Litter Robot 3 Connect Review (after 6 months of use with 2 cats!)
In 2021, we had a bit of an issue with the litter box: Sybil started peeing outside of the litter box, seemingly randomly. When it started, there had been no changes to the routine, we hadn’t gone out of town (which sometimes stresses her out), and the litter box was cleaned on a regular schedule. She’s also susceptible to crystals in her urine, and while peeing outside the box is a symptom, she had no other symptoms—and she has never peed right next to the litter box when she had crystals. (We actually didn’t know it was Sybil until after the third time we spotted pee on the mat outside the box; we set up a Wyze cam to catch which cat it was.)
After a few months of random pees on the mat outside the box (they happened about once a month, and then twice in one week), and ruling out any medical issues with her vet, I finally ordered a Litter Robot. I wasn’t sure if the litter box just wasn’t clean enough for her—and the robot is self-cleaning and empties every time it’s used! I considered it for a LONG time as it is quite expensive.
Now that we’ve had the Litter Robot 3 Connect for six months, I figured I’d update you on how we like it—and how it’s holding up to use by two senior cats!
Litter Robot 3 Connect Review
Why I Purchased a Litter Robot
Besides the fact that I wanted to try an self-cleaning litter box to see if that would help stop Sybil from eliminating outside the litter box, I was super excited about the fact that I wouldn’t need to scoop litter anymore, and that I would only need to take it out once a week! I had also heard good things about the Litter Robot in particular, and I’m easily influenced.
Here’s a short list of what I love and don’t love about the Litter Robot. I’ll go into more detail below!
PROS
Automatically sifts the waste
Uses less litter than a regular litter box
Holds a week’s worth of waste
Whisker App is very helpful
CONS
Exorbitant price
Has a very large footprint
Doesn’t mask odor super well
Randomly gets stuck while cycling
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How the Litter Robot 3 Connect Works
I took the photos above right after I set up the Litter Robot. The photo on the left is a close up of the globe: it features a rubber lining on the bottom half with a ring around it—that indicates the litter fill line. The grate on the left side is where the waste is sifted as the globe turns counterclockwise while cycling. The square hole on the top is where the waste exits the globe into the waste drawer below (the globe spins around completely so that hole is at the bottom). You can turn on a dim blue night light for your cats if needed and it shines through that hole on top when it’s not cycling.
The buttons on the right side of the entry are power, cycle, empty (dump everything including the litter to clean it out—the globe spins clockwise during an empty cycle), and reset. There are three light indicators below the buttons: ready (solid blue light; it flashes when the waste drawer is full), cycling (yellow), and timing (red—this turns on when it detects a cat and will stay red until it starts cycling). In the app, you can select how long to set the timer for: 3, 7, or 15 minutes. 15 minutes is best with Sybil since she doesn’t tend to cover her urine, and the longer length of time gives it some extra time to solidify. I purchased the stairs separately (more on those below).
It supposedly also has something to “punch out” any waste that happens to be stuck to the rubber bowl when cycling, but I’m not sure mine works all that well because I still have to scrap out waste stuck to the bowl every once in a while.
Setting up the Litter Robot
The Litter Robot arrives fully assembled in a massive box, and all you have to do is lift it out of the box—or first break down the box in my case, because I am too short to lift it up and over the top lol. I also ordered the stairs with the robot and I can’t remember if it came in its own box or if it sat on top of the robot in the massive box.
There is no denying that the Litter Robot is GIANT. My dad called it the size of a washing machine, lol. It is not quite that big but Korri did have to push back the dryer so it could fit in the small laundry room and still allow for the dryer door to open (though not all the way). I originally had it on our main level in the great room, but we had a disagreement about that since it was right next to the kitchen. We just don’t have a great spot in our house for a giant litter box, so it is what it is. Be sure to check the specs and measure out exactly where you want it to go before you commit! It’s HUGE!!!
The robot comes with instructions for connecting it to your wifi and to your phone via the Whisker app. The instructions are super straightforward!
Getting My Two Senior Cats to Use the Litter Robot
I had the Litter Robot set up for a while before putting litter in it, just to see how my cats would react. Of course, they sniffed around but were mostly unimpressed. Once I had litter in it, I cycled it to see what they would do, and they were very interested in the robot when it cycled.
Still, they weren’t super interested in actually using the robot, even though I tried coaxing them with treats. I also put some of their old litter into the robot so they were familiar with the scent and knew that was a bathroom. At this time, we still had their old litter box (this is the box they used before) in the laundry room and the Litter Robot in the great room on the main level.
Rosie was the first one to use the Litter Robot, and she did great! She’s the cleanest of the two cats and always covers her waste completely. Sybil (calico cat) still enjoyed watching it cycle when Rosie used it but took a lot more coaxing to use it herself. Sybil started using the Litter Robot about a week after Rosie, and I almost wish she had never started using it because she’s so dang messy haha! She doesn’t cover her waste (well) and somehow always manages to fling litter everywhere. The stairs do help prevent some litter tracking, but if your cat is determined, you’ll still have litter to contend with.
Litter Robot Tips and Tricks
Once the waste drawer is full according to a sensor, it will send a notification to your phone to let you know. Typically, it sends me a notification about 3-4 days after emptying it, and all I have to do is shake the waste around and reset it and it’s good to go for a couple more days. With two cats and only the one litter box, I empty the waste drawer once a week. You get a few Litter Robot-size bags with your robot, but now I use regular 13 gallon trash bags just fine.
You MUST use clumping cat litter in the Litter Robot or else it will not be able to properly sift out the waste. In my experience, a single bag of the Scoop Away clumping cat litter available from Costco (it comes in a 4-bag package) fits perfectly inside the globe to the fill line!
