I bought this because I was moving and I would be working away from home for stretches at a time, so it was the easiest way to make sure my cats would be fed without having to hire a pet sitter. I have programmed it to give them a small portion of kibble throughout the day. The first time they heard my recorded voice calling them to eat was priceless! However, within just a couple days like Pavlov's cat, they come eat when called. This is also helping with their "snarf and barf" issue as they aren't given enough at one time to get sick. Also, I really like how wide the bowls are to prevent whisker stress. My only complaint is I wish the bowls would be a little higher for them.