What Is the Best Self-Cleaning Litter Box?
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | This has everything you need in a self-cleaning unit and is visually interesting, reliable, and worthy. | Get on Amazon | |
 | This litter box is loaded with sensors that prevent accidents and injuries to your cat during its cleaning cycle. | Get on Amazon | |
 | This litter box is made specifically to use replaceable crystal litter mats and is available in three options. | Get on AmazonGet on Chewy | |
 | This litter box has a capacity of 76 liters, giving it the largest litter capacity of any device on this list. | Get on Amazon | |
 | Priced at $55.00, this is the most affordable litter box on this list by a significant margin and is also efficient. | Get on AmazonGet on Chewy | |
 | This litter box activates as soon as the cat steps out of it to better control smells and keep the area clean. | Get on AmazonGet on Chewy |
Will a Cat Use a Self-Cleaning Litter Box?
Yes, a cat will use a self-cleaning cat litter box.
It may take some coaxing, as cats are fickle creatures, but they can be taught to learn the litter box, usually with relative ease. However, this depends on the cat – some felines learn to use the cat litter box easier than others.
Do Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes Smell?
Yes, the self-cleaning cat litter box can smell.
The odor is determined by the frequency with which the machine cleans itself and the amount of waste in the litter box.
Self-cleaning litter boxes are meant to be less smelly, but it will be largely dependent on how often and how thorough the device operates and how often you clean it yourself.
Single-cat households are also less likely to have the same pungent smell as multi-cat households, so that may impact the odor as well.
For maximum odor control, ensure you use high-quality cat litter. Clumping litter is regarded as having the best odor-control properties for any type of litter.
How does a Self-Cleaning Litter Box Work?
There are many ways a self-cleaning litter box will operate. Some have a sifting motion that moves poop and urine clumps on a conveyor belt out of the cat litter and dumps it into a waste bin.
Systems like Cat Genie’s Sanisolution use a detergent to keep odors and bacteria to a minimum, while the Scoopfree Ultra has an automated rake that glides out to retrieve waste from disposable litter trays.
Some litter boxes have a rotating rake, while systems like the Litter-Robot 3 Connect and Litter-robot 4 feature a rotating housing that cats sit in, and it rotates as they exit.
The Best Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes Reviewed
To help you find the best self-cleaning cat litter box, we have reviewed our top picks on the market. They are reliable and easily accessible on online retailers like Amazon and Chewy.
Price: $596.09
Size: 27.5″L x 23.6″W x 19.7″H
Material: Plastic
Dimension: 27.5″L x 23.6″W x 19.7″H
Item Weight: 35 lbs
Style: Indoor cat litter box
Scented: No
Color: White
Pet: Cat
Lifestage: All life stages
Storage Instructions: Place in a dry space away from moisture and near an outlet. For best odor control, place it away from high-traffic areas in a spot that is accessible to your cat.
Product Use Instruction: Place near an outlet in a low-traffic area of your house. Fill it with cat litter and plug it into the wall. Empty the waste bin when necessary and refill the litter tray with cat litter as needed.
Summary: This space pod-shaped automatic litter box is made to be more than a simple self-cleaning litter box. It is wifi compatible and controlled with an app, so you can monitor your cat’s activity anytime and from anywhere.
Built-in LED status lights alert you to the status of the litter box in real time without the need to open it. It is made large to be suitable for multiple cats and large cats up to 28 lbs. The drawer footboard helps the cat exit the box without tracking too much litter.
Pros
- WiFi enabled
- App controlled for better management
- LED notifications tell you the status of the litter
- Smart sensors for syncing data
- Sized appropriately for multiple cats
Cons
- The footboard sometimes sticks when opening
- Expensive
Customer Reviews: Reviews were a bit mixed with this self-cleaning litter box. Positive ratings came from cat owners who were happy with the cleaning action of the box and the functionality of the app.
While 80% of ratings were positive, over 15% were critical. These reviews said the litter would clog the litter box and others said the customer service was subpar.
Onevet.ai Review: Our team at onevet.ai is giving Hillpig Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box an overall 7/10-star rating. The breakdown of our ratings is below:
- Pet Suitability (10/10): With its litter-catching footboard, wifi compatibility, and huge interior size, this is very well suited for cats.
- Material Quality (8/10): The overall quality of this device is great, but the footboard does not always work as nicely as we would have liked.
- Cost Effectiveness (5/10): This, like many self-cleaning litter boxes, is very expensive, but it does its job well.
- Customer Feedback (7/10): Most reviews were positive, but over 15% of reviews were negative or critical.
