Litter Robot Open-Air automatic litter box is the top innovation and rated as the best self cleaning litter box according to thousands of customers reviews. The cleaning mechanism remains the same as previous versions—a rotating globe that sifts the litter, dropping the waste into a lined bottom drawer.
The Open-Air adds great features, such as a full indicator light that will display when the waste drawer is full, and an automatic blue night light that turns on when dark, helping cats to orientate at night, especially elderly cats. Litter-Robot III also adds a control panel lockout, adjustable wait time, and 8-hour sleep mode.
|
Check the Latest Innovation of the Litter-Robot: The Litter-Robot 4 features a top-notch technology! Click my Litter Robot 4 Review to see my exclusive hands-on review showing all the new features of the Litter Robot 4, ideal for multi-cat use, and get $50 Off your purchase! |
Features
- Fully self-cleaning litter box, no more scooping
- The ergonomic chamber accommodates big cats
- A larger upward-facing entry gives cats an ‘Open Air’ feeling
- Adjustable wait time 3-7-15 min
- ON/OFF button
- Night light to see the unit in the darkness
- Control panel lockout
- Full indicator light
- Suitable for multiple cats
- It saves up to 50% on litter
- The lip extender and rubber mat on the step reduce litter spillage
- A filtration system with vents in the waste drawer reduces odor
- 90-Day Money Back Guarantee
- 18 Month Warranty
- Color: Bisque
- Durable Construction
- It can be Wi-fi powered with the Connect kit upgrade
- Power: 120-volt outlet – 15 VDC
- Weight: 24 lbs (fully assembled)
- Made in the USA
- Requirements to install it: A level surface and electric outlet.
Features’ Benefits:
- Drawer full indicator. A blinking light indicator alerts you when it’s time to empty the waste drawer. This way you are not guessing when to empty the unit. Once this light indicator is activated, the Litter-Robot will do 3 more rotating cycles. If you haven’t emptied the litter box after this, the machine will stop operating.
- Clean cycle settings. Adjustable to 3, 7, or 15 minutes before the globe starts rotating. This way you can choose how long the waste will be in the litter box before being cleaned. A longer wait time is recommended for multiple cats.
- LED night light with a nice blue color for your cat to see the unit better in the darkness. This dim light could also help you to get orientated if it’s close to the bathroom at night.
- Self-adjusting cat sensor. The sensor is located at the base, so as long as your cat weighs over 5 lbs, the cleaning cycle will be activated once your cat jumps inside the litter box.
- 8-hr sleep mode. You can stop the unit from operating at night from the time you set it. The machine will continue operating the next day normally and the sleep mode will repeat every night.
- Control Panel Lock Out. You can lock out the button functions on the Control Panel so your kid or that mischievous cat won’t be able to start a cycle.
- Accessory battery backup option (not included). By installing this optional battery, the unit will keep operating in case of a power outage, up to 48 hours for 2 cats (10 cycles per day)
- Bigger entryway and litter chamber. The upward and wide entry provides cats with easy access. This ergonomic entryway allows cats that like to either jump or step in to adopt the Litter-Robot much easier.
- Waste Drawer with vents and charcoal filter. Since all the collected cat waste goes to the bottom drawer it’s necessary a good design system that reduces odors. The drawer vents plus the charcoal filter create a filtration system that makes it less smelly when it’s time to empty the litter box.
General & Specific Dimensions
- Fully assembled: 29-1/2″ H x 24-1/4″ W x 26-7/10″ D
- Waste drawer: 12 3/4″ W x 15-1/2″ L x 5″ D
- Waste port: 5 1/2″ W x 5 3/4″ L x Diagonal 6 ¼”
- Oval shaped entry opening: 15-1/2″ H x 10-1/4″ W
- Litter area at maximum litter capacity: 14″ across ( 3” at the deepest point)
- Headroom for the cat inside the globe: 15″ to 17″ (more or less, depending on the level of cat litter).
- Widest point inside the globe: 20″ across
- Depth of globe: 20″ front to back
What Comes With the Unit
The Litter-Robot features a handle on the sides so you can lift the unit once you’ve removed all pieces of cardboard from the box that protects the unit. When you open the box you will find:
√ The LRIII Open Air assembled
√ Carbon filter (already inserted into the waste drawer)
√ AC adapter
√ 3x Drawer Liner
√ Manual Instructions
√ Quick Guide Reference
√ Returning Instructions
√ “Meow” sticker (cute)
Open Air’s Optional Accessories
Fence. The fence stops litter from going outside if your cat is an energetic litter kicker. Also, this accessory is recommended for cats that tend to point their butt towards the opening to do their business. The fence acts as a barrier that deters the cat from doing this.
Ramp. This is an excellent solution in case your cat jumps out of the Litter Robot, spilling litter onto the floor. Also, it helps arthritic cats to access the litter box easily. My cat uses the ramp to enter the box, but she jumps out.
Battery backup: By installing the battery backup you ensure your machine will keep operating in case of a power outage. It ensures up to 20 cleaning cycles without electricity.
What type of cat is the Litter-Robot suitable for?
