What Our Research Found
Two-bowl feeders sit in an odd spot in the market. Single-bowl units like the PETLIBRO Granary Wi-Fi are cheap and predictable, while microchip systems such as the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder run several times this price. The AONBOY splits the difference at $68.39, and we wanted to know whether the split-chute design actually solves the two-cat problem or just relocates it.
The splitter divides one dispensed portion into two bowls by gravity alone. There's no second motor and no scale, so an even 50/50 split is approximate rather than guaranteed.
The hardware is conventional and proven: a 5 L hopper (roughly 20 cups, or about 2 kg of typical dry kibble), a rotating auger that pushes a set number of portions per meal, and a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi module for scheduling. The listing advertises up to 10 meals a day with adjustable portions, a 10-second voice recording that plays at feed time, and dual power, meaning a mains adapter plus battery backup so the schedule survives an outage. What the listing doesn't state clearly is the gram weight of a single portion, the battery runtime, whether batteries are included, or who runs the app's cloud servers. Those are real gaps. Public ratings sit at 3.9/5, and the negative reviews cluster around two things you'd predict from this design: uneven distribution between the bowls, and occasional jams with unusually small, oily or oddly shaped kibble.
Bottom line
For free-feeding two cats that eat at roughly the same rate, this does the job for a fraction of what a microchip feeder costs. For portion-controlled feeding of a specific cat, it doesn't, and no amount of app scheduling fixes that. The machine can't tell your cats apart.
Buy it if your goal is food appearing on schedule while you're at work, for two easy-going cats. Skip it if your goal is cat A getting exactly 40 g and cat B exactly 55 g. That needs a microchip feeder like the SureFeed, or two separate single-bowl units.
How reliable is a gravity-splitter feeder for two cats?
We didn't run a lab, and we won't pretend otherwise. This assessment rests on three things: the manufacturer's published specs for this listing, the mechanics shared by every auger-and-chute feeder on the market, and the spread of public owner feedback behind the 3.9/5 rating. Auger feeders are a mature design with predictable failure points that repeat across brands, including kibble bridging in the hopper, chute clogs with oily food, motor stalls and Wi-Fi dropouts. A 3.9 average suggests this unit hits those points at roughly category-typical rates rather than being uniquely flawed.
The Good & The Bad
thumb_up What We Loved
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Real capacity for the money
5 L at $68.39 is competitive. Across the Amazon Canada listings we checked while writing, comparable 5 L Wi-Fi feeders such as the PETLIBRO Granary Wi-Fi typically ran higher, roughly $90 to $130 as an observed range rather than a fixed figure, and most of those still serve only one bowl. Prices move, so check the day you buy.
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Battery backup that keeps the schedule
A feeder that forgets its schedule after a two-minute power flicker is worse than useless while you're away. Dual power removes the worst failure mode in the category.
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Ten meals a day, not four
Frequent small portions suit cats that eat too fast and bring it back up, and they help stretch a fixed daily calorie target across the day. Lower-priced feeders often cap at four or six.
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Voice call at feed time
The 10-second recording does more than it sounds like it should. Cats learn the cue within days, which matters when the bowls sit in a room where motor noise doesn't carry.
thumb_down Honest Drawbacks
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The two bowls don't fill evenly
This is the design's core limitation and the most repeated complaint in public reviews. Gravity does the dividing, so one bowl regularly gets noticeably more than the other. Cats with different calorie targets can't be managed on this machine.
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Dry kibble only, with size limits
No wet food, no raw, no toppers. Auger feeders also jam on kibble that's very small, very large, oddly shaped or heavy with surface oil. If your cat eats a specific prescription kibble, test the shape before you trust the feeder with a trip.
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Key specs are undisclosed
Grams per portion, battery runtime, battery inclusion, app data handling and warranty term aren't clearly stated on the listing. That's more opacity than we'd like on a connected device that controls your pet's food.
