The Best Automatic Litter Boxes of 2023 - We Tried 20 So You Don't Have To!
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
- After two years and twenty boxes, we've released our 2023 update on the best automatic litter boxes on the market. Read the complete guide on Cats.com: cats.com/reviews/best-self-cl...
Products mentioned in this video:
Litter-Robot 4
Buy on Litter-Robot: cats.com/link/?href=https%3A%...
Buy on Chewy: cats.com/link/?href=https%3A%...
Litter-Robot 3:
Buy on Litter-Robot and Get $25 Off (*Discount Applied Automatically at Check-Out): cats.com/link/?href=https%3A%...
Buy on Chewy: cats.com/link/?href=https%3A%...
CatGenie A.I.:
Buy with free shipping through the CatGenie website: www.catgenie.com/collections/...
Buy it on Amazon: cats.com/link/?href=https%3A%...
PetSafe ScoopFree:
Buy on Amazon: cats.com/link/?href=https%3A%...
Buy on Chewy: cats.com/link/?href=https%3A%...
Navigation:
0:00 Introduction
0:13 How We Tested
0:42 Products Eliminated
1:36 How I Chose My Top Picks
2:29 Overall Best: Litter-Robot 4
5:39 Budget Option: Litter-Robot 3
6:59 Best Open Box: PetSafe ScoopFree Ultra
10:35 Best Self-Flushing: CatGenie A.I.
13:13 Conclusion
Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links to products. We may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links.
Nature’s Miracle Automatic Litter Box - Failed to rake out clumps, pushed waste around instead of carrying them into the waste receptacle, prone to malfunctions
Litter Maid - Similar performance to the Nature's Miracle litter box, inadequate raking performance
PetZone Smart Scoop - Poor raking performance, failed to rake and carry clumps into the waste receptacle
Petree Automatic Litter Box - Poor build quality, insufficient performance
ELS PET - Confusing presentation (didn't seem ready for the English-speaking market), many reports of malfunctions and inadequate performance
Choubox - Fulfillment issues for early backers and purchasers, poor communication, many reports of malfunctions
ChillX AutoEgg - Very poor performance, questionable business practices
Petkit Pura X - Waste got underneath the globe, very small entryway positioned off the ground made it uncomfortable for cats
Petkit Pura Max - Had a very significant leaking issue during my test (seems to have only affected certain users)
Leo’s Loo Too - Didn't sift clumps effectively, poor build quality
Instachew Purrclean - Litter and urine got under the globe, prone to malfunctions
PetSafe Simply Clean - Discontinued
PetSafe ScoopFree (Old Version) - Discontinued
CatGenie 120 - Discontinued
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You got yours out before me! Oh well! You've summed up the biggest problem, the warranty. Until Petkit etc, offers more than a year, and ideally parts for self-repair, they will always be a gamble. The other problem is the LR4 isn't out in Europe or most of the world, so that is a big consideration. Part 3 of my series will be out on Sunday and is a deep dive into the Chinese machines. 😱
Yes, I wasn't sure who'd make it to the finish line first! Looking forward to seeing your roundup Sunday. 😱indeed. :-P
P.S. For anyone who doesn't know, One Man Five Cats (Philip Bloom) publishes in-depth, beautifully-filmed-and-presented documentary-style cat product reviews, stories, and more. Well worth checking out.
@@AllAboutCatsYT thank you Mallory. 🙂
@@OneManFiveCats We all win! Came for the cameras, stayed for the cats.
@@ziiked7199 do you have the link for that? I can’t find any listing with 2 year free parts. Does it say what it means by free parts? What is covered?
@@OneManFiveCats the biggest issue of cat genie is the SUPER HIGH COST OF THE SPECIAL FLUID YOU HAVE TO BUY ! you did NOT mention it !
The good news is there is a hack ! you can take it apart ( which voids the warranty ) and hack the cartridges so you can then fill them w/ homemade fluid ! it is complicated and NOT everyone can do it !
but hey ! i've got 11 cats !
WE are buying two units and will take one apart for the hack !
honestly was going to skim through this video since this is a niche topic im looking up currently but when a video essentially starts with "hey ive tested the top 20 and they're all shit, but heres whats alright" Im now inclined to watch the whole video as it seems like im going to get the most realistic, informative, and unbiased review possible. ty
Great feedback. Glad the hook worked. :) Thanks for being here!
@@AllAboutCatsYT is it possible to review the Meowant Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box please? Because I only have faith in you. Thank you for your unbiased reviews.
That’s what it seems they are all 💩
I had the same thought
Something very important that I did not see mentioned about the Cat Genie AI: it is illegal to flush cat waste in some states. Not all waste treatment facilities are capable of removing toxoplasmosis from the water if you flush your cat's waste in the toilet.
I was just wondering how well the plumbing would do in general with the litter going down it
How do you know where it's acceptable and where it isn't?
You also don’t want a cat genie ai if you have a septic tank.
