An automatic cat litter box will change your life. I’m not exaggerating. It’s the product I recommend every cat parent invest in above all else. These nifty machines do the work for you, using internal sensors to detect a cat and automatically start cleaning after they leave. They separate waste clumps and deposits them in a drawer below, leaving only fresh litter behind. This means far less day-to-day cleaning—you mostly only need to throw out the drawer waste bag when it’s full.
I’ve tested over two dozen automatic cat litter box models, and my top pick is almost always a model from pet tech brand Petkit. They rarely goes on significant sale until the holidays, but I found most of my favorite models on sale at Shop.com right now, some for $100 off—comparable to the discount we usually see during Black Friday sales. I also found Petkit automatic feeders and fountains are also on sale.
WIRED’s Best Automatic Litter Box
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Photograph: Molly Higgins
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This is the best overall automatic litter box because it has everything I want in a premium model at a less premium price. A wide-angle, built-in camera with AI features? Check. Multiple cat facial recognition, audio recording, night vision, multiband Wi-Fi support, automatic activity recordings, usage tracking through a connected app? It’s all here.
This model also has a larger opening and litter bed area than previous iterations, making it ideal for bigger cats like mine. It has a larger waste basket that can hold up to 17 days of waste from a cat, and a self-sealing bag for cleaner disposal.
The Best Automatic Litter Box for Most People
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Photograph: Molly Higgins
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Photograph: Molly Higgins
I tested this model last month, and it is slated to be the next “Best for Most People” pick in my guides moving forward. The Purobot Max 3 is reliable and hygienic, and it includes a connected app to monitor usage, track health trends, adjust cleaning settings, and send reminders to clean the machine or empty the waste bag.
The Upgrade Model
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Photograph: Molly Higgins
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As far as I know, this was the first widely available automatic litter box model with a built-in pet camera on a rotating arm, allowing you to monitor usage and watch footage both inside and outside the box. While it doesn’t automatically label bathroom trips like the Max Pro 2, you can review activity data yourself to label it. This is especially useful for owners with cats who have health issues and need to be monitored more closely. It’s definitely pricey, but $100 off makes it a little easier to stomach.
Other On-Sale Feeders and Fountains
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Photograph: Molly Higgins
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Petkit
YumShare Dual-Hopper 2 Automatic Feeder With Camera
This is one of the best automatic cat feeders you can get today. It has an AI-enabled camera to distinguish pets, dual tanks for kibble or freeze-dried food, a built-in scale to prevent overfeeding. It can connect to an app for monitoring from afar.
Check out Shop’s Petkit storefront for more discounts on bundles, accessories, replacement parts, and more pet tech.
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