Cats are great companions, but scooping out their litter box isn’t exactly a chore you look forward to.
I’ve long been curious about automated litter boxes that promise to do the dirty work.
So, when Neakasa offered to send their M1 Open-Top Self Cleaning Cat Litter Box along, I jumped at the opportunity to test it.
Since we typically foster kittens, I also had to get an adult cat that is better suited for an automated litter box like this.
We contacted Best Friends Animal Society, and soon, we had Jubilee, a four-year-old stray rescue, in our home. She got the hang of the automated box in less than a day.
Automated kitty litter boxes are a popular way to avoid daily scooping. After your cat does its business, the box springs into motion, rotating the waste away into a drawer you empty about every two weeks.
I was concerned about waste lingering around, but in my testing, no discernable smell came from the box.
Many have a circular rotating design, but I like that the Neakasa has an open-air design that cats seem to prefer. This way, they can see around them while they go.
Once the cat exits, the system waits for the litter to clump a bit before beginning the cleaning process.
Cats get a fresh place to go every time. The app shows when to add more litter and empty the bin. There are even stats like when your cat went in, for how long and what they weigh.
My takeaway: these boxes are pricey but a major game-changer.
I took my findings to Doc Halligan, a 30-plus-year veterinarian … and host of the radio show Collars & Cents.
“Let me just tell you about the litter boxes—it’s the number one reason cats are turned into shelters,” said Halligan, who added that automation is convenient for humans but not always best for animals.
“The drawback with the automation with the litter boxes is that cats have actually died from that,” said Halligan.
That was news to me, but after some research, it seems that most of those stories involve cheap knockoff litter boxes.
The popular Whisker Litter Robot 4 costs $700, and the Neakasa costs $600. Both seem well constructed and have safety sensors that stop any motion if a disturbance is detected during the cleaning process.
But that high price tag likely keeps many pet owners from going automatic.
So Halligan’s advice if you stay manual: “You want to scoop [litter boxes] out at least once a day, and if you have the scoopable litter, it’s super easy.
