Is your Litter Robot 3 Smelly?
Maybe you are interested in getting the Litter Robot 3 and you wonder if this machine contains odors properly. Or maybe you own this unit and you notice it’s getting smelly. Either way, this article will explain why this happens and how to take care of it.
Personally, I have owned a Litter-Robot 3 for years now and I have never had this type of problem. I have this machine in my laundry room and every time I go there I smell NOTHING. Only when it’s time to open the waste drawer do I smell the waste, but not so bad, it’s tolerable. However, not long ago I read a question in the comments section of my Litter Robot 3 review if the unit is efficient in containing odors and I had to answer yes to that question because that’s my experience. However, I have read about different experiences with a few cat owners who complain about this issue, so I need to address this question in order to help.
I created this guide with the help of other cat owners who have dealt with odor problems with their Litter Robot and also with the help of the Manufacturer who recommends certain basic actions. I must say that the percentage of cat owners experiencing a smelly Litter Robot is not large, and it’s usually due to maintenance factors.
6 Reasons Why Your Litter Robot 3 Could Be Leaking Odors
I have identified 6 reasons why your Litter Robot 3 self-cleaning litter box may be smelling: Lack of frequency in cleaning the unit, cleaning only the globe, not changing the carbon filter often, the base seals have worn out, wrong diet, or possible medical condition with your cat, and the climate. I didn’t want to mention the type of cat litter on this list, because I assume you have tried already good quality ones. Remember, the stinkier your cat creates waste, the better the cat litter needs to be. To help you with that, I wrote an article with demonstrative videos after a year of experimenting with the best cat litters for my Litter Robot where I chose my favorite.
1. Lack of Frequency in Cleaning the Unit
The frequency of cleaning the Litter Robot needs to be according to its use. If you have one cat you need to clean the unit every month. If you have two or three cats you need to wash the unit every 2 weeks. In case you have a male cat that sprays high you need to clean the machine every 2 weeks as well. If you don’t wash the Litter Robot often, the bacteria-causing odors get impregnated in the litter box, making it very hard to get rid of that smell after.
2. Washing only the Globe
Believe it or not, some cat owners think that by only washing the Globe the unit will stay odor-free. This is not true, the waste drawer even though is lined at all times, still needs to be properly washed every month or every two weeks with two or three cats. I personally have my own method of cleaning the Globe and the waste drawer. I must mention that I do this every month because I have only one cat using the litter box.
My tips to clean the Globe and waste drawer properly:
- Use soft detergent
- Wash the inside of Globe very well using a bottle brush
- Rinse thoroughly with a hand shower
- Dry the inside and outside with a paper towel
- Submerse the waste drawer in the bathtub full of water and with a few drops of chlorine.
I made two videos showing how I wash the Globe, the waste drawer, and the ramp (in case you have the ramp, which is one of the Litter Robot 3 accessories).
Video How To Wash The Globe
Video How To Wash The Waste Drawer And Ramp
3. Not Changing the Carbon Filter Often
The carbon filter plays an important role in the odor management of the Litter Robot because it helps to contain odors inside the waste drawer. With some cats, you won’t even need the use of a carbon filter, but if you have a smelly Litter Robot you must use a carbon filter and replace it often, it really helps. Check a video I made on how to change the carbon filter:
Video on how to replace the carbon filter in the Litter Robot 3
4. The Seal Strips Are Worn Out
The base seals are dark-gray brush-type stripes that go on the base of the unit, where the Globe sits. Their function is to seal the odor between the Globe bottom and the waste drawer. If the base seals are too flat and have lost the sealing properties the odors may start leaking to the outside. Check the sealing strips after a year or so.
Video on how to change the seal strips
5. Wrong Diet or Possible Medical Condition with your Cat
If none of these measurements work and your Litter Robot still stinks you may want to start paying attention to your cat’s digestion. It’s not normal for a cat to do excessively smelly waste. You need to change the diet of your cat, switching to more healthy cat food, and adding wet food to its diet. Additionally, you need to increase your cat’s water consumption because lack of water creates stronger urine. If your cat doesn’t like to drink water very much you can check cat water fountains that entice cats to drink more. If after changing your cat’s diet your kitty still creates smelly waste, take it to the Vet to discard digestive or urinary issues.
6. Humid and Hot Climate
I added this new factor after spending a few months in South Texas where the weather is very humid and hot. My cat kept using the Litter-Robot (the new Litter-Robot 4) in this new environment and there’s a huge difference in odor control versus when I use the Litter-Robot back home. The waste drawer and in general the Litter Robot gets stinky faster if you don’t empty sooner when the temperature is hot and humid. I usually empty the waste drawer every 7 days with my single cat back in the Midwest, but with this new environment I had to empty it every 3 days. If I didn’t, the whole unit stunk. A good solution when this happens is trying to keep the area ventilated or using the air conditioner more often. After experiencing this I created a video on how to maintain a stinky Litter-Robot to reduce 70% of odors. Check it out ➤ https://youtu.be/-PSDtmxz2Ak
Extra tips to keep the Litter Robot odor-controlled
- You can place small bags of natural Zeolite on the waste drawer, under the liner. You can also get the OdorTrap from Litter-Robot, designed to trap all odors in the waste drawer. Check it out here.
- Get lavender-scented or Fabuloso scented 13 gal kitchen bags to line the waste drawer. The bags won’t absorb the smell but the lavender fragrance will be kept inside the waste drawer, reducing bad odors.
- You can also use baking soda or Arm & Hammer cat litter deodorizer to absorb bad odor moisture.
