In our opinion, the best self-cleaning litter box that is available on the market today is the Litter Robot. Other automatic cat litters work, but not as consistently and well as the Litter-Robot. We’ve met folks who had been using their Litter-Robot for over five years without any problem.
One of the reasons we think the Litter Robot team are succeeding is because they were one of the first automatic cat litter boxes on the market, so they have a few years experience under their belt. With a large amount of user data from earlier models, Litter-Robot meets consumer expectations better than most other self-cleaning cat litter boxes available today.
How does Litter-Robot work?
Litter-Robot looks a bit like a fat little robot with a circular head. The top of the dome has an entrance for the cat to enter using a small step. The dome is filled with normal clumping litter and that’s where your cat will eliminate.
Below is a tray filled with a normal litter bag. Then, once the cat is finished, the Litter-Robot moves the clumps and the solid waste depositing it into the bottom tray.
This gadget uses a rotating globe to move the litter and deposits it into a waste container in the bottom. The sifter is a bit like a sieve. Since there are no rakes, the potential for jamming rate is lower with Litter Robot than with other automatic cleaning cat litter box options on the market. From what we have seen, Litter-Robot owners appear to be more satisfied with the sifting mechanism and have less complaints overall.
Litter-Robot recognizes when a cat is inside the robotic litter box unit and when it is time to clean up. As its globe rotates around, the Litter-Robot sifting grid divides the clean waste from the clumps then deposits the waste into the carbon filter tray in the bottom.
Litter-Robot is made by a company called AutoPets, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan
Litter Robot mobile app
The cat mobile app will send you alerts based on each cat’s litter box usage. Therefore, it can remind you to clean the box. Just the kind of notification you want to get on your phone in the middle of dinner, right?
The Litter-Robot mobile app is one of its differentiating features versus other self-cleaning boxes. You can adjust the wait time, lock out the control panel, activate the night light, or schedule sleep mode from the app. Let’s face it, sometimes it’s nice not to have to touch a germy panel on the cat litter device itself.
The mobile app tracks how often your cat uses the litter box each day and over time. You can also set it to alert you every time your cat uses the box or if the collection receptacle needs emptying. Showing your coworker the notification that your cat just peed when you are sitting in a boring meeting has got to be the best thing ever.
Key reasons we’re partial to the Litter-Robot
In addition to the mobile app, there are several other advantages of the Litter Robot compared to other self-cleaning cat litter boxes:
- The new Open Air design is bigger and now fits larger cats. The company must have read the customer feedback from Maine Coon and Ragdoll cat owners who complained that their cat couldn’t fit in the original classic design.
- The sphere shape reduces the cat’s ability to kick litter out. Even with the new “open air” design, most of the litter still stays inside the robot cat litter box. There is an elongated extender and fence for the opening if your cat is a vigorous digger. One of our tester cats who likes to fling her litter in the air needed the extender.
- No special bag or receptacles are required. All types of bags can be used in the waste drawer. Rubber grips hold the bags in place. If you are a perfectionist, Litter-Robot does sell their own custom-fit, biodegradable Waste Drawer Liners to line the waste drawer.
- Any clumping litter brand. This is important if you have a cat who is sensitive or allergic to particular types of litter. One of our cat testers can only use the corn-based World’s Best Cat Litter because clay-based litter gums up her digestive system. For folks who are price-sensitive, Litter-Robot can use the even the cheapest clumping cat litter. Although a self-cleaning litter box is an expensive purchase, at least you won’t have to buy an ongoing supply of expensive litter or special containers.
- Decent odor control. First, there is a soft breathable ring that fills the gap between the base and the globe. This locks in the odor inside without letting it build up. Then, there is also a replaceable carbon filter at the top of the drawer. The odor then has to pass through the carbon filter to leave the holes. Therefore, the carbon filter neutralizes the smells from the air as it flows throught the holes. The manufacturer recommends replacing the carbon filters every 6 to 8 weeks or whenever necessary. Of course, this isn’t as complete a solution as the litter washing Cat Genie.
- Better sifting mechanism. Other brands used a rake to sift litter, which can become blocked.
We’ve taken an already-smart product and made it even smarter.” .
JACOB ZUPPKE, VP MARKETING AND SALES, AUTOPETS
Should you buy the Litter-Robot self cleaning box?
Should you buy the Litter-Robot automatic self cleaning litter box? If you’re looking for a cat litter robot, here’s the pros and cons:
PROS
- Thoughtful unique concept
- Good for multi-cat households
- Works with existing litter box
- Low profile that should work for senior cats
CONS
- Expensive
- High step into the box may be difficult for older cats
- Large size takes up lots of space in your home
In all, customer reviews about this self-cleaning litter box have been very positive in general. Customer comments on the various retail and review sites suggest there are only a few negative things that can be said about Litter-Robot. The most frequent complaint we’ve seen is the price. Even though it may seem a little expensive for “just” a litter box, the reliability and behavior tracking mobile app make the price worth it.
If you’re a techie who hates scooping your cat litter boxes as much as we do, you’ll find this is the best self cleaning litter box on the market.
Have you tried the Litter-Robot? What was your experience?
Wondering if you should even buy a robot cat litter box or stick with a traditional box? Read Should you Buy and Automatic Cat Litter Box?
