONE additional meal until the next manual refilling. Another tutorial would be needed to explain multiple timers, so let me know if you're interested.

Setting the timer

These images assume the time is already set on the timer, as was the case with this particular client. To set it and forget it, move the little red notch with the white arrow on it to point to the number of hours you want the meal delayed, such as 6 or 12 or something in between. From then on, you can set just the main dial to the beginning of "Today" and compartment 1 will be opened that many hours past when you spin the lid to start the countdown.

The three main things to keep in mind each day:

1. Fill compartment 1 (not marked), clockwise from compartment 0 (marked).
2. Turn the timer to the beginning of "Today."
3. Turn the lid counterclockwise to compartment 0.

Good luck feeding those hungry kitties, and let me know if you have any questions or need me to troubleshoot!

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