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No camera and no confirmation of who ate
The app tells you food was dispensed. It can't tell you the food reached the bowl, that the chute stayed clear, or that the shy cat got any of it. Camera-equipped feeders, including PETLIBRO's step-up models, cost more and remove that blind spot entirely.
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The marketing oversells the second bowl
Two bowls implies two rations. Buyers arrive expecting a feeder that manages two cats and get one that manages one ration in two places, which is where most of the frustration in the review pile comes from.
Technical Breakdown
Hopper capacity
5 L (≈20 cups / ~2 kg dry kibble)
Dual-bowl dispensing
1 auger, 2 bowls via gravity splitter
Connectivity
Wi-Fi, 2.4 GHz only (no 5 GHz)
Scheduling range
Up to 10 meals/day, adjustable portions per meal
Power and backup
Mains adapter + battery backup (runtime undisclosed)
How It Works
Setup runs about 20 minutes, most of it app pairing and the first portion calibration. Do the calibration. It's the step people skip and then complain about.
Assemble and seat the splitter
Clip the Y-shaped chute to the base and slide both bowls in until they sit flush. A bowl sitting lower than its twin, or a base that isn't level, makes the split worse. Check the spot with a spirit level app first.
Load the hopper and desiccant
Dry kibble only. Units in this class handle roughly 2 to 15 mm pieces, and jams start with kibble that's very small, very large or greasy. Drop the desiccant bag into the lid holder to keep moisture out of a hopper that may sit half-full for a week.
Power it two ways
Plug in the mains adapter and install the backup batteries (type and count per the listing; check whether they're included, since they often aren't). Mains runs the motor and Wi-Fi. The batteries keep the clock and schedule alive through a cut, though app control drops out until mains returns.
Pair on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
Put your phone on the 2.4 GHz band before pairing, not 5 GHz. Combined-band routers broadcasting one SSID cause more failed setups on feeders like this than anything else. Split the bands temporarily if pairing stalls.
Set meals, then weigh the output
Program up to 10 meals with a portion count each, run a manual feed, then weigh what lands in each bowl. Adjust the portion number until the combined total matches your vet's daily gram target. Note how lopsided the two bowls run so you can compensate with bowl placement.
Record the meal call
Record 10 seconds of your voice and it plays at each dispense. Cats that ignore the motor noise respond to it, and it ties the machine to you rather than to a stranger in the kitchen.
How It Compares
| Feature | AONBOY Automatic Cat Feeder with 2 Bowls, 5L WiFi App Timer | PETLIBRO Granary Wi-Fi (5 L, single bowl) |
|---|---|---|
| Price (Amazon Canada, observed while writing) | $68.39 | cancelTypically around $90 to $130 in the listings we checked; microchip feeders such as the SureFeed sit well above $200. Treat all of these as approximate market ranges, not fixed prices. |
| Hopper capacity | 5 L (~20 cups) | 5 L per the manufacturer's spec page, roughly the same ~2 kg of dry kibble |
| Bowls served | 2, via gravity splitter | 1 bowl; a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder serves one registered cat behind an RFID lid |
| Portion control per cat | cancelNo, approximate split only | cancelPrecise portions into one bowl, but no per-cat gating; only a microchip feeder like the SureFeed stops food theft between cats |
| Connectivity | 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi app | cancel2.4 GHz Wi-Fi app, same band limitation; the SureFeed has no app at all, just a battery-powered mechanical lid |
| Meals per day | Up to 10 | Up to 10 on the Granary Wi-Fi per PETLIBRO's listing |
| Camera | cancelNo | cancelNo on this model; PETLIBRO's camera-equipped feeders are a separate, pricier line |
| Power | Mains + battery backup (runtime undisclosed) | Mains + D-cell battery backup per the manufacturer's listing; runtime figures come from the maker, so treat any 'lasts weeks' claim as unverified by us |
| Food types | Dry kibble only | Dry kibble only; the SureFeed handles wet and dry in a sealed tray |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the AONBOY automatic cat feeder worth it for two cats?