- Product Variety (5/10): This is the only version of this litter box available, but it is highly functional.
Price: $448.99
Size: 27.95″L x 23.62″W x 22.83″H
Material: Plastic
Dimension: 27.95″L x 23.62″W x 22.83″H
Item Weight: 26 lbs
Style: Indoor cat litter box
Scented: No
Color: White
Pet: Cat
Lifestage: All life stages
Storage Instructions: Place in a dry space away from moisture and near an outlet. For best odor control, place it away from high-traffic areas in a spot that is accessible to your cat.
Product Use Instruction: Place near an outlet in a low-traffic area of your house. Fill it with cat litter and plug it into the wall. Empty the waste bin when necessary and refill the litter tray with cat litter as needed.
Summary: Catlink makes automatic self-cleaning cat litter boxes to provide cat owners with safe and hygienic options for litter box cleaning. This model is made with an inverted triangle design, so it can provide great stability when cats jump in and out.
A self-detection sensor, infrared sensor, and gravity sensor all work together to provide safety while your cat is doing its business. This prevents any mishaps that could injure your cat or damage the machine during a cleaning cycle. A rechargeable odor purifier helps to remove odors before they enter the house so your house will continue to smell fresh and inviting.
Pros
- Large 13-liter waste drawer
- Can go up to 3 weeks without emptying the litter
- Infrared sensor, gravity sensor, anti-pinch infrared sensors
- Inverted triangle design for added stability
- Rechargeable odor purifier
Cons
- Expensive
- Waste can become lodged in the inner workings of the machine
Customer Reviews: Reviews were sparse with this self-cleaning litter box, but they were largely positive. Happy customers were pleased with the safety this self-cleaning litter box offered their cats and said it did a great job at keeping smells down.
Critical reviews accounted for nearly 1/10 reviews and said cat waste is likely to become stuck in the machine.
Onevet.ai Review: Our team at onevet.ai is giving CATLINK Double Odor Removal Self Cleaning Cat Litter Box an overall 8/10-star rating. The breakdown of our ratings is below:
- Pet Suitability (10/10): We noticed no issue with cats trying to fit inside the box or not wanting to use it, and there were no reviews stating this was a problem for anyone else.
- Material Quality (7/10): We noticed waste would often become stuck in the waste bin, and the auto cleaning feature would work most of the time, but not all of the time.
- Cost Effectiveness (8/10): While it is not cheap, it is certainly not the most expensive device on this list.
- Customer Feedback (6/10): Ratings and reviews were sparse but largely positive.
- Product Variety (9/10): This is the only variety available for this device, but it is efficient and effective.
Price: $169.95
Size: 20.38″L x 7.13″W x 28″H
Material: Plastic
Dimension: 27.95″L x 23.62″W x 22.83″H
Item Weight: 16 lbs
Style: Indoor cat litter box
Scented: No
Color: White
Pet: Cats
Lifestage: All life stages
Storage Instructions: Place in a dry space away from moisture and near an outlet. For best odor control, place it away from high-traffic areas in a spot that is accessible to your cat.
Product Use Instruction: Place near an outlet in a low-traffic area of your house. Fill it with cat litter and plug it into the wall. Empty the waste bin when necessary and refill the litter tray with cat litter as needed.
Summary: PatSafe makes pet safety gear for indoor and common household pets like cats and dogs. This automatic litter box of theirs uses crystal litter mats to eliminate the need for scooping. Front-entry and top-entry models are available to help keep cat waste out of sight in any room.
The kitty litter liner can go weeks without needing to be changed. The litter quickly dehydrates solid waste and urine to trap odors before they have a chance to be noticed.
Pros
- More affordable than other options this list
- Available in top and front-entry and non-covered versions
- Can go weeks without refilling the litter
- The crystal litter dehydrates solid waste to eliminate smells
- Easy cleanup and replacement of litter
Cons
- Does not come with a carbon filter
- When completely full of litter, the machine scoops litter as well as waste, and this requires more frequent attention
Customer Reviews: With nearly 13,000 reviews on Amazon, this is clearly one of the most popular auto litter boxes on the market. Of the many praises people gave this device, the most repeated was that this box works well. Cat owners note fewer odors and less cleanup required, but they mention that it takes a while to complete a cycle.
Critical reviews accounted for 15% of total reviews, and these people were unhappy with the performance of the self-cleaning litter box and said it quickly becomes useless if your cat uses the same spots in the box frequently.
Onevet.ai Review: Our team at onevet.ai is giving PetSafe ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Cat Litterbox an overall 9/10-star rating. The breakdown of our ratings is below:
- Pet Suitability (10/10): This litter box can be used by cats of all ages and abilities.