@@leejennifercorlewayres9193google it sweetheart
@@leejennifercorlewayres9193 I imagine the fool proof way to find out is to contact your council and get details about who handles the waste in your area etc, etc. You may need to contact them also. Not the most "romantic" of conversations, but at least you may actually get a proper answer!😺
Thank you for your reviews. They save me from spending hours researching automatic litter boxes. You also saved me a ton of money cause I will keep doing it the old fashioned way.
I will keep doing it the old fashioned way too. :).
me too! so expensive!!!
Yup, same here. The automatic ones seem to create more problems than what they're worth. Not to mention, safety concerns. I'd much rather keep scooping my cat's litter everyday than something horrific happen. 😢
Litter Robot 4 costs $1500 here in Australia. I'm not usually frugal, I spend money like it's water but $1500 for a rotating box and a grate is insane to me.......
Litter-Robot is the industry leader hands down. They are the benchmark.
Thank you so much for the honest and detailed reviews. Incredibly helpful!!!
I have the PetSafe Scoop Free, and I was shocked when you basically described my exact upgrade route with the reusable tray and the Fresh Step litter. Looks like I picked right!
Love this channel and love your honesty, thank you for giving such in depth reviews! 🐈⬛
We greatly appreciate your honesty! We also greatly appreciate your time and effort invested.
Thank you so much for your reviews! As always they are very informative and helpful.
Thank you for posting this. This is helpful as it can be very daunting to figure out which one to get.
We have to agree about the Litter Robot 3 versus 4. The Litter Robot 3 is almost perfect. Thank you for your channel!! You do a great service to cat servants.
I bought the litter robot 4(LR4). I have 4 cats and still have 4 litter boxes including (LR4). I can't seem to get them used to the (LR4). I have one afraid of it. She has made the others skittish. I have used catnip and unplugged it so she would not see it cycle. I don't know what to do. I currently have 1 cat that uses it.
Then don’t use it
@@lorigardner115 I suppose you could try something like feliway? But ultimately if they don't like it, they don't like it.
It’s interesting to hear people that really love the LR3. I’ve had nothing but problems since about a week after I opened. Unfortunately I waited too long to open it after I received it and was past the 90 window to return. This is my second littler robot and basically it just always stalls during cycle. Over torque fault. Have tried a variety of litter and used very low quantities. Still has trouble
Thank you for your informative reviews. Very helpful!
Mallory: Hey look, guys, another automatic litter box to test out!
Forest & Wessie: NOOOOO! Not another one!
Thank you so much for the reviews. Ordering the 3 for Kat now😊
Thanks for your review and video! ❤
Thank you for the quick peek. It helped tremendously
Thanks for all the work you put in to these reviews!!
Of course!
This is an amazingly informative video. Thank you very much for making this. It was helpful in my decision for my kitty. ☺
Very helpful! Thank you
Thank you so much for doing this! Extremely helpful.
this is the best and most honest review i found, thank you!
This was very helpful. Thank you so much for making this review
Thank you very much wicked appreciate it. Fantastic job and all the reviews I think I’ve been with choice. Thank you again.
Thanks for your thoughts and tried opinions. Very helpful!
Great video. Have had a Petkit Pura max for 2 years now. It's been great! No issues thankfully
thank you for your reviews! i’ve had the LR4 for almost a year now and it’s the best thing i’ve ever invested for my boy! i was weary beforehand due to so many negative reviews but decided to try it out regardless and i am incredibly glad i did so. no issues with the actual thing itself and lucked out on getting it for way cheaper (got it off of FB marketplace brand new never used; the seller was moving and didnt have the space to bring it with them)
i wouldn’t say its perfect by any means (i dont think there would be anything “perfect”) but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives but i wouldnt even consider them that negative considering i havent had any problems (fingers crossed i dont). also very lucky that my boy immediately used it once i set it up. i will say that despite it being bigger than the LR3, its still not as tall as i would prefer (my cat is a long boy, 13 lbs) so it is a bit cramped for him but i thing because the opening is way bigger than the LR3 it isn’t too much of an issue.
Thank you so much for this comprehensive comparison. I have had a Litter robot 3 for a few years and am SO frustrated with constantly running into sensor issues, especially the pinch sensor.
Thank you - have one litter robot and love it going to order a second now!
My partner and I are expecting and looking for something not only for our house but also his work shop so this video was so incredibly helpful! Thanks so much for helping make this an easier search!
awesome very helpful video tysm!
I purchased my LR3 in Jan 2020. Although I was super irritated that it started acting up recently, flashing yellow light for no reason, no troubleshooting worked. I must say, the customer service is IMPECCABLE. They gave me 3 options to replace, get my machine fixed. The emails with tech support started on Sunday and by Monday afternoon, I had a new base ordered. It’s now Tuesday night and I received fedex tracking showing it will be here Thursday! The new base will come with a 90 day return window and 1 year warranty. I was very very impressed and the customer service honestly won me over with how responsive and the options given to get my machine back up and running outside the warranty window. If for some reason the new base does not do the trick, I would get another LR3 or upgrade to the LR4. Either way, LR fan for life ❤
@@ghd4979 Well I provided a pretty detailed explainanation on how their service exceeded my expectations, but go off girl 😂
You've been very helpful in define to get one or not. Thank you for your through reviews.
