Litter-Robot Automatic III Open Air

Simply the best litter robot on the market, purchased in late 2020 it has only just started having issues with the dfi sensors, the company was quick and professional in getting replacement sent. Show details

In late 2021 I purchased the Litter Robot 3. I must say that I was disappointed with how cheap the plastics appeared to be. But nevertheless, it worked perfectly. I rescue and every cat took to it quickly and loved it. I moved house and was never able to connect it to the app again, which I could happily live without. I found the app very basic… Read more

so haven't been too fussed on not having it connected or using the app.

I then purchased a Catlink Scooper and was shocked at how good it was. The plastics felt better, electronic buttons, could use other litter aside from clilumping, app was phenomenal and it was whisper quiet. Plus a very cheap price.

However as time went on, it was clear my cats preferred the litter robot. The size of the catlink didn't suit some of my cats. Catlink also provide no customer service. And you can't buy replacement parts. Having said that, it has been faultless since purchasing.

I have had some moments where there are constant errors on my LR3. I have replaced the dfi, pinch sensors and the rubber lining during this time and that is it. I was disappointed that urine had been able to get through the globe of the robot and one of the screws in the globe was so badly corroded it could not be removed. This was the screw where the foam is as well, so I suspect it is a design flaw.

But what is absolutely remarkable with the Litter Robot is their customer service. They reply so promptly and you can buy replacement parts. I have never experienced such remarkable customer service. Knowing that I wasn't alone and that the company genuinely cares about you, your cats and their product is priceless.

For this reason, I feel confident having a litter robot and maintaining it. I also know any issues are sorted so quickly, as their response time is ridiculously quick.

I recently purchased the 4 and it is a serious upgrade. Much quieter. It is also bigger inside, which suits my Maine Coon. Now all the cats will only use the 4 haha.

Once the 5 has been out for a while, I will buy it to replace the 3. Given the 3 was just over $1000, I have been very impressed with it's longevity.

I do feel that the prices is very high which is why I didn't give 5 stars, otherwise I would have.

Really very good unit. I am immunosuppressed by medications and this has gone a long way towards minimising infections, especially from cat excrement. I have always found Mary in CS to be very helpful, and I have been able to solve many problems with cleaning. My only gripe is that the magnetic sensors in the globe might slide out of place during… Read more ·  1

maintenance and the pinch sensor can trip due to fluff / cat hair / bits of litter can get stuck between the two contacts. You do need to do regular maintenance on it (mostly cleaning) every couple of months. The liner can also be a bit prone to clumped litter sticking to it and sometimes being a job to clean.

I do really like the floor mat & ramp accessories. They help a lot to prevent tracking through the house. I originally bought the LR3 without the Wifi board, but added this later on and it was easy peasy to install - a phillips head screwdriver is all that’s needed.

The enzyme spray (and/or cleaning vinegar are a must for regular maintenance. The wipes, in my view, are not value for money, as there’s not that many in the pack and the spray and paper towels do the job just as well.

Also, go for the fence attachment - it helps to further reduce any litter tracking and helps my tortie to use it correctly.

Amazing customer service & product – I bought my Litter Robot 3 in mid-2021 after much humming & ha-ing. The price was always the deterrent for me. From the moment it arrived, the cats have preferred to queue up to use the LR over their regular litter trays. My only regret was not buying it years sooner. After >2.5years, it decided to suddenly stop working with quick flashing yellow… Read more ·  1

lights. I reached out to Cat Evolutions & the customer service was amazing! They talked me through how to trouble-shoot step-by-step & if that should fail, all I needed was a simple replacement part, instead of replacing an entire base or machine. It worked & my cats have stopped screaming at me because their facilities was not cleaned. Go Litter Robot! Best investment ever! I have really big cats & it fits them. It is easy to take apart to clean (4 pieces), great ongoing customer service (even after warranty expires), and every part can be fixed or replaced. If you’re considering an automatic litter box, do your research. I had thought about going for cheaper options but i wasn’t willing to spend money & if anything goes wrong, I’d have to replace the whole machine or have non-existent customer service. Plus, I have really big cats & the cheaper competitors do not fit them.

