In-depth review
Cat Mate C500 Automatic Pet Feeder Review (2027)
Research review of the Cat Mate C500: five 330 g compartments, twin ice packs, and a digital timer for wet or dry food.
Cat Mate C500 Automatic Pet Feeder
Five pre-portioned meals over twin ice packs, served by a digital timer.
Our verdict
The C500 is the C300 idea scaled up honestly: five generous compartments, twin ice packs, and a digital timer, with no app in the way. For wet-food weekends away it remains one of the most practical feeders in this guide.
What we like
- Five compartments hold up to 330 g of wet or dry food each
- Twin ice packs sit under the tray to keep wet meals fresher until serving
- Digital timer exposes each meal at the set time and repeats the schedule
- Battery operation (3 AA) places it anywhere with no cord to chew
What to watch out for
- Five meals is a weekend supply, not a holiday solution
- No app, camera, or empty-tray alerts
- Ice packs need freezer space and refreezing between uses
What owners report: Cat Mate C500 Automatic Pet Feeder
Synthesized from recurring themes in long-term owner feedback.
Most praised
- Five generous compartments carry a wet food cat through a full day and beyond
- Twin ice packs under the tray are a step up from the single pack of smaller rivals
- The repeating digital timer keeps the routine going while owners are away overnight
Common complaints
- Five meals is the ceiling, so longer trips still need a human visitor
- There are no alerts when the tray empties or a meal goes uneaten
- The ice packs claim freezer space and need refreezing between every use
Who it is for
Wet-food and mixed-diet cat owners who need up to five timed meals across a day or a weekend away.
Five-meal capacity
Each of the five compartments holds up to 330 g per the listing, which is a full meal rather than a snack for most cats. One compartment starts exposed and the timer rotates the tray to reveal the next meal at each set time.
That capacity is what separates the C500 from smaller two and three meal trays: it covers a long workday with grazing meals or a weekend of twice-daily feeding.
Ice packs and wet food
Twin ice packs sit beneath the tray, the same approach as the C300 but with more cooling mass for the larger tray. Wet food loaded in the morning stays in better shape until an evening serve than it would in an open bowl.
The sealed lid design also keeps liquids away from the controls, and removable bowls are dishwasher safe per the listing details.
Timer, power, and limits
A digital timer drives the schedule and 3 AA batteries drive the feeder, so there is no cord and no Wi-Fi setup. The trade-offs are the absence of any app confirmation and a hard ceiling of five meals.
For trips beyond a weekend, this is a feeder to pair with a visiting feeder-checker rather than a standalone solution.
Key specifications
- Meals
- 5 compartments
- Capacity
- Up to 330 g per bowl per the listing
- Timer
- Digital timer
- Cooling
- Twin ice packs included
- Power
- 3 AA batteries per the listing
- Model
- C500
Sources: Amazon product listing, Amazon UK product listing
Also consider
Cat Mate C300 Automatic Pet Feeder
Timed wet-food meals kept cool with an ice pack under the tray.
Why consider it: Choose the C300 if three meals and a smaller tray cover your schedule for less money.
- Capacity: About 3 pre-portioned compartments
- Meals per day: Timed servings from the filled compartments
Sure Petcare SureFeed Sealed Pet Bowl
A motion-sensing sealed bowl that keeps wet food fresh and other cats out.
Why consider it: Choose the SureFeed Sealed Bowl if freshness for a grazer matters more than timed servings.
- Capacity: About one filled bowl serving
- Meals per day: Access on approach, not scheduled dispensing
Research-based assessment. TrueGear has not hands-on tested this product; this evaluation synthesizes manufacturer specifications, retailer documentation, and published expert reviews.
Questions, answered
How much does each C500 meal hold?
Up to 330 g per compartment per the listing, across five compartments of wet or dry food.
Does the C500 need Wi-Fi or an app?
No. A digital timer on the unit runs the schedule and batteries power it, so it works with no network at all.