Remote Pet Feeder feeds your pet, encourages your animal voyeurism habit

The last time we saw a computerized internet-controlled pet feeder, it had been lovingly, creatively cobbled together by a child. Well, it seems the idea's really got legs, as they now seem to be available on a mass-scale, in a nearly identical (albeit slightly more polished) form. Yes, just like the one designed by a boy somewhere in the 8-years-old-range, the Remote Pet Feeder comes with a webcam, a slightly modded bulk kibble feeder / bowl combo, and a 24-hour programmable timer. It's available now for about $290.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

[General_Trelane, (retired) @ Jun 9th 2009 9:58AM]

Why not just get one of those Virtual Pet Apps for your iPhone 3GS... seems to me its the same thing if you are going this far not to have any contact with your beloved pet...

AHAHAH I sais iPhone 3GS..

The "S" is for SPEED!

Marvelous!

[General_Trelane, (retired) @ Jun 9th 2009 10:00AM]

Seriously, does this mean that you get the same great cracking iPhone plastic glossy backings as the 3G?

Smashing!

[bublik @ Jun 9th 2009 10:19AM]

what a fun boy...)

[Evan @ Jun 9th 2009 11:36AM]

Has nobody at engadget ever read a SkyMall?

[Eric @ Jun 9th 2009 9:59AM]

I love my dog!!!

[David @ Jun 9th 2009 2:34PM]

This is so stupid.

Half of the reason why your dog loves you is because it sees and knows you as the "food giver". If you let a machine do it, you're going to have a dog that doesn't love you as much.

[kam @ Jun 9th 2009 5:00PM]

What if you live alone and are late coming home from work but don't want your dog to starve. Seems like a nice solution.

[Mike @ Jun 9th 2009 9:59AM]

Ha! A Mac running Windows XP Firefox..

oh.. wait.. they do that now...

[rDub @ Jun 9th 2009 10:58AM]

A true fanboy will be able to tell you the exact make and model of that lappy ...

I havent had my share of the iKoolade today so i wont be much help in that regard~

[dan2600 @ Jun 9th 2009 11:41AM]

that looks like a G4...they must be using virtual PC.....that would be slow as hell....

[hfm @ Jun 9th 2009 12:28PM]

It's a hand-me-down for the Kid... The parent got the new Alienware nuclear reactor.

[Joseph @ Jun 9th 2009 1:30PM]

it's a stock photo of a kid on a PB G4 w/ the dog picture photoshopped in.

[Eric @ Jun 9th 2009 10:00AM]

I love my dog!!!

[Richard @ Jun 9th 2009 12:11PM]

Yes yes Eric, thank you.

Now SIT.


Staaaaaaayyyyy...

[Ike Turner @ Jun 9th 2009 10:06AM]

Remote feeding... Isn't this what Apple has been doing for many years with their fanboys?
They have a patent on this, they should sue them!!

[Ike Turner @ Jun 9th 2009 10:08AM]

Remote feeding... Isn't this what Apple has been doing for many years with their fanboys?
They have a patent on this, they should sue them!!

[asleeponatwinbed @ Jun 9th 2009 10:10AM]

A solution in search of a problem.

[mbentley @ Jun 9th 2009 10:12AM]

interesting idea, but why not save your $290, take 2 minutes out of your busy life and feed your dog. maybe you could even play with your dog instead of just watching it on a webcam.

don't get me wrong, it is a good deal but seriously, who really needs this for $290? you'd still have to take your dog outside unless you have an automatic dog door.

[Cellien @ Jun 9th 2009 11:37AM]

One phrase: "Out of town."

I have a set up similar with IP cams and an electronic feeder for my cats when I'm out of town. I take my dog with me though (not quite as independent as cats).

[dan2600 @ Jun 9th 2009 11:46AM]

yOU SOUNDS LIKE A CAT LADY

when i go out of town (for about 5-7days)

3 bowls of food....3 bowls of water

when i get home usually i find

1 bowl of full water 1/2 a bowl of food

cats are cats!


to spend 290 dollars on this is RIDICULOUS, donate it to some kid who can't afford food before you worry about an animal's eating habits....
oh man...here they come!

[hfm @ Jun 9th 2009 12:32PM]

You don't have my cat... our male cat would have made it through those 3 bowls in about 4 hours. We have to keep him on a strict regimen or he would look like Jabba the Hut.

[Cellien @ Jun 9th 2009 12:40PM]

@hfm: Yeah same here! My 2 cats would eat it all in a matter of hours, shit everywhere then get in fights because there is no food which would result in piss everywhere.

So, cat feeders are our friends. My set up cost me a little over a hundred bucks and that's w/ 2 IP cams and an auto-feeder from ebay (bought separately). $300 bucks for this is freakin' steep considering what you get.

[Josh Bryant @ Jun 9th 2009 10:13AM]

Sooo, why do these people have pets? Here's an idea: how about just watching an occasional video of a dog eating rather than owning a pet for yourself that you don't have time for.

[Magnulus @ Jun 9th 2009 10:28AM]

Exactly. A pet needs more than food, it needs exercise and cuddles! I never understood the point of these remote pet feeders, as they just further the idea that a dog is an accessory rather than a friend and family member.

[Jon Acheson @ Jun 9th 2009 10:47AM]

My brother has a feeder on a timer so that he gets to sleep in while his cat gets fed at 5:30 AM. And again in the middle of the day while he and his wife are working.