The new Open-Air LRIII can accommodate bigger cats with its ergonomic, larger oval-shaped entry and litter chamber so it works with any cat weighing between 5 and 20 lbs. approx. The self-adjusting sensor is calibrated to detect any weight from 5 lbs and more so if you have a kitten he or she must weigh at least 5 lbs to use the Litter-Robot safely. If your kitten weighs less than 5 lbs, you need to use the unit manually until your cat is grown enough to use the machine in automatic mode.
See a picture of my cat inside the unit doing her business. She has plenty of room to turn around, dig, etc. She is 20 inches long (not measuring the tail) and weighs a little under 8 pounds.
How the Litter Robot 3 Open Air Works
When your cat uses the Litter-Robot Open Air, a 7-minute countdown will start and the globe will rotate a cleaning cycle, sifting the clumps that drop into a waste drawer at the bottom of the unit. The whole cleaning cycle lasts approx. 1-2 minutes. Finally, to clean the unit simply pull the drawer and grab the bag for easy disposal.
The previous models of the Litter Robot required the adjustment of the sensor to be more or less sensitive but the new Open-Air version has a self-adjusting sensor that can be used easily with multiple cats without calibration problems. With the self-adjustment sensor, the cat’s weight pressures the sensor as soon as the feline jumps inside the Globe and not when the cat steps on the step, like in previous versions.
VIDEO HOW IT WORKS
(I didn’t get to catch my cat actually doing her business, but I got there quick enough to film the video when she was still inside the unit)
For an even better understanding of how the mechanism works, here’s a diagram of how the Litter Robot is constructed:
HOW THE LITTER ROBOT 3 LOOKS DISASSEMBLED
Get the Litter Robot 3 Open Air and save $50 using my link ➤ here | Great News! Whisker extended the Holiday Saving season until January 3rd, 2025! Get any Litter-Robot bundle and save up to $150 using my exclusive link below:
Apply $150 Off your Litter-Robot Bundle Today!
You can choose a payment plan and still save up to $150 if you grab a bundle! (limited time)
Litter-Robot 3 Open Air vs Litter-Robot Connect
The difference is the Whisker App. With the Litter Robot Open Air, you can manage the device only at home. With the Connect model, you can manage the litter box from wherever you are using your iPhone or Android. For example, you can check a notification on your phone when to empty the litter box. Also, in the App, you can check a daily, weekly, or monthly chart with your cat’s elimination habits to monitor your cat’s health or show it to your Vet. Another difference is that it’s much easier to change the wait time using the App instead of doing it manually (it took me a while to change the wait time with my Open Air). On the App, you can start a cleaning cycle, change the sleep mode, turn on/off the nightlight, etc. The Whisker App also allows you to control various devices. If you already have the LR3 Open Air you can convert it into a Wi-Fi-powered LR3 Connect; you can see how to do it in my review of the Connect, where I explain two options on how to get it done.
How the rotating cleaning system keeps your cat’s fur clean
Any other rotating mechanism that allows litter clumps to slide along the globe would make the roof of the globe dirty with feces. Not in the case of the Open Air. A plastic shield inside the chamber is located right above the sifting screen. This is a sort of a barrier that allows the litter clumps to slid directly to the opening where they drop, protecting the inner top of the Globe so it doesn’t get dirty with cat’s feces. This way your cat’s fur doesn’t have contact with waste. In the below picture you can have a better idea of the function of this important part of the new LRIII Open Air.
How to set up the Litter Robot III (very easy)
To set up the unit is so easy since the Litter Robot comes already assembled. To put cat litter in just pour clumping litter directly through the entry. You need to pour about 12 and 13 (8-Oz) cups of litter on the litter box. To plug in the machine just insert the small round plug end to the Litter Robot socket located on the back of the unit. Finally, push the power button for the unit to start a rotation (sometimes this rotation starts automatically). A blue light will show the litter box is ready to be used by your cat.
Note: If your cat is skittish, make sure not to do this right away and wait until your cat is confident enough to start using the Litter Robot.
VIDEO REVIEW OF LITTER ROBOT OPEN AIR SETUP
Buttons & Functions
On the control panel you will see 7 buttons in total, 4 vertically lined up and 3 small ones on the bottom. The first small on top is the ON/OFF button, below the buttons “Cycle”, “Empty”, “Reset”.
Cycle: allows you to start a cleaning cycle manually
Empty: you can empty the globe to change litter or clean the unit
Reset: push this button to stop an unwanted activation. The 3 small buttons at the bottom are “timing”, “cycling” and “ready”.
Timing: shows a red light when the unit is activated to start a cleaning cycle. Cycling: displays a yellow light when the Litter Robot is cleaning. Ready: this button shows a blue light by default and it turns back to blue once the cleaning cycle is finished and the machine is ready for another use.
Cleaning & Maintenance of the LRIII Open Air
It’s recommended to wash the globe every month or every other month, depending on how dirty the Globe is. Use a mild detergent and no bleach. When I clean the waste drawer I use a little bleach though, but very little. Full cleaning of the Open Air is necessary to keep your machine operating for years.
The unit can be disassembled in 4 parts: Base, Globe, Bonnet, and Waste Drawer. The globe and waste drawer are submersible for easy washing. The base and bonnet can’t be in contact with water since they have electronics. Check my article how to disassemble the Litter Robot where I explain step by step how easy it is.
