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 enlarge | Brand: Petmate
Category: Pet Products
List Price: $79.99
Buy New: $44.99 (On sale from $52.99)
You Save: $8.00 (15%)
New (3) Used (2) from $34.99
Rating:  527 reviews
Sales Rank: 2151
Color: Bleached Linen
Media: Misc.
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.4
Dimensions (in): 12.4 x 10.9 x 10.8
Model: 24232
UPC: 029695242328
EAN: 0029695242328
ASIN: B0016BVY2U
Release Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Le Bistro works for me December 8, 2008
This product has been a godsend for me. I have two and am about to order a third. I use them to feed a feral cat colony. They have worked consistently well after I barricaded them on either side with cinder blocks and put a grate over them to deter the possum from dismantelling them. The cats are calmer having a consistent source of food and I can leave for several days at a time without worrying about them. I kept the instructions for programming but it wasn't difficult. I just wish I knew how long the batteries are expected to last. I have changed them every couple of months just to be assured they won't run out.
Good product, lousy instructions December 6, 2008
I just got the product and it seems to work well. I have a puppy and am not 100% convinced it is puppy proof so I plan to protect it somehow. Anyway, my complaint is with the instructions. I think an overview could help make this a lot easier.
There are three levels of menu here: time, upper programming and lower programming. The time is the usual screen you see. The upper programming level has 3 entries: meal time, meal size and current time.
When at the time level you enter "PROGRAM" and "+" to get to the upper programming menu. To go from the upper programming menu to the time level you enter "PROGRAM" and "SET".
Once in the upper programming level you can program the meal time, meal size and current time. Using the + key moves you between these three choices. Then enter "SET" to select which to program. And press "SET" when the item is programmed and you want to go back to the programming level.
The rest of the instructions describe how to complete the lower programming level.
Works so well December 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My cat used to wake up in the middle of the night for a feeding, and I couldn't stand it any longer so I purchased the Le Bistro feeder. It has worked as well as I had hoped, he is now on a schedule and just eats when the food is dispensed. He NEVER wakes me up in the middle of the night now and I am SO happy about that!
 Amazon ships older version December 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The title for the product says 5LBS which is the newer version and the picture they have is the newer version. But they ship you the 4.2LBS old version which is much harder to program, doesn't have the option of plugging in a power adapter, the food bowl doesn't detach for cleaning, and cats can stick the paw up the shoot and make it release food. All reasons they discontinued the 4.2LBS version and now have the 5LBS version, the one that amazon has pictured. Classic bait and switch, amazon is a horrible company.
Need smaller portions? Read on. December 4, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read all the negative reviews on this feeder and I compared to all the other feeders on the market right now. Hands down, this is the best value for the money, even with its glitches. I used to own a pet sitting company and I have seen every kind of pet feeder there is. I used to wish for someone to create one like this Petmate Le Bistro feeder. Granted, it does need some additional engineering/design work, but until that happens or someone creates a better feeder in this price range, this one gets five stars. Here is the scoop:
The Pros:
1)Will feed 4-5 pounds of food!
2)Will feed three times a day at the exact time you choose.
3)Dispenses the portion you specify.
4)LCD display counts meals so you *know* your furry friend has been fed (even if they act like they haven't)
5)Food is not "hidden" (like some feeders) so you can see it going down
6)Removable bowl for easy cleaning
7)Quiet operation that does not "tip off" other animals in the house if the feeder is meant for a particular furry family member (yes, we have two cats and only one eats from the feeder, the other cat who happens to be a food hog is clueless about it, even after three months of daily early morning feedings to our "special needs cat"). Note: we have a big house with cats that tend to avoid each other unless food is involved, so #7 may not apply in smaller homes/apartments or with pets that are always together in the house.
8) Excellent Customer Service from Petmate.
The Cons:
1) Portion control is not precise (but I created a solution for that, see below and see picture)
2) Battery power can get low enough for the unit to cease dispensing food, yet low battery indicator does not come on and LCD still displays. This happens if you use low voltage D cells (some generic brands are 1.3V each). The unit needs 4.5 volts of power (1.5V per D cell) to operate correctly. Use name brand batteries and it will be fine. To the feeder's credit, the "meal" icon will blink if the unit does not dispense a meal, indicating the unit is clogged or simply under-powered.
3) If the unit were knocked over, it would most certainly spill food everywhere as the lid is not well attached. This unit might not be a good match for rambunctious pets, but fine for all other fur babies.
4) If you take the batteries out, you will have to reprogram some settings. It isn't a big deal, the programming is fairly quick and simple.
The Portion Control Fix! Based on a tip from another Amazon reviewer, I tried all sorts of funnels and plastic cutouts to try to limit the flow of food into the paddle wheel. The funnels/plastic plate/partial covers didn't work, even with the uniform shape and small size of Hill's Prescription diet cat kibble. The food would either get clogged and not drop down to the paddle wheel or it would just continue to fill the paddle wheel as if there was no restriction at all. What I ultimately came up with is what I call "saran wrap pillows" that are secured to the paddle wheel itself. Check out the pic I uploaded to see a detail of the "pillows" I created. You could use another material to "fill" the paddle wheel, maybe cut foam pads or other material. I needed to limit the portion to about 1/8 a cup of food at a time for our kitty. It took about an hour of experimenting (including the various "funnels") to get the right size portions, but I did it and my "pillow" solution has been working great for three months! Here is what you do. Get your saran wrap and a 20 inch piece of string. Start with three pieces of saran wrap that are the same size. Fold each piece into a long strip (to the same width of the paddle wheel compartment) and then gently roll to create your "pillow". If you need to cut your portion from 1/4 to 1/8 like I did, then you will create pillows that will fill about 1/2 of each section of the paddle wheel (each section of the paddle wheel holds approx 1/4 cup). To Adjust the size of the pillows, either trim away some of the strip or wrap another strip of saran wrap to existing pillows. Don't put them into the paddle wheel just yet. Slide one end of your string between the center "fingers" of one of the paddle wheels (this should hold the string in place, but if your string is too thin, you may need to double it or knot it so it stays). Use the manual feed function to rotate the wheel until your string is pulled all the way around the wheel and you are holding both ends again. Now place your first pillow into the paddle wheel and use the manual feed function to rotate the wheel one third. Allow the string to travel with the wheel and wrap around your first pillow. Keep loading your other two pillows in the same manner and then tie the string in a quick knot (that you can undo). Now test! I used a measuring cup to verify the amounts dispensing from all three wheel compartments. Adjust your pillows until you are dispensing the right amount and then tie your string with a strong knot (but don't cinch down or you will flatten your pillows and mess up the portions). It sounds complicated, but isn't so difficult. Once you get a look inside at the paddle wheel, it will make much more sense. Again, check out the picture I uploaded to the product description for a detailed look at my "Le-Bistro paddle wheel pillow". :-) Good luck!
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