I think the webcam is excessive, though.

[g.sykes @ Jun 9th 2009 10:14AM]

better be well built...my Lab. would be in that within 5mins of me leaving the house otherwise.

[Michael Fan @ Jun 9th 2009 10:46AM]

mine too haha

[Cmmts @ Jun 9th 2009 10:22AM]

A person buying this needs to have his pet removed from him. If you don't have the time to feed the dog, you shouldn't go anywhere near pets!

[darkstar107 @ Jun 9th 2009 10:41AM]

This would be good if you are going on Holidays and can't take your pet with you. This way you could feed it while you are gone and not have to get someone to look after it. However, there is a problem...how does the pet get outside while you are gone. They just need something where you can let it outside remotely lol.

[TimmyRaa @ Jun 9th 2009 10:26AM]

I (read: my missus) has a rabbit, and we go away fairly regularly (couple of days, a couple of times a month), and this would be useful for that. I can see that it would be good for feeding a cat as well.

However, if you're leaving your *dog* completely on it's own for as long as that, even a couple of times ever, then you should not own a dog.

[zioncat @ Jun 9th 2009 10:28AM]

Remote pet feeder $290.00

Aniaml food $20.00

Forgetting that the internet got turned off becasue I spent the money buying the remote pet feeder, priceless.

[robotrock @ Jun 9th 2009 10:34AM]

So someone sticks a webcam on an existing product and doubles the price...

http://www.autopetfeeder.com/shopexd.asp?id=15

[darkstar107 @ Jun 9th 2009 10:46AM]

...and networking :)

[Andrew @ Jun 9th 2009 10:34AM]

haha this thing makes me think of Angela from The Office and her cat voyeurism

[dan2600 @ Jun 9th 2009 11:47AM]

OH NO! Sparkles!!!!!

[Jake @ Jun 9th 2009 11:05AM]

The idea of feeding your pet remotely is cool. But this commercial solution is bad. It requires a PC to set the schedule and have access to the PC to do this remotely.

[Idlemind @ Jun 9th 2009 12:09PM]

will it feed and play with my kids? I have 4 jobs now; thanks to bush....

not the pres... I mean my wife... :O

[bigcow05 @ Jun 9th 2009 12:30PM]

Why is the model not using a Toughbook?

[BPR @ Jun 9th 2009 1:01PM]

We're still waiting for an automatic pet (cat) feeder to be invented that cats cannot reach up into and dig out extra kibbles. Our cats are food obsessed, so while the automatic feeders allow us to be away for an evening, the cats continually attempt to dig out extra food throughout the day. At which they are fairly successful. And no, they are not underfed :)

[paul @ Jun 9th 2009 1:07PM]

COMPLETELY not worth it. It's basically just an automatic pet feeder which has already been on the market for years, and attaching extras to it.

http://spoiled-pups.com/automatic-pet-feeder-p-30.html

The problem isn't the extras, it's the pet feeder itself. I owned one of those for ~3-4 months before I had to literally throw it away because the food-moving design is inherently defective. It relies on a sort of corkscrew system to funnel pet food through a chute into the bowl, and there's an agitator inside the storage container which eventually breaks under the stress of a full container. The feeder would sometimes not dispense food, sometimes dispense too much, and oftentimes the food would get stuck in the dispenser rendering it useless. Not to mention the silly plastic guard on the front of the chute will be INVARIABLY chewed off by your hungry dog seeking to get into the food chute that doesn't work.

I informed the manufacturer and they basically told me to fuck off. DO NOT BUY.

[cherylmikela @ Jun 9th 2009 1:10PM]

Can't imagine this would be good for extended absences. Even with doggie doors and water to drink (hopefully not the toilet), pets still need some form of interaction. freeenterprisechic

[flyingfreak @ Jun 9th 2009 2:11PM]

I wonder if you can feed kids this way and it be considered ... ya know "wrong"

[aleeyun @ Jun 9th 2009 7:02PM]

Imagine the horror as it malfunctions while you're on a 2 week long vacation and you watch your pet slowly become emaciated and finally... die.

[vegae83 @ Jun 9th 2009 7:15PM]

the title made me lol

[zibree @ Jun 9th 2009 9:14PM]

Bad idea.
Dogs need you around.
This is a solution for heartless people.

[Rocketboy @ Jun 10th 2009 9:43AM]

if this could automatically open up cans of cat food, I'd so buy it. Nothing like the 'joy' of waking up to a whining cat because you overslept. Eat the dry food you jerk. That, or grow thumbs.

[gadgetgirl @ Jun 10th 2009 12:19PM]

The small feeder is $278.99 and it seems like a good idea...I don't think they mean for this product to be used for extended periods of time...rather....like angela in the office...more of a....let me see how my pet is doing.. product. Good for if your pet has had surgery and you have to work.

[gadgetgirl @ Jun 10th 2009 12:21PM]

http://www.smarthome.com/6222/Petwatch-IP-Camera-and-Remote-Pet-Feeding-System/p.aspx

this is an all-in-one system....surprised engadget did not see this sooner!

[gadgetgirl @ Jun 10th 2009 12:22PM]

http://www.smarthome.com/6222/Petwatch-IP-Camera-and-Remote-Pet-Feeding-System/p.aspx

this is a much better product...i'm surprised engadget did not find this one sooner! It's an all-in-one petwatch IP. I'd rather spend the $250 on this than on the other one.