In a viral TikTok video, a cat owner caught the moment his feline friend figured out how to operate her automatic feeder by herself.
User Grant Mooney (@grant.mooney) filmed the video after he suspected that his pet was independently manipulating her Petlibro Granary Automatic Cat Feeder to get more food. The clip has been viewed over 3.7 million times and received over 442,000 likes as of publication, with commenters marveling at the pet’s intelligence.
@grant.mooney finally caught her in the act. how did she know how to do that #automaticcatfeeder #cat @user3202649805212 ♬ original sound – Grant Mooney
A text overlay on the video reads: “Finally caught her feeding herself with the automatic feeder.”
In the video, Grant’s cat presses her face against the side of the feeder to unlock the machine. Then, as the camera zooms in, the cat uses its paw to tap a button on the front of the feeder, which makes the machine beep and dispense food into her bowls. The cat then feasts on her food.
Multiple users congratulated the cat and claimed that she had earned her snack from the automatic feeder.
“You know what. Good for her,” a user said.
“It’s like a vending machine now,” another joked.
“The fact that she had to UNLOCK it first. I’m so impressed,” a third added.
“That’s a cat who has used the scientific method to figure out which button gives food,” another remarked about the cat’s intelligence when it came to figuring out how to work her feeder.
Others shared the ways in which their own cats proved smarter than they had thought them to be.
“I had a cat who would flip the switch on our gas fireplace so he could nap by the fire. We had to tape the switch down,” one said.
“My biggest cat [does] this. If I look at the info on the app there are at least 6 ‘self’ feeds a night,” another user shared about their own experience with an automatic cat feeder.
“Our ginger male figured [ours] out day one watching us program it. He can also open doors,” a third added.
Scientists suspect that cats are as intelligent as two-year-old toddlers. With long-term memories, a problem-solving nature, and the ability to learn from observation, cats can figure out how to use a wide range of household items by just watching humans operate them. So it’s not unbelievable that Grant’s cat figured out how to use her automatic feeder by herself.
Automatic food dispensers have grown in popularity as pet owners’ schedules have become more erratic. They offer many benefits, like allowing owners to schedule meals and track a pet’s eating habits, and can also help with weight loss.
However, as Grant’s cat shows, automatic feeders are also vulnerable to the brainpower of our feline friends—and if owners aren’t careful, an automatic feeder could result in a chunkier feline.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Petlibro via email and Grant via TikTok comments for further information.