Problems with the Litter Robot 3 Connect
Doesn’t prevent litter tracking
I mentioned that it doesn’t really help prevent litter tracking above, especially if your cat is like Sybil and leaps out of every litter box, flinging litter everywhere. The ramp does catch a lot of it, but I’m still constantly sweeping up litter.
Cat may “overshoot” the bowl
See photos of Sybil above—she had a habit of jumping in the globe and immediately going to the bathroom. I had to put a paper towel down to catch leaks. I did poke her butt a couple of times to get her to move inside and I haven’t noticed that problem since. Just something to be mindful of!
Not great at eliminating odor
This is partially because Rosie has her own unique odor after she uses the litter box that is just horrendous (she’s had it her whole life) and partially because the waste drawer doesn’t completely eliminate odor. Korri used to constantly complain about it; his nose is much more sensitive to scents than mine. I have baking soda sitting in the laundry room to help, and I also sprinkle some in the litter after emptying it (but he hasn’t complained about it in a couple of months lol).
Litter gets trapped between the components
It’s a pain in the butt to clean it out when litter and bits of waste gets stuck between the globe and the bonnet (external piece around the globe). I don’t understand how this happens!
Robot freezes mid-cycle
This is my biggest issue with the Litter Robot. While it’s in the middle of a cycle, sometimes I get a notification from the app indicating a “cat sensor fault” and it will stop cycling. This error is one that happens when a cat is in the globe for longer than the 2 minute timer (my cats almost always set off that error when they’re in the globe since they some time to find the right spot lol). The weird thing is that it will throw the error mid-cycle, which stops it.
Every once in a while, the Litter Robot will not ever get itself going again, which forces me to turn it off and back on. Once on, it completes the cycle. This is incredibly frustrating because I feel like I need to babysit it, and I worry that it will get stuck while Korri and I are both out of the house and the cats won’t have anywhere else to go since we don’t have a second litter box (I know, we are bad pet parents—but there is literally no where else to put one).
What’s the point of a self-cleaning litter box if I have to constantly check to make sure it’s not stuck upside down in the middle of a cycle? I was really hoping to set it and forget about it! I took the picture below when it was stuck mid-cycle once. Sorry, it’s gross! (You can also see where the litter collects in between the globe and the bonnet on the left side.)
Litter Robot Accessories: Ramp, Fence, and Cleaner
I purchased the LR3 Ramp ($50) along with the Litter Robot. I wasn’t sure if my cats would like it without the ramp since the entry way is farther off the ground than a typical litter box. I also wanted to be mindful of my sweet senior cats and their aging bodies. I love that it traps some of the litter. The ramp comes in grey or beige to match your robot. I’m happy I got the ramp!
A couple months after getting my robot, I ordered the LR3 Fence ($25) to see if that would help Sybil get her butt all the way in. It did NOT help Sybil (you can see in the photos above that her butt was above the fence), and it also constantly fell off while cycling, even getting INSIDE the globe a couple of times. I could literally hear it falling off. Luckily I was always able to grab it before it got lodged in the waste drawer. Based on my experience, I would not recommend the fence.
Along with the fence, I also ordered the Cleaner Spray ($15) and Cleaner Wipes ($15). Both the spray and the wipes contain bio-enzymatic technology and plant-based agents to dissolve organic waste. The spray arrived with a separate spray component that was broken. I still try to use it by just dabbing it on a towel, but I prefer the ease of the wipes even though they’re more wasteful. They seem to work better. You can set either product on auto-ship if that’s your jam!
Whisker App for Litter Robot
The app is what sets this self-cleaning litter box apart from the others! Below are some screen shots from the Whisker app. You first name your robot (I was very creative, as you can tell). There’s a waste gauge that approximates how much waste is in the drawer based on the number of cycles (and it learns based on when you empty it). The app tells you when it’s timing, when it’s cycling, and if there’s an error. You can also start a cycle directly from the app!
In the controls, you can power the Litter Robot off or on, lock the buttons if you have a cat that likes to bump them, turn on the night light, turn on sleep mode (it won’t cycle for the 8 hours you tell it not to), and set your cycle delay (3, 7, or 15 minutes as I mentioned previously).
The Whisker app also shows some stats on how often it cycles, including a weekly history and monthly history. I believe it only shows the most recent week in the weekly history and the most recent month in the monthly history. It’d be cool if there was some way to differentiate between my cats based on weight and then see their stats separately. This would be so helpful if there were ever any health concerns!
Is the Litter Robot 3 Connect really worth it?
It depends. If you’re looking for a self-cleaning litter box, the Litter Robot is probably your best bet. It’s so nice to not scoop (at least, not nearly as much as I used to!). I love that I only have to empty the waste drawer once a week; if you have more cats, expect to need to empty it more often. (Litter Robot recommends up to 4 cats per robot.) I also don’t go through nearly as much litter as I used to with a regular litter box. I don’t like that mine seems to throw an error that stops it mid-cycle often, but it seems like that isn’t a widespread issue. If it’s in your budget, I think it’s worth a shot!
Litter Robot 3 Connect Specs
Price: $549
Colors: Grey (my color), beige
Trial: 90-day in-home
Warranty: 18 months (double it for an extra $50)
Empty weight: 24 lbs
Height: 29.5”
Width: 24.25”
Depth: 27”
Entryway: 10.25" x 15.25"
Weight limit: No maximum weight limit but cats must weigh at least 5 lbs
Alternative option: The Litter Robot 3 does not connect to the app and costs $499.
Ready to buy a Litter Robot? Use my referral link to get $50 off your purchase!