Petlibro's AI-powered feeder, the Granary 2 series, weighs food to within 1 gram and, on its camera models, recognizes up to 10 cats without collars, according to Petlibro's own product page. TechCrunch reviewed the $189.99 Granary 2 Vision on September 19, 2026 and came away impressed. Petlibro announced the four models on June 18, 2026, so this is a hands-on review of a three-month-old launch, not new hardware.
The headline claims deserve a closer read. The model that locks the lid against the wrong cat, the Granary 2 X, is still listed as coming soon on Petlibro's site, at $279.99 in the company's own comparison chart against $249.99 at launch. Eating alerts and video recording also sit behind two separate paid plans.
I have not tested this hardware. This piece works from Petlibro's press release and product pages, TechCrunch's review, and coverage from Gizmodo and SheKnows, and it flags where those sources disagree.
By Alex Carter | Published September 20, 2026 | News broke June 18, 2026 (Petlibro launch). TechCrunch review published September 19, 2026.
What Does Petlibro's AI-Powered Feeder Actually Do?
Every Granary 2 model has a built-in scale that Petlibro says measures food to within 1 g. The app can then log what was dispensed, what was eaten and what is left in the bowl. According to Petlibro's product page, that is the change from the older Granary line, which showed only how much food was dispensed.
Two feeding modes ship across the series. Smart Refill Mode tops up the bowl in small portions until a daily limit is reached, and Scheduled Mode sets exact meal times and portions. TechCrunch's review adds that the app charts intake, eating duration, feeding frequency and eating speed in daily, weekly, monthly and yearly views.
The Vision and Vision Duo make up Petlibro's automatic cat feeder with camera range. Per TechCrunch, they add a 1080p camera with night vision and two-way audio. Petlibro says the AI recognizes up to 10 cats without collars or microchips and files each meal under the right profile. TechCrunch's Lauren Forristal called the Vision “one of the best feeders I’ve tested.”
The limits are practical. The series takes dry kibble only, in pieces of 2 to 15 mm. Petlibro's FAQ says to recalibrate the scale whenever the feeder is taken apart and reassembled, and warns that thick or soft carpet can skew weights. Manuals for the four models (AF105, AF205 S, AF205 D and AF305) are linked from the product page.
How Much Do the Four Granary 2 Models Cost?
Launch prices below come from Petlibro's June 18, 2026 press release, and the specs come from the product page.
Two price caveats. Petlibro's own comparison chart now lists the X at $279.99, which is $30 above the $249.99 in the release and in TechCrunch's review. And Gizmodo's June 22 coverage put the Vision at $204 on Petlibro's site, against $189.99 in the release. I could not reconcile that gap, so check the cart total before you buy.
Which Granary 2 Features Need a Subscription?
Petlibro's product page ties two paid plans to the series. Alerts about changes in eating habits need a Petlibro Care plan. Recording and playback on camera models need Video Cloud AI. Scheduling, Smart Refill, remote feeding, and jam and low-food alerts carry no subscription note on the page.
TechCrunch's line that Care starts at $59.99 a year skips a tier split. Petlibro's compare table lists Care Standard at $59.99 a year for a single pet and Care Plus at $129.99 a year for multiple pets. The plan cards show $47.99 and $103.99, which look like a 20 percent discount, though that is my read, not a Petlibro statement.
For Video Cloud AI, the cards show $95.99 a year for Standard (7 days of video), $135.99 for Premium (30 days) and $159.99 for a Family plan covering up to three devices. TechCrunch cites $119.99, which would fit Standard before a discount, but the page does not show that figure. Live streaming is in the free tier, and the plan page says SD cards are not supported, so recordings live in Petlibro's cloud.
My arithmetic, using list prices: a Vision Duo ($199.99), Care Plus ($129.99) and a video plan at TechCrunch's $119.99 comes to $449.97 in year one. That is my calculation, not a Petlibro figure, and it assumes you want both the multi-pet Care tier and video recording. One gap remains: the model chart checks a Trend Dashboard on every model, while the Care chart lists trend charts and a customizable dashboard as Care features.
Do the Multi-Cat and Health Claims Hold Up?
TechCrunch's headline frames the series as a big leap for multi-cat homes. Petlibro's own documents are more selective. The lid that blocks the wrong cat belongs to the Granary 2 X, which the press release describes as built for single pets with specific dietary needs. Petlibro's chart lists intake tracking as single cat per X unit and tells multi-cat homes to pair several units.
TechCrunch's review also says the Vision opens only for the correct pet. Petlibro's chart lists food stealing prevention for the X alone, and SheKnows describes the lid control as an X feature that is still coming soon. I cannot tell whether TechCrunch's unit behaved differently or the review simplified it, so treat that claim as unconfirmed until Petlibro clarifies.