If both cats eat dry food at roughly the same rate, yes. $68.39 buys a 5 L hopper serving two bowls, and it undercut the single-bowl PETLIBRO Granary Wi-Fi in every Amazon Canada listing we checked. It's the wrong buy when you need controlled grams per individual cat, because the splitter simply can't do that.
Does the AONBOY two-bowl feeder split food evenly between both bowls?
Not reliably. The portion drops through a Y-shaped chute and divides by gravity, with no second motor and no scale, so one bowl usually gets more than the other and the ratio shifts meal to meal. Treat it as free-feeding two cats from one ration rather than portion control for each cat.
Does the AONBOY cat feeder work with 5 GHz Wi-Fi routers?
It's 2.4 GHz only, like nearly every feeder in this price range. Routers broadcasting both bands under a single network name are the number one reason setup fails here. Split the bands into separate SSIDs temporarily, put your phone on the 2.4 GHz network, finish pairing, then merge them again if you prefer one name.
Will an automatic cat feeder keep feeding during a power outage?
Backup batteries keep the internal clock and the programmed schedule running when mains power drops, so meals still dispense on time. What stops is app control and remote feeding, until power comes back. The manufacturer doesn't publish battery runtime or confirm whether batteries ship in the box, so budget for buying them separately.
Can the AONBOY automatic feeder dispense wet cat food?
No. It's an auger-and-hopper design built for dry kibble around 2 to 15 mm. Wet food, raw food and freeze-dried toppers will clog it and turn an unrefrigerated hopper into a hygiene problem. Wet feeding needs a chilled rotating-tray unit or a sealed-tray feeder like the SureFeed, which is a different category of product.
AONBOY vs SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder for a multi-cat household?
Roughly $130 separates them, and that gap buys precision. The SureFeed wins whenever either cat is on a prescription, weight-loss or diabetic diet, because its microchip-triggered lid opens for one registered cat and stops food theft. The AONBOY wins on capacity and price: 5 L, up to 10 scheduled meals from your phone, under half the cost.
library_booksReferences & Further Reading
Our reviews are informed by peer-reviewed research and authoritative health organizations. These sources provided context for this review:
- linkCornell Feline Health Center: Feeding Your Cat
- linkInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada — Radio Equipment Certification
- linkFCC — Equipment Authorization for RF Devices
- linkPETLIBRO — official product specifications (Granary Wi-Fi feeder)
- linkSure Petcare — SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder product specifications
Editorial note: Links to external sources are provided for informational purposes. ReviewHubNow is not affiliated with these organizations and does not receive compensation for linking to them.
The AONBOY does what a $68 feeder should. It holds a lot of kibble, it keeps a schedule you can change from your phone, ...
Based on our research and analysis, AONBOY Automatic Cat Feeder with 2 Bowls, 5L WiFi App Timer scored 7/10. See the full verdict above for who it suits — and who should pass.
View Price on Amazon Canadaarrow_forwardVerify official availabilityWhat Owners Report
Recurring themes we found across public owner reviews.
Owners repeatedly say setup took under half an hour, the hopper genuinely lasts a week or more for two cats, and the recorded voice prompt gets both cats to the bowls within seconds of the motor running.
The most-repeated criticism is uneven distribution. One bowl consistently ends up with noticeably more food than the other, which frustrates buyers who bought it specifically to manage two cats on different rations.
Several owners describe app or Wi-Fi dropouts, usually resolved by re-pairing on the 2.4 GHz band, and note the reassuring detail that the programmed schedule keeps dispensing on the unit itself even when the app connection is down.
Amazon Canada's standard return window is typically 30 days from delivery for this category. The manufacturer's own warranty length isn't clearly stated on the listing, so check the store page and product insert before you rely on it for a trip.