Frequency to dispose of the cat’s waste
The waste disposal depends on how many cats use the litter box, the size of your cat, and the weather. For example, with my cat Sophie (she’s one year and 5 months old and weighs 8 lbs) I need to empty the waste drawer every week during hot weather. With cool weather, up to 10 days. The Litter Robot III requires very minimal maintenance, only topping off the litter once a week and grabbing the bagged waste for disposal.
Pros & Cons of the Litter Robot III Open-Air
The following is the list I created as a result of using the Litter Robot for almost 20 months now. I have been adding Pros and Cons as I keep discovering new things.
PROS
- Very easy to set up, it comes fully assembled
- It works reliably and effectively ( I have left my cat alone for 7 days and it works great)
- Litter area made from thick rubber that handles the cat’s scratching and digging
- Adjustable wait time for a cleaning cycle from 3-7-15 minutes
- Full light indicator to empty the waste drawer
- Better odor control with vents and charcoal filter on waste drawer
- Larger new design suitable for bigger breed cats
- It reduces the amount of litter boxes in multi-cat households.
- The unit can be filled with litter directly through the entryway
- Blue LED night light helps cat to use the litter box at night
- Self-adjusting sensor allows the unit to work reliably on any floor and with any cat weighing over 5 lbs.
- Sleep mode allows you to stop the unit from operating at night
- No rakes to clean and no clogs
- Easy to change litter with a push of a button
- Well designed sifting system does not get anything stuck on the bottom or walls
- You can use any 8-13 Gal trash bag to dispose the waste
- It saves in cat litter up to 50%
- Cleaning cycles by a push of a button
- Suitable for multiple cats
- Much easier to clean than previous version with its larger opening
- Reset button allows you to restart the unit to keep it working normally or stop unwanted activation.
- Availability of Litter Robot accessories that allow you to improve the unit’s operation.
- Option to upgrade to a Wi-Fi powered version, the Litter Robot “Connect”
CONS
- The unit is big so it’s bulky
- Waste drawer increased slightly its capacity regarding previous versions but not a lot (though it holds waste up to 10 days with a 8-lbs cat like mine with cool weather)
- Panel doesn’t show the current wait time (3, 7 or 15 min) so you can’t visually confirm the new wait time if you decide to change it.
- Litter amount can’t exceed the full line, otherwise, the Globe doesn’t rotate (as the video review states, 12 to 13 cups is a good amount of litter)
- When emptying the Globe to wash it, there is always a little amount left in the Globe (check a trick how to get rid of this small amount of litter here).
- High price
- It’s hard to keep track of your cat elimination habits since you will always see the litter box clean (note: you can keep track of your cat’s health by getting the Litter Robot Connect Wi-Fi that provides a daily, weekly and monthly chart of your cat litter box usage. You can check these reports on your smartphone and you can control pretty much all the functions of the Litter Robot with the App).
- As the Litter Robot always self cleans after 7 minutes you don’t get to see the feces in case your cat is having a digestive problem.
- The protective shield could get loose if you don’t align the gear on the back of the Globe correctly.
A POSSIBLE COSMETIC “CON”:
Personally, this “Con” has not happened to me with my unit and I have had it for over 2 years, but I thought I should mention this in case you see other reviews mentioning this. There are few customers stating that the rubber lip on the entry detaches from the Globe when it rotates. This is just cosmetic and doesn’t affect the function of this machine at all, but I wanted to show you in the following video that my unit has never had this cosmetic “Con”.
Note if you get the Fence (accessory): If you install the fence and for whatever reason, you keep pulling it off from the lip, you may make the rubber lip get loosen a little bit. So if you get the fence, install it and just leave it put, if you do that you won’t have problems at all. You just need to pull the fence off once a month when washing the Globe and with that frequency the lip doesn’t get loosen.
A POSSIBLE “CON” RELATED TO YOUR CAT:
Some cats are so fascinated with the Litter Robot Open Air being always clean and fresh that they start playing with it getting in and out or just chilling on it :-). This could create the machine doing useless rotations often. This is not a product defect but if this happens to you, you need to educate your cat to stop from playing with the unit (I did that and my cat stopped). If an unwanted rotation is activated (red light) simply push the “reset” button to cancel.
Tips For Better Use of Litter Robot III Open Air
- If your cat jumps to enter/exit the unit, you can get the Litter Robot ramp, reducing litter spillage and tracking. This ramp is part of a wide variety of accessories that you can get to upgrade your machine.
- Make sure to top the Litter Robot off with litter every week with one cat. If the unit gets too low in litter the sensor won’t activate the cleaning cycle after your cat uses it. This is because the sensor is calibrated with a specific amount of litter plus the cat’s weight in order to activate the cleaning cycle when the cat gets inside (when red light turns on) .
- Any 8-13 gal trash bag or kitchen bag will fit the waste drawer of the unit. I use those 13-Gal kitchen bags with drawstring so when I put the bag on the waste drawer I leave the drawstring flat and tight along the edges (as the picture above). This leaves no gap between the bag and the drawer. Update: Currently, I am using the Litter Robot liners that I got by purchasing the Accessories Kit. The liner fits very well to the waste drawer and I am using them mostly because they are biodegradable plastic, hence more environmental friendly.
- If your cat always hesitates on things get an “attract cat litter” to entice it to use the litter box.
