Monitor and understand your pet's eating behaviour, to better care for your pet

11th July 2019

Pet product specialist Sure Petcare announce the launch of the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect, the next generation of the best-selling SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder. The smart feeder monitors how much and when a pet eats, sending real-time updates directly to the pet owner’s phone. The new product also features integrated scales, which enable owners to provide accurate food portions to their pet at every meal.

The smart feeder monitors how much and when a pet eats, sending real-time updates directly to the pet owner’s phone.  The new product also features integrated scales, which enable owners to provide accurate food portions to their pet at every meal.  

Feeding behaviour is a key indicator of health for pets, with a loss of appetite or change in feeding habits often being one of the first signs of illness.  The Microchip Pet Feeder Connect records the time and weight of food consumed by a pet each time they eat from the feeder, reporting it directly to the Sure Petcare app.  Over time, this enables pet owners to build a comprehensive understanding of their pet’s unique feeding patterns, making it easier for them to spot changes in their pet’s health and wellbeing earlier than they may otherwise have been able to do so. 

The Microchip Pet Feeder Connect also enables owners to personalise their pet’s feeding regime to suit their unique needs – whether that is to help address a specific health concern, such as obesity, or to establish a consistent and appropriate feeding routine, which all pets can benefit from.  Using the app, pet owners can specify the weight of a food serving for their pet. Once completed, every time they add food to the bowl, the integrated scales will weigh the food and LEDs on the front of the feeder will indicate when the correct portion weight has been reached.  

Once connected to the Sure Petcare app via the Hub (sold separately) owners can:

• Monitor food consumption:  see how much, how often and for how long their pet eats, to get a comprehensive view of their pet’s eating patterns.

• Receive detailed insights: notice changes in feeding behaviour which may be early indicators of illness or behavioural issues.  

• Set and manage accurate food portions:  set the portion size and type of food to be served, for up to two types of food (eg. wet and dry).  Once portion sizes have been set up in the app, the product’s integrated scales weigh food as it is added to the bowl.

• Gain peace of mind: check their pet was last fed and how much food is left in their bowl.  This provides great peace of mind when owners are away from home.

• Connect with family and friends: share access to the app with friends and family - ideal for pet sitters and day-to-day care.

• Use with existing Sure Petcare “Connect” products: each hub can connect up to 10 devices within the same household, enabling pet owners to manage all of their Sure Petcare “Connect” products from the same app account.  The hub is also compatible with the SureFlap Microchip Pet Door Connect and SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap Connect.

Dr Nick Hill, founder and CEO of Sure Petcare said: “The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect not only provides owners with peace of mind and control over portions, but also enables owners to link all their Sure Petcare Connect products, within one app.  This provides owners with a detailed picture of their pet’s overall health and wellbeing, with all data feeding into one screen. Owners can check their pet’s access in and out of the home as well as changes in feeding behaviour, and we plan to add more products to the Sure Petcare Connected Pet Ecosystem in the future.”

Jon Bowen, Royal Veterinary College vet and animal behaviourist said “Although I’m a vet, I still have the same concerns as any other pet owner.  For me, the three advantages of this product are peace of mind, knowledge and control. With my own cat, Bertie, it gives me great peace of mind to get alerts during the day so that I know that he is coming home at regular times to eat, even when I’m out at work or away. From the knowledge perspective, changes in food intake are an early indicator of illness, so if I see that Bertie is eating less then I know that I should check him over in case he has an injury or an infection. Monitoring his food intake is going to become even more important as he gets older, and starts to suffer from conditions like kidney disease. Having had a multi-cat household in the past, I’m also aware of how important it can be to be able or control what each cat eats. Nutrition is becoming a more important part of healthcare, with specialised diets for specific health problems, and in a multi-cat household a microchip feeder is one of the only certain ways to ensure that each cat gets the correct food.”

Almost 40%* of UK cats share their home with another feline friend, while many of them also cohabit with a dog.  The Microchip Pet Feeder Connect is ideal for multi-pet households, as the product uses a pet’s identification microchip, or Sure Petcare collar tag, as a unique “key”, allowing only authorised pets to access the food in the bowl.  Preventing food stealing by other pets in this way not only leads to more harmonious mealtimes, but also makes the Microchip Pet Feeder Connect a must-have for the many households where pets are on either prescription diets or weight management programs. 

Pet tech continues to be a growing industry, with the global market expected to increase to $2.36bn (£1.84bn) by 2022, according to Grand View Research. In 2018, UK pet owners spent a whopping $10 billion on general products and services for their animals.

The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect is available to purchase online today across the UK (16 April 2019) at surepetcare.com, and in the coming weeks from leading pet retailers* for an RRP of £119.99.  The Hub is sold separately, RRP: £49.99.