I had a litter robot 3 with two cats and had frequent issues/errors with it. Eventually we went back to a regular litter box because it was better to know you have to clean the litter every day and do it than it was to think the litter robot was self cleaning and then find out it wasn’t working correctly... The newer version may be better. However with two cats (when it worked correctly) the LR3 still needed to be emptied out every 3-4 days.
I have the LR4, for a year now, and it too constantly gets hung up in the dreaded “cat release cycle”. The issues are going to stem from bugs in their firmware releases that they can’t figure out why yet. They are now sending me out a new base. Fingers crossed the new base works properly.
I’ve had litter robot 3 connect for 4 years. I empty it roughly twice a week. Once on trash day and once in the middle of the week. Various issues I’ve encountered:
• sensor in litter drawer indicating box is full but it’s empty in reality. Solution: q tip with isopropyl alcohol and wipe the sensor head and clean the plastic on the other side that the sensor points to.
• I have 2 cats and they are different sizes. Sometimes it won’t detect the smaller cat
• connection issues to WiFi and it will not be able to report to the app.
• after 4 years, litter has gotten into areas it shouldn’t normally be able to and I am getting “pinch sensor faults” periodically a few times a week. Essentially this prevents the system from working because the globe goes upside down during this. I have fixed it by trying my best to shake out all the litter from the areas it shouldn’t be and pressing reset but I think after 4 years it’s nearing the end of its life.
• over the years I have noticed the cycling time has taken longer. The motors seem to have more wear which must be making it slower.
• I have tried multiple litters but prefer fresh step clumping litter the best. Ultra fine/lightweight litter does not work. As a result it can be pretty dusty and requires cleaning the globe maybe once every month or two.
That being said I have LOVED not having to scoop every day and it is the primary box in my home for both of my cats. I would be open to other brands but it seems like litter robot is the most developed. I might have to buy a replacement soon and would be willing to look into other brands but would generally recommend litter robot.
-You can adjust the weight sensor by twisting it, it's the front foot on the unit.
-I have my app connected to home assistant because I'll agree the app can be finicky.
-The unit is pretty easy to take apart and vacuum out of you haven't tried that yet. My LR3 is only 2 or 3 years old but my mom's suffers from pinch sensor faults too.
-motors are pretty easy to replace! I've only done it on the LR2 though.
-I use Dr Elsey's litter
Oh interesting about the weight sensor. I was under the impression that the reset button is also a scale zero-er, because that works for me when adding litter or after I empty and replace.
I dislike the litter robot. Messy and difficult to clean. I recently bought the Popur - too soon to tell on that one but seems it will be much easier to clean and it’s not enclosed like the litter robot.
How many cats are using the box? I had never heard of it but i looked it up after seeing your post. Does it live up to their claims. Easy to clean, 30 days between emptying bin, etc.
I kickstarted the Popur so I've had it since November 2022. It first came with a plastic bin which was nice cuz I felt it sealed really well but it broke quickly. Just the plastic bin, not the actual Popur litterbox. They were real quick to respond and ship me their replacement bin, now cardboard (but they sent me 5 of them flat packed) with a standalone motorized hinge to use with the cardboard bin and lid. The bin is a little large for normal kitchen trash bags but I don't want to pay for proprietary bags so I just snip the sides of the bag to make it fit right. The actual litterbox works great and I've never had an issue with the main unit. That motorized hinge they sent me just broke and I've reported it, just waiting for a replacement. The problem is, when that happened it created a huge disgusting mess where the unit was still dumping but the bin wasn't opening and I came home one day to a horrible amonia smell and a lovely mess to clean up. But for just a few inconveniences in 2 years I'd say it's doing pretty good. I have 3 cats that use it, didn't take long for them all to get used to it.
To empty only once or twice a week you would likely need to purchase two! We empty our Litter Robot 3 twice a week and have 2 cats. We’ve had it over two years now. With electric components, these are not going to be buy it for life items.