- The best cat litters to use with the Litter Robot III are Premium clay clumping litters such as Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Ultra Clumping, Arm & Hammer Double Duty, and Clump & Seal (regular version), Tidy Cats, etc. Crystals or litter pearls may work, but only if small enough to be sifted by the screen in the globe. I personally made an experiment for over a year using the most popular brands of clumping cat litters with my Litter Robot Open Air and I created the ranking for the Litter Robot Open Air’s best cat litters.
- Almost 99% of cats adopt the Litter Robot with no problem, but some cats are more stubborn and might take longer to adapt to the litter box. Have patience and use simple tricks, such as catnip or treats.
- I discovered that changing the seal strips every two months you keep the cat waste drawer tight, sealing the waste much better reducing the odors in a 50%.
Updates About How My Robot Is Working:
Here’s a chronology of how my self-cleaning device is operating. As soon as my machine stops working I will let you know in this section.
June 20th, 2018. Due to some questions about how long the Litter Robot lasts I decided to create this video as an update so you can see how my Litter Robot is working after 2 years and one month. The unit keeps rotating normally and working normally. The only detail I noticed is that the Globe got a little more sensitive to the litter weight so you just need to keep the litter up to the full line, leaving a flat litter bed. If you put too much litter the Globe won’t rotate; if you put too little (or don’t top it off with litter every week with one cat) the Globe won’t sense the cat and it won’t activate the cleaning cycle. As a reference, the amount of litter up to the full line is about 13-14 cups or approximately 9 to 10 pounds of cat litter.
September 10th, 2019. We made another video of the Litter Robot Open Air working after 3 years and almost 6 months of use. I notice the machine got a little louder but the operation is the same, maybe a little slower, but not much. You can see how the Open Air rotates normally and gets rid of the cat waste to get into position and ready for another use. My cat loves this machine and so do we. It’s a great investment. I will keep posting updates until the unit stops working. I must mention that this duration has been measured with a single cat.
September 16th, 2020. Here’s my update where you’ll see I am using the exact same unit. In the below video I show the Serial Number which you can see on my video how to install the battery backup in the Litter Robot a video we made in 2017. In the middle of this video, my cat Sophie decided at the last minute she wanted to be part of it lol. My Litter Robot works with no problem whatsoever as you can see. The rotation is perfect, it doesn’t get stuck at all, and still working. I must mention again that I use this automatic litter box with only one cat, my Sophie. Check the video:
November 2021. Since this date, I started experiencing problems with the rotation of my Litter-Robot, showing a blinking yellow light and the Globe getting stuck in one position, not responding to the “reset” button or either turning the thing off. So basically the cleaning cycle got stopped in the middle of it and no way to make the Globe keep rotating. What I discovered is that somehow the nightlight was interfering with this issue so I simply disabled it. After doing this the litter box started rotating normally again. As a side note, I have noticed a lot of comments on different YouTube videos about a pinch that is located underneath the base and that gets dirty over time and interrupts the cleaning cycles too. Personally, I have never experienced the need of cleaning any pinch. Maybe I got lucky with my Litter-Robot? I don’t know, but so far the only issue has been the Globe getting stuck due to the nightlight blocking somehow the rotating process. I will keep you posted with more updates.
Conclusion
Litter Robot III Open-Air’s new improvements and design reduce substantially any possible blockage of the Globe, ensuring even better reliability. Also, the unit has much better odor control than previous versions which is a major improvement that cat owners really appreciate.
√ Litter Robot III Open-Air is highly recommended:
- For cats weighing between 5 lbs up to 20 lbs
- For multi-cat households, reducing the number of litter boxes at home
- If you want to forget about the litter box for 4-5 days or more with two cats
- For picky cats that don’t use the litter box when dirty
- To forget about the litter box for up to 7-10 days with one cat.
- If you don’t want contact with cat’s waste any more
- If you want a reliable machine
- For trips up to 7 days if you have one cat (always leave someone checking on your cat though)
x The unit may not be suitable:
- For kittens under 5 lbs (unless used manually)
- If your cat does not like enclosed areas (the oval entryway is really big though)
- If you don’t use clay clumping litter
- For small houses/apartments without enough space to accommodate the unit.
BOTTOM LINE AS A CAT OWNER
My name is Lorena Avila and I’ve been researching and investigating automatic litter boxes for years (almost 9 now) most of them have similar fails, but I can tell you with authority that the Litter Robot Open Air is the best self-cleaning litter box you will ever find.
I must confess that I wasn’t a real fan of automatic litter boxes. I was like “I don’t mind cleaning my cat’s litter box”, but only when you own a Litter Robot Open Air do you realize how much your life changes as a cat owner. This unit will be my partner forever because it has given me a gift that nobody can give me, EXTRA TIME!
Maybe you have some concerns or questions about the Litter Robot Open Air. Just ask me in the comment section and I will answer honestly and quickly. Thanks for reading!
How often I have to change the charcoal Filter and how much is it?
How much I will save in litter if with this one I have to buy a better litter quality?
Thanks
Kathya
Hello Kathya, the set of 3 carbon filters cost $18.99. The carbon filter is not required for the Litter Robot to operate and the frequency for its replacement is only a matter or personal preference. With that said, one filter should last a few months under normal use with one cat.
Regarding the litter, it’s not a must to use expensive litter, you can use any cumpling cat litter, the ideal is premium, but using any brand of clumping litter will work with the Litter Robot. The saving in litter it’s up to 50%.
