Ah, the life of a cat owner: scooping cat litter. And as adorable as your kitty is, they inevitably make a whole mess with their litter and traditional litter box too.
This is where an automatic self-cleaning cat litter box like Litter Robot 4 comes in. The previous Litter-Robot 3 has been highly rated for the past few years, so you can expect the new Litter Robot 4 to be just as impressive. Should you upgrade, though?
Litter Robot 4 Review
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Litter-Robot 4 isn’t just about clearing out cat litter. It can actually do a lot when it comes to keeping an eye on your cat’s health too, and yes, it does mean that you can skip the daily scooping too. Customize your unit to suit your preferences, and with the new and improved app, along with new AI features, you should find it much easier to take care of your cat!
How Litter-Robot 4 Works?
If you have the original Litter-Robot, you might already have an inkling. This machine works as you might expect: it can detect when your cat leaves the box and cleans the clumps.
Basically, there’s a sensor in the box that tells it when your cat is in there. It can actually keep track of your cat if you happen to have two cats. The Litter-Robot’s sensor is combined with a new pinch sensor, making it much safer for your cats.
But back to the operation of the box: your cat does its business in there, and then a timer starts. That timer is to ensure that the litter clumps up properly and that the box will never start working when your cat is inside. Set that timer to your preferences, and when Litter-Robot 4’s countdown is up, the box will start cleaning.
Those clumps just go into a drawer that you empty out later. And thanks to the fact that this box has a globe design to it, the whole thing stays fully enclosed, and you won’t have specks of litter everywhere!
As someone who doesn’t do well with putting things together, I can tell you that the set up of this cat litter box is super easy. Everything fits together with just a few parts, which also makes it easy to take it apart for cleaning. Just note that I do find the bonnet of Litter-Robot 4 to be just a little more clunky and trickier to put back on.
Once you have it put together, just fill it with any clumping litter. Yes, you do need clumping litter specifically because anything that’s too loose or thin will be problematic for you.
Set Up: How to Use the Litter-Robot 4
As someone who doesn’t do well with putting things together, I can tell you that the set up of this cat litter box is super easy. Everything fits together with just a few parts, which also makes it easy to take it apart for cleaning. Just note that I do find the bonnet of Litter-Robot 4 to be just a little more clunky and trickier to put back on.
Once you have it put together, just fill it with any clumping litter. Yes, you do need clumping litter specifically because anything that’s too loose or thin will be problematic for you.
Litter Robot 4 Design
I took a look at the Litter Robot 4 in my first week of testing and was impressed by its new design. The aim was to improve all the other issues with previous models, so it’s less noisy, it’s not as bulky, and it’s not as smelly either. This is a smaller option as well, so you can fit it even if you live in a small apartment. There’s no weight option for these boxes either, despite their size, but of course, your cat has to be able to fit in the box.
It’s important to consider that the sleeker and patented design is a little more open too, which means that it’s much easier for your cats to fit inside comfortably. The more space you give your cat, the fewer chances there are of any accidents. Overall, I love the design and size difference of the Litter-Robot 4, and it’s certainly big enough for my cats.
Do note that there’s apparently no specific weight limit from Whisker, although you should know that cats must weigh a minimum of 5 pounds if you want to use the litter box in automatic, so the weight sensor will be triggered.
Standard Features
While the Litter Robot 4 is the newest evolution of the Litter Robot which has been around for over 20 years, it still has many of the features that are the same as those in previous models.
The most important feature of the Litter Robot 4 is that it is self-cleaning. The self-cleaning feature of the Litter Robot 4 works through using the patented sifting system which deposits the waste left when your cat relieves itself into the waste drawer that is located at the base of the unit.
The Litter Robot 4 is perfect for households that have multiple cats. This is another reason why consumers choose to purchase the Litter Robot more than other automatic boxes.
It is also wifi-enabled. You can receive notifications from the Litter Robot 4 to your phone as it connects to both IOS and Android.
It also uses less litter compared to other regular litter box. Despite using less litter, the LR4 works best with clumping litter as this makes it easier for the self-cleaning feature.
