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Smart feeders have become one of the most crowded categories in pet tech, with companies racing to add AI cameras and health tracking to devices that used to just dispense food on a schedule. I enjoyed testing Petlibro’s wet food dispenser a couple of years ago, so this time I wanted to try something from the company’s newest automatic feeder lineup: the Granary 2 series, designed specifically for dry food. I was not disappointed. Building on the brand’s Granary line, the Granary 2 series lineup is designed to give cat parents a clearer picture of what their pets are actually eating, from how much food they consume to how long they spend eating and whether their habits change over time. The series includes four models, priced from $129.99 to $249.99. The Granary 2 is the entry-level option, offering app-controlled feeding, precise portioning, and intake tracking. The $189.99 Granary 2 Vision, which is the one I tested, adds an AI-powered camera capable of recognizing up to 10 cats and tracking each pet’s individual eating habits. The $199.99 Vision Duo is aimed at multi-pet households, with two separate dispensing chutes and bowls so each pet can receive its own portion, and the company says that its most expensive model, the Granary 2 X ($249.99), uses AI recognition to provide individualized portioning for pets with specific dietary needs. The biggest upgrade across the Granary 2 series is its built-in scale. The feeder can measure food in the tray, allowing it to track not only how much food was dispensed but also how much remains in the bowl. That gives it a better way to estimate how much your pet actually ate. While a traditional automatic feeder can tell you that it released a meal at 7 p.m., it can’t necessarily tell you whether your cat ate it, how much it ate, or how long it took to finish. The Granary 2 tracks intake, eating duration, feeding frequency, as well as favorite eating times and eating speed. Over time, the companion app builds a picture of your pet’s normal eating patterns, with daily, weekly, monthly and yearly views, which could make it easier to notice subtle changes in appetite or routine that might otherwise go unnoticed. For pet parents who closely monitor weight, portion sizes, or eating behavior, this could be the feature that makes the Granary 2 worth considering. The Granary 2 offers two primary feeding modes: Smart Refill Mode and Scheduled Mode. Smart Refill Mode keeps the bowl supplied with smaller, fresh portions throughout the day while automatically stopping once the daily food limit you’ve set has been reached. This could be particularly useful for cats that prefer to graze rather than eat one or two larger meals. Scheduled Mode offers more traditional control, allowing you to set specific feeding times and portion sizes. There’s also a manual feeding button for those times when you want to dispense food outside of the normal schedule. The version I tested adds another neat layer, with an AI-powered camera that can recognize which pet is eating and automatically associate the meal with the correct profile, which is especially useful in a multi-pet household. If one cat is on a special diet, needs to manage their weight, or has different nutritional requirements from the others, being able to track individual meals is super helpful. It will only open the feeder when the correct pet is recognized by the camera. The 1080p camera also includes night vision, allowing you to check in on your cat while you’re away and see what’s happening around the feeder. There’s two-way audio as well, so you can communicate with your pet remotely. And if you’re the type of pet parent who likes to call your cat to dinner, you can record a short message that plays directly from the feeder. Additionally, the feeder can send instant app alerts for issues such as low battery power, low food levels, and if food jams in the feeder. Those notifications provide some added reassurance when you’re away from home, since you don’t have to wonder whether the feeder is still working properly or whether a problem has prevented your pet from getting its meal. It also has a built-in rechargeable backup battery for when there’s a power outage. It’s important to note, however, that some of the Granary 2’s more advanced features are tied to Petlibro’s subscription services. Certain health tracking and monitoring features require a Petlibro Care subscription (starting at $59.99 per year), while cloud recording and playback on camera-equipped models require paying for a Video Cloud plan ($119.99 per year). Overall, I do think this is one of the best feeders I’ve tested, but if you’re looking for a more affordable option, the closest comparison is Pawsync’s $79.99 feeder. It uses a built-in scale to ensure accurate portions, along with settings designed to help prevent both underfeeding and overfeeding.
document fetched 2026-09-20 02:46 · canonical https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/19/petlibros-new-ai-powered-feeder-is-a-game-changer-for-multi-cat-homes