Is the Litter-Robot 4 worth $650?

My litter box is an birth plastic box beneath the sink in my minute Brooklyn lavatory. My cat, Colby Jack, likes to reduction a orderly home – and by that I mean that if his litter box is soiled, he will pee in your attire.

So I jumped at the chance to verify up on out the Litter-Robot 4 and its promise that I don’t favor to coach my cat to the loo and promptly orderly up his industry. The Litter-Robot 4 senses when Colby makes use of it and then goes via a cleaning cycle, appealing the soiled litter right into a trash safe and retaining the litter in the box orderly. Ultimate, I assumed, for my comely freak of a cat.

I used to be also drawn to the optional OdorTrap Machine, which is purported to neutralize litter box odors by sealing the break plot and having a carbon filter or OdorTrap Packs. As somebody who lives in a minute condominium, the speculation that my lavatory received’t be with out raze pungent is a pleasant one. And it promises that its “enhanced litter-sifting technology” limits dirt, and the fence reduces litter monitoring. A beautiful belief, brooding about I vacuum day-after-day on account of Colby’s incessant litter monitoring.

The Litter-Robot 4 also tracks the litter and break drawer levels, acknowledges cats that weigh better than three pounds, and permits you to visual display unit your cats exercise and weight, all of that you can well maybe also access from the app. I used to be, admittedly, less attracted to having this knowledge about my cat, who I deem may maybe maybe well maybe be in actual fact alarmed to verify how deeply I maintain begun collecting knowledge on him. However I procedure esteem a great graph, so I gave the $649 litter box a are attempting.

The unboxing

Bringing the Litter-Robot 4 to existence used to be a feat all on its maintain, and one I well-known with verve. That accumulate collectively used to be that you may well maybe also imagine completely, clearly, because I did not favor to construct the relaxation collectively at the end of it. The Litter-Robot 4 comes completely establish collectively; all it is most practical to procedure is streak it in. What used to be misplaced by having to lift this extensive a part of machinery up 5 flights of stairs and via my condominium — and then disassembling the cardboard box and taking it attend downstairs after unpacking it — is made up for entirely by the benefit of assembling the litter box. It requires perfect about no work in any device: You perfect streak it in, and turn it on. And there it’s miles: a litter box that appears to be like love a home pod from 2001: A Rental Odyssey, or a dinky diminutive dryer, working within minutes.

Whereas you may well maybe also honest deem the directions for a machine love this may maybe maybe procedure it complex to glue the proprietary mobile phone app to the instrument, that is no longer factual, both. It be about three steps that took me lower than 5 minutes to total. After which it perfect… works. By surprise.

The greatest disaster with the unboxing, for me, used to be home. I could maybe maybe well maybe not terminate the door after I went into my lavatory, the build Colby’s litter box is in general located. Since I maintain a roommate, and we every pride in the minute little bit of non-public home we maintain on this condominium, I needed to search out a original jam for the machine — which may maybe maybe well maybe completely be the lounge. Dwelling is a extensive disclose general with the Litter-Robot 4, especially brooding about it be a extensive, gaping, birth gap that draws all eyes into the room towards it. It will, on the opposite hand, survey very nice in a laundry room.

Getting your cat acquainted

Colby Jack is a in point of fact dauntless cat, but he’s unruffled very minute and in actual fact dead. For the length of the route of of getting him acquainted with this absolute dump truck of a litter box, he showed his disapproval by peeing on a backpack and a denim jacket that I left on the bottom. I prevailed irrespective of it all and, within about per week, he used to be the use of it typically. On the opposite hand it be been nearly two weeks since I jam up the litter box, and he unruffled glares at it when it cleans, and he screams at me or my roommate when he wants to make use of it. I don’t deem Colby will ever be traffic with the Litter-Robot 4, but I salvage they’ll be taught to work collectively.

What makes this litter box special?

There are other litter containers that orderly themselves robotically, but what sets the litter robot apart is the WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled app that tracks your cat’s lavatory output and weight, and sends you a notification when the litter box has been cleaned. I procedure no longer love this, perfect because I don’t in particular are looking out for to be alerted after I’m no longer at home that my cat is the use of the loo. One morning, I wasn’t at home and used to be alerted over a dozen instances because my cat, being the diminutive freak he’s, used to be stepping inside of and exterior of the litter box regularly. 

I’m no longer sure why you may well desire notifications about your cat’s bowel movements, but I’ve brainstormed a pair of causes: your cat is sick and you may well be looking out for to trace how in general they’re the use of the restroom; you may well be an particular particular individual that loves tech and the options is with out a doubt appealing to you; you may well be attending a dinner accumulate collectively and got explicit directions that you may well maybe no longer discuss regarding the relaxation fashioned.

Is it definitely worth the high stamp?

The litter robot comes via with its promises: It be restful, it robotically cleans your cat’s litter, sends notifications to you with a total bunch knowledge about your cat, and keeps the smell at bay. 

However this machine also takes up a main amount of proper estate, and is form of a gaping gap of cat litter staring immediately at you — no longer an especially moderately dialog part to reduction in your condominium. And my cat screams at me sooner than he makes use of it, which I maintain never been unable to unpack, emotionally.

Within the raze, its extensive size and inability to reduction litter at bay technique it be no longer definitely worth the worth for me. I could maybe maybe well look this being an improbable instrument for somebody busy who has a extensive home and residential for this diminutive monster. For Colby and me, though, we are going to persist with our diminutive plastic box.