A Holiday Gift for a Happy and Healthy Pet: The SUREFEED® Microchip Feeder Connect

CAMBRIDGE, U.K., September 16, 2019 – From monitoring the food portions of famished felines to preventing a devious dog tucking in to another pet’s dinner, the SUREFEED® Microchip Pet Feeder Connect from Sure Petcare, the pet technology specialist, today announced the perfect holiday gift to help keep four-legged friends healthy and give owners a peace of mind.

A recent survey of veterinarians found 46 per cent of dogs and 34 percent of cats in the U.K.ⁱ are overweight or obese, although just 15 percent of owners believed their pet to be one of them. Meanwhile, just under half of pets come from a home with two or more animals,ⁱⁱ that can easily lead to accidental over-eating.

By recording the time and weight of food eaten by a pet using the SUREFEED Microchip Pet Feeder Connect, owners can build up a detailed understanding of the unique feeding patterns of pets through the SURE PETCARE® app. Any changes to pets’ feeding behaviour make it easier for owners to spot potential health issues.

The integrated scales weigh the food portions for each pet at every meal, while a pet’s identification microchip, or SURE PETCARE® collar tag, stop unauthorised pets from having access to the food in the bowl. Preventing food stealing by other pets can assist households where pets are on prescription diets or weight management programmes and lead to more harmonious mealtimes.

Trained veterinarian and managing director of Sure Petcare, David Hallas, DVM, MBA, said, “The pet has become an extension of the family, but from the statistics, it’s clear some owners may not be feeding their pets the correct portions of food and, if they are, other pets in the house could be eating more than their share. The SUREFEED Microchip Pet Feeder Connect provides owners with a peace of mind and control over portions. The product also provides pet owners with a detailed picture of their pet’s overall health and well-being with all data feeding into one dashboard.

“By linking to all the other SURE PETCARE Connect products on one app, owners can check their pet’s access in and out of the home as well as changes in feeding behaviour, and we expect to add more products to the SURE PETCARE Connected Pet Ecosystem in the future. We think the smart feeder is the perfect gift to help keep your pet happy and healthy and let you become closer to your pet than ever before.”

Once connected to the SURE PETCARE app via the SURE PETCARE® Hub (sold separately), owners can:

• Monitor food consumption:  See how much, how often and for how long their pet eats, to get a comprehensive view of their eating patterns.
• Receive detailed insights : Notice changes in feeding behaviour which may be early indicators of illness or behavioural issues.
• Set and manage accurate food portions:  Set the portion size and type of food to be served for up to two types of food (e.g., wet and dry). Once portion sizes have been set up in the app, the product’s integrated scales weigh food as it is added to the bowl.
• Gain peace of mind : Check when a pet was last fed and how much food is left in their bowl. This provides great peace of mind when owners are away from home.
• Connect with family and friends:  Share access to the app with friends and family, which is ideal for pet sitters and day-to-day care.
• Use with existing SURE PETCARE “Connect” products:  Each Hub can connect up to 10 devices within the same household, enabling pet owners to manage all of their SURE PETCARE “Connect” products from the same app account. The Hub also is compatible with the SUREFLAP® Microchip Pet Door Connect and SUREFLAP® Microchip Cat Flap Connect.

The SUREFEED Microchip Pet Feeder Connect is available to buy at surepetcare.com or from leading pet retailers at £119.99. The Hub is sold separately for £49.99.

Pricing and Product Information

SUREFEED Microchip Pet Feeder Connect , RRP £119.99. Box contains:
Microchip Pet Feeder Connect
1 x single food type bowl and bowl supports
2 x half bowls and bowl supports (to be used together when feeding two different types of food)
1x mat (to collect food spills)
1x Sure Petcare RFID Collar Tag (for non-microchipped pets)

• Works with all common identification microchips
• Stores up to 32 pet identities in memory
• Powered by 4 x C batteries. Typical battery life: 6+ months
• 3-year warranty

The SURE PETCARE Hub:  can be purchased separately, RRP: £49.99

• Required to connect the Microchip Pet Feeder Connect with the Sure Petcare app
• Connects up to 10 devices within the same household
• Also compatible with the SUREFLAP Microchip Cat Flap Connect and Microchip Pet Door Connect

The SURE PETCARE App

The SURE PETCARE app is available forfree download on the App Store (iOS 9 or later) and Google Play (Android 4.4 or later). 

The SURE PETCARE web app is available at surepetcare.io. Desktop requirements: latest version of Safari, Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer on Mac OS X v10.9 or later and Windows 7 or above.

About Sure Petcare
Sure Petcare, the pet technology specialist, provides pet products that empower owners to care for their pets in entirely new ways. Founded in 2007, we have developed an award-winning range of microchip-operated pet doors and feeders, which solve many problems commonly experienced by pet owners. Sure Petcare, along with HomeAgain, is a Companion Animal portfolio of digital products within MSD Animal Health. 

In 2017, Sure Petcare expanded its product range to include connected devices designed to provide proactive pet care by giving owners data and insight into their pets’ day-to-day behaviours, activities and routines. Over time, this information will provide pet owners a greater understanding of their pet’s health and well-being. Sure Petcare sells direct through retail stores and veterinary practices in 35 countries.

Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability and monitoring products. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them.

For more information, visit www.surepetcare.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

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If you are planning on featuring the SUREFEED® Microchip Pet Feeder Connect in your holiday gift guide, please go to this link for photos and images or www.surepetcare.com/feederconnect for more details.ⁱ PDSA report, https://www.pdsa.org.uk/media/3290/pdsa-paw-report-2017_online-3.pdfⁱⁱPDSA report, https://www.pdsa.org.uk/media/3290/pdsa-paw-report-2017_online-3.pdf