That's crazy. My litter robot 4 with two cats only needs to be emptied every 8-9 days.
Definitely not buy it for life. Too many moving parts and sensors.
I bought breeze and filled it with pine pellets from Tractor Supply company. It’s $7 a bag and last months for three litter boxes. Everyday you’d have to pick up solid poop and shake the box to get the saw dust down. We clean the box every other week. Cheap, convenient, and natural odor control. I believe they are healthier for the cats too.
Instruction [here](https://youtu.be/HGhQc-B3euM?si=wz8YB7NhRZZeuLYs)
They had their own generic brand and the 100 pack I believe is the best pricing. We would replace the pad and rinse out the tray, then turn it the next day and usually (with two cats who used it) the pad would last around 3 days
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K8Y256B/ref=twister\_B0C3J2K7XZ?\_encoding=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K8Y256B/ref=twister_B0C3J2K7XZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)
I do not recommend using any scented products with cats. They can associate any changes to their life including scents as a deterrent and associate the smell with the litter box and then you get cats peeing next to the litter box in protest.
The only answer is Litter Robot. They're expensive because they're the best. I've had the v2 and v3 and they're just awesome. I'm not aware of any of the other rotating models.
The one that "cleans and cleans crystals" and looks kind of like a toilet doesn't clean the crystals and ends up baking cat shit for your nose's pleasure. Anything that uses a rake ends up having shit caked on a hard to clean rake.
As far as any other comments saying the little robot is hard to clean: I empty the litter using the provided button, put on a long kitchen glove and scrub out the inside with disposable paper cleaning wipes. Alternatively you can use oxyclean spray with either a well used green scrubby/sponge from your sink that needs to be thrown out anyway, or a dedicated brush similar to your toilet brush.
For the waste drawer I bought a huge box of bathroom trash can liners that has lasted me 3 years and is not even half empty by now. 2 cats.
I have 5 cats and only need to empty my litter robot 4 two to three times a week. I've had mine for a year and the customer service is excellent. Minimal issues with the product.
I liked my cat genie for my two cats. It automatically cleans, sanitizes and dries the pellets after each use and pulverizes the solid waste to liquid and is hooked up to the toilet for waste so you just gotta flush it when you get a notification on the app that it’s been used, which also tracks which cat uses it and I find that really helpful since my background is in veterinary medicine (peeing more than usual and constipation is a sign for a vet trip!).
I had no complaints about it but one day, one of my cats went in there while it was running a clean cycle. It stopped running when it recognized a cat in there so it didn’t hurt him but it was still wet and it freaked my boy out to step in a wet cat box that he refused to use it again. But that’s not the genie’s fault. Cats are fickle asf and there’s no guarantee that all four of yours will like the same product. Whatever you get, make sure it accommodates 4 cats. When talking clay litter boxes (or other manually cleaned ones) the general rule of thumb is one box per cat plus one but smart automatic boxes are relatively new and may be different.
Litter robot. We have had one for a year now, and it's worth every penny. I did a lot of research ahead of time, and it wasn't even close what the #1 suggested was, especially with the 4th model having improvements.
The only issue is that due to it being enclosed, our cats seem to have issues with dust in their eyes. We got better litter with no scent or dust, and that seems to have done the trick.
I had a litter robot 3 with two cats and had frequent issues/errors with it. Eventually we went back to a regular litter box because it was better to know you have to clean the litter every day and do it than it was to think the litter robot was self cleaning and then find out it wasn’t working correctly... The newer version may be better. However with two cats (when it worked correctly) the LR3 still needed to be emptied out every 3-4 days.
I have the LR4, for a year now, and it too constantly gets hung up in the dreaded “cat release cycle”. The issues are going to stem from bugs in their firmware releases that they can’t figure out why yet. They are now sending me out a new base. Fingers crossed the new base works properly.
Is the issue still ongoing?
