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I’m sick of all the poop. I’m dealing with 3 cats, 11 months of diapers, and potty time with a 4 year old, so I needed a little relief from the excrement pile. toilet robot 4, the latest in Whisker’s automated toilets (first featured in 2005!). It’s a small spaceship-like device that automatically rotates after your cat has run errands, sorting the litter into a bin and leaving the rest of the clean litter behind. Instead of scooping the box every day (he’s several times a day in a multi-cat household), once a week he simply takes out the Litter-Robot litter bag and replaces it with a new liner. Sounds like a dream.
Well, mostly. For one, it’s a whopping $699, making it out of reach for most cat owners. And, like virtually all “smart” devices, I ran into problems while setting up the Litter Robot 4. After months of testing, I encountered many quirks. Sometimes it didn’t sieve correctly, and sometimes the cat that detected the sensor went crazy. , and it didn’t really keep the trash from reaching my floor. Thanks to the Litter Robot 4, I have to deal with my daily animal poop a little less. I chalk it up as a win.
As a cat owner since 2009, I’ve always had my eye on the envy of self-cleaning litter boxes. But almost every option seemed like a headache at the time. Some required special trash, while others were prone to clogging and failure. And while litter robots have been around for a while, I’ve always considered them too expensive to be practical. Now that my family has grown, I was eager for some reassurance. can.)
I know some people who loved toilet robot 3and it was generally well receiveddespite being bulky on the outside at the same time and A little too small for the cat inside. The Litter Robot 4 is improved over its predecessor with a sleeker design (it’s a bit narrower, so it should be better suited for smaller rooms) and a larger opening for larger cats. And since it’s Wi-Fi connected, Whisker’s app makes it easy to check your trash and waste levels. Thanks to a new weight sensor, you can track how often your cat uses the robot. The company also plans to launch more personalized tracking later this year, which could theoretically tell if one of his cats is using the litter box too often or not enough. understand.
Devindra Hardauer/Engadget
Setting up the Litter Robot 4 was fairly easy. Until I had a software problem. Simply unpack the 24-pound egg-like bot from its box, empty the clumps into the main compartment, and toss the included bag into the trash. The device itself is made entirely of plastic, which makes it fairly lightweight and easy to maneuver. The inner part where the trash is placed is covered with a rubber-like material that is more durable than hard plastic and easier to clean.
But after connecting and powering up the Litter Robot, I faced my worst new smart gadget fear: pairing issues. The robot does not self-clean at all when not paired with the app. After a few hours of frustration, I learned that Whiskers had a system-wide problem and had to wait days for the company to provide a fix.
You might say the same applies to smart devices. But manually cleaning this $699 litter box definitely felt silly (and a little infuriating). Nothing beats the toilet. Once the app was set up, the robot went through a cleaning cycle and evenly sifted through the remaining litter. When I saw this new litter box moving and making noise (it’s amazingly quiet!), my 3 cats wouldn’t go near it. At that point, it was little more than a $699 monument to pet excess.
A few days later, the bravest of the pack, my 18-pound tuxedo cat named “Gigi,” finally jumped into the Litter-Robot to explore. After going in and out several times, he decided it was safe and left with his first offering. It was quickly put in the trash. All cats were on board within a week. And around that time, I noticed something strange: I didn’t smell poop or pee! I don’t know. This bodes well for anyone looking to put a Litter-Robot in a small living room.
Devindra Hardauer/Engadget
My honeymoon period ended when one of my cats left a streak of poop inside the robot. No amount of sifting or cycling could remove it. Eventually, I started noticing strange behavior on the device (probably in protest of what the cat did). According to Whisker’s app, a sensor failure could cause his indicator light to flash red. The only way to fix it was to turn the unit on and off. Occasionally, after one of my cats’ girlfriends used the robot, it would not clean up completely. So I had to press the cycle button up to get it to work.
Over the course of a week, I usually have to deal with 3 out of 4 problems like this from a litter robot. Still, for $699, I wish it was more reliable. Even if my family took a vacation, I doubt it would work for a full week. Do not lose your catsitter number.
Cleaning your Litter Robot’s trash can is easy. Simply remove the liner bag and replace it with another. You could stick with Whisker’s products, but I had no problems using Glad’s 13-gallon ForceFlex bag of his. The company also recommends wiping down the interior of the Litter-Robot once a month to refresh the litter with a whole new batch. Turns out there is. Yes, it also means you have to get your hands a little dirty.
Whisker’s mobile app alerts you when your trash can is full or low on trash. It may sound strange, but I really appreciate it when I see how often my cats use the box, especially if one cat is not feeling well. Frequent visits to the robot can be a sign of illness. The app also tracks your cat’s weight, which helps prevent overeating and overeating. (And, of course, significant weight loss can be another health problem.)
Devindra Hardauer/Engadget
After months of testing, only two of my cats are still using the Litter-Robot 4. (We also have two regular litter boxes around the house for our lone rebels.) Aside from those random errors, one of my major annoyances is the Litter Robot. is an open design. I know it’s something cats like, but it also causes litter on the floor. If you do, it’s a good idea to add a litter mat ahead of time and be prepared to vacuum or sweep every few days.
The Litter Robot 4 is a luxury item, but it might come in handy for weary cat owners. Don’t expect miracles. You’ll have to watch out for errors, scrub manually, and mop up any stray debris. We don’t have a perfect self-cleaning toilet yet, but the Litter Robot 4 is just around the corner.