- Material Quality (8/10): We had no issues with how the box operated, but the litter mats had some issues controlling smells.
- Cost Effectiveness (8/10): Priced at under $170.00, this is a relatively affordable and effective self-cleaning letter box.
- Customer Feedback (10/10): With almost 13,000 reviews, this is one of the most well-reviewed and highly rated litter boxes on Amazon.
- Product Variety (10/10): This device is made in three versions: non-covered, front-entry, and top-entry.
Price: $509.00
Size: 21.18″L x 24.4″W x 21.73″H
Material: Plastic
Dimension: 21.18″L x 24.4″W x 21.73″H
Item Weight: 22 lbs
Style: Indoor cat litter box
Scented: No
Color: White
Pet: Cats
Lifestage: All life stages
Storage Instructions: Place in a dry space away from moisture and near an outlet. For best odor control, place it away from high-traffic areas in a spot that is accessible to your cat.
Product Use Instruction: Place near an outlet in a low-traffic area of your house. Fill it with cat litter and plug it into the wall. Empty the waste bin when necessary and refill the litter tray with cat litter as needed.
Summary: Another product from Petkit, this self-cleaning litter box, is made with your cat’s safety and health in mind. This Pura Max wifi enabled cat litter box has three cleaning options to allow you to choose how often it will run a cleaning cycle.
It is made with infrared sensors and weight sensors to monitor when your cat is inside the box. This also allows it to monitor your cat’s weight and frequency of use so you can be up to date with your cat’s health in real time.
Pros
- Wifi enabled
- Infrared and weight sensors for your cat’s safety
- Smart tracking sensors
- 3 cleaning modes
- Holds enough litter for 15 days
Cons
- Expensive
- Requires more cleaning than other models
Customer Reviews: Pet owners liked that this large self-cleaning litter box was suitable for their multi-cat household. They said it helped them monitor their cat’s activity and praised it as the “best litter box” they have ever had.
Others said the Pura X was better suited for their needs, and they regret having upgraded to the newer model and that the sensors were faulty.
Onevet.ai Review: Our team at onevet.ai is giving PETKIT Pura Max Large Capacity for Multiple Cats Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box an overall 7/10-star rating. The breakdown of our ratings is below:
- Pet Suitability (8/10): This litter box will work for most cats, but big cats might have trouble being comfortable inside of it.
- Material Quality (10/10): We noticed no issues with the quality of the product in its function or its build.
- Cost Effectiveness (4/10): This is a very expensive unit.
- Customer Feedback (7/10): An average of 4 out of 5 stars is given, with roughly 400 total reviews on Amazon.
- Product Variety (9/10): Two versions so this litter box are available, one having extra odor protection.
Price: $55.99
Size: 21.5″L x 18.5″W x 20″H
Material: Plastic
Dimension: 21.5″L x 18.5″W x 20″H
Item Weight: 6.5 lbs
Style: Indoor cat litter box
Scented: No
Color: Grey; Brown
Pet: Cats
Lifestage: All life stages
Storage Instructions: Place in a dry space away from moisture and near an outlet. For best odor control, place it away from high-traffic areas in a spot that is accessible to your cat.
Product Use Instruction: Place near an outlet in a low-traffic area of your house. Fill it with cat litter and plug it into the wall. Empty the waste bin when necessary and refill the litter tray with cat litter as needed.
Summary: This self-cleaning litter box requires no electricity to use. In fact, it has no motors at all. Instead, it is cleaned by simply rolling the box over and removing the waste tray.
Strong clips hold the top on and allow you to maneuver the unit safely and easily. It is compatible with all kinds of litter and can be placed anywhere in your home, even far away from outlets.
Pros
- Affordable
- Does not use electricity
- Deposits waste in an easy-to-use pullout tray
- Completes its cleaning cycle in a few seconds
- Removable top for easy cleaning
Cons
- The clips that hold the top on can fail
- The act of cleaning it the way it is intended may cause waste to get on the interior walls
Customer Reviews: Most reviews state how maintaining this self-cleaning litter box is easy and fast. They mention you have to use it correctly to get the most out of it and say that it has significantly decreased the need for them to get their hands dirty.
Critical statements came from people who received a box that probably would not pass quality assurance. They had issues with ill-fitting covers and clips that would not hold the bottom in place.
Onevet.ai Review: Our team at onevet.ai is giving Omega Paw Roll ‘n Clean Self Cleaning Litter Box an overall 8/10-star rating. The breakdown of our ratings is below:
- Pet Suitability (7/10): This litter box is great for most cats, but if the box is emptied before the waste has dried completely, it can become messy inside the unit.
