Our unit of the ROJECO 4L Automatic Pet Feeder (with WIFI and app control) was not sponsored.
We bought it solely for having the peace of mind that our cats would not starve if we had to be away for the weekend.
How does it fair in a household with 3 cats? Find out in this post!
Overall rating: 8.25/10
- Features: 8/10
- Build Quality: 8/10
- Ease Of Use: 9/10
- Value For Money: 8/10
Summary
Pros:
- Works as intended
- Well-designed
- Build quality befits the price
- Easy to clean, assemble and use
- Clear manual
- Option to use the feeder with or without WiFi (or batteries)
- Doesn’t take up much space in the house
- Dispensing action doesn’t scare cats
Cons:
- Doesn’t fit all shapes and sizes of kibble (normal for most feeders)
- Doesn’t come with a built-in camera
- Determined greedy cats will be able to get some kibble out of the feeder
Why We Selected The ROJECO 4L Automatic Pet Feeder
If you look up automatic food dispensers in the current market, the maximum price is just under RM300. There are feeders that have two bowls, or a single bowl attached. And others that work on a timer basis.
Some feeders even have cameras so you can see your cat eating from the dispenser. Although from what we saw with present models in the market, the resolution is poor and there’s no night vision.
The ROJECO 4L Automatic Pet Feeder (with WIFI and app control) is mid-priced. We paid about RM180 for the double-bowl unit. We wish it had 3 bowls to suit each of our cats, but this will do for now.
What appealed the most to us was that this model has app control (if you keep your house WiFi on when you are away) which allows us to remotely control how much and when to feed our cats via the food dispenser.
Of course, you can also set a feeding schedule but more on this later.
We do like the minimalist design of this feeder as well.
Features Of The ROJECO 4L Automatic Pet Feeder
- App control (ROJECO app)
- Can be battery-operated or plugged in
- Comes with 304 stainless steel bowls
- There is a dedicated compartment for storing desiccant and a packet of desiccant
- Built-in safety lock
- The unit comes with a manual (in several languages including English), and its own power supply adapter (don’t need an adaptor for Malaysian households)
- Indicator for when the feeder is empty
Build Quality Of The ROJECO 4L Automatic Pet Feeder
For the price, we are satisfied with the build quality of the feeder. All the exposed parts of the feeder are smooth. We did find some sharp edges at the bottom of the feeder.
You can tuck in the power cord neatly underneath the feeder too. All components of the feeder can come apart for easy cleaning.
It is easy to assemble the feeder – we just needed one glance at the manual (that does come with diagrams).
The stainless steel bowls are especially nice but they are prone to water stains.
Setting Up The ROJECO 4L Automatic Pet Feeder
We initially had trouble connecting the ROJECO companion app to the ROJECO 4L Automatic Pet Feeder using an Android phone. We managed to do so in the end. Connect your phone to a 2.4G WiFi (not 5G).
Note: Only one phone can be paired with the feeder at a time
We successfully paired the feeder with an iPhone too. Connecting to the app was easy. And we could start controlling the feeder from there.
The app has features like schedule feeding (and once you set a schedule, you don’t necessarily need to keep your WiFi on although you will miss out on notifications).
We didn’t have to read the manual completely to understand how to use the app. It is straightforward to use.
You can also dispense food immediately through the app. Along with a physical button (push twice, not once) at the side of the feeder’s base.
Besides the feeding frequency, you can set how much to give your cat. The machine dispenses out food in fixed amounts (called portions). We find that we need 2 to 3 portions per cat per feeding session.
The app does send your phone notifications when the feeder is empty. We tested this out and it works.
There are also notifications whenever there is a feeding session (there is a log that you can refer to in the app).
Using The ROJECO 4L Automatic Pet Feeder
What’s important to note is that only certain shapes of kibble (preferably round)can pass through the dispenser smoothly.
There is a clear size and shape indicator on top of the dispenser. The acceptable size range is 4mm to 12mm.
For our kibble (Happy Cat Perfect Mix), we did not encounter any instances of jamming.
Since our unit has two bowls, we can see that the portions dispensed are about the same. The scheduling works as expected too.
PS: We didn’t see any option to set different portions for the individual bowls.
Our 3 adult cats didn’t hesitate to eat off the feeder. They don’t find the dispensing action scary even though they are skittish by nature.
What we did observe though, is that they will try their best to dig out the kibble from the machine.
The dispensing hole is big enough for them to poke a paw in. If there are any kibbles close to the entrance, they can ease them out of the feeder.
And they are greedy and stubborn enough to keep trying. So far, they have not been able to open the feeder (or topple it down).
Verdict
We recommend the ROJECO 4L Automatic Pet Feeder for households with 2 cats. And it is best if your cats are not super greedy (like ours).
It is possible to use this feeder without constant WiFi. You can just use WiFi for the initial setup of the feeding schedule.
We don’t personally need to power this feeder with batteries. You don’t have to put batteries in to use the feeder if it’s powered via your main power supply.
Still, it’s convenient to have the option as a backup if your neighborhood frequently experiences blackouts.
Other things to note are the kibble size and shape that you use.
But if you are not satisfied with just receiving app notifications, you might want to get a separate camera to monitor your cats too when you are gone (we use the Tapo C210).