I don't ever see myself living a life without cats and investing in one of these bad Boys has been great. We have been loving our LR 4 , It definitely works well with our situation and our cats
Thank you for your informative reviews
I love my litter robot 4. I have one cat. I literally only have to add litter and empty it once a week. This thing is a game changer. Plus the app keeps you notified about use or if there are any issues. Pricey but completely worth it. I have been using mine since November 2022. Love it !
What do I have to buy on the regular, to maintain it? I only have one cat. I'm getting really tired of cleaning and changing my cat's litter. I probably spend a ridiculous amount on unnecessary new litter too. I have chronic pain and it's just a pain to do all the time lol. I want my cat to have the best lol. They're so expensive. I need a discount. 😅
Can I use whatever litter I want? I really like Dr elsey's unscented litter.
@@katherine325 they only recommend that you get clumping cat litter. It comes with a lot of liners.
@mollusck good thats the kind I like. So just have to buy liners and litter? I'm used to not buying liners with the box I use lol but I'm tired of picking it up even though I only have one cat lol
Thank you for this video! Your videos are so helpful as I navigate purchasing my first cat. 😊
I was shocked and disappointed to see that the Leo’s Loo Too was in your list of not recommended litter boxes. I’ve been deciding between this and the Litter Robot 4. Do you have a video that does a deeper dive into the Leo’s Loo Too, so I can see what issues you had?
Thanks!😊
Are automatic litter boxes expensive. Yes. Of course. But for me it was well worth it and I don't regret it for a minute. Not having to scoop 6 litter boxes 3x a day was such a blessing. More free time for me was worth the investment. Especially knowing that they will more than likely last for years.. I've had 2 LR3s for 4 years. Only had to replace 1 sensor and 1 globe. Both under warranty. No other issues.
Ty for the reviews. Already own one of the ScoopFree models. Gonna look into a reusable tray and buying the crystals in bulk 👍
Thanks for the info. I am thinking about purchasing a litter robot and appreciate your clear explanations on how they work etc.
Great job, Mallory!! Thank you for the information 🙏
Hey Danny!! I never expected to see you here! So glad you found it helpful! Hope you've been doing well-I see it's been a while since you've streamed on CZcams, and I haven't tuned in on Discord for a while. You've helped me so much over the years-will have to check the Discord and see how everything's going.
@@AllAboutCatsYT Yea, small world 😅! I just searched for automatic kitty litter boxes and this video was the first result (great job!). And, yes, I usually only broadcast co-working streams on Twitch nowadays. Likewise, It was always great working with you :) Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the affirmation! Two years now with our LR3 and I'm still loving it, only needing to empty it weekly (2 cats). My only gripe is that it over-estimates how full it is, sometimes showing 80% or higher within a day or two of emptying, which is inaccurate. But a simple shake of the litter drawer to redistribute the contents (and a reset from the app) seems to address the issue well enough.
Did you buy the LR3 or LR3 Connect
I adopted two kittens last week and had to use a litter box until the LR4 arrived and the kittens used it immediately! The set up was easy, the app is great and I even moved the LR4 to a different location and the kittens had no problems. Seems like my back appreciates the LR4 too lol. It’s only been a week so I’ll come back for another update later.
Thank you for the reviews. I have been. Thinking of buying one. 😻🐈⬛🐈🐾
Great stuff once again M!
Thank you.
After watching this i’m really happy with my diy setup. I have made a chest with a flip up lid and a hole in the top for top entry for the cats and then just a regular deep plastic container as the litter box. I use good quality clay litter and there’s space in the chest for a little bin with a lid and the scooper. I just flip the lid, scoop into the little bun once a day and it’s very low smell and keeps the loose litter on the surrounding floor to a minimum.
DIY solutions are often the best! Good job.
Literally been waiting for this video. Now I can save for my next cat to have a nice box ❤
Was about to pull the trigger on the Pura Max then saw your review. Thanks for the honesty and saving me money and frustration. Just gonna get a stainless steel box and try to be a better cat dad with the up keep
I have TWO LR3s for 7 cats.
I LOVE THEM. Has made life manageable again. 🐈⬛ 🐈 🐈⬛ 🐈⬛ 🐈 🐈 🐈⬛
Thank you for the info in this video - very helpful. All the automatic litter boxes over-promise and underdeliver it seems. For hundreds of dollars, I would want these things to work perfectly.
We just got the litter box 3 after watching this and made sure to use your affiliate link. Thanks so much!