- Material Quality (10/10): Everything fit as it should and worked as it should.
- Cost Effectiveness (10/10): When compared to other litter boxes on this list, it is a perfect score.
- Customer Feedback (7/10): Over 2,300 people have reviewed this box, but nearly 20% of them left negative reviews.
- Product Variety (7/10): While it does not come in any other models, it is made in two neutral colors.
Price: $124.95
Size: 26.5″L x 16.88″W x 7.63″H
Material: Plastic
Dimension: 26.5″L x 16.88″W x 7.63″H
Item Weight: 9 lbs
Style: Indoor cat litter box
Scented: No
Color: Grey
Pet: Cats
Lifestage: All life stages
Storage Instructions: Place in a dry space away from moisture and near an outlet. For best odor control, place it away from high-traffic areas in a spot that is accessible to your cat.
Product Use Instruction: Place near an outlet in a low-traffic area of your house. Fill it with cat litter and plug it into the wall. Empty the waste bin when necessary and refill the litter tray with cat litter as needed.
Summary: A smart sensor controls the action of this automatic litter box. This ensures it will not activate while your cat is using the box and alerts the system when the cat has used it. Odors are controlled with a zeolite carbon air filter that neutralizes odors before you have a chance to smell them.
This affordable self-cleaning cat litter box works best with lightweight litter as the motor for the cleaner is small and has to work harder against waste and heavy litter than necessary.
Pros
- Available in a litter box cleaning bundle
- Lightweight
- No-touch plastic cat litter bags
- Angled deflector with fins and raised height
- Powerful deodorizing effects
Cons
- Works best with lightweight litter
- Takes around 30 minutes to clean itself
Customer Reviews: Most cat owners were pleased with this self-cleaning litter box. They caution other customers not to overfill the box as this can cause undue stress on the motor but also mention how well this box cleans itself even with heavier litter.
Customers complain that the automatic rake does not go all the way to the bottom of the litter pan. They did not like the waste stuck to the bottom and said it made cleaning more of a chore.
Onevet.ai Review: Our team at onevet.ai is giving Pet Zone Smart Scoop Self Cleaning Litter Box an overall 7/10-star rating. The breakdown of our ratings is below:
- Pet Suitability (9/10): Any cat can use this litter box it does track litter granules across the floor more than we would like.
- Material Quality (8/10): We heard the motor working hard with heavier litter, but it never failed or faltered. Cleaning the waste receptacle was a bit more work than anticipated.
- Cost Effectiveness (9/10): When compared to other self-cleaning litter boxes, this is a very affordable option.
- Customer Feedback (6/10): 7,500 reviews give this device an average of 3.7 out of 5 stars.
- Product Variety (5/10): There are no other options for size, function, or color available for this item.
What Should I Look for in a Self-Cleaning Litter Box?
When shopping for a self-cleaning litter box, consider the following factors:
- Cleaning Action: While most self-cleaning litter boxes operate similarly, they aren’t always triggered by the same things. Many high-tech boxes have sensors that enable the device to know when a cat is in the box, and it will not engage in a cleaning cycle then. Others, however, are timed and can interfere with a cat’s business if it is near the litter box as the sequence begins.
- Wifi Compatibility: The most recent wave of self-cleaning litter boxes is wifi enabled. This gives cat owners the ability to monitor their cat’s activities and, with some models, their cat’s health as well. This requires a bit of tech knowledge as the boxes are operated via an app on your phone, but the benefits can outweigh the cons for many cat owners, even if the biggest con is the price of these units.
- Technology: Not all self-cleaning litter box systems are laden with high-tech gadgetry. Some are as simple as a box that empties litter as it is manually rotated, like the Omega Paw litter box.
- Litter Compatibility: Some litter boxes only accept disposable litter trays and others only use clumping litter. Carefully check the unit you are interested in to be sure you are using the correct type of litter.
- The Hillpig self-cleaning cat litter box features the APP control to help you manage the cat house to stay clean anytime and anywhere via the APP.
- Automatic self-cleaning system help you to dump the poops into the trash bag after the cats go out of the litter box.
- Built-in LED safe alerts allow you to know the operating status.
How Often Do You Empty a Self-Cleaning Litter Box?
It is recommended to empty the litter box waste bin daily to avoid smells, bacteria growth, or any other side effects of leaving waste in a container for an extended period of time.
Luckily, self-cleaning litter boxes are very easy to empty and often only require the removal of one bin, which takes just seconds to complete.
Charles Grisham
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