Extra Features
There are extra features you can install to make this easier to use for your elderly cats with mobility issues, and you can also use the new app if you want to check on your cat’s health.
For example, the Smartscale™ weight sensor records your cat’s weight after each time they step into the box. You can view the litter levels in real-time, too, so that you know when you need to replace them. And use the app to make sure your cat or kitten is using the bathroom regularly.
The Larger Waste Drawer
Once the Litter Robot 4 has completed its cleaning cycle, the lumps of litter that have been separated from the clean litter are dumped into the waste drawer. This drawer is located at the base of the Litter Robot 4 and is lined with waste drawer liners in order to make clean up easier.
While the Litter-Robot 4 comes with a few waste drawer liners that you can use, you can also purchase more waste drawer liners or use other substitutes that also work in the waste drawer. Some of these substitutes include things like garbage bags, aluminum baking trays, and storex trays.
Does Litter Robot 4 have a night light?
Yes! Another upgrade that I like is how you can now adjust the brightness of the night light. Previously, you couldn’t.
Whisker App About Your Cat
Since so many things at home these days are ‘smart’, I didn’t expect any less of LR4. This robot is indeed jammed-packed with a lot of technological features and impressive Litter Robot tech.
I loved that I could connect it to my wi-fi as well as the Whisker mobile app. The app’s usability and convenience just added a lot more to my enjoyment.
With Whisker’s app, you can:
- Get a notification about your cat’s litter box usage and bathroom habits when they go to the bathroom
- Learn more about any trends, patterns, irregularities and health indicators by studying your cat’s activities (you can look at the data in a monthly, weekly, or daily tabulation)
- Find out what’s the current litter level, so you know when to add more
- Check the weight of your feline after each time it uses the box
- Monitor when the waste drawer levels are full so you know when you need to empty it
There’s even the Quietsift™ technology, which is amazing at noise reduction during litter sifting cleaning cycles. Its effectiveness at reducing noise during litter sifting surpasses that of the Litter-Robot 3. Speaking of the sifting screen, cat owners will be glad to know it’s been improved to reduce surface and airborne dust even more effectively now.
Since we can all put our computers and phones in sleep mode, why shouldn’t we do the same for LR4? Indeed, you can put it on sleep mode, which then puts the automatic cycling on pause in 8-hourly increments. An LED control panel also lets you easily see the status of the machine and adjust any settings.
Odor Control
Litter Robot 3 had a carbon filter installed inside a grated area of the waste drawer. This has been changed now. For the LR4, there’s an odor filter at the base of the globe instead that sits above the waste drawer. This is so much more effective because now, the waste drawer’s entrance has been sealed.
Also, the carbon filter is lodged inside a plastic component which you can use their optional OdorTrap™ packets. This makes odor control really impressive.
Upgraded Performance
The QuietSift system that is present in the Litter Robot 4 is advertised to be “near-silent”. The average noise level of the cycling system is around 37 decibels which makes the system as quiet as a whisper. This silence can make it difficult to tell if the cycle is working. It took me a minute to realize it was actually working the first time it cycled.
The weight sensors also received an upgrade with this model of the Litter Robot. The weight sensor is used to determine when your cat has enter the Litter Robot and when they have left the litter box. With the Litter Robot 4, the weight sensor has become more sensitive to smaller cats, so they can be more easily detected.
How The Litter Robot 4 Compares To The Litter-Robot 3
The LR4 is the newest model of the Litter Robot. With this transition to a newer model, many features may be changed or updated in order to make the Litter Robot better. In order to determine how this newer model has changed, let’s compare it to Litter Robot 3.
Similar Features
There are many similar features that the LR4 and the Litter Robot 3 share. Both the Litter Robot 4 and the Litter Robot 3 are suitable for a maximum for 4 cats. This makes both models great for households that have more than one cat.
Both models are designed with a sensor that detects when your feline companion is inside the Litter Robot in order to prevent the cleaning cycle from starting while your cat is inside, and they are designed with a spacious interior and the ability to customize the cleaning cycle in order to determine when the cycle starts.
