Aqara has now introduced its Smart Pet Feeder C1 to the international market which supports not only scheduled and remote feeding for cats and small dogs but also features advanced features such as voice command activation (Alexa, Hey Google and Siri) and local automations. As pet feeders are not a supported category in HomeKit, it is therefore not directly compatible, although, with the use of Siri Shortcuts, or Aqara switches, sensors and buttons, you can get pretty close. The pet feeder is now available on Aqara’s Amazon stores in North America (US, Canada) and Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK), as well as via select Aqara retailers worldwide.
Built upon the Zigbee 3.0 protocol, the Smart Pet Feeder C1 enables users to extend the connected home experiences to pet care. Scheduled feeding plans guarantee the timely dispensing of pet food, and alternatively, pet owners can feed their pets remotely via their mobile device when they’re out of town. Voice assistants including Alexa, Google and Siri can be used by creating a pet feeding scene in the Aqara Home, so users can ask their preferred voice assistant to feed the pet from any corner at home, which is particularly helpful for pet owners with limited mobility.
Thanks to the smart pet feeder’s ability to connect with other smart home devices, it allows users to integrate the pet feeder into home automations via Aqara Home or IFTTT. For example, the Pet Feeder can be connected to an Aqara indoor camera, and the camera will start recording when pet food is dispensed so that owners keep an eye on the pet food consumption even when they’re not home. It’s also possible to use a motion sensor to detect whether the pet has approached the feeder after the food is dispensed, if not the next scheduled feeding will be held and a push notification will be sent to the owner as a reminder.
The Pet Feeder C1 has a 4-litre food tank which incorporates around 1.7 kilograms (3.7 pounds) of typical (dry) pet food, which makes it ideal for cats and smaller dogs. For example, the tank can keep up to one month of pet food for a 4kg cat, and its food tank design allows the regular change of desiccant so that pet food stays dry and fresh.
Apart from being powered by a typical USB-A cable, the Pet Feeder supports the use of D-type (LR20) batteries as a power backup, so it can dispense pet food even if the electricity is cut off. Moreover, the feeding schedules are local, which means that preset schedules remain functional regardless of whether the Internet connection or the smart home hub goes down.
You can check out our video for the Aqara Pet Feeder C1 below;
Moreover, the pet feeder allows users to track food consumption statistics and help create healthy feeding plans for their pets. Each kind of pet food is different, and users can weigh one portion of the particular pet food and input the value in grams in the Aqara Home app so that they can keep track of the weight of consumed pet food daily in the device log. Feeding plans can be created and adjusted quickly based on the recommended amount of food for your pet.
To celebrate the launch, Aqara is offering a 10% discount on the Pet Feeder C1 in its Amazon stores. North American customers can take advantage of the offer using the promo code NAFC1PET in the US and Canada. For European customers, they can use the promo code UKEUPFC1 in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Both of these codes can be combined with any money-off coupon and will be valid through November 17, 2022.
Note:
A Zigbee 3.0-based Aqara hub is required
The actual weight varies depending on the particular type of pet food
PetMD nutrition recommendation of 50g/1.8oz of food per day for a 4-kilogram cat
The USB power adaptor is not included