Smart phone glitch leaves pets hungry

[Catherine]

Apparently there is a `smart` feeder that can feed your pet when you are out. It is connected to the smart phone technology.
When it failed pets were left without food for 10 hours.

People were told to feed their pets manually. They had to be told. How sad is that.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0

Do we really need a smart machine that feeds our pets. Should you ever rely on such a thing.
http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0

What do you think.

[LPC]

This idea forgets that dogs and cats need company and cannot be kept locked up for weeks while people go on holiday. Even leaving them for a whole day is hard. If people cannot arrange (or afford) an alternative - such as a personally vetted pet sitter, or a relative or neighbour to come and feed/exercise - then really they should be asking themselves whether they should have a pet.

I suppose that an unseen emergency could arise with an animal lover, who needs to go away urgently and doesn't have any relatives or helpful neighbours living near. But is it wise to put your trust in an internet server not failing (they do fail from time to time, even the best) for the life of your beloved pet? It is not a risk I personally would want to take.

[Tobi]

Yes at any time servers can be down. I certainly know that!
It is not worth risking your pet's well being.

Yet another example of our robotic 'app-addicted' society! How could anyone stay away from their animal all day for hours and hours at a time? It's easier with outdoor/indoor cats....terrible for dogs....and just not advisable really. 10 hours without food won't kill them so long as there is water, but how miserable for them! And I have actually heard that if cats go too long without food it can be dangerous for them.

Animal companions need more than just food anyway to live a good life. They need stimulus, company, the presence of their family members. Depression can be a very real issue with animals. So is neurotic and repetitive behaviour, caused by loneliness and lack of companionship.

[platy]

Haven't read how it actually works but that would be so handy to have something automatically feed my horses when I can't be there at the normal time. I hate feeding in the dark and while I trust my horses it can still be dangerous. Unfortunately there'll probably never be technology to replace the way I feed.

But yeah I don't think it's that hard to feed pets when you live in the same house.
If the pet has a set routine for meal time and you know you're not going to be able to be there I can see the advantage of being able to remotely feed them.
I don't think it necessarily infers that people who use the technology don't spend time with their pets or that their needs aren't being met.
Would I suggest it as a means for when people go on holiday, definitely not.

[Tobi]

Yes I can see there would be some times when a system like that could be useful. Perhaps if someone were unavoidably delayed. I usually go down the lane to feed a cat every day, morning and evening (and sometimes in the middle of the day too)

The other day I had to wait for a courier. The time they gave was "between 9am and 5.30" They arrived at 4.30. I daren't leave the house/garden all day. I gave the cat double rations late the night before, so she would be OK for food all day. But of course it wouldn't have been as fresh after standing for hours. She didn't mind, and had eaten it. But such technology would have been useful on that day!

[Catherine]

It definitely doesn't replace a pet sitter when you are away. Pet sitting isn't just about feeding. Also insurance doesn't cover damage to your home if you do not have someone checking it regularly.

Having the smart feeder set up for emergencies might be useful, but it doesn't seem too reliable. It would be risky to rely on the feeder.

I have my reptile lights on timers. They come on and switch off at set times. It is not smart technology. It is a simple manual switch that is triggered at a set time of day.  It allows them to have a more measured day length. It works for me too.
If the power is out the lights just come on later.

I trust the simple mechanical timers. I doubt I would feel the same about some kind of smart timer.