I've had this automatic cat feeder in my shopping cart for what seemed like forever until I decided to pull the trigger and purchase before we went on a family vacation. Our cat is on the bigger side and he's also very ornery and vocal when he doesn't get his food right away (or if he sees his bowl semi-empty). We got so used to free-feeding him because my husband and I didn't know if the other had fed him yet, etc. With the pet feeder, there's no guesswork, everything is programmed out and portioned out so we know he's getting the recommended daily servings he needs.It was super easy to program and we love how sleek and modern it looks with our interior. This was especially great to have when we went on a week-long vacation and not having to worry about whether or not he was being fed properly.