Thank you for sharing, This was very informative! If I got an automated litter box, it would have to be enclosed. I have a non-squatting male cat 😊 Someone gave us a raking litter box, but he never ended up peeing in the litter but out the back. 😹
I’ve had my LR4 for a few months and I love it. It does what I bought it 4. Sensors work great, sifts wonderfully and my cats love it. If the app gets more features that’s great. All I want it for is a clean box every time. I have 3 cats and the litter I will save over time will pay for itself.
Hey, i just got mine a week and a half ago, i was wondering what litter you use? I recently switched litters before buying it because the one i used started not clumping anymore... and now im just trying to find a good litter for the robot
I love my Litter Robot 4. ❤❤❤❤With three cats, we have to empty it every 2-3 days but it sure beats scooping 2-3 times a day!
Does it significantly reduce the amount of litter on the floor? My hairless likes to kick litter out of the box like her life depends on it.
I’m still going strong with an OG Litter Robot. If you treat em right they’ll lays YEARS. Been over a decade at this point I think
Thanks for the reviews. I have been searching for automatic litter boxes for some time. I have 9 cats of my own and 6 foster cats at the moment. I spend about 2 hours a day cleaning litter boxes and I just can’t keep doing it. According to Whiskers, I would need 4 litter robots to accommodate all of the cats (including the fosters) which is a whole lot of money to invest. My brother loves his litter robot 3 so I was thinking about getting one. After watching a bunch of your videos I think I’ll get one of the litter robots and test it out with the foster kittens first. If all goes well, I’ll be adding more litter robots to my home 😊
Thanks for that informing Video 😊👌
My pleasure 😊
Thanks!
Thank you so much! Really grateful for your support.
I have an LR2 and its been working for me for over 10 years. I'll be finally replacing the ball soon as my kitty finally scratched a hole through the rubber bottom, but regardless, it's the best automatic litter box, if a little loud.
I had the LR 1 for a few years, but had trouble getting new / larger cats to use it, so I bought the Open Air model (2?)
It's issue was small bin capacity, and the litter just piled up on the left side, using less than half the total space unless I pulled the bin and shook it flat periodically.
I finally built a stand that it sits on that holds a 5 gallon cat food bucket, and made a chute that extends from the dump port through the bottom of the LR into the stand where it dumps into the bucket. It also has a low speed fan that ventilates the bucket enclosure to outdoors, eliminating smell. A laser distance measures the litter level in the bucket and turns on a light when it gets too full. It will run about 2 months, after which I pull out the bucket, tie off the standard garbage can bag lining it, and replace with a new one (much easier than lining the original bin.)
Thank you so much for this. I had watched your previous LR4 review and many other automated litter box reviews on CZcams before I ordered my LR4 last week. Now, of course, as my LR4 sits in its box downstairs, waiting for someone to come by who can help me get it upstairs, the first review I watch, comparing Leo's Loo Too with the LR4, rates the LLT as hands down the winner by a landslide. Oh, no! I did my research! I was careful. Did I just buy a paper weight that I can't even lift? (Readers, don't worry. I don't think it's really that heavy. I'm just old and recently out of the hospital.) So I did some searching for additional reviews by folks I know and saw your "Ten Things To Know" (very imformative) and then this one (amazingly reassuring while still being realistic). I'm excited again for some muscles to show up so the cats and I can try it out. Both cats willinglg used the one you showed with the crystals (LitterMate?). The problem is that it didn't work for me. I started out of the gate with the reusable tray and alternate litter. But the refuse tray wasn't big enough for my two cats--or, more accurately, for my cleaning schecule preferences even though I have two cats. But worst was that the cry😊stals didn't seem to control the urine odor at all. Keeping a fan blowing on it all the time helped quite a bit, but it wasn't convenient and took up a lot of space; maybe it was just too humid here. It also was very expensive, even with the alternate litter. I think the LR4 will help better match my needs to the cats' needs--who don't appreciate me falling down on the job during, or more importantly after, each hospitalization while I recover. A friend's daughter or our neighbor each do an admirable job of covering for me while I'm gone. But my hope is that moving it up here where the current boxes sit will help the cats aclimate before we move to a SINGLE-STORY house later this summer, with no more stairs to climb with heavy boxes. Again, many thanks for this and all the other videos I've watched and never commented.
Nice breakdown
Thank-you for your knowledge and helpful advice. I have 4 cats and recently bought 2 automatic litter boxes and on the fence to buy the Litter Robot 4
I have the instchew purrclean, and Pura Max. The instachew works but is not as good as the Pura Max. The Pura Max is wonderful. The only flaw I have with it is the weight of the cats. It gets confused on which cat is using the litter box. I like the Dump litter feature. I base my reviews on that option, plus other features.. The Leo's loo does not have that, so I had to take it off my list. I am excited about the Robot Litter 4. It has all the features. I hope that they iron out the bugs.
