Petlibro’s Polar Feeder might be the answer to your wet food dilemma. Liz Coleman / Cats.com
An automatic feeder can maintain your cat’s feeding schedule when you’re away. But what if you feed your cat wet food? Most automatic feeders are only compatible with dry kibble, and even the few models intended for wet food have their shortcomings.
Global pet tech company Petlibro aims to solve this headache with one of the brand’s latest product launches: the Polar Wet Food Feeder. This innovative device is the first of its kind. Instead of relying on cold packs, it works like a mini refrigerator that serves up wet food on a schedule, all powered through an app on your phone.
We tested Petlibro’s Polar Wet Food Feeder for several weeks with two cats to see how it performs in terms of value, efficiency, practicality, and ease of use. Here’s what we thought, and who’s likely to find the Polar Wet Feeder a good fit.
Ratings:
Appearance – 5/5
Construction – 4.5/5
Usefulness – 5/5
Ease of Cleaning – 4/5
Price – 4/5
Overall Score: 4.5/5
Why Trust Cats.com
To say our team is obsessed with pet tech would be a massive understatement. We’ve seen and tested it all. This accumulated knowledge served as an informed launching point for this review. I considered past experiences with automatic feeders while evaluating this newer model, looking at what worked and what didn’t for other devices.
Before setting up the Polar Feeder, I studied the automatic pet feeder market and learned about Petlibro’s competitors to compare their efficiency and value.
During testing, I evaluated the setup process and app functionality, noting how easy it was to sync the app with the device. Then, I filled the feeder with wet food and took it for a test drive. I observed my cats’ reactions to the feeder, paying special attention to their comfort with eating from it. Finally, I broke down the unit for cleaning to see how involved the process was.
In addition to my own observations during testing, I read dozens of Reddit threads and customer testimonials to get a feel for how other cat parents fared with the Polar feeder.
Polar Wet Food Feeder and Petlibro Brand Overview
The Polar Feeder makes it easy to serve fresh, wet food—right on schedule. Liz Coleman / Cats.com
Established in 2019, Petlibro has spent the last five years making a name for itself in the world of pet tech. With headquarters in California, the company offers some of the market’s top-performing water fountains and automatic pet feeders.
Petlibro is dedicated to innovation, a fact made abundantly clear by the company’s continual release of upgraded devices that improve upon previous models.
You can find Petlibro products on the company’s site, as well as Amazon, Chewy, and Best Buy. Products are backed by a 24-month warranty.
Debuting in April 2024, the Polar Wet Food Feeder is one of the brand’s newest releases. This inventive device is the first of its kind, utilizing refrigeration technology to keep wet food fresh for up to three days.
Petlibro Polar Wet Food Feeder Features
You can fill up to three compartments with wet or fresh food. Liz Coleman / Cats.com
The Petlibro Polar Wet Food Feeder features a built-in refrigeration unit that uses advanced semiconductor technology to keep wet food cool and fresh for up to 72 hours. It lets you schedule up to three meals through an app on your phone.
Since most cats prefer to eat wet food at room temperature, upcoming meals are kept in a non-refrigerated section 30 minutes before serving. When meals are ready, a chime alerts your cat to “come and get it.”
Along with choosing the date and time of your cat’s meals, you can also select which compartment you want to be served—a helpful feature for pets who need specific foods at a specific time. Users can set the finish time for meals within a window of up to four hours.
The Polar Feeder is powered by a 60W power adapter and needs to be plugged into the wall. It’s also equipped with a backup battery compartment (takes 3 AA batteries) to maintain your cat’s feeding schedule for 12 hours if there’s a power outage.
Currently, the Polar Feeder costs $129.99 on Amazon, which puts it on the higher end of automatic feeders. However, given the technology behind this device, I think it’s a good value that will serve the needs of many cat parents.
Owners of mischievous cats will appreciate the feeder’s cat-proof design. It has a low center of gravity, making it impossible for cats to knock over. Additionally, it’s sealed shut to keep out wily paws (and insects!). An infrared sensor on the lid keeps it from closing on cats that are still eating.
This device does emit a low humming noise. It’s not intrusive by any means, but it could be annoying to noise-sensitive users.
For peace of mind when you’re away, you can monitor feeding records in the app to ensure your cat has received their meals.
What We Like
Keeps meals fresh for up to three days
Allows you to schedule up to three meals or feed on demand
Customizable feeding window, up to four hours
Anti-pinch infrared lid sensor
Backup battery power
Sleek and attractive design
24-month warranty
What We Dislike
The food dish is plastic (we’d prefer stainless steel)
Currently, only available in black
Only supports 2.4GHz networks
Fairly high off the ground (might be problematic for very small cats)
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
Floyd had no trouble eating out of Petlibro’s Polar Feeder. Liz Coleman / Cats.com
There’s a lot to like about the Petlibro Polar Feeder. For starters, it keeps food fresh much longer than traditional wet food feeders that rely on cold packs. It’s more convenient, too, with food continuously refrigerated—no more swapping out ice packs.
