My Cat’s Bathroom Is Nicer Than Mine & I’m Fine With It

The worst part of being a cat person is one thing: the dreaded litter box. From kneeling over a freshly deposited turd to the nosehair-curling smell that literally never goes away, some tasks make you wish you could simply swear off felines forever. However, there’s no need to dash your dreams of becoming a cat lady with a picturesque ramshackle mansion filled with mewling friends, because I've found the ultimate solution for the pet owner’s hands-down worst chore. Clocking at only a third of your monthly rent, the Litter-Robot 3 Connect by Whisker is truly worth it. With such a many-digit price tag, I thought I would rather keep scooping litter for the rest of my life than spend that much money on my cat, but after using this not-so-lean cleaning machine for about a month, I realized I was oh-so-very mistaken. And I'm not the only one who feels the love for this automated, WiFi-enabled, self-cleaning litter box that has a 4.4 out of 5 rating and 1,000+ fanatic reviews from unhinged totally stable cat owners across the internet. Read on to understand why this the best $549 that a cat mom will ever spend.

So, how exactly does this magic work? Litter-Robot’s proprietary technology separates the clumps from the clean litter, and then deposits it into the waste drawer and disposable bag below. While other automatic litter boxes need specific crystal litter, use rakes that get dirty real fast, create clean litter waste, and generally have mixed reviews, the Litter-Robot can be used with any clumping litter you already use, preserves your clean litter (helps to reduce usage by up to 50%, according to the website) and the cleaning cycle gets activated not even five minutes after your cat finishes their business.

This spaceship-looking litter box is huge. I don't think pictures do it justice. It's safe to say that our bathroom now belong to our cat, as this giant little thing with its staircase attachment takes up half of the real estate. (To be fair, our bathroom is really small.) However, don't let the box’s behemoth appearance fool you — it's surprisingly easy to set up and connects easily to the app. Oh yeah, it has an app; where you can activate the cleaning cycle, check activity, alert you when it's time to replace the bag, and more. But if you’re a lower-fi type, worry not — the cycle will activate automatically as soon as your cat hops off after doing their business, and you can click the button manually if you see it missed a spot. As a longtime cat owner well-versed in the necessary evil of litter, I was surprised at how much the device reduced both odors and post-poop messes. The stair and fence attachments make it so if there are a few random litter granules scattered after my cat finishes his business, it's contained to the mini staircase.

I was nervous when I first got the Litter-Robot — my cat (Flash) is reaaaaally picky, difficult, and set in his ways. (He says “Hi” back, by the way.) He’s never used an automatic toilet before, and I didn't know how he was going to react or if he was even going to use it at all. At first, he was definitely freaked — the litter box makes noises as it moves and there's a blue light inside, much like a tiny little spaceship. But he surprised us all and got used to it after a few days. Now, he only casually glances at it while it does the little cleaning routine just to make sure it's doing its thing.

The manual instructs you to refrain from changing the litter while your cat is getting used to its new throne, but I would advise you to get a really good clumping one (if you don't already) because sometimes the trash doesn't go through the mechanism and gets left behind. (Any of the issues I experienced with this pet potty are really issues I have with the current litter I'm using: that it doesn't clump properly and that it gets stuck to the bottom of the box.) As for cleaning, I use the wipes to go around the area inside and, of course, replace the bag at the bottom compartment where all the trash is whenever it's full.

I’m not the only cat mom who’s obsessed with this futuristic fecal funhouse. The Connect boasts reviews from users with one, two, even five or more (!) cats who rave about the easy clean-up, easy set-up, and how convenient the full tray notifications are. Reviewer Jessica says it "has significantly made my life easier where I don't have to scoop each day. We've had it a few months now, and it handled my three cats easily (even my 17-pound big boy) and it only needs to be emptied about once a week. [It's] super easy to do. I love the app notifications and reminders as well; definitely recommend splurging on it." Some even love it so much to have more than one Litter-Robot in their homes! Amber writes in their review that they've managed to replace 3 of 6 litter boxes with the bot, saying that "there is ZERO smell in the room where the [box] is. I can’t wait to replace the other boxes with a [LitterRobot], too. Saving my pennies now to make it a reality. They are not cheap, but they are worth every penny!"

I truly couldn't be happier with this smart litter box. I just know it's going to last me the rest of my happy cat-filled life. My cat seems to enjoy it too. (Through a rep, Flash declined to comment for this story.) The general consensus from all cat lovers is that this cat-poop spaceship is a life savior that's definitely worth the hefty price tag.