Two more gaps. TechCrunch does not say how many cats lived with the reviewer, and I found no independent test of the 10-cat recognition claim or the 1 g scale accuracy. Both figures are Petlibro's. Each of the three reviews cited here also carries a discount code or a commission disclosure, which does not make them wrong but is context.
The health pitch is a company claim too. Petlibro CEO York Wu said in the release, “Eating is one of the clearest indicators of a pet's health.” Petlibro's FAQ says a sustained drop in intake can trigger an alert to check on the cat or call a vet. I found no independent data on how often those alerts catch a real problem, and they need a Care plan.
In my read, the pattern is familiar from smart home cameras: the hardware price gets you in the door, and the recurring plan carries the features buyers wanted. Cameras that stream and store video also raise the data question that followed Apple's Watch audio features, where Apple says it never records raw audio.
What to Watch Next
Four things would confirm or undercut the pitch:
- X availability and price. Petlibro's site marks the Granary 2 X as coming soon, refers to a $1 reservation voucher, and its chart lists $279.99 against the $249.99 at launch.
- Independent testing. A multi-cat test that reports how many cats, how often recognition fails, and how the scale holds up on carpet.
- Vision lid behavior and offline features. Whether Petlibro clarifies if the Vision gates the lid, and which Vision features keep running offline. Petlibro says the X does recognition on the device, the same on-device idea behind PrismML's pitch for on-device AI.
- Shipping. The collection page still labels the series Pre-Order, the product page shows a September 21 to 24, 2026 delivery estimate, and the black colorway is expected in late September 2026.
If Petlibro or TechCrunch corrects any figure above, this article will carry a line in the format “Updated [date]: [what changed and why].”
Key Takeaways
- Petlibro's AI-powered feeder line, four Granary 2 models from $129.99 to $249.99, was announced June 18, 2026. TechCrunch's September 19 piece is a hands-on review of the $189.99 Vision, not a launch.
- Every model has a scale that Petlibro says is accurate to 1 g. The Vision and Vision Duo add a 1080p camera and AI that Petlibro says recognizes up to 10 cats. Neither figure has independent verification yet.
- Eating alerts need Petlibro Care ($59.99 a year for one pet, $129.99 for multiple pets at list price) and recording needs Video Cloud AI, per Petlibro's product page.
- Petlibro ties the lid that keeps the wrong cat out to the Granary 2 X, which is still coming soon and is listed at $279.99 against $249.99 at launch.
FAQ
Are Petlibro auto feeders good?
Early evidence on the Granary 2 series is positive but thin. TechCrunch's Lauren Forristal ranked the Vision among the best feeders she has tested, and SheKnows reviewed it favorably on July 2, 2026, though the coverage carries commission or discount code context. The series launched June 18, 2026, so there is no long-term durability data. Petlibro backs purchases from its own site with a 24 month warranty and a 90 day return window, and its stated limits are dry kibble only, in pieces of 2 to 15 mm. I did not evaluate Petlibro's other feeder lines.
Do you need a subscription for Petlibro automatic feeder?
Not for basic feeding. Petlibro's product page attaches no subscription note to scheduling, Smart Refill Mode, remote feeding, or jam and low-food alerts. It does require Petlibro Care for alerts about changes in eating habits and Video Cloud AI for recording and playback. The compare table lists Care Standard at $59.99 a year for one pet and Care Plus at $129.99 for multiple pets, and the Video Cloud AI cards show $95.99 to $159.99 a year by tier. Live streaming is in the free tier. The plan cards appear discounted, so confirm pricing at checkout.
Is there an AI cat recognition feeder available?
Yes, but it depends on the model. The Granary 2 Vision and Vision Duo use a camera to recognize cats (Petlibro says up to 10) and log each meal to the right profile without a collar. The Granary 2 X uses on-device recognition to open a lid only for its assigned pet, but Petlibro's site listed it as coming soon on September 20, 2026. Petlibro's separate One feeder is listed as using RFID recognition, which relies on a collar tag. I did not survey other brands for this piece.
Will Petlibro feeder still work without Wi-Fi?
Partly. Petlibro's FAQ says that if a feeder goes offline, remote control through the app stops, but feeding schedules keep running automatically. The Granary 2 X also keeps doing recognition and lid control on the device. Petlibro says the backup battery lasts up to 24 hours on the base Granary 2 and up to 48 hours on the Vision, Vision Duo and X during a power cut, measured in its own lab. The pages I read do not say whether Smart Refill Mode or the Vision's camera recognition and meal logging work offline, or whether data backfills later. My read: a router on the same power cut would be down too.