I was wondering if this litter would work with the unit?
http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-cat-litter/naturally-fresh-quick-clumping-litter/
Hi Chris! Any good clay clumping litter works with the Litter Robot III Open Air.
I’m wondering this too. I can’t seem to find anything that definitely says how well natural litter works with this or any other self cleaning litter box. As the first reply points out, good clay litter works well, but I don’t want to downgrade back to clay litter just for my convenience. The litter I use (Arm & Hammer Essentials which is made of corn fibers) doesn’t clump as well some clay litter that I’ve used in the past, so I’m curious how much this affects the cleaning.
Hi Mikayla, the Litter Robot works with a sifting mechanism which needs a clumping litter to clump fast so only the clumps get dropped into the waste drawer. Any other litter that does not clump very good will work with the Litter Robot just not as well.
yes how much is product where do i buy it?
Hello Erin, you can buy the Litter Robot Open Air here.
dove posso comperare questa lettiera in ITALIA?
Questo e il distributore http://www.robotshop.com/eu/en/litter-robot-open-air-automatic-litter-box-eu.html
Hi there does anyone know if I can purchase Open Air unit in Australia?
Hi Mat,
Tyler here from Litter-Robot, we’ve actually just recently partnered with Urban Pet Products to bring the Litter-Robot product line to Australia and NZ. Check it out on their website http://www.catevolution.com.au
All the best!
Hi Tyler
can you tell me how many household are using the litter robot?
some statistics of manual Vs automated boxes.
Thx
I really appreciate all your time & work to provide this review. My concern with automatic litter boxes is how the sifting process works if kitty has soft bowl movements, which does not necessarily form a solid clump. Will the sifter handle this? Will the mess get stuck to/in the sifter, or if this softer clump separates as it hits the sifter will it just fall through the sifter back into the litter that should now be clean? How easy is this unit to clean? Does having soft clumps make more work to clean the sifter? I have 2 kitties & I’m looking to switch to an automatic system because of my osteoarthritis. The bending, scooping & changing out/cleaning litter boxes is getting harder for me to do. Thank you again for your help. Blessings!
Hello Cat. If you want to work less to clean your litter box, the Litter Robot Open Air is your best option since you can forget about it for up to 6 and maybe 7 days with two kittens. The only bending you will do is topping off the litter box with litter every week or so and opening the waste drawer to grab the bagged waste. Regarding soft clumps, my cat once had diarrea and the Litter Robot didn’t have any problem sifting the clumps without getting stuck on the screen at all. The key here is the litter you use. I use Arm & Hammer Double Duty and I have NEVER had any clump stuck on the sifting mechanism nor any mess on the screen either. Keep the default time which is 7 minutes because it’s the perfect wait time for the clumps to form well.
Also, the design of this unit is so well made that the clumps NEVER return to the clean litter, somehow they always fall into the waste drawer, I have observed this to happen and I smile when I see sometimes clumps almost getting away from falling, and nope! they always fall, always. I am sure there is a lot of engineering involved on this for this design to be that effective.
To clean the globe, you need to empty the litter by pushing a button that will make the litter go to the waste drawer (inside the bag) and then you can remove the Globe to wash it. What I would suggest you due to your medical condition is to simply clean the inside with a wet paper towel carefully, making sure not to put too much water inside (there are some electrics on the bonnet of this unit), just enough to be able to clean the machine ( I actually do this, I don’t remove the globe, and it’s perfectly clean). I hope this helps!
Hi Lorena,
Wonderful job on the review. I love how detailed you are but you also make it a point to highlight the pros and cons for someone doing a quick read. Thanks to you I found this litter box, and my life has been SO much easier. Mozzie loves his new litter box too. He is so fascinated by it, but I am glad he uses it!
Recently though I have been getting the blinking yellow light during a cycle and the unit stops rotating. As per the guidebook it means that the cat sensor was activated / bonnet was removed. I know for a fact that the bonnet isn’t removed, and Mozzie hasn’t attempted to enter the globe. Have you faced this before? What did you do? Wondering if there is a good source of troubleshooting guide I can follow to figure out why the sensor is getting activated. I will be calling customer service too, but any tips from you are appreciated :)
Thanks again for the reviews. And the site in general. This is where I found Mozzie’s food dispenser too :D
Hi Pooja, I am glad I can help you with my reviews! Regarding the Litter Robot, what you describe hasn’t happened to me and I have had this unit for over 5 months. What I think it could be happening to you is that you put too much litter on it or the litter you use is too heavy. Have you changed the litter recently? Check that the litter you put isn’t more than 13 cups. If that doesn’t help you must call their customer service to help you with a troubleshooting. They usually figure things out quickly. Hope that helps!
Hi Lorena – it was just that, I had too much litter :)
Working perfectly fine now. Thank you.
Do you also have any reviews on interactive cat toys or petcams? I have been looking into getting a petcube for mozzie, but wanted to see if you had any experience with them or have done any reviews.
I am happy to know it`s all good with your Litter Robot. Regarding reviews for petcams I have some reviews made for remote pet treat cams but they all have some pros and cons that you will see on the reviews. You can check these reviews here. About interactive cat toys, I have made reviews for treat toy dispensers and I am starting to make reviews for interactive toys. I highly recommend the SmartyKat Hot Pursuit, my cat goes crazy with it! I am working on that review right now and I will post it tomorrow or the day after.