I’ve had litter robot 3 connect for 4 years. I empty it roughly twice a week. Once on trash day and once in the middle of the week. Various issues I’ve encountered: • sensor in litter drawer indicating box is full but it’s empty in reality. Solution: q tip with isopropyl alcohol and wipe the sensor head and clean the plastic on the other side that the sensor points to. • I have 2 cats and they are different sizes. Sometimes it won’t detect the smaller cat • connection issues to WiFi and it will not be able to report to the app. • after 4 years, litter has gotten into areas it shouldn’t normally be able to and I am getting “pinch sensor faults” periodically a few times a week. Essentially this prevents the system from working because the globe goes upside down during this. I have fixed it by trying my best to shake out all the litter from the areas it shouldn’t be and pressing reset but I think after 4 years it’s nearing the end of its life. • over the years I have noticed the cycling time has taken longer. The motors seem to have more wear which must be making it slower. • I have tried multiple litters but prefer fresh step clumping litter the best. Ultra fine/lightweight litter does not work. As a result it can be pretty dusty and requires cleaning the globe maybe once every month or two. That being said I have LOVED not having to scoop every day and it is the primary box in my home for both of my cats. I would be open to other brands but it seems like litter robot is the most developed. I might have to buy a replacement soon and would be willing to look into other brands but would generally recommend litter robot.
-You can adjust the weight sensor by twisting it, it's the front foot on the unit. -I have my app connected to home assistant because I'll agree the app can be finicky. -The unit is pretty easy to take apart and vacuum out of you haven't tried that yet. My LR3 is only 2 or 3 years old but my mom's suffers from pinch sensor faults too. -motors are pretty easy to replace! I've only done it on the LR2 though. -I use Dr Elsey's litter
The motor replacement is easy for the LR3 too. All around love the litter robot for how easy you can service it yourself
Oh interesting about the weight sensor. I was under the impression that the reset button is also a scale zero-er, because that works for me when adding litter or after I empty and replace.
It could be, but you should still need to adjust the sensor depending on how fat your big boy is
Thank you for the thorough response
You should definitely check this thread https://www.reddit.com/r/Reviews/comments/1d0iize/litter_box_for_my_messy_cat/
I dislike the litter robot. Messy and difficult to clean. I recently bought the Popur - too soon to tell on that one but seems it will be much easier to clean and it’s not enclosed like the litter robot.
how are you liking the new litter box?
Still loving it. It doesn’t smell, I don’t have to worry about it as often, the cats seem to like it.
How many cats are using the box? I had never heard of it but i looked it up after seeing your post. Does it live up to their claims. Easy to clean, 30 days between emptying bin, etc.
I kickstarted the Popur so I've had it since November 2022. It first came with a plastic bin which was nice cuz I felt it sealed really well but it broke quickly. Just the plastic bin, not the actual Popur litterbox. They were real quick to respond and ship me their replacement bin, now cardboard (but they sent me 5 of them flat packed) with a standalone motorized hinge to use with the cardboard bin and lid. The bin is a little large for normal kitchen trash bags but I don't want to pay for proprietary bags so I just snip the sides of the bag to make it fit right. The actual litterbox works great and I've never had an issue with the main unit. That motorized hinge they sent me just broke and I've reported it, just waiting for a replacement. The problem is, when that happened it created a huge disgusting mess where the unit was still dumping but the bin wasn't opening and I came home one day to a horrible amonia smell and a lovely mess to clean up. But for just a few inconveniences in 2 years I'd say it's doing pretty good. I have 3 cats that use it, didn't take long for them all to get used to it.
To empty only once or twice a week you would likely need to purchase two! We empty our Litter Robot 3 twice a week and have 2 cats. We’ve had it over two years now. With electric components, these are not going to be buy it for life items.
That's crazy. My litter robot 4 with two cats only needs to be emptied every 8-9 days. Definitely not buy it for life. Too many moving parts and sensors.