6 years of use later! – I have had the Litter Robot 3 for 6 years and we've been using the same robot for that whole time, with repairs. The reparability of the Litter Robot 3 is one of its greatest strengths. It's pretty easy to do yourself, all the parts are available online, and all you really need is a few screwdrivers. If you're tossing up between the Connect and… Read more ·  1

the normal one, I highly recommend the Connect. For one thing, being able to monitor the Litter Robot remotely and get notifications is very nice. For another thing, the Connect gives you SO MUCH information when something goes wrong (it's a machine, something will eventually go wrong). You don't need to spend a lot of time taking it apart, poking around, replacing random parts, it literally says in the app what part is broken so you can replace it (or fix it if you're into that kind of thing).

The Litter Robot has saved me 30-60 minutes every night cleaning up litter (that's almost 46 days over 6 years!) and has saved my partner and I thousands of dollars in cattery fees when we go away for a weekend. It's well and truly paid for itself and I love it and couldn't recommend it more.

It probably will take some time and effort and patience to get your cat(s) to use the Litter Robot at first, but I have had three different cats of very different temperaments (including the ultra skittish scared-of-his-own-shadow kind) and haven't had any of them fail to use it after a month or so of work.

All in all, I can't recommend this product enough, it is fantastic, and the price tag pales in comparison to the benefits. Other products are out now, but I don't think any of them hold a candle to the longevity and support of the Litter Robot.

I can't speak for the Litter Robot 4. This review is not a comparison.

We had the little robot for our three cats for about 3 years. In that time we had a full replacement of the DFI (electronic) board, the pinch detectors (twice), the rubber insert globe (once). The support from the company was good. But it’s frustrating that it felt like the whole machine needed replacing. When it worked it was good. But if it… Read more

went down I felt like throwing it in the trash.

Eventually, we did throw it away and have gone back to scooping every day, which I'm happy to do as at least there's nothing that's going to break!

I’ve had mine for 3 years and it’s been perfect! The cleaner pushed it back and dislodged the back part which I didn’t know because I have the awesome plywood cover. Anyway I rang support cat evolution and they were AMAZING!!! Very happy customer :) Show details ·  1

Litter robot – Literally can't live without it with 4 cats. The customer service is absolutely second to none and I honestly cannot give higher praise to Mary and her expert advice and assistance as well as instant response Show details ·  1

Amazing service with a product to back it – Cat evolution in Australia has always helped me address in issue that arises with me litter robot. I have in particular delt with Mary and she is amazing at what she does! Highly recommend any product from cat evolution Show details ·  1

It was good for about 2 years now sadly we have given up on it – We have had our Litter Robot for 5 years. We have 4 indoor cats & initially the Robot was great. After about 2 years we noticed issues with the cycling & blinking yellow & blue lights; the globe not returning to it's normal position & in a lot of circumstances, it had stayed upside down for goodness knows how long while we were out or at work.… Read more

Each time we had issues, we did the cleaning, checked the sensors, took the advice from Mary at Cat Evolution who is exceptional, watched endless UTube videos. We have always used a good quality clay clumping, dust free litter. However over the last 3 years we have spent a lot of money on replacing, 2 wiring harnesses, 3 sets of DFI sensors, 4 sets of pinch detector contacts, 1 set of hood contacts, 1 new goble, 3 main boards, the last one just recently as we thought this was our last resort to fix the machine which would not even turn on but alas, not successful. So another day spent working on trying to get this Robot working again with its new main board, only to get power again finally but now we are back to blinking blue light, will not cycle & when you press reset, it goes to yellow fast blinking light which was the issue we had before it stopped powering on. Back to square one. We are giving up, it's going out on the footpath & we have purchased a Catlink Scooper LuxuryPro instead of opting for the Robot Litter 4 as we cannot go through this same stress again. I must add that 1 year ago, we did purchase a Leos Loo as a secondary Robot Litter due to the issues we were having with our Robot Litter 3. The Leos has been perfect with no issue at all. The only downside is that it's not as large inside as the Robot Litter so was not a preference for 3 out of 4 of our cats. No more Litter Robots for us unfortunately. It has left a stressful & emotional impression on us.

Could not live without it – I absolutely love my litter robot. I bought this is 2018 and have u had issues? Yes... was I able to fix it myself ? Yes. Best service from cat Evolution always there to help and guide u through terrible shooting. I will be buying another soon for my ragdoll cattery Show details ·  1

Not worth the money – Use unit for 6 months, have had nothing but trouble with it, for the cost I would expect a better product. Not happy with customer service, I wouