I started using a smart litter box and my cat just adores it

You are either a cat person or a dog person, and this author is a cat person. My cat, Norbert, is a scruffy, orange guy and the cutest thing ever. She is easy to care for, but one thing that I and probably all cat owners dread is the litter box.

It’s messy, smelly, and an downright gross task to investigate your cat’s daily doings. You have to be diligent about this, especially since the litter box is kept inside your home.

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when i was offered a chance to try the whisker litter-robot 4 – A self-cleaning litter box – I was up for it. Although it is expensive ($699), it solves the daily problem of cat owners having to take out their cat’s litter.

Norbert and I set out to try out the robot litter box, and we were both impressed. I’d go so far as to call this device a life-changer for cat owners, and while Norbert’s only response was “meow,” I can tell he appreciates the clean litter on a daily basis.

setting it up

The Robot Litter Box comes out of the box already assembled – just plug it in and follow the instructions provided. You’ll need to download the free Whisker app and connect the unit to the app via Bluetooth (it’s also connected to your home Wi-Fi).

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Whisker Litter-Robot 4

See how often your cat uses the litter box or how much your cat weighs. You can even automate poop removal with this robotic litter box.

Overall, setup was easy, but I needed clarification on a few points. It took a while to learn that the device is super sensitive and will “sense” the cat, even if you are playing with the box and figuring it out. It took some playing around with the app and the litter box buttons, but ultimately, it only took a little bit.

no more scavenging

The Whisker app gives you information on when your cat is in the box, when the cleaning cycle is occurring, and when the cleaning cycle is complete, as well as an overall history and average usage of your cat. I never paid much attention to how many times a day my cat was using the litter box, and now I love knowing where he’s going each time and what his normal range is.

I can see history tracking helping pet owners catch things like UTIs (when your cat starts urinating more frequently) and spot it before it becomes serious.

I also love the smart scale built into the Litter-Robot 4, which automatically records your cat’s weight each time it’s used so you can keep track of anything related to weight gain or weight loss.

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The device is much quieter than other robot litter boxes I’ve seen from friends of mine, and it never scared Norbert with its noise.

The app tells you the clean litter level and the waste level. It took about a week and a half for the waste to reach 85% before I emptied it. It was very easy to pop out the waste liner and replace it with a new bag, and while the Litter-Robot 4 comes with a few litter bags, you’ll eventually have to buy more on Whisker’s website.

Even with almost 100% litter, I have never once smelled his litter, which is refreshing to say the least.

Is it worth it?

after using Whisker Litter-Robot 4, I will never return to a regular litter box. The insight it gives me about Norbert’s overall health and daily cleaning makes it totally worth it. Just be patient with the setup process and your cat learning the new routine. Norbert’s opinion also favors the new litter box as he was able to make the change fairly easily and got a clean litter box every time.

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Whisker Litter-Robot 4 is admittedly expensive, but the company also offers the previous generation litter-robot 3 Slightly cheaper at $549. It’s definitely an investment, but it’s the kind of automation technology I can support.