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Jan 16, 2024

Litter

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The Spruce Pets / Marcus Millan

No one enjoys scooping litter from our cats' litter boxes, and now we don't have to anymore—for a price. Automatic litter boxes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but if you're looking for two high-end, advanced machines, the Whisker Litter-Robot 4 and Smarty Pear Leo's Loo Too are competitive options.

Both litter boxes rely on the same design. Cats climb in through the machine's circular opening and do their business on the litter, which sits at the bottom of the internal barrel. After the cat exits, the barrel rotates, dumping the litter through a sieve or grate, separating it from the clumped-up waste. The barrel deposits the waste into the drawer at the bottom of the machine, and the litter returns to the bottom of the barrel.

These litter boxes—if we can even call them that at this point—also come with smartphone apps cat parents can use to monitor their cats and schedule the self-cleaning. No scooper required. But which is better for you?

This is a tough—not to mention expensive—decision and one that depends on what you value more in an automatic litter box. But we have to side with our testing team's endorsement of the Litter-Robot 4.

It's intuitive, easy to use (once you get a handle of its variety of functions), and inviting to cats. It can even customize its data for individual cats, tracking their usage and weight. It's about as fun to use as any cat bathroom can be.

Litter-Robot 4

Leo's Loo Too

-Internal sphere rolls to separate litter from poop

-Internal sphere rolls to separate litter from poop

-Sifts litter quietly

-Sifts litter quietly

-Weight sensor ensures cleaning never begins with cat inside

-UV rays kill bacteria left in waste

-Easy to clean

-Weight sensor ensures cleaning never begins with cat inside

-Equipped with night light

-Pairs with Google Home and Amazon Alexa

-Display panel offers manual controls, data

-Companion app allows for scheduled cleaning, tracks activity

-Wider entryway than previous version

-Waste drawer with plastic bag and filter eliminates odor

-Companion app allows for scheduled cleaning, tracks cat data, waste and litter levels

-Large waste reservoir means cat owners don't have to empty it as frequently

-Filters limits smell from waste reservoir

-Available in four colors: Avocado green, baby blue, Leo gray, or pretty pink

-Available in black or white

-Arrives pre-assembled

Buy at Chewy.com

Buy at Litter-robot.com

Who It's For: People who want the most customization and data about their cats' bathroom habits as possible. The Litter-Robot 4 tracks your cats' weights and the amount of waste they left behind, giving you frequent access to data on their well-being. It's also easy to use, perfect for cat owners who want as little fuss as possible when it comes to their cats' business.

Price at time of publish: $700

Dimensions: 29.5 x 22 x 27 inches | Entry: 15.75 | Weight: 24 pounds | Colors: White, black

Buy at Amazon.com

Buy at Chewy.com

Who It's For: Cat parents who want to kill bacteria in their cats' waste using only their voice. The Leo's Loo Too is perfect for Google- and Amazon-enabled smart homes, allowing cat parents to start cleaning cycles via vocal command. Cat owners also have the option to "sterilize" their cats' waste with UV rays.

Price at time of publish: $650

Dimensions: 24 x 22 x 27.5 inches | Weight: 27.5 pounds | Entry: 8.5 inches | Colors: Avocado green, baby blue, Leo gray, pretty pink

Yes, the Litter-Robot 4 costs $50 more than its counterpart, but we think the extra 7.7% cost is worth it. The Litter-Robot 4 simply has more to offer.

It includes a night light and a useful control panel that allows you to manually instruct the robot—emptying litter or initiating a cleaning cycle, for instance—if needed. Its paired app even tracks waste and litter levels so you know when it's time to empty it.

Of course, Leo's Loo Too isn't without cool features of its own. The UV rays eliminate 99.9% of bacteria, according to Smarty Pear. It also features its own app, and as we mentioned before, you can connect the machine to Amazon Alexa or Google Home to instruct it via voice controls.

Because both these automatic litter boxes are quite pricey, it may come down to your individual preferences.

The biggest complaint our testing team lodged with the Litter-Robot 4 was the potential for stinkiness. Because the machine separates the poop from the litter, the litter can no longer prevent the waste from emitting its foul odors. Now, the robot seals the waste in a filtered compartment that can eliminate the smells, but you have to buy new Whisker OdorTraps to keep the smell at bay.

Leo's Loo Too earned a higher score (5/5) in smell prevention. Our testers felt comfortable going a week or more without having to empty the waste drawer. An owner of a single cat only had to empty his drawer once a month, though it was quite a full bag at that point.

The Litter-Robot 4 earns the nod for two main reasons: its wide opening for the cats to enter and it's easy to clean and maintain. This iteration of the Litter-Robot has an opening 5.5 inches wider than its predecessor, the Litter-Robot 3. That made it move inviting to our testers' cats.

Its larger components also make the Litter-Robot 4 easy to clean. You can even remove the barrel and spray the robot down if you need to.

Our testers found the Leo's Loo Too was harder to clean, though it is smaller and comes in a larger variety of colors than the Litter-Robot 4. If one of its four colors matches your home's aesthetic, it might be right for you.

Austin Cannon is an editor for The Spruce Pets, and he's written and edited hundreds of pet health and behavior articles for nearly three years.

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