Best Automatic Litter Box
Petkit Purobot Max Pro 2
The Petkit Purobot Max Pro 2 is our top pick for its compact design and built-in 1080p camera with a 210-degree wide-angle view. The AI-enabled camera supports multi-cat face recognition, usage tracking via the companion app, audio recording, night vision, and works on both 2.4-GHz and 5.0-GHz Wi-Fi. It also captures video of your cat’s stool or urine. This model has a 43 percent larger opening than its predecessor, the PuraMax Pro, making it ideal for large cats like our 16-pound tabby. The waste bag stores up to 17 days of waste for one cat and is self-sealing for easy disposal. The Petkit app sends an alert when the waste basket is full, and two odor eliminator cartridges help keep smells at bay. A free trial of Petkit’s Care+ service detects unusual activity, logs weight and use frequency, and alerts if your cat’s weight shows consistent increase or decrease. However, once Care+ ended, the app sometimes confused cats. The app is still overcrowded with ads and could be more intuitive.
- Connected to an app? Yes
- Entry size: 10.7 x 10.5 inches
- Footprint size: 21.2 x 25.9 inches
- Compatible litter: Any clumping litter with granules shorter than 0.5 inches
- Suitable cat size: From 6 months old or weighing 3.3 to 22.1 pounds
- Special Features: AI-powered camera; deodorizing cartridges
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- Camera records videos of both cat and waste being scooped
- App tracks usage and weight changes
- Works with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi
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- App got cats confused after Care+ subscription ended
- Camera isn’t movable
Best Connected App
Whisker Litter-Robot 4
The Litter-Robot 4 remains a consistent favorite thanks to its well-designed app, which is simple and intuitive with no ads. It logs usage and weight daily and historically, monitors litter and waste levels, and alerts when low. You can adjust lights, manually start cycles, and set “Do Not Disturb” schedules. The large front-facing hole is harder to fill than Petkit’s rotating hole, and over time, the sensors may detect ghost cats and stop repeatedly during cleaning. It was our top pick largely due to the convenient optional LitterHopper auto-refill attachment, but that attachment stopped working after about seven months, leaving manual refills. Without it, the Petkit Purobot Max Pro 2 is now the best for most people, but the Litter-Robot 4 is still a solid choice used at home.
- Connected to an app? Yes
- Entry size: 15.8 x 15.8 inches
- Footprint size: 22 x 27 inches
- Compatible litter: Clumping or scoopable clay litter (translucent or crystal may affect litter level monitoring)
- Suitable cat size: 4 pounds minimum, no maximum
- Special Features: LitterHopper auto-refill attachment
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- Intuitive connected app
- Compatible with LitterHopper refill attachment
- Measures and notifies when litter level is low or waste drawer is full
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- Opening can be hard to refill
- Sensors get buggy over time
Best Basic Automatic Litter Box for Most People
Petkit PuraMax 2
This cheaper, compact alternative is easy to use and has triple odor control: a sealed waste bin, an odor eliminator attachment in the bin, and a citrusy deodorizing spray that goes off after each cleaning and randomly throughout the day. The box rotates so the hole is on top for easier litter filling. When the cat enters, its weight is displayed on the front, and the app logs every use. Owners can change settings via front buttons. Downsides: The app is overcrowded with ads, and unlike the Purobot Max Pro 2, there are no sensors to tell when litter is low—must be manually checked. One 15-pound cat found the opening cramped, so larger cats may struggle.
- Connected to an app? Yes
- Entry size: 7.87 x 8.85 inches (76 liter interior)
- Footprint size: 24.4 x 21.2 inches
- Compatible litter: Clay, tofu, mixed, and bentonite litters (incompatible with crystal)
- Suitable cat size: 3.5 to 18 pounds
- Special Features: Odor eliminator attachment in waste bin; deodorizing spray
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- Odor-eliminator attachment and periodic deodorizing spray
- Opening rotates up vertically for easier litter filling
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- No sensors for low litter level
- Overcrowded, sometimes buggy app
Best Budget Automatic Litter Box With an App
Lesure Self-Cleaning Electronic Litter Box
Setup took under five minutes: pop on legs, insert liner and waste drawer, insert deodorization cartridge, and connect to the app. The app allows scheduling cleanings, cleaning on demand, emptying litter, enabling sleep mode, adjusting cleaning delay, and switching child lock, indicator lights, and beeping. Cats took to it easily. However, the app is poorly translated into English, and the wide-open-top design caused significant litter tracking and spillage. Vacuuming was needed daily. Lesure is a women-owned business, which is a plus.
- Connected to an app? Yes
- Entry size: 16 x 20.5 inches
- Footprint size: 23 x 19 inches
- Compatible litter: Any (must change sifter panel type)
- Suitable cat size: From 6 months old or weighing 3.3 to 18 pounds
- Special Features: Connected app, deodorizing cartridges
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- Easy setup
- Open top design for larger cats
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- Poorly translated app and directions
- Low sides caused lots of litter spillage and tracking
Best Cheap Automatic Litter Box Without an App
PetPivot Autoscooper 11
This inexpensive automatic box has an open-top design with sensors for cat presence. It spins dirty litter from clean using grates, depositing waste in a drawer below. It’s the smallest and lightest tested, with only three buttons (clean, refill litter, power on/off). To empty all litter, attach a plastic cover to scoot it into the drawer. No app means no usage monitoring or full-drawer alerts, so more check-ins are needed.
