Conflicting reports

Despite Petlibro’s status update, some Reddit users said they were still experiencing problems as of this morning.

Some user reports have also conflicted with Petlibro’s claims about offline functionality. As The Verge pointed out, various users online claimed that during the outage, their devices did not perform any scheduled feedings, performed some feedings but not others, or performed feedings late (examples here, here, here, here, and here).

Petlibro claims that at least some of its feeders can perform scheduled feedings offline. The Granary 2’s page, for example, says, “If the feeder goes offline, remote control through the app will be unavailable, but feeding schedules will continue to run automatically. Granary 2 can also continue performing pet recognition and automatic lid operation directly on the device.”

And Petlibro’s page for the One RFID feeder says, “Scheduled meals continue even during network errors.”

In response to claims that feeders did not perform scheduled feedings while offline, Wu told The Verge that scheduled feedings “are programmed directly onto the device and should continue to run as scheduled without an Internet command,” but Petlibro is “aware of reports from some customers whose devices did not behave as expected, and we are reviewing those cases individually.”

Considering that scheduled feedings are supposed to be stored on devices, it’s possible that a firmware or software problem triggered by the outage prevented the devices from operating as expected. There are other possibilities, like user error, too.

The incident and conflicting user experiences highlight some of the challenges of relying on smart devices for critical tasks, like ensuring a furry loved one gets food. Some users online reported not receiving an email about the outage and being unaware that their pet was not fed for hours.

“I’ve lost trust and don’t have time to find a new solution for upcoming travel. I have someone coming for check-ins, but they can’t come in 5 times every day to give food,” a Reddit user said.

Although companion apps, when they work, can provide remote access and more control options, Petlibro’s situation can make dumb automatic feeders look smart.