Abstract: An automatic feeder for animals adapted to dispense packaged food at a preset time, wherein the automatic feeder comprises an elongated vertical housing having a plurality of storage bins defined by a movable shelf selectively operated to drop stored food packages by means of a solenoid-operated ejector carriage which is mounted to a vertical track and supported in position by a retainer member adjacent each storage bin. The solenoid is activated by a timing device, causing the ejector to work its way down from the top of the housing and sequentially push each movable shelf to a discharge position, thus allowing each package to drop down a chute and engage cutting blades located adjacent the bottom of the chute, so as to release the food from the package for consumption.