Thank you for the information
You’re welcome Lori :-)
Hi Lorena
Thanks for your reviews/info. I’m wondering does this unit comes with a cover/lid or hood? You, my cats like to scratch the litter before and after business. Lots of litter fall out of the pan each time. Also if shipping to Singapore is possible and not too costly, I would like to buy one. Do you know? Thanks again
Hello Yvonne, if your cats kick a lot of litter when doing their business there is a fence that you can buy as accessory. The purpose of this fence is serve as barrier for the kicked litter. In this review you will see the list of accessories for the Litter Robot III where you can find the fence. I don’t know if they ship to Singapore, you can contact them and ask, maybe they will. Good luck!
I’m interested in purchasing one of these units. I have been a loyal customer of Littermaid’s electric cat boxes for many years but in the past two years I’ve now gone through 2. I now need to order a 3rd as the switch just died. The first electric box I had for over 8 years. Their quality has gone downhill. Do you have any idea how long one of these Liter Robots last?
Hello Sheri, the Litter Robot is solidly constructed. I personally have mine for almost 7 months and I don’t see any sign of not working. It keeps working with no problem at all. I don’t really know how long the unit lasts for sure but seeing how mine is working I am guessing at least a couple of years up to 3 or 4 years. I think this will depend if you have one cat, which is my case, or if you have multiple cats.
How do you adjust the sensitivity of the open-air LR?
Hello Myra, with the Litter Robot Open Air you don’t need to adjust the sensor :-) It is self adjusting.
I would love to purchase this item but the price is too steep on my teacher’s salary. Does this company ever have a super sale? I saw the extra 25 on your review but it still doesn’t lower the price enough. Thank you for your time.
JAM
Hello Jam, unfortunately they don`t offer more savings for these units. I wish I could give you a better saving than this.
What is the average lifespan of the litter robot III open air?
Hello Kay, I have been using my Litter Robot since about April this year and so far so good. I calculate it will last about 2 years using it with one cat, but I am really guessing, this unit is really solid so may last for up to 3 or 4 years with good use and maintenance.
Hello! Thanks for the great review. I actually order the unit before I found your review and weren’t able to travel advantage of the $25 discount! Do you think I can take that discount when I order the accessories (the fence and replacement carbon filters) from litter-robot.com website? If you have a promotional code I can use that would be a great help. Thanks!
*take advantage
(Sorry about the typo- writing on my phone!)
Hello Lyn! The $25 off only applies when you buy a Litter Robot. It doesn`t apply to accessories, sorry about that.
Hi, thanks for the great review. I’m concerned with your comment about the lifespan of this unit lasting only 2 years. Considering the expensive price and quality of unit, why would you think it could last only 2years? I would expect a way longer lifespan with such an expensive unit. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.????
Hi Monique, I just made a guess, I don`t really know for sure how long my Litter Robot is going to last, I am sure it can last much longer than that, but I am not the expert that made this machine, I am just a reviewer. I will be updating my review, so far it`s been almost 10 months and the machine it`s still running normal and I don`t see any signs of deterioration at all.
Update: I just past the two years of using the Litter Robot and it’s still working good.
Can these be shipped to Australia?
Hello Kerri, you can order the Litter Robot from this partner https://catevolution.com.au/
Hi Lorena,
Thanks for the review, it was very good. I live in Mexico and would like to get one litter Robot from your site, but I don’t know if you can ship to Mexico. I live very close to McAllen, Texas. Thanks in advance for your response :)
Hello Norma, I will ask and will be back at you with the answer.
Update: Hello Norma! Litter Robot doesn’t ship to Mexico directly, but they are partnered with a website called ShoppingDesdeMexico.com, which will ship a number of products, including the Litter-Robot III, to addresses in Mexico. You can find the Litter Robot Open Air on this page: http://shoppingdesdemexico.com/products/arenero-automatico-para-gatos-litter-robot-iii-open-air
Due to this program is out of the USA you won’t be able to get the $25 off, unfortunately.
I love this review!!! I am reluctant to spend this much money on a cat litter product, however, it looks like it could be worth it!!! Can you tell me more about the refund, please?
Is it really odor free?
Is it really that easy to clean?
What helps keep litter from getting all over as cats dig/scrape and leave the unit?
I do not see any 2018 reviews, maybe I just didn’t get to the right place. Your comment about it working well for 10 months was in jan 2017. It is now June 2018…how is it doing? I, too, worry about spending this much money and having it last 2 yrs.
Thank you for your help!
Hello Linda, I will answer your questions in the order you made them:
Litter Robot has a 90 money-back guarantee (you won’t need it though :-) )
The Litter Robot is really odor-free. I am telling you this from my experience with my cat Sophie. No odor. I use clumping cat litter (unscented) and I empty the waste drawer every 7 days. I wash the Globe every month. When my cat was younger I used to wash it every 45 days.
The unit is easy to disassemble and clean, you can watch my post how to clean it here.
The Globe contains most of the litter the cat digs, but still some litter can spill out the Globe when the cat jumps out. You can use the Ramp which is an accessory to minimize this. Check my review of the accessories here.
My review was created when I got this unit in 2016 but I update this review all the time with new pros and cons as I find them. It’s been a little over 2 years with the Open Air and the machine stills works fine. I may make a video of the unit working so people can see how it works after 2 years.