I bought the litter robot 4 and I truly am more then satisfied I have 3 cats now and they all love it really lightens my workload and helps keep them happy
Thank you for the recommendation
Do you have a recommendation on the litter to use with the LR? My litter stopped clumping and im just trying to find a good one for the robot.
@cats Based on one of your previous videos I decided to get a Litter Robot and it was going to be the Litter Robot 3 but when I went to the shop I opted for the litter robot 4 because it was the newer one and I figured it would probably be better. The problems I have experienced with the LR4 are: 1) cant put it on carpet. Solved by putting it on planks. 2) It is very finicky if you move it after setting it up. I had planned to move it gradually to a new place in the house that was more discreet. But after moving it the first time, the device was stubborn to continue working without error codes. It took 3 hours of troubleshooting and quite a bit of yuckyness but I did finally get it working again and from then on I haven't tried to move it again out of fear it would malfunction again. 3) The device seems to misdetect that a cat was in it from time to time, this might be due to lighting changes from people walking by. I guess that is ok. 4) The motor really seems like it is straining or underpowered when it is running, but it is working fine. Despite these issues, the product is working, and it IS a tremendous boon to skipping the yucky parts of having a cat. I went from scooping litter every day, to changing litter once a week. So I do endorse the Litter Robot 4. It has certainly been worth it. And I wanted to thank you for your review back a couple years ago. You are my most trusted source of reviews for cat stuff. Keep up the good work.
Good video, very informative. It is all our dreams to have an automatic litter box that actually works or a maid LOL
Excellent breakdown! 🍻🇨🇦
Thanks, Tony.
Love this video! Your videos played a huge role in helping me decide which automatic litter box to get.
I did end up getting a Petkit Pura Max and do want to quickly mention that it has been amazing for my home, no leakage whatsoever. Definitely sucks that it leaks for some people but I think how the cat goes to the toilet definitely plays a role in how well the Pura Max works
Yeah, I'm always hesitant about the Pura Max, as it seems that experiences vary a lot depending on the user! I'm glad it works for you, and I agree that it's worth considering.
Got the pura max off amazon last week aswell, whilst being in the EU which makes it alot harder to get a good automatic litterbox unless you want to end up paying crazy import fees etc so having it on amazon with alot of good discounts and free shipping it was easy pick for a first auto box.
So glad i got it, currently waiting on some of the accesories to stock on german amazon but thats the single only issue i've had and i doubt im gonna run into anything major since i do a wipe down every other weekend to keep it clean.
I agree on the leak issue, if you got a sprayer its gonna be an issue with majority of boxes not only automatic and it would ofc affect which box is the best fit but also what your cat prefers when it comes to open or closed boxes.
I'm not sure if my pura max is a newer batch but when i was checking everything it was a plastic ledge above the liner to prevent leaks as much as possible so i feel like they are doing some progress in improving which gained abit of trust. Not to mention the 1 and 2 year warrenty base without putting more money out for extensions etc.
Fingers crossed for no issues
I will have owned my LR 3 for two years next month, and I love it!! I was eyeing the LR 4 but with all the complaints I've seen about it on Tik Tok, I'll stick with what works lol! Hopefully in the future they fine a way to add a scale to the LR3! That's really all I need 😭
So appreciate the reviews, thank you. We have been looking at a Popur X5 but have not found any independent reviews of it. Wondering if you have done one or are familiar with this unit.Thank you.
Great video. We are on our 2nd Leo's Loo. Both failed after a few months. So looking for something better.
Horray!! Just what I needed on a rough day ;-; :)))
Hey Chum! It's good to see you here-was just wondering how you were doing. Hope everything's okay with you and your kitties.
@@AllAboutCatsYT everything is ok! For some random reason my eyeball is just killin me :d have to stare at this work screen for another hour lol. Thank you so much for asking, Mallory :)
I had the PetSafe Scoop Free when my kitty was still alive. I had a second automatic litter box, but can't remember the name pf it. The PetSafe 100% lasted Gypsy a month, or longer, honestly. I do know you're supposed to keep 1 more litter box then cats in the house, (so, 1 cat 2 litter boxes, 2 cats 3 litter boxes. etc.) So, I'm sure that plays a part in how long they last. Anyway, thank you for the comprehensive review, you always give such good ones.
I've tried most of these and popur is by far the best so far! While still not a perfect machine (there are some safety issues if you don't use the fence with a small kitten, and the liner may begin to leak over time), it is definitely the easiest to clean/maintain, actually traps odour, and my cats way prefer the open box concept.
I hope @AllAboutCatsYT will add the Popur to a future video. I have both the Popur and LR3. The Popur has been pretty trouble free compared to my LR3. It is cheaper than either LR 3 or 4.
I am so glad you mentioned about the smell . That’s the issue I am having and having to clean my litter box a few times a day to keep the Oder down. I definitely will buy this and try it out
Thank you so much for watching this video! I hope you've found it helpful. Let us know in the comments if you've tried any of these automatic litter boxes and what you think of them.
