The 7 Best Automatic Cat Litter Boxes of 2022
Cats make great pets and excellent companions, especially when you get home from a long day at work. They are always there to greet, cuddle and play with you. The only tricky part about owning a cat is that you have to clean and scoop its litter box every day.
The litter box should be cleaned 2-3 times or more a day, otherwise, it will become stinky and even worse your cat might stop using it and start pooping and urinating on the floor instead.
As a cat owner you have two choices, to clean the litter box yourself or get an automatic or self cleaning litter box which will do the job for you. There are dozens of models on the market, and you might be wondering which is the most suitable and works the best? To find out, read our reviews on the best automatic cat litter boxes.
We rounded up our picks of the 7 best automatic cat litter boxes, and made a detailed review about each one. Make sure you check out the full list, so you can pick the right one for your lovely feline.
Top 7 Best Automatic Cat Litter Boxes Comparison Chart
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Why Buy An Automatic/Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box?
Owning a furry friend can be a little high maintenance but trust us, it’s worth the shot. Bringing home an automatic cat litter box can solve many problems and provide a safe and healthy lifestyle. Wondering how does it help? The three benefits outlined below will definitely change your mind.
- Less time consuming
- Offers healthy living
- Comfy standard of living for your pet
Starting with the main benefit that it offers you, it can be easily said that they save a lot of time. It allows you to keep a pet even when you have a busy lifestyle. No more scooping cat litter several times a day. This job would be handled by the automatic litter box instead.
Things You Should Consider Before Buying A Self-Cleaning Litter Box:
Every cat is different which means that every cat has different habits. What would make sure that the upscale pet product you’re bringing home would benefit you and your cat? To eliminate this doubt, you need to consider few things as stated below:
1. Things to consider about your cat:
2. Budget considerations:
3. Location matters:
Self Cleaning Litter Box Reviews
ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box
The ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box is great as you do not have to clean it for up to 4 weeks. This self-cleaning litter box does not require you to scoop, clean, or refill the litter inside and ensures that the odor of the waste does not escape into the surrounding areas.
It comes with crystal litter, which is known to absorb the cat's urine and works five times better than any other litter in controlling the odor.
The litter box comes with leak-proof disposable trays. These trays are disposable so you can throw them away and load a new one. The fact that it is leak proof means that you will not have to deal with any urine or waste seeping out of the tray.
When your cat poops into the box, its automatic rakes will get to work and rake up the waste, which will then be moved into a closed compartment to ensure that no stink escapes the box.
Cleaning Cycle:
The automatic rake of the machine comes with an auto timer, which you can adjust to your liking. The cleaning cycle can be set to begin within 5, 10 or 20 minutes after your feline steps out of the box.
There are safety sensors installed in the box as well, which ensure that the timings of the box are readjusted when your cat goes to use it again.
This litter box is an advanced piece of technology as it comes with a health counter, which gives you the number of times that the cat has used the box.
There is a privacy hood added to the box, so your cat can use it in piece. This feature also works to reduce the litter tracking after the cat is done using the box. For more efficiency, you can use the box with ScoopFree anti-tracking litter mat.
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ScoopFree Self-cleaning Litter Box
This is PetSafe's Original ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box, which was introduced before the Ultra model. It also auto cleans up to 4 weeks if you have one cat at home. So you are not required to scoop the poop or clean or even refill the litter in the box.
The box works with crystal litter which is known to absorb the cat urine quickly. It also dehydrates the poop, which means that there will be no stench coming from the box.
Cleaning Cycle:
There is a metal rake which will do all the scooping for you 20 minutes after your cat has stepped outside of the box.
The rake will put all the waste in a closed compartment, where all the poop and urine clumps are stored. This means that you will not be required to see, touch, or smell the waste.
If you have one cat at home, the litter trays will last for up to 4 weeks. After which you'll need to replace them, and set up a new one. The tray is also leak proof and disposable, so once it has worn out, you can just throw it away and install a new one.
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Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box, Pewter
Omega Paw have designed an affordable and easy to use self cleaning litter box. It does not need any electricity, liner or filter. However, on the downside you will need to manually "Roll'n Clean" it few times a day.
The litter box is large in size and is suitable if you have multiple cats.
The only downside of it is that it will need to be cleaned a little more regularly than other automatic litter boxes and will not control the odor too well.
Cleaning Cycle:
The Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box does not have a motor rake. You will need to manually "roll it". The litter box works by rolling it onto its right side and then getting it back into upright position.
All clumps will fall and be collected inside a closed waste tray, where they can stay there for up to one week. You can then pull out the tray and dispose of the dirty litter. It works with any hard clumping litter.
The Omega Paw Self-Cleaning litter box arrives disassembled, but the assembly process is quite simple. All you have to do is follow the directions given in the instruction manual.
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CatGenie Self Washing Self Flushing Cat Box
This is a truly revolutionized cat box, which automatically washes, sanitizes and dries itself. You will never have to see or deal with cat litter ever again.
It's ideal for one or two cats, but no more than three.
Cleaning Cycle:
10 minutes after your cat has used the box, the CatGenie will scoop all the solid clumps and will wash them down the drain or toilet. Then it will wash and purify the Washable Granules, using SaniSolution. Then a dryer will heat and dries the granules, so they are ready for next use.
The CatGenie Box uses the CatGenie Washable Granules. They are 100% dust free and are septic safe. The granules act the same way as litter, they form clumps, which are then scooped and washed away.
This is an economical and eco-friendly cleaning process, when compared to other types of automatic litter boxes.
DIY Set-up: You will need to hook up the box to cold water and electrical outlet. You can set the box in the bathroom, where the waste will drain into the toilet. Or in a laundry room, where the waste will drain into the washing machine drain pipe.