Advantages Of The Litter Robot 4 Over The Litter Robot 3
Despite there being many similarities between the Litter Robot 4 and the Litter Robot 3, there are some features and design choices that make the two different. With the Litter Robot 4 being the newest model, the model shows some upgrades that ensure it does not receive the same complaints as the previous model.
The first advantage to the LR4 is that the cleaning cycle is much more quiet than with the Litter-Robot 3 Connect. This was a common issue with the Litter Robot 3 as there was noticeable sound when the cleaning cycle was underway.
Another advantage compared to Litter-Robot 3 is that the LR4 has a much wider entrance. You want your cats to be able to get into and out of the globe of the Litter Robot easily, and this wider entrance makes this possible. If you cat has difficulties getting into the box to use it, it will not likely use it for long, so this wider entrance ensures that your cats can easily get in and out of the globe.
An Issue With Both Models
There has been one complaint with both models. This issue has to do with their sizes. Both models have been considered very large, so it may be difficult to find the perfect spot to place the Litter Robot for your cats. The Litter Robot 3 was described by consumers as large and chunky. The LR4, on the other hand, has a sleek design compared to the Litter Robot 3, but it is still large.
What I Loved About This Self-Cleaning Litter Box
For me, the biggest draw was the box itself and how easily it worked to get rid of all the clumps without me needing to do anything at all. This is similar to Litter-Robot 3. That waste drawer was completely air-tight too, which means that I didn’t have to deal with any odor even if I had the box in an open room somewhere.
I also worried about the set-up of these automated self-cleaning litter boxes. I was worried that I would have to put all of the components together myself and just hope that I had done everything correctly. Luckily, the unit was already assembled for me when I received it. I did not have to worry about reading a long list of instructions that would possibly confuse me. The only steps I needed to take were placing the clumping litter inside the box and setting up the app.
I loved how quiet the cleaning cycle is. It’s a game-changer. I had no idea the cleaning cycle was running the first time it ran. It truly surprised me just how quiet it was. With a very shy cat, I was nervous the noise of the cleaning cycle would disturb her, but the quietness was just perfect for her.
I loved how easy it was to adjust the box to my preferences too. All I needed to do was set a timer and refill the litter every now and again, and my cats were happy!
As long as you make sure your cats are comfortable in the box and keep an eye on them for the first few uses, you should love this new Litter Robot.
Litter Robot 4 Release Date
Litter Robot 4 units started shipping in July 2022! It was available for pre-order before that.
Litter-Robot 4 Price
At $649, this smart litter box with all its smart features, improvements in quality, and optional accessories (like the fence and ramp) are worth the purchase. You’ll find that similar boxes will usually put you out of pocket by about twice the amount. However, bear in mind that you should always purchase from the official brand website, so you don’t fall prey to any scams.
While this may seem expensive price tag for a litter box, you have to take into account the fact that you no longer have to worry about cleaning out your cat’s litter box after they have used it. You also don’t have to worry about the odor from the litter box stinking up your home. The odor control of the LR4 ensures that no unwanted smells will escape from your cat’s litter box.
You’ll find that similar boxes will usually put you out of pocket by about twice the amount. You do not want to purchase from these sellers as they will try to oversell the product for more than the retail price. However, bear in mind that you should always purchase from the official brand website, so you don’t fall prey to any scams.
Remember No Automatic Cat Litter Box Is Perfect
While the Litter Robot has so many features that make it great and easy to use, you must still do some work in order to maintain the robot. No matter what type of litter box you use you will still need to deal with litter. While the LR4 does self-clean and scoop the dirty litter from the clean litter, you will still need to empty the waste drawer in order to prevent an overflow in the waste drawer which can cause for it to not clean properly.
Litter-Robot 4 Review Final Verdict
Is it worthwhile upgrading or buying LR4 for your cat’s bathroom? I do recommend it, and I love how my cat is using it. Litter-Robot 4 is a dream. Its functionality is impressive, I enjoy knowing more data about my cat, and most importantly, I no longer have to scoop! LR4 takes care of my cat pee duties, and so far, I don’t personally know anyone who’s had a complaint about its functions (yes, I know people hesitate about paying a premium for it). Ultimately, if you have the budget for its price tag, it won’t disappoint!