CAN YOU TEST ROYAL CANIN BABYCAT & MOMMA
Personally my kittens momma stopped nursing him at six weeks and we received him at 7 1/2 weeks old. This brand was recommend to me to get ensure he gets proper nutrition so I’m just hoping it is healthy and okay for him. He’s been extremely playful and healthy so I’m assuming it’s okay. Although he’s extremely gassy lol
Hi, can you please do a review of Dr. Elsey's new Ultra+ cat litter? It's a $5 premium to the Ultra litter and I'm wondering if there's any differences. I started using Dr. Elsey's Ultra cat litter after your recommendation and haven't looked back since. Thank you!
What litter do you use for the litter robot?
Would you please review the PetSnowy Cloud+ litter box? I’ve heard and seen great things but out of all the reviews I’ve seen, you have been the most thorough and really break down the pros and cons accurately. Thank you!
It is 3:00 a.m. EST. I couldn't sleep because I got my cat a water fountain and I'm trying to teach her to use it. But I came across this and I am so glad I have not spent any money on an electric cat litter box. Thank you very much😮
Hahaha. It can always be worse; as a cat product reviewer, I'd know. :-P She should come around to it with time and the right placement. Leaving it out while not running can help.
I love my catgenie. It is the older model. I have it down in the basement and hook the hose to the house drain. The only problem I have is that you still have to tear it down occasionally and clean it out of dried urine and possibly litter that went down the hose.
The solution is proprietary, as is the litter. But I have a computer chip installed that allows me to use any cleaning solution - it disengages the counting of the flushes - and I can refill the cartridges with another cleaning solution.
It isn't perfect, but my cats use it (even the shy, easily scared ones).
Thanks I’ll just keep scooping
Popur works great and customer service
Thank you for your reviews! I’ve had a LR3 for a couple of weeks but my cats aren’t taking to it well.
I was looking at maybe this new snow+ from pet snowy. Have you tried that one?
Great review, thank you much! We are checking possibility of getting the automatic Litter box. The question is, what exactly triggers Little Robot to start the cycle? To be more specific, is the sensor located outside of the box and triggered by approaching cat or the sensor is inside of the box?
I just purchased my little robot 4 a few days ago I still waiting for it to ship but I am very excited for when it gets here
I would love a great automatic litter box. I would love a great regular litter box for that matter.
We bought two Modkat XL boxes and spent a phenomenal amount of money on them only to find that one of our kittens (they are 11 months old now) would balance on it and spray the wall or pee into the space between the liner and the box resulting in at least an hour of cleanup every time he would do it which ended up being every second or third day.
We would have to disassemble the box to clean it thoroughly and that would involve dumping out the litter. It was extremely time consuming and expensive. I'm not sure why the kitten did it, but we ended up going to the vet to find out if there were any problems. There were none that she could find. After having to disassemble the boxes several times a week for over a month we went back to the big open box we'd used for our older kitty before he passed away last March. It wasn't quite big enough for two cats. I found a very large box on Chewy but it was $75 and a perfect square, kind of like a kitty swimming pool full of 20 gallons of kitty litter. Probably too big.
In the end we got a Sterilite box from Home Depot. It's 3 ft across by 2 ft deep and the sides are about 16 in tall. My partner cut a big round deep entryway, as you would see on any deep kitty litter box and sanded it smooth. It is the perfect solution. There hasn't been any spraying, it's tall enough that he can't balance on it and make a mess even though we still leave pee pads up to protect against accidents. It cost about $20 and the time it took to make a smooth entryway.
We scoop it twice a day and there haven't been any issues since we got it. I think he got the idea from a post online and I thought I would share the idea for anyone with two or more cats who wants a big open box that isn't expensive.
I also wanted to note that we swapped kitty litter from Dr Elsey's to Sanicat. We had initially swapped to Dr Elsey's at the recommendation of this channel but we found that it didn't clump as well. There were some other commenters who said that they thought the formula had changed and we agree, it probably has.
Sanicat unscented works very well for us.
That is the story of our kitty litter box saga. I hope it saves someone some time and money.
We would love a great automatic litter box but after spending hundreds of dollars testing different kinds of boxes we have settled on a very low tech solution. It requires about 10 minutes a day of maintenance (scooping in the morning and the evening, adding some more litter and sweeping up and vacuuming the mats around it) and probably about 45 minutes once a week to swap it out entirely. We are content with this solution until a company manufactures a genuinely good automatic litter box.
Big Rubbermaid/sterilite/similar storage containers seem to be the best solution in many cases for high pee-ers. It's a common problem!
@@misschanandelerbong7946 I wish someone had suggested it to us before we spent $500 on the two Modkat boxes!
@@Kyarrix we do the best we can with the information we have! But, I can imagine that is frustrating!
@@misschanandelerbong7946 the information provided by this channel is very useful. I think when she recommended Dr Elsey's litter it worked better. We've been very happy with Sanicat unscented and that is the litter I would recommend.