- Connected to an app? No (controlled via buttons on machine)
- Entry size: 16.3 x 15.4 inches (10 liter interior)
- Footprint size: 21.5 x 21.5 inches
- Compatible litter: Benonite and mineral litters (incompatible with tofu or crystal)
- Suitable cat size: 3 to 22 pounds
- Special Features: None
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- Very inexpensive for the quality
- Easy to assemble
- Resembles traditional litter box
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- No connected app; manual buttons only
- Box may be too high for elderly cats
Best Luxury Upgrade
Petkit Purobot Ultra
This high-end model uses a camera on an arm that swivels and follows the cat, recording inside the litter box with night vision and two-way audio. It has auto-bagging and -sealing, so you never deal with stool. The app logs usage and duration. The camera has 180-degree viewing and 24/7 streaming, using AI to identify which cat used the box. However, videos are always in black-and-white and not hi-def, making detailed observation difficult. The arm’s placement makes refilling extremely challenging. The AI analytics fell flat, but odors were well-controlled.
- Connected to an app? Yes
- Entry size: 8.58 x 9.84 inches
- Footprint size: 20.9 x 32.2 inches
- Compatible litter: Clay, tofu, mixed, and bentonite litters (not recommended with litter longer than 0.5 inches or wider than 3 mm)
- Suitable cat size: 3.3 to 22 pounds
- Special Features: Camera to see inside and outside; two-way audio; AI cat identification; auto-packing and -sealing waste bag
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- Rotating camera and two-way audio
- AI cat identification
- Auto-packing and -sealing waste bag
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- Massive footprint; heavy
- Arm makes opening cramped
- One of the priciest automatic litter boxes on the market
Best Automatic Litter Box for Bigger Cats
Homerunpet Self-Cleaning Litter Box CS106
With a 106-liter capacity (8 liters of litter, plus 4.5-liter reservoir), it’s ideal for cats up to 20 pounds or multiple-cat households. It dumps and refills its own litter, has anti-pinch sensors, and two escape routes always open. A drawer stores waste bags, and there’s storage underneath. It cleaned efficiently and quietly. However, the box is massive, with a frustratingly short power cord. The app has poorly translated instructions and alerts. But with a 90-day trial (return shipping only), it’s worth considering for hefty felines.
- Connected to an app? Yes
- Entry size: 10 x 10.5 inches
- Footprint size: 27.4 × 23.6 inches
- Compatible litter: Tofu, bentonite, clay, and mixed litters
- Suitable cat size: Up to 20 pounds
- Special Features: Self-filling litter reservoir
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- Lots of space for larger cats
- Litter reservoir for automatic refilling
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- Huge footprint, may be too big for smaller spaces
- Poorly translated and sometimes confusing updates in-app
Best AI-Enabled Automatic Litter Box for Health Tracking
Whisker Litter-Robot 5 Pro
This new model has an AI-enabled camera that can recognize up to five cats and WasteID technology to determine type of visit. The dual-camera system captures external motion and inside the litter bed. It charts trends over time and targets odor control—cycling immediately for solid waste and waiting for urine to clump. The drawer is more sealed and larger (up to 10 days of waste per cat). Design changes: built-in camera, touchscreen (finnicky), wider shallower drawer, taller removable lip (hard to attach). Setup required scanning a QR code that rarely auto-captured; manual entry would be better. The camera panned outside rather than inside the box. AI cat differentiation works reliably only with Whisker+ paid subscription. Early model had app issues expected to improve with updates.
- Connected to an app? Yes
- Entry size: 15.75 x 15.75 inches
- Footprint size: 22 x 27 inches
- Compatible litter: Clumping or scoopable clay litter (translucent or crystal may affect litter level monitoring)
- Suitable cat size: 3 to 30 pounds
- Special Features: AI-powered camera; WasteID smart detection
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- Built-in, AI-enabled camera
- WasteID technology
- Intuitive connected app
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- Setup with QR code capture is frustrating
- Touch screen can be finicky
- Whisker+ plan needed for reliable cat differentiation
How Do Automatic Litter Boxes Work?
Automatic litter boxes use motion or weight sensors to detect when a cat enters or exits. Cleaning cycles start a customizable time after use, controlled via app or timer. Dome-shaped boxes spin litter around a spherical interior; soiled clumps are sifted by grates and deposited into a waste basket while clean granules recycle. The Litter-Robot 4 rotates backward and forward to sift clumps. The PetPivot Autoscooper 11 uses a rake to scoop clumps into a rear receptacle.
Are Automatic Litter Boxes Safe?
Only boxes that remain open during cycling are tested, so cats can exit if sensors fail. Sensors (some needing just 1 pound of weight) stop the cycle if a cat is inside. Many boxes have anti-pinch sensors and customizable “do not disturb” modes. For total control, you can run cycles only when present, but this reduces cleanliness.
Where Should I Put the Automatic Litter Box?
All require electricity, so place near an outlet. Keep the old litter box until the cat uses the new one regularly. Place the new box near the old one, use old litter to encourage familiarity. Generally, have one box per cat plus one, but with automatic cleaning, multiple boxes are less necessary.
What Should You Look for When Shopping?
Key considerations: a reliable connected app (e.g., Litter-Robot’s intuitive app vs. Petkit’s ad-crowded app), ease of filling litter (auto-refill attachments like LitterHopper or self-filling reservoirs like Homerunpet), and cat size compatibility (large front-facing holes for big cats). Litter type compatibility and budget (from $150 to nearly $1,000) are also important.