If you’re a cat parent, then you know that felines are fairly clean and low-maintenance pets. You don’t have to take them out to go to the bathroom, and they give themselves baths. The one downside? The dreaded litter box chore.
Especially if you have more than one cat, keeping the litter box entirely clean and odor-free is virtually impossible — not to mention cat owner struggles like finding litter scattered all over your home or stuck in your cats’ paws. And while we’re willing to bet you wouldn’t trade all the benefits of having a cat for anything — even never having to scoop their poop again — the good news is, you don’t have to make that choice.
The Litter-Robot 4 by Whisker is the newest self-cleaning litter box on the market, and it really is a game changer. Sleeker, quieter, and more high-tech than the previous Litter-Robot 3 Connect model, it also introduces a handful of new features and improvements meant to address customer feedback and benefit the health and happiness of both cat and human.
Litter-Robot 4
$699 at litter-robot.comCredit: Litter-Robot
Pros
- Wifi-enabled with app connectivity
- Greatly reduces odors and dust
- Very quiet
- Ideal for homes with multiple cats
Cons
- Expensive
- Tall
- You’ll still need to clean the inside of the globe
Woman’s Day spoke to Whisker President and CEO, Jacob Zuppke, about the newest upgrade the brand has released to its (already top-rated) product in five years. We also had the opportunity to beta test the Litter-Robot 4 ahead of its official launch back in 2022.
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Now, after more than a year of use, we’ve updated our initial review to include additional insight into how well the product holds up, how the company implements bug fixes, and the overall longevity of the Litter-Robot 4. Read on for our honest review of the self-cleaning litter robot, and decide for yourself whether it’s right for you in 2023.
“We’ve taken all the feedback that we’ve gotten, and despite the fact that we’re the number one product, we completely redid everything in an effort to be the number one product again — and the number two product, hopefully, with our old model,” Zuppke told us. “Looks were definitely an important part of the Litter-Robot 4, and also its underlying features and its underlying technology capabilities are things that we’ve really been hyper-focused on.”
“We’re really building an entire smart system that we’ll be able to learn from over time,” Zuppke added. “The unit is equipped with all that technology on day one, and we’ll roll out new updates over the course of the coming months and years to continually get smarter.”
New features for the Litter-Robot 4
- It’s WiFi-enabled. Connect the Litter-Robot 4 to the Whisker app and track multiple cats’ litter box habits to gain behavioral insights important to their health. There is also an easy to reach control panel on the robot with accessible buttons for manual operation, and a five-color LED display that indicates the current status.
- It’s clean and better at trapping smells and dust. The built-in OdorTrap System with carbon filters significantly reduces litter box odors. The included fence and step also minimize litter tracking out of the box.
- It’s the quietest version yet. Litter-Robot 4’s QuietSift technology dramatically reduces motor noise for discreet self-cleaning cycles.
- It’s safe. Advanced safety features continuously analyze 4 safety zones to ensure your cat is always safe.
- It’s customizable. Choose between sleek white and black color options. The backwards compatible build means you can continue to customize your Litter-Robot as new accessories are released.
- It’s versatile. The Litter-Robot works with any clumping litter as well as silica litter. You can use any waste drawer liners or bags. Modular components allow for easy cleaning and fast reassembly.
- It’s more compact than the Litter-Robot 3 Connect, with a footprint of 22″ x 27″. The dimensions are 29.5″ H x 22″ W x 27″ D and it weighs 24 lbs (empty).
- It has a larger opening (15.75″ x 15.75″) for comfortable entry and exit and is suitable for up to 4 cats of all breeds and sizes.
- The waste receptacle is larger, meaning you don’t need to empty it as frequently.
How does the Litter-Robot 4 work?
Shortly after your cat exits the Litter-Robot, it will automatically begin a cleaning cycle. As the globe rotates quietly, the patented sifting process and design separates dirty clumps from the clean litter. Clumps are deposited into the large capacity, tightly-sealed waste drawer below. When it’s time to empty the waste drawer, you simply remove the liner and put in a new one.
Litter-Robot 4 review
With two cats at home, that means two different personalities. One of my cats is much more skittish than the other, and while the Litter-Robot’s cycling is extremely quiet, I wasn’t sure how he’d react. Both cats were immediately curious, but not scared, and actually started using it right away. I saw how effective the SafeCat system is right off the bat as well. When my cat put his paws on the ledge to peek inside, his weight was detected right away and cycling stopped.
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The Whisker app works well, accurately reporting the status of the robot (ready, cycling, offline); real-time litter and waste drawer levels (percentage full); recent activity and pet weights recorded. You can also start a cycle or power off the robot right from the app, as well as disable the buttons on the panel to prevent changes to the settings, customize your notifications to receive alerts for irregular bathroom activity and when the drawer is full, and change settings such as the cycle delay time and lighting inside the globe.
Overall, the product was easy to set up, simple to use, and has worked extremely well to eliminate litter box odors in my one-bedroom apartment. While it doesn’t fit in my bathroom, it’s sleek-looking, whisper quiet, and very effective at keeping odors contained (even when the waste drawer is full or nearly full), so I don’t mind too much the fact that I have to keep it in a corner of my living room. The only problem I didn’t feel was one-hundred percent solved in transitioning from a manual litter box was the litter tracking issue from my cats jumping out, though the mess was greatly reduced.
After hearing about this, the brand actually offered to send me a Litter-Robot Litter Trap Mat to try (I was previously using a silicone litter mat with a raised pattern and an outer lip.) The top of the double-layered Litter Trap Mat is made of foam mesh, which now traps almost all of the litter granules my cats kick out. I can then easily lift the top piece of the mat and slide the accumulated litter into the trash when I want to clean it.
As I’ve used the Litter-Robot 4, I’ve really appreciated how the app is regularly updated to implement bug fixes as well as cool new features. As promised, I haven’t had to pay for any upgrades, but the firmware has been updated through the app to address issues experienced during beta testing (sensor faults, the need to manually cycle, having to power off and on again through the app). Since I first got the product, the company has integrated new app features as promised, and it has remained intuitive and easy to use.
One of these features is the ability to create separate pet profiles. You fill out information including their name, estimated weight, and any health concerns. Then, using the built-in SmartScale, the app keeps track of each cat’s weight and activity. Seeing stats such as their daily and weekly weights and how often they’re using the bathroom can help owners keep track of trends and more quickly pick up on any health problems. Should there be any major changes to a cat’s habits, you can flag to your vet.
Courtesy of Jamie Kravitz
Courtesy of Jamie Kravitz
Bottom line: Is the Litter-Robot 4 worth it?
While the unit itself is pricey at $699, I appreciate that there aren’t any additional expenses, outside of the litter I was already buying. (I also already used inexpensive charcoal filters with my previous litter box.) I’ve been using the same standard liners I buy in bulk for my small waste bins at home. I’m also using less litter, both because the Litter-Robot doesn’t require as much as my traditional box, and because the waste disposal system means less clean litter getting stuck to dirty clumps. And, of course, eliminating the chore of scooping altogether feels extremely worth the price.
This is clearly a luxury investment, but if you have the means, you won’t regret making the purchase. It’s been nearly a year and a half since I made the switch, and even though I’ve had to deal with some inevitable tech issues every now and then, I genuinely can’t imagine going back to manual scooping.
