BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jenae Sitzes owns this and loves it: “When my mom first told me about this $500 automatic litter box she’d read about somewhere, my eyes just about popped out of my head thinking about spending that much on a thing that my cats poop in. But after thinking about it some more, I realized it’s actually a pretty reasonable investment since I plan on owning cats forever but shamefully hate cleaning out their litter boxes as often as they really should be.
“I’ve been using the Litter Robot myself for over a year now, and I’m pretty sure both me and my two cats are way happier for it. After a cat is done using it, the Litter Robot waits a set amount of time until the cat’s presence is no longer detected, then begins to rotate, collecting the waste into a bag at the bottom while retaining the clean litter in the barrel. I usually don’t detect a smell from it afterward, though once the bag starts to get really full, you might get a subtle reminder that you need to take it out. I only have to take out that bag about once a week, and a flashing light will let you know when it’s full.
“Initially, the cats were a little spooked by the sound of the Litter Robot during a cycle, and for the first few weeks, they would just sit and stare at it, as if it would get up and run at them if they took their eyes off it. At this point, though, they’ve completely adjusted and accepted it as their way of life, making my life a heck of a lot easier while ensuring they always have a clean bed of litter. It’s a pricey purchase, to be sure, but if cleaning out the litter box daily or even every other day is hard for you and you’d rather not think about it much at all, I say the Litter Robot is worth it. One thing to note: It’s quite large, so make sure you have a dedicated space for it.”
Get it from Litter Robot for $549 (available in white or gray).
Looking for a cheaper option? Here’s another self-cleaning cat litter box from Amazon that reviewers like — it’s smaller and utilizes disposable trays instead.