The supplies that are provide with the box last 2-3 months if you have one cat at home and 2 months if you have two cats. Comes with two year warranty.
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Pet Zone Smart Scoop Automatic Cat Litter Box
Another good self cleaning litter box, which is built to be extremely rugged and is ideal for a person with more than one cat at home.
The PetZone Smart Scoop automatic litter box has metal gears which are used to clean the litter. The motor is yet another strong part of the litter box and ensures that the entire cleaning process is smooth and done properly. This product is built to last for a long time.
Cleaning Cycle:
Every 15 minutes after your cat has used the box, the rake will begin working.
One of the features of this product is that it does not allow litter to be wasted; the metal gears begin their work by separating the clumped litter from the fine grains and disposing of it in the attached compartment.
The cleaning process of this litter box is very quiet, and won't wake you up at night or in the mornings.
The litter box comes with six plastic bags that you need to change when the waste compartment gets full, usually within 2-5 days depending on your cat's habits. Since the tray is not disposable, you will need to wash it with soap usually once a month.
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Omega Paw Roll n Clean Self Cleaning Litter Box
Omega Paw has another self cleaning litter box, which also requires manual handling. It works the same was as the "Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box, Pewter" (number 3 on this list).
This is an affordable box, that doesn't require any expensive trays, special litter, or filters.
Cleaning Cycle:
This box doesn't use any electricity. You will need to manually "Roll'n Clean" it, just roll it onto its top, and then roll it back upright.
All the dirty clumps will go inside the disposable waste container. Once it get's full, just pull the container and throw the waste into the garbage.
You can get the box in two sizes: regular and large.
Regular size measures 17"L x 20"W x 18"H and works best if you have one cat.
Large size, if you have a big cat or multiple cats, then the Large size will work best for you, it measure: 19.5"L x 22"W x 20"H.
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LitterMaid Multi-Cat Self-Cleaning Litter Box
The LitterMaid LM980 Multi-Cat Self Cleaning Litter Box was manufacture despecially for pet owners who have multiple cats at home.
Here the waste compartment where all the poop and urine clumps go is much larger in size, compared to other litter boxes.
This means that you don't have to clean the box for up to 7 days.
Cleaning Cycle:
Every time your cat use the box, within 10 minutes the rake will scoop away any waste into the waste receptacle. Once it becomes full (usually within 7 days), you'll need to throw the receptacle and load a new one.
This box works with any hard clumping litter. However you will need to buy the LitterMaid Waste Receptacles. They are disposable and once they get full, you just throw them away and load a new one. You can get them in a box of 12 or 18.
There is a paws cleaning ramp attached to the box, which is a handy feature. This means that your cat can clean its paws of any stuck litter, so it won't be
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These are the 7 best automatic cat litter box products that you can enjoy using. Bringing home any of these products is sure to result in a scoop-free and carefree days ahead.
Benefits of Using An Automatic Litter Box:
As a life-long cat lover, choosing the right cat litter box has always been my top priority. A regular litter box has done a great job at providing my cat a place to do its business, but it requires daily maintenance and scooping!
- Motor Rake: Automatic litter boxes have a motor rake which separates the clumps from the litter, therefore, save us time instead of taking the litter out and scooping the wastes away.
- Saves time: If you don’t have the time or just don’t want to do the cleaning job then an automatic litter box is what you should look for.
- Multiple Cats: It’s also good for families who have multiple cats, since they produce so much waste during the day, and if it's not properly cleaned the odor will built up and become unbearable. It’d be much better to have an automatic litter box.
But if you only have 1 or 2 cats and your budget is not very high either, a simple litter tray is a much better choice.
Stainless steel litter tray is a very good option to consider, since they are very durable and won't absorb any odors or stains. Plus, since they are so durable, you will practically never need another litter box.
Best Litter for Automatic Litter Box
Some brands such as the PetSafe ScoopFree Self Cleaning box are designed to work with the PetSafe Crystal Litter. Which absorbs odor very well, is dust free and makes hard clumps. They also come in 3 types: sensitive (unscented), lavender or original.
If you don't want to use crystal litter, there are other types of cat litters you can try. For example: clay, wheat, corn or plant based, etc. When picking a litter, just make sure it says that clumps fast and hard, so the motor rake will scoop it.
If you have a declawed cat at home, you should also check out our list of the best litter for declawed cats.
What To Do When My Cat Doesn’t Like Its New Litter Box?
For some reason some cats don’t seem to show interest in the new litter box and won't use it. If this is a problem you're facing at home, here are some things that could change the situation:
Get rid of your old litter box
Sometimes, it might be because your cat finds the old one perfectly fine and doesn’t want to spend the time to check out its new litter box. So what you need to do is put the old one away or throw it away if you don’t want to use it anymore.
Use the same litter
If your cat is familiar and has used one kind of litter for a long time, make sure you use it again with the new automatic litter box.
To help them adapt, scoop some of the old litter (even the clumps) from your old litter box and pour them out in your new one. This is an effective method, that's worth the try.
Place it the same location as the old one
Placing the new litter box right where the old one was located is also a good solution. You cat will tend to go to this area in order to find a private place for its business. And the new litter box might be the perfect location for the job.
Bottom Line:
There are many benefits to owning an automatic litter box. If you have a busy lifestyle and don't have the time to scoop and clean your cat's litter box regularly, then getting a self-cleaning litter box is a great solution. Our number one recommendation is the PetSafe ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box, which will auto clean itself for up to 4 weeks! It works with the PetSafe Crystal litter which absorbs odor very effectively. Make sure you check all the products on this list and you're sure to find the right one for you.
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