I know this unit is a large investment, but if your goal is to get rid of the litter box scooping without almost no maintenance and odors, this is your best bet. I wouldn’t be recommending this if it was not true because I know the price is not low.
If you have any other question, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
My cat urinates in her regular litter box but then turns around and does number 2 on the floor. Will be litter robot preventer from turning around and doing number 2 and getting feces on my floor
Hello Sue, my cat Sophie used to do the exact same thing when I had a regular litter box for her. She would urinate on the center of the litter box or close to it and then would get close to the corner when doing #2 so the stool would fall on the carpet. My answer is yes, the Litter Robot will prevent that absolutely. It does with my kitty. God bless.
Hello, I have 3 cats. One of them does not squat when he urinates. We currently use litter boxes with lids so urine does not get on the floor or walls. We also use pee pads and secure them to the underside of the litter box lids so urine doesn’t drip down on the other cats. As you can hear we are constantly cleaning the boxes. How do you think the litter robot would stand up? Do you feel it would make a difference or am I going to have to constantly clean the dome? I appreciate your thoughts and opinions.
Hello Jennifer. Every cat has its own idiosyncrasies when it comes to using the litter box. What I can tell you is that if your cat sprays on walls, the globe will contain the urine. You will need to use the fence which is an accessory that deters the cat from pointing its butt towards the entry. Regarding your question yes, the Litter Robot will keep the mess contained in the inside Globe and you will need to clean it more often. I would say twice a month instead once a month. It will depend on where you have the Litter Robot located, if there is lack of ventilation, too much heat, etc. you may have to clean it more often. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for taking your valuable time giving in-depth review!
Look like this litter robot is a good choice. However, I have one concern. Since you mentioned the machine will not work if we put too much or too little!!! How do I know how many cups are left in the globe after 1 or a few days uses? Do I have to dump all litter out each time?! Is there any mark inside the globe telling me the minimum and maximum litter should be at? Can I use Scoop Away Complete (bought at Costco)?
I really appreciate your help!
Hi Tori, the Litter Robot has a full line that indicates the amount of litter you need to put. You just need to top it off every week or so. I just mention the sensitivity because sometimes we just dump a bunch of litter over passing the full line. The ideal number of cups in my opinion is 13 or 14 cups but you can just pour litter up to the full line and the machine will work fine.
Thank you for your quick response!
You’re very welcome!
Hi Lorena. Your review is excellent. Thank you for taking the time out to put this together.
I have been contemplating purchasing the LRIII for my cat but I’m not 100% sold. I live in a small apartment so I am concerned that the unit will be to large to put in my bathroom. If I have to put it in the living room I don’t want it to smell. Have you used scented litter with the LRIII? Or does the carbon filters really get rid of the smell, even in small rooms.
Hi Michele, I use the Litter Robot in the laundry room and I have used scented and unscented cat litter. I will talk about my experience and I absolutely smell nothing in the laundry room at all. I do smell the waste accumulated for 7 days when I open the drawer to put the trash out, but is not really bad and if you use good clumping litter you won’t almost smell anything, specially in Winters. But if your concern is if the Litter Robot will be smelly in the living room according to my experience the answer is NO. The carbon filter does a great job it seems like, plus the waste drawer has sealing strips that keep the waste sealed.
This looks like it’s entirely dependent on gravity to filter the solid waste and clumped litter. My experience with clumping litter is that it sticks badly to the sides and bottom of a box. Is this a problem with this machine? Does the wet litter get stuck and not cleaned during rotation?
Hello Kate, this doesn’t depend on gravity to release the clumps from the rubber. In my own experience the rubber as it drops down it makes all the clumps to fall off into the waste compartment. It has’nt failed once, even with the most sticky cat litters, such as the Dr. Elsey’s clumping cat litter. You can find my articles about this topic here and what’s the best cat litter to use with the Litter Robot here. However, any clumping cat litter works well with the Litter Robot.
Enjoyed reading your review and answers to the various comments. I’ve learned so much and I’m basically ready to make the purchase except one response has gotten my attention… It was an older entry but you mentioned that you expected the unit to last about 2 years. Can you tell us if you’re still using that same unit or how long this original unit lasted, and about how much maintenance/parts you’ve had to put into it during it’s life span?
I’m almost ok with making the investment, but suddenly I’m concerned with the “return” so to speak. I’m wondering if I’d need to expect to spend another $500 in 2 to 3 years, which I’m not sure would be an option.
Hello Rebekah, I did an update video about how my Litter Robot was still working normally. This was last year on June (2018). Right now my Litter Robot is 2 years and 9 months and still working. I make sure I clean it every month, I use good clumping cat litter (check the best ones here) I change the carbon filter every year and I have changed the seal strips once since I got it, but I have been told by some customers that replacing them every 2-3 months when the weather is hot, reduces odors during summer. That’s all the investment I have done. Hope that helps! PS: Make sure to get your $25 Off your purchase.
Hi Lorena!
I noticed in your review you mention your cat playing in the litter robot. We purchased ours a couple of weeks ago and our cat LOVES it. We had no problem transitioning her from her old box. But she gets overly fascinated with it. She’ll get in repeatedly after a cycle runs, plays in it, watches it, etc. This causes unnecessary cycles to run. We can’t seem to get her to stop and don’t want to scare her so she never uses it. How did you get yours to stop?!
