Sure Petcare

Cats are great companions but there’s no question that they can also be pains in the backside, being the owner to two furry friends I face a couple of regular battles, feeding is difficult as one of the boys feels he is entitled to both bowls whilst the other will just stare longingly from the corner. The second issue involves me leaving the door open for them to go outside, I will be freezing my butt off only to find they are both curled up on the bed upstairs. Sure Petcare have got a great range of connected products to help ease issues like this, we will be taking a closer look at the Sure Petcare Hub, Microchip Cat Flap Connect and Microchip Pet Feeder Connect.

Sure Petcare Hub

The Hub will act as the brain for your connect products and allow you to connect to your pet from anywhere in the world, so there is no mistakes as to what this device is for it comes in a sweet design with two little cat ears that light up with notifications. You can link the Hub to the Sure Petcare app via a smart device, from here you can control the connected products and add up to 10 products per household, eight food bowls, a cat flap and pet door for example. It plugs into your WiFi router using an included ethernet cable and a separate lead is needed to plug it into the mains, the combination will limit where you can place the hub. If the flashing ears become a distraction they can be dimmed but we loved this feature. RRP £52.00

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Surefeed Microchip Cat Flap Connect

Traditional cat flaps are great for letting the cats come and go without letting the heat out of your house but can become a bit of a revolving door for all the other pets on your road, before you know it you are feeding 18 different moggies and running a furry Airbnb.
The Microchip Cat Flap Connect ensures only your cats can use it, by registering their unique microchip to the cat flap it prevents intruders from sneaking in. Suitable for Installation into doors, walls or glass, the instructions are easy to follow thanks to the videos, once the Microchip Cat Flap is fitted it feels robust and looks good, it has a slightly chunkier design than the traditional cat flap but that shouldn’t put you off.

Next, the Microchip Cat Flap Connect can be connected to the Hub and linked to the Sure Petcare app, here you can get detailed information of your cat’s comings and goings, monitor their long-term activity and notice changes in behaviour. When adventure time is over this cat flap can be remotely locked and later unlocked from anywhere via the app, notifications can be received when your pet enters and leaves your home or curfews can be set at specified times of the day.

The DualScan technology allows for individual exit permissions to be set for each pet, so a specific pet can be kept indoors during medical treatment for example. App access can be shared across the family or pet sitters and the 4xAA batteries (which are not included) should give you up to 6 months use. The Cat Flap Connects door measures up at 142mm (W) x 120mm (H), if your puss is a bit of a chonk you can always upgrade to the larger size at 178mm (W) x170mm (H).
Getting your cats used to the cat flap might take a few packets of treats, they only need to poke their head through once to register them but the door does make a clicking noise when it recognises the registered cat which can freak some nervous moggies out to begin with, however, with enough patience and treats the majority will get over it. When the door is locked it is secure, even the most persistent trespasser cannot push their way in, you cannot even push it open with your hand. RRP £115.00

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Surefeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect

This intelligent feeder is registered to the cat’s microchip (or RFID collar tag) ensuring only that cat has access to the food, this is an ideal solution for multi cat households where one cat is overweight, on a medical diet or just a big ol’ greedy guts.

Just like the cat flap, it connects to the Hub and then the Petcare app, it’s here you can monitor how much your cat eats, how often they eat and notice changes in their feeding habits, which can be an indicator of health issues. The integrated scales weigh your cat’s food and LEDs guide you to serve food portions within 1g of accuracy, this is a great tool as its so easy to over feed by accident.

The Feeder can be used with both wet and dry food and has a 400ml capacity, and the sealed bowl keeps food fresher and free of flies, the bowl is removable for easy cleaning, and the feeder can be customised with various different colours available and split bowls that lets them access wet and dry food simultaneously.

The dashboard on the can will display an overview of their feeding activity, including the times of day kitty comes to snack and how much they eat at each time, notifications can be set up to alert you of the frequency, duration and times that your pet visits the feeder. The app also offers personalised setup of up to two different food types, the portion amount, lid close delay and activate the training mode, just like the cat flap, kitty will need a little training to get the hang of it, but as there is food involved they will suddenly turn into little Einsteins and work it out quickly enough. RRP £130.00

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The Surefeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect and Microchip Cat Flap Connect combined with the Sure Petcare Hub is a great way of taking care of your cat from anywhere in the world, ideal for working with pet sitters too. Seeing your pet pop in and out of the house whilst you are on holiday or at work is lovely and reassuring, the app also gives you good insight into your cats routine, they might try to convince you that they need more food as they have been out all day but you can see the truth on your phone.