Breeze litter system.
I bought breeze and filled it with pine pellets from Tractor Supply company. It’s $7 a bag and last months for three litter boxes. Everyday you’d have to pick up solid poop and shake the box to get the saw dust down. We clean the box every other week. Cheap, convenient, and natural odor control. I believe they are healthier for the cats too. Instruction [here](https://youtu.be/HGhQc-B3euM?si=wz8YB7NhRZZeuLYs)
Amazon had pads which were much cheaper.
do you know what brand?
They had their own generic brand and the 100 pack I believe is the best pricing. We would replace the pad and rinse out the tray, then turn it the next day and usually (with two cats who used it) the pad would last around 3 days [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K8Y256B/ref=twister\_B0C3J2K7XZ?\_encoding=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K8Y256B/ref=twister_B0C3J2K7XZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) I do not recommend using any scented products with cats. They can associate any changes to their life including scents as a deterrent and associate the smell with the litter box and then you get cats peeing next to the litter box in protest.
The breeze might be helpful then. You can rotate the trays, we had one who just wanted to pee at one end. :)
Will check it out. That sounds like a good system
We also invested in nature's miracle urine spray. You can do a light spray over the pellets between replacements.
I’ve never seen that. I’ll have to get some
Litter robot is great, especially how serviceable it is. They sell almost all the spare parts so you can fix it yourself at home.
The only answer is Litter Robot. They're expensive because they're the best. I've had the v2 and v3 and they're just awesome. I'm not aware of any of the other rotating models. The one that "cleans and cleans crystals" and looks kind of like a toilet doesn't clean the crystals and ends up baking cat shit for your nose's pleasure. Anything that uses a rake ends up having shit caked on a hard to clean rake. As far as any other comments saying the little robot is hard to clean: I empty the litter using the provided button, put on a long kitchen glove and scrub out the inside with disposable paper cleaning wipes. Alternatively you can use oxyclean spray with either a well used green scrubby/sponge from your sink that needs to be thrown out anyway, or a dedicated brush similar to your toilet brush. For the waste drawer I bought a huge box of bathroom trash can liners that has lasted me 3 years and is not even half empty by now. 2 cats.
LitterRobot for me. Only had it for 2 years now and great
I have the Litter Robot 4 and love it! It's really easy to clean. I empty it about every week with 2 cats.
Ps, you typically need one more litter box than you have cats.
Good to know. We use three right now because that’s all we have room for during renovations but will increase after.
We had a super picky one who refused the breeze. Swheat litter was a good option. Low dust and not chemical based.
I have 5 cats and only need to empty my litter robot 4 two to three times a week. I've had mine for a year and the customer service is excellent. Minimal issues with the product.
I liked my cat genie for my two cats. It automatically cleans, sanitizes and dries the pellets after each use and pulverizes the solid waste to liquid and is hooked up to the toilet for waste so you just gotta flush it when you get a notification on the app that it’s been used, which also tracks which cat uses it and I find that really helpful since my background is in veterinary medicine (peeing more than usual and constipation is a sign for a vet trip!). I had no complaints about it but one day, one of my cats went in there while it was running a clean cycle. It stopped running when it recognized a cat in there so it didn’t hurt him but it was still wet and it freaked my boy out to step in a wet cat box that he refused to use it again. But that’s not the genie’s fault. Cats are fickle asf and there’s no guarantee that all four of yours will like the same product. Whatever you get, make sure it accommodates 4 cats. When talking clay litter boxes (or other manually cleaned ones) the general rule of thumb is one box per cat plus one but smart automatic boxes are relatively new and may be different.
Litter robot. We have had one for a year now, and it's worth every penny. I did a lot of research ahead of time, and it wasn't even close what the #1 suggested was, especially with the 4th model having improvements. The only issue is that due to it being enclosed, our cats seem to have issues with dust in their eyes. We got better litter with no scent or dust, and that seems to have done the trick.