I hope this article helped if you are having a smelly Litter Robot. This way, you can enjoy this great machine completely.
Hello,
My name is Michael. I have a litter robot 3 and use Dr. Elsey’s premium cat litter. When my cat uses the bathroom the litter will leave streaks on the inside wall. Do you have any ways to prevent this? I’ve only had the litter robot for a few days so I don’t think it’s dirty. What brand of litter do you use or recommend?
Thank you,
Michael
Hello Michael, I wrote an article about the best litter to use with the Litter Robot based on my own experience using several different brands. You can check it here.
Hello, have a litter robot 3 now for some time,,,,, i live in canada… this is the issue believe it or not… so we have been waiting for the app for connect to be done in canada.. and now it is.. yay!! exciting right.. now we can buy the wifi upgrade kit, comes with a new circuit board etc… well guess what… people who buy this in canada cannot order the upgrade kit from anywhere… please help.
blamondin@ live.com email me please if you know how i can get this kit.
Hello Brandon, I just own a Litter Robot and I don’t know about availability of the Connect Kit in Canada but I will ask and let you know about it. As soon as I get the information I will send you an email.
UPDATE: Hello again Brandon, the manufacturer informed me that the Litter-Robot 3 Connect Units and Upgrade Kits will be available from RobotShop.com in Canada within the next month or so. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for this great resource! I hope you can help. My brand new LB3 does not contain odor. I have 2 kittens on very high quality organic, no grain kitten food, dry + wet. After emptying the drawer it starts to smell after the first use and takes about 2-1/2 days for the poop smell to become unbearable. The unit is cycling properly. I’ve taken it part to make sure there’s no poop stuck somewhere, done a complete dump, clean, and litter replace. Was using Fresh step unscented and switched to Dr. Elsy’s to see if it helped. No luck. I’m wondering if I need to try replacing the seal strips even though they’re new. Also there’s about 1/8 space between the drawer and base when the drawer is closed. Wondering if a seal strip would help there. Would love your thoughts on the problem. I know these work. I’m wondering if I got a faulty one.
Hi Julie, this is not usual with the Litter Robot. It shouldn’t be a space between the waste drawer and the base. Why don’t you contact customer service so they can help you with the issue. I will send you the info directly.
Hello Julie,
I just got the litter-robot 3 about three days ago and I have the same issue. I only have one cat and the LR3 doesn’t hold any smell. Filters are new (everything is new). Wondering if I should just return the machine…
Hello Nadia, this is really strange to me. I have never had a smelling problem with my unit, granted I maintain the machine periodically, but the fact that your unit is new and it’s already smelling I firmly believe there is a factory issue with it. Please, contact customer service and let them know your issue. This machine has been a lifesaver to me and I feel bad that you got a unit that doesn’t contain the odors properly.
I get citrus magic pet the spray and that circle thing, i do two sprays in the litter and let it cycle and put the round disk thing inside the tray where the carbon filter is and no more smell period.
Citrus is a deterrent to cats. I would not recommend other people using this method. It may keep your cat AWAY from the litter box. The reason pet cleaners contain citrus is to keep cats from soiling the area again.
Hi, it had been two weeks since I have got the litter robot for my two cats. We don’t have a smelling issue but the cats aren’t burying their poos and once they get inside they are not turning their back to the inside wall so they are leaving the poos at the entry. My question is how can I train them to use it properly and start burying again.
Hello Shannon, you can get the fence that will encourage your cats to turn around once they feel their butts touching it. Regarding burying their feces, sometimes cats do that when they still don’t get used to a new litter box, give them some time to adjust. If they don’t, use gloves once they leave the litter box and bury it yourself, then they will follow suit. Hope that helps!
I purchased the litter box because I live in apartment, unfortunately I can still smell the litter box . I have clean it when it’s full, put baking soda, candles , expensive cat litter. I even have a air purifier next to it. Do this come with a attachment swinging door . Any advice will help .
Hi Raquel, there is a new Litter Robot carbon filter that eliminates odors and that is installed inside the waste drawer, it attaches to the wall inside. You can try that. This is the link https:// bit.ly/3KijFph (delete the space of the link after //). Regarding the smell of your cat’s feces during the 7 minute wait time (even with the waste covered), that’s a problem with traditional and automatic litter boxes when the cat’s feces are really stinky. I suggest you reduce the wait time to 3 minutes. This way the cat’s feces (the litter clump) will sit in the litter box much less until it is dropped into the waste drawer. Hope that helps!
Hello,
I’ve had the litter robot now for 3 months or so and not very satisfied with it. The problem I’m having is that my cat pees on the actual material inside of the globe. She doesn’t often position herself to where she goes in the center. So my house then smells very strongly of ammonia. It’s very disappointing.
Hello Nadia, I totally understand your problem. Having a cat that urinates horizontally is really a big problem with cat owners. Your cat is the type that doesn’t aim at the litter area when urinating, and this will be a problem with any type of litter box. As a solution, try to spread the cat litter up higher toward the rubber and clean the globe more frequently. The good thing is that urine doesn’t go to the floor, which could happen with any other automatic litter box.
Even after washing my liter robot3 globe in the tub, it smells. Should I unscrew it and take it apart to clean behind the grates?
Hi, this usually happens when the climate is very hot and humid, I don’t know if that’s your case. The solution is to dissassemble the unit, wash it and let all the parts aerate for at least 30 minutes. In cases like this, it’s better to empty the waste drawer more often as well. One question, do you use a little chlorine in the water and soaking the parts before washing the unit?