None of the LRs leak unless your cat completely misses the box & pees out of the opening (which would be a problem in any litter box).
Our LR2 is getting old so I like to keep tabs on new models, but it seems like no one has yet to match the consistency and reliability of whisker.
PetKit seems like they are onto something (they make great drinking fountains btw) with their new box - I would buy if the leak issue were addressed.
For now, you can’t go wrong with whisker. Savvy shoppers like to look for alternatives & some of these other designs are very sleek.
Fact is, whisker is still the only brand I trust & at $500+ price point it doesn’t appear that any others are really worth considering.
I have a feeling if we’d gone the alt route we’d be back to scooping too. Instead we went with LR & I can’t imagine going back.
Thanks for all the reviews. But I would love to see them be a lot more quieter.
Hi: I love your videos. Have you tried Smarty Pear or Meowant? I’ve been looking for independent reviews before buying.
My kitty uses a Cat genie 120, This model is the precursor to the Cat genie AI. As you mentioned the cat genie is in a class by itself due to the need for a plumbing connection and a drain or toilet nearby, so it is not suitable for all users. You missed the two most important parts of using this contraption. 1st, the Cat genie uses proprietary soap cartridges which cost about 25 bucks each and are only available from cat genie, when this soap cartridge reaches "empty" the unit will stop functioning until the cartridge is replaced with a new one. RFI tech in the cartridges prevents the refilling of cartridges with your own soap solution. 2nd, While there are 3rd party gadgets available to work around this (IMHO) despicable "razor blade" business model They only work with the " Cat Genie 120 and some older versions and they require some mods to the unit which voids any warranty. 2nd, the issue for me is, The "AI" in the new version is specifically designed to counteract the 3rd party devices making the owners of the Cat Genie once again beholden to the company for their overpriced soap cartridges with no way around it. This marketing philosophy in my mind should be outlawed. I have one of the work around devices on my Cat genie so now I can refill my cartridges with locally available cleaning products and I am using the machine with a certain feeling of triumph over the manufacturer. That being said my cat genie is less reliable as it will occasionally fault due to the dirty water sensor but this may be due to age. I love this machine but hate the people that decided that ransom has be part of their marketing strategy.
Thank you for your reviews. I would love to try the LR4 but am concerned about cleaning. How difficult is it to clean the drum and underneath it? How often does this need to be done? Monthly washing of my manual litter boxes is difficult in my wash tub because of their size. I appreciate any info on this. Thank you.
I've had about 5 LR4's and 10+ LR3 units, and I currently have 8 cats including F1 and F2 Savannah cats and Bengals. I initially had several problems with the LR4 units mostly stemming from the litter liner being seemingly more flimsy than the LR3 model, my cats are diggers and have torn quite large holes in all the initial liter liners that shipped with the units. However, customer support has been very responsive and thus far has replaced every single one of my units globes with a "heavy duty" liter liner globe, that I have not had any problems with thus far.
However, there are still two glaring design oversights that I have been able to identify thus far. The first being the openness as compared to the LR3 model. I can't quite place my finger on why, but the opening and interior space of the LR4 units seem to be significantly smaller than the LR3 units, to the point where it is basically impossible for my larger cats to use the unit with brushing against the interior of the unit, which seems to discourage them from using them. They will almost always opt for an LR3 unit if available.
The second design flaw I've noticed is in the shape of the LR4 unit, it's an inverted pyramid; meaning that the base is narrower than the top of the unit, thus making the unit unstable. This may only be an issue if you have large cats, but I have come home several times to tipped over litter boxes, which is frustrating to say the least since it has never been a problem I've experienced with the LR3 units.
All that being said, pretty much everything else about the LR4 unit seems to be a vast improvement over the LR3. Where the LR3 would experience numerous false pinch faults that could not be cleared, leaving you with basically a very inconvenient normal litter box, any faults I've received on the LR4 are mostly one offs and are able to be cleared. The one time I experienced a unclearable fault, after contacting whisker they informed me that they were aware of the issue and it was fixed with an over the air firmware update.
The waster disposable bin functions much better than the LR3 bin did, even though it has an overall smaller volume. I found that the LR3 waste disposal bin would register as full with almost no waste actually in the bin, or it would continue to cycle well after it was actually full causing waste to smear along the outside of the globe. This is not a problem for the LR4, I'm not sure if it's simply due to the design of the water bin or better sensors, but either way if the sensors say it's full and won't rotate it's legitimately time to change the waste liner.
That brings me to my final point which is the LR4's waste bin can be lined with a standard 13 gallon drawstring trash bag and actually cover the entire waste bin. where as with the LR3 model, you would have to use a much larger trash bag to actually cover the entire bin to make sure waste didn't end up between the waste bin and the trash bag.
So after having the LR4 units for almost a year now, I would definitely say they are an upgrade from the LR3 unit, and agree that while not purrrfect are the most accessible and comprehensive automatic litterbox on the market, however, there is definitely still room for improvement on them.
so which would u recommend? is the LR4 worth it or would u save the money and stick with LR3?
