If you have a cat, you know how picky, perfect, and just plain weird they can be. Most of the complaints lodged against cats are people not understanding they’re not dogs; their behavior can be a bit tricker, and more aloof. The next biggest cat complaint is that litter boxes are stinky, and you don’t want another creature’s poop just hanging out in your house. (To dog owners, I like to respond by bragging that I’ve never had to take my cat out to potty in the rain or negative temps). Regardless, thanks to ever-evolving and growing pet tech, automatic cat litter boxes have provided a solution to the smelly litter box problem.
Early, rudimentary automatic litter boxes have been around since the late ’80s, which featured an automatic rake attachment (much like the Pet Zone Smart Scoop box, below), but they had problems with reliability and loudness. It wasn’t until the 2010s that litter boxes started incorporating advanced tech like Wi-Fi and app control. In the decade since, that technology has continuously grown and improved, with most automatic litter boxes providing insight into your cats’ habits and health—truly becoming an asset in understanding your feline friends even better.
We (and our cats) tested some of the highest-rated and most technologically advanced automatic litter boxes on the market for a week or more, using standard clay clumping litter unless otherwise indicated, to see if they were really worth the money—or the hype. As with all pet products, make sure you’re thoroughly researching which automatic litter boxes are best suited for your lifestyle and your cat. We don’t recommend automatic litter boxes that close completely (all of our on the list remain open through cleaning cycles), because of the potential that the machine could not sense the cat and kill it during its automatic cycle.
Check out our related guides like Our Favorite Fancy Cat Furniture and Our Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and Other Feline Supplies. More of a dog person? We’ve got you covered; see our Best Accessories and Tech Essentials for Your Dog.
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How Do Automatic Litter Boxes Work?
Automatic litter boxes vary depending on the brand and litter box type. Generally, they have sensors, either by motion or weight, to tell when a cat has entered or exited the litter box. Usually customizable and controlled via app on your phone, or on a more rudimentary timer system, the cleaning cycle will begin a short time after the cat has used the box. With the dome-shaped litter boxes, the cleaning will happen via a cycle where the litter spins and rotates around the spherical interior; the bigger soiled clumps will be deposited into the waste basket while the clean litter passes through the grates and gets recycled back into the litter box.
The Neakasa M1, for example, rotates backward and then forward (rather than a spin cycle) to sift the clumps from the clean litter, depositing the larger clumps into the waste basket. The Pet Zone Smart Scoop is the most rudimentary on our list, simply using a rake attachment to scoop the bigger clumps into a waste receptacle in the back.
Are Automatic Litter Boxes Safe?
Pet owners should always do research and make an informed decision regarding which box is best for them and their cat. We only tested automatic litter boxes that remain open during cycling and never close completely to ensure that if for some reason the weight sensors didn’t pick up on a cat being inside, the cat could jump out. We recommend litter boxes that never close completely for added peace of mind.
These automatic litter boxes use sensors—some only needing 1 pound of weight to detect your cat—where the cycle will automatically stop no matter where it is in the cleaning process. Many also have anti-pinch sensors. For added security, the automatic litter boxes on this list have customizable schedules, including “do not disturb” modes. If you’re on the verge of being a neurotic helicopter cat mom like myself, you could ostensibly only run the clean cycles when you choose, like when you’re in the room to observe the cycle (although if you did that, the litter box wouldn’t stay as clean for as long). The Pet Zone Smart Scoop is the only box on this list without sensors to automatically stop the cleaning cycle—one of the reasons we don’t recommend this model.
Where Should I Put the Automatic Litter Box?
All of these automatic litter boxes require electricity, so they will need to be near an outlet. Since cats will generally take a little while to get comfortable with their new potty, we recommend that you keep your old litter box until they use the automatic litter box regularly.
As a general rule, for old-school litter boxes, you should have a litter box for each cat, plus one. With automatic litter boxes cleaning constantly, there is less of a need for multiple options, but we recommend leaving your old litter box out for an extended period to ensure the cat has acclimated to the new automatic box. When setting up the new automatic litter box, put it near the existing litter box to encourage use.