A holiday gift for a happy and healthy pet

17th October 2019

From monitoring the food portions of famished felines to preventing a devious dog tucking in to another pet’s dinner, the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect from Sure Petcare, the pet technology specialist, today announced the perfect holiday gift to help keep four-legged friends healthy and give owners peace of mind.

A recent survey of veterinarians found 46 per cent of dogs and 34 percent of cats in the U.K. are overweight or obese, although just 15 percent of owners believed their pet to be one of them. Meanwhile, just under half of pets come from a home with two or more animals where accidental over-eating can easily occur.

By recording the time and weight of food eaten by a pet using the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect, owners can build up a detailed understanding of the unique feeding patterns of pets through the Sure Petcare app. Changes to a pet’s feeding behavior make it easier for owners to spot potential health issues.

The integrated scales weigh the food portions for each pet at every meal, while a pet’s identification microchip, or Sure Petcare collar tag, stop unauthorized pets from having access to the food in the bowl. Preventing food stealing by other pets can assist households where pets are on prescription diets or weight management programmes and lead to more harmonious mealtimes.

Trained veterinarian and managing director of Sure Petcare, David Hallas, DVM, MBA, said, “The pet has become an extension of the family, but from the statistics, it’s clear some owners may not be feeding their pets the correct portions of food and, if they are, other pets in the house could be eating more than their share. The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect provides owners with peace of mind and control over portions. The product also provides pet owners with a detailed picture of their pet’s overall health and well-being, with all data feeding into one dashboard.

“By linking to all the other Sure Petcare Connect products on one app, owners can check their pet’s access in and out of the home as well as changes in feeding behavior, and we expect to add more products to the Sure Petcare Connected Pet Ecosystem in the future. We think the smart feeder is the perfect gift to help keep your pet happy and healthy and let you become closer to your pet than ever before.”

Once connected to the Sure Petcare app via the Sure Petcare 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 eating patterns.
• Receive detailed insights: Notice changes in feeding behavior which may be early indicators of illness or behavioral 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 (e.g., 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 when a 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, which is 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 Door Connect.

The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect is available to buy at surepetcare.com or from leading pet retailers at $179.99. The Hub is sold separately for $72.80.