@@lauramarie7999 if you have a normal size cat the LR4 is definitely worth it in my opinion.
@@Flidan i think you've identified the issue with cat size well, f1 and f2 savannahs are NOT the size of your average cat, pretty much everything designed is for average sized cats from litter boxes on up. we have a pair of bengals which are still kittens, but both show the potential to be larger(than average) girls, but still within normal range. right now we're using the standard litter boxes since they're still kittens, but it will become an issue the larger they get. cats need space to do their business and turn around etc, whether an automatic litter box or not. people should account for the size of their owners before buying, especially if they have a larger breed, like maines etc.
A friend of mine has four cats and uses those litter box liners replacing them every single day between two litter boxes, cost is not so much of an issue, but smell is… I never was able to use those liners at all. My cat would cover holes in them and you would track leaders through the house carrying them out. It’s still a problem I don’t think he realizes and I’m really trying to find something nice that the cats will actually use that can take one of these daily chores off of him, and turn it into a weekly event, or at least every other day…
Thank you for sharing your valuable experience without Schilling, really do appreciate the honesty. Thanks for the videos, cheers! after all, this is for the cats, not for us
hi! I came back to ask if you’ve heard about the pet snowy. It seems like a really interesting take to giving them privacy and decreasing the mess they make running out.
Hi, thank you so much for this video! I have 3 Maine Coons. Would you say that they would "fit" in these cat litter machines? And ever considered natural type of litter such as Cat's Best or World's Best Cat Litter?
I absolutely love my petree litter box. Bought it off of Amazon for 400$ you can use any clumping litter and is really easy to set up, and there have been zero leaks or poor getting underneath. Cleaning is also easy. I have alot of cats so it gets a workout. You need to put it in a spot that gets really good wifi or it won't work right. I have bad wifi where I live so I only keep one out in the main room otherwise I would have multiple.
Ok good to know. Cause I have 4 cats so I’m wondering if a automatic litterbox is even worth it. How long have you had it?
@kattbakerr autolitter boxes are especially worth it for multi cat houses. I have the litter robot 3 with 3 cats and it's a lifesaver. I would say 4 cats is probably too many for just one unit as three is already pushing it but it really takes a load off of the time cost of cleaning up after cats.
I travel for work so I have a lot of auto litter boxes; a LR3, 2 Petsafe scoop frees, a litter maid multi cat and a regular box. Two out of 3 cats prefer the litter robot but it sometimes gets stuck in the middle of a cycle, or won’t cycle because it thinks it’s full. I’ve learned adjusting the bonnet and making sure it’s fully attached helps for that. I use reusable trays for the scoopfree but I think the other one who doesn’t like the auto boxes likes the scoopfree. The cats rarely use the litter maid. The most used are the LR3, Traditional litter pan, and one cat likes his scoop free boxes.
Glad to see the Litter Robot 4 is at the top of the list anyway, since i just ordered on Sunday. We’ll see how it does.
How do you like it?
@@jdubdoubleu Not flawless, but I love the damn thing and I’m glad I invested in it.
I really like my Petkit Pura X more than my Litter Robot 3. I haven't had leakage issues.
I'm all for innovation. . and I could probably get my cats to use it eventually (if I were willing to spend that much). . . but they just look so small and cramped inside. Ajani likes a bigger litter box, he does use the smaller one I keep in the spare bedroom to have a third one available but I think he's more comfortable in the bigger ones. And Jace. . .Jace throws litter around when he digs.
Thanks for reviewing this topic because we are getting desperate to try something aside from the myriad of manually scooped clay litter boxes. We have 3 cats, 1 of which has large amounts of urine and the youngest one who runs like a bullet being fired out of the litter box once he uses it. I try to sweep the room each weekend, but really should do this each day or more because the litter tracks everywhere despite being 99.9% dust free and my having all kinds of litter mats to "catch" this elusive litter. lol. I think I may try the PetSafe Scoopfree, but with the alternative to the expensive trays like you mentioned. My hubby would die if I tried the others that were $600. He may have a mild stroke over this one that's almost $200. I've got to do something though. The mess is insane and our allergies are getting worse with age, too. Thanks again.
My allergies are getting worse as well I’m going to try the one you mentioned as well since it’s on the affordable side. She didn’t mention the smell control on that one which is one of my major issues. Anyway let us know if you tried it .
I would have been interested to see a thorough review of the Leo's Loo Too. It didn't even rate in your top 4 but I see rave reviews of it everywhere!
I've had a LR3 for several years, and I'm constantly having trouble with false stops where I have to go manually make it cycle. If your sensor isn't working, it isn't as simple as just pressing cycle either, as that will only go for about 3 seconds and stop again. Also one of my cats keeps peeing out the front hole. I'm switching to the Popur to see if that does any better.