You could do that, but the battery compartment, as well as the on-off
button is on the bottom of the unit, so it couldn't be a permanent attachment.
I also need to put something on top of the lids to keep kitty from scratching
them to get at the food.

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    I was lucky enough to win the Cat Mate C20 off eBay for $1 + $8
shipping.  It is the older model (more square-ish).

    I bought it because my cat is the kind that eats everything in site.  
I tested it yesterday by putting some food in it that morning and setting
the timers to open later in the evening (her usual feeding times).

    Well, what is the flaw with this automatic pet feeder, you say?  When
I came home later that evening, what did I find?  Hilary had attempted to
get to the food earlier.  I arrived home to find that the unit was flipped
upside down, thereby preventing the lids from opening!

    The one thing I can think of to remedy that is to surround the feeder
with heavy books so that she cannot flip it.  

    Has anyone else found that their cat was smarter than the
manufacturers?  What happened, and how did you solve the problem?

Don’t think the book idea is too swift. Can you screw or glue the bottom of
the feeder to a square of heavy plywood or perhaps a 12-16 inch sample ceramic
tile?.