Setup was simple. Just plug in the power cord, install the app, and you’re good to go. The app is intuitive, and scheduling meals is hassle-free.
While the feeder is designed to bring food back to room temperature before serving, some product reviewers found the food was still too cold. My own cats had no complaints. They also had no trouble accessing the food, though I suspect the feeder’s height and relatively deep dish (2 inches) might be problematic for very tiny cats or kittens.
Realistically, most cats will need a period of adjustment to use this feeder, and it might take some training before they learn what the chime sound indicates. But that probably won’t be a deal-breaker for most folks.
One drawback is that the chime sound could be easy to miss, potentially causing cats to miss their meal. It might be nice to have the option to play the chime several times until the device detects a cat is eating.
Cleaning the Polar feeder was easy. Just pop out the food bowl and the rotating lid for washing (only the food bowl is dishwasher-safe). I noticed some condensation pooling inside, but nothing a quick towel dry couldn’t handle.
One of the things that most impressed me was the company’s responsiveness to customer feedback. Petlibro listened to user feedback and implemented improvements accordingly.
For example, initially, you couldn’t feed your pet on demand, and there was no option to choose a custom meal length. Customers were also miffed that they had to manually re-enter meal schedules after each three-meal cycle. Petlibro acknowledged these weaknesses and made some changes. Now, you can feed on demand, choose a feeding window of up to four hours, and set meals to repeat automatically.
This sets Petlibro apart in a major way. I love that the brand is open to continual improvement and genuinely wants to meet pet parents’ needs.
What Do Customers Think of Petlibro’s Polar Feeder?
Since the Polar Feeder is so new, there aren’t many reviews yet. However, the general consensus is pretty positive so far. Currently, it has 4.1 stars on Amazon, but many reviewers are updating their reviews to reflect the brand’s software improvements.
Positive Reviews
Many cat parents were pleased with the Polar Feeder’s overall functionality, noting that it solved the problem of keeping wet food fresh. The majority of users found the app easy to use and were able to set up meal times without difficulty. They also appreciated that the device was fairly quiet and felt robust and solidly built.
“This product works great, and I recommend it to anyone with a busy schedule. It cools the food and brings the food temperature up 30 minutes before feeding. It’s opened on time every time and does give you the option to “Feed Now” or “Close Now.” I’ve seen reviews where the sounds weren’t loud enough, and while that might be true, cats are incredibly habitual. Once they get used to the feeding schedule you set (can be changed at any time using the app!), they’ll KNOW when the feeder door will open before the feeder has a chance to go off. My biggest complaint would be that the inserts are deeper than I’d like and could cause whisker fatigue and by making them of steel material, it’ll cut back on bacteria and cat acne. Overall, it’s so easy, and I’m thankful I made this purchase (and my kitty is too)!”—Katelatestate, Amazon
Negative Reviews
Most of the initial complaints revolved around inflexible scheduling and serving options. However, PetLibro has largely addressed these concerns with software updates, significantly improving the user’s experience. There are some complaints about the feeder’s size, and some cat parents would prefer it to have more than three food compartments. Additionally, a few users noted that the power cord tends to get hot, which could pose a safety issue.
“I love the idea of this, and I really wanted it to work for my cats because I want them to be able to eat wet food if I have to leave them for the weekend. However, this really needs a redesign.
It’s HUGE. One of my cats can’t even reach into the compartment without having to climb on it.
It’s 2.5” deep. Both my cats were hesitant to put their face into the bowl and even then, they were pulling items out to eat them rather than eating continuously. I tested with freeze dried food so that we wouldn’t dirty the machine.
The tone is short and not very loud for indication of machine opening.
It will only allow each compartment to be open for 4 hours max.
I had really hoped this would work, but I imagine I’d need two to suffice for both cats. At $110+ price point, I think Petlibro should really consider redesigning the machine to be whisker friendly and more flexible on time.”—Taylor, Amazon
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Frequently Asked Questions
What types of food can be used with the Petlibro Polar Feeder?
The Petlibro Polar Feeder is compatible with wet or fresh food (canned, bagged, etc.). While it’s intended for wet food, you can use it for dry food, too. You could also fill it with freeze-dried food with added water. The company advises against using raw or homemade food in this feeder.
How long can the Petlibro Polar Feeder keep wet food fresh?
The Petlibro Polar Feeder can keep wet food fresh for three days (72 hours).
Does the Petlibro Polar Wet Food Feeder work with batteries?
No. For regular use, you’ll have to run the Polar feeder with its plug-in power cord. There is a backup compartment for batteries that kicks in during a power outage. However, this is just to maintain your cat’s meal schedule and won’t power the device’s refrigeration.