Hello Emily, as your kitty, my cat also got fascinated playing with the Litter Robot during the first weeks, but she lost interest over time and most likely yours will also. During the first weeks I had to have patience to teach her not to play with the Litter Robot. Every time she jumped in it playing I said NO and I distracted her with something else. Cats lose interest with the same objects over time. Just tell her “NO” every time and distract her for now. In a couple of weeks or more she will lose interest and will jump very occasionally, as my cat does.
How do I adjust the cleaning cycle on the Litter Robot from the default 7 mins to 3 minutes
I have a video how to do it on my Youtube chanel. You can check it out here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIALN3TRShOOIE9uZBxTgkg?
hi i have a maine coon kitten and a 6mth old Norwegian forest cat will these cats be too big to use the open air robot.
Hello Fay, it may be a tight fit but if your cats are versatile they can accommodate to the machine.
Hi Lorena, thanks for your review! I just received my Litter Robot and have it installed for 2 days now in my 2 cat household. I had two questions. I have one cat who is using it more than the other. As per the advice, I have left their usual litter in the same area as the Litter Robot to ease the transition, but one is more hesitant than the other. How long does it take for them to transition to the Litter Robot, when should I think about taking the old litterbox out? The second question is that the one who is using it has done pretty well so far, but I just had an incident where he did his “poo” just outside the robot on the ramp. He is the bigger of the two cats at about 17 pounds. Will this be an issue for him due to his size and is there anything that can be done to avoid this? I am still in the 90 day trial period and am really hoping it works out. But I’m probably being a little impatient!
Hello Lilly, each cat is different when it comes to adopting new habits. When the Litter Robot is used with multiple cats, there is usually one that doesn’t adopt it soon while the other does. What you can do is leaving the old litter box dirty so the cat that is hesitating will be forced to use the Litter Robot. Since the unit is always clean, it will prefer using it instead the dirty box. Regarding your large cat aiming its butt towards the entryway, this doesn’t happen usually, but in this case Litter Robot created the fence that stops the cat from directing its butt towards the entryway. As the cat feels the fence in its butt, it changes its position to the sides. Hope that helps!
Hi Lorena,
I will be having 2 Rex kittens in a couple of months, as they are a small variety anyway I realise that I will have to use the manual program but my question is that if they go to the toilet when I am at work and therefore can’t filter it will this mean lots of little accidents outside the Little Robot until I am home. I like the idea of introducing them to the Little Robot right from the start rather than 12 months down the line when they have reached adulthood. Should I also have a standard litter box just in case?
Secondly I live in a small house so will probably have to find room to install it in the box room (I run a business from home as well as working outside the home part time so have stock in that room), there is a window which can if necessary be left open all day and I will be able to place a mat in front of the box, does this sound suitable?
Hello tola. If you have two kittens what could happen is that the Litter Robot will have feces and urine collected throughout the day until you get home to start manually a cleaning cycle. This is because the Robot won’t activate with kittens weighing less than 5 pounds. So having a regular litter box next to the unit may be a good idea. You can put the Litter Robot anywhere you want as long as the floor is level and you have an electrical outlet close. The place you describe sounds pretty suitable. Hope that helps!
I’ve had a couple of Omega Paw Roll’n Clean litter boxes for years now, and though I’ve never seen anyone mention it, some of our 4 cats stand up and piss on the wall, which still requires some work scraping off sticking litter on the inside walls and bottom upon cleaning. How would this work out in a Litter Robot? (Btw, in case the problem is the litter I use – in an effort to stay away from additives affordably, I use Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Ultra Clumping litter.)
Hello Mike, the Litter Robot features a rubber lining that is really tough and doesn’t allow the clumps from getting stuck on it because when it rotates the lining drops down, releasing all the clumps. The sidewall is made of a hard special polished material that will let the urine pass onto the litter bed so no clumps will be stuck in the walls. The only problem it could happen if your cat really urinates high (over 15 inches) is that some urine may go through the opening that is up to the right, but that is very rare, only one person has had this issue so far that left me a comment about it and I found a solution how to fix it. I mentioned this solution in my article “Litter Robot is the best automatic litter box for high spraying cats”. Check it out here. Regarding cat litter, Dr. Elsey’s is a good one with strong clumping properties that makes it stick to the litter box’s walls usually. I suggest you trying Fresh Step and see how it goes. Hope that helps.
I’ve had my box for less than a month. I have consistently had the same problem: it dumps at least a third of the litter with clumps. Only once or twice has it worked properly. It doesn’t empty all of the litter, just enough that is very wasteful, plus I have to empty the litter at every other day. I think it might need reprogramming. Please help!
Hello Karen, the Litter Robot IS NOT supposed to work like that. It only screens the litter clumps keeping the clean litter, at least mine works like that. From what I read your unit is not working properly. You must contact customer service.
Hi Karen it sounds like you have too much litter in the unit, make sure you don’t fill above the full line in the globe.
What James says it’s correct, if you overfill the Litter Robot two things can happen: the rotating Globe stops and doesn’t complete the cleaning cycle or the unit dumps clean litter to the waste drawer together with the clumps. I didn’t think you could have overfilled the unit but if you did, that’s why.