High-tech feeders for the finicky veterinary client

There are some serious problems pet owners face in watering and feeding their cats and dogs. These new feeders promise to tackle those issues.

This cat is waiting to eat a predetermined amount of food just right for his weight. But he needs you to stop staring at him now. Come on. Come on, stop staring."How do I know how much food my pet needs?"

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Check out even more cool vet-friendly products for practices and pet owners at home in "Pet Products" on Products 360 right here.

Obe ProBowl (preorders open now for July 2017 delivery) and its companion smartphone app use veterinarian-recommended feeding standards and the cat or dog's size, age and activity level to determine appropriate meal sizes. The smart base weighs and measures the food as the bowl is filled and glows when the proper amount is reached-an amount that automatically updates based on the dog's metabolism and activity level.

The free app provides real-time updates on how much the cat or dog has consumed and gives feeding reminders. It can also be programmed to automatically reorder food from Amazon based on how much the pet's eating. If anything out of the ordinary occurs, it sends out an alert, and the data can be shared with the pet's veterinarian at any time.

Two dogs enter. One dog eats. Don't worry. The other dog gets fed too somewhere else. He's not starving."How do I feed different diets to different pets?"

The PortionPro Rx is activated by RFID attachments on pets' collars. Only a pet wearing an “allowed pet” RFID is free to chow down. When the non-eating pet (the one that's been eating too much or scarfing up the other animal's special diet) gets close, the “denied pet” RFID attachment triggers the slow closure of a panel that seals off the food.

Don't worry! If an intrepid food ninja gets a snout, a tongue or a paw into the kibble container, the door will open a bit, wait for a startled exit and then close. No pinch, no squeeze, no yelp.

Cats are fed on an optimized feeding schedule that involves a predetermined amount dispersed into small meals several times over a 24-hour period to match how free-roaming cats feed; dogs can be programmed for two to three meals over 12 hours.

Awww, look at the adorable little cat practice its normal murder magic to get food!"How do I get my cat to lose some weight?"

The NoBowl Feeding System, developed by Elizabeth Bales, DVM, invites cats to "hunt" their dry food. The tactile, prey-shaped design of the NoBowl stimulates a cat's natural use of its claws and teeth to fulfill the need to grip and play with food. Once a cat is trained to use the NoBowl system, owners portion out the day's food between five NoBowls and then hide them around the home. The cat will hunt, play, eat and then rest until hunger drives her to hunt again-just as in nature.

NoBowl also has a program called Catvocate Pro, which offers wholesale pricing for veterinarians to carry the system in their pharmacy or retail area.