Replace brush heads when the bristles splay or feel fuzzy, usually about every three months, because worn bristles clean poorly. Make them last by rinsing after use, drying upright with airflow, using light pressure, avoiding heat and closed caps, and giving a brief diluted vinegar soak if hard water leaves deposits.
Think of it as two problems. Stomach management and attention seeking. stomach is easy. Lots of tiny predictable feeds and no sudden large dumps. The attention part means you stop responding to feeder meows. Hard for a week. Then the lightbulb goes on that food now comes from the robot not from you.
Put the feeder where he cannot stare at you while it runs. Add background noise near the unit so the motor sound does not become a household alarm. Give him a foraging task between meals such as a few pieces hidden in a snuffle mat placed across the room. That like, keeps paws busy while the stomach waits. If you add a puzzle insert in the bowl, make sure the chute drops in a clear area so nothing backs up. Clean the track weekly and choose small uniform kibble to avoid jams.
