SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder

I feel slightly guilty giving this a so-so review - the product seems to work perfectly, but it was a complete waste of money for us. The cat that is the main reason we got it - he's getting bullied out of his food - won't go near it. He is intimidated by the noise and hates having something over his head. He'd rather go hungry than use it. I should have known better! We'll have to try to sell it on, I guess.

The flap is supposed to have a draught excluder but this is set so deep into the flap that it is basically useless. Also Sureflap support department don't respond to any emails, about anything, at all.

I've loved this cat flap, until.... My nervous cat didn't mind the click noise it makes before unlocking (I've read some scared cats were put off by it). It's not suitable for large cats. My 5kg boy can just about fit so large breeds might struggle or won't fit. Just to give you an idea, my JRT can't fit through. It's a bit of a pain to clean. It's not letting draught through. And here's why I feel I was cheated by them saying it'll keep your indoor cats safe etc etc. I have another cat who's partially blind and not street wise so only gets supervised garden time daily. BUT even he could work that click noise is when it's his chance to tailgate my other cat out! I've also witnessed it to unlock when my cat (not allowed to exit, only enter) was by the flap from the inside and my dog (chip not set up) was outside. It unlocked when it wasn't meant to! We're now having to shut kitchen door when not at home to ensure our blind cat won't get out. this was the reason why we invested in this cat flap in first place... Also be aware it will unlock when battery is low (mine didn't beep to let me know in advance). Please, ensure you take extra precaution if it's dangerous for your indoor cat to escape. I've contacted manufacturers, but they refused to add caution regarding tailgaters nor stop advertising it as safe in multi cat household...

I purchased this so my elderly, thin cat could have free access to food without my fat boy eating it all. Took her just 2 weeks to work it, unfortunately fat boy quickly worked it out too. My old girl tolerates fat cat so they are both able to get under the chip reader together! Even if she isn't up to sharing, fat cat is tall enough to reach over the side plate and steal biscuits! So not ideal if you have cats that are friendly with each other or tall enough to reach over the sides.

I’d like someone to explain to me what good it is for me that the feeder only opens with a microchip if it DOESN’T CLOSE WHEN THE CAT LEAVES. The other cats have plenty of time to come and eat, and if there’s another cat eating—even if it’s not the one with the registered chip—it DOESN’T CLOSE. I guess it’s 'for safety', but honestly, the speed and force with which it closes doesn’t seem like it could hurt any cat. In the end, it doesn’t really fulfil its purpose properly.

I've had the feeder for quite a while now, and I'm pretty happy with it, but for the price you wouldn't expect teething problems, yet there are a few: - Setting it up is tricky because sometimes the feeder doesn't immediately register the chip - The feeder doesn't always open when the cat puts its head under the sensor - Mould: If the food isn't eaten straight away, moisture gets in because the lid is closed, and this causes the rubber to go mouldy. Even if you clean the bowls every day. - Fast cats also get to eat, as the flap stays open

I had to order new bowls because the old ones were really worn out over time (8 years), but the new bowls don’t have the divider like before, which is a real shame. The water from the wet food runs into the kibble and the kibble ends up looking awful. So my cat doesn’t want it anymore... I have to throw the food away, which really bothers me.

The idea is good, but unfortunately this feeder doesn’t work with two cats on different diets. One cat can eat from the other’s bowl through the back as soon as the flaps are open. That’s not ideal if one cat is overweight and the other has an allergy and needs hypoallergenic food. Also, the flaps often don’t work properly, they either stay shut or remain open. In short, it’s unusable for us and a waste of money.

I bought the SureFeed for my two cats: the female eats slowly, while the male is very greedy and used to eat her portion too. At first it worked quite well and the female got used to it straight away. However, the male often interferes, comes over when it opens and pushes it aside. I had to buy an accessory to close the back because he managed to squeeze in. Now he blocks the lid as it closes, leaving it open. I'm not satisfied considering the price.

We bought two bowls when they were first released and were very satisfied – the bowls lasted not just for each cat reliably, but a whole 7 years. With our third cat and the purchase of a third bowl, I noticed this one only lasted 3 years. I’ve noticed so many changes and have to say the company has cut production costs, unfortunately at the expense of quality. If the quality was still the same, I would have bought again. But now I’m looking for new suppliers.

We have a cat who is allergic to chicken. This feeder stops her from eating the food meant for our youngest. However, our youngest has developed an interest in the senior ladies’ food. Every night, she breaks open the machine and eats the special feed in the house. She doesn’t sneak food from the side, but instead breaks in with her paw from the front. It’s pretty annoying to wake up and find it open and the bowl pulled out, when it’s supposed to be locked.

I bought two replacement bowls for the SureFeed in December 2025. Basically, I'm very happy with them. However, after such a short time, the rubber seals are already coming off, so they no longer seal properly when the lid of the feeder is closed.

The feeder arrived used, it was a nightmare to reset it, now it works but the lid doesn’t quite close properly... I’m thinking of replacing it.

My cats quickly figured out how to eat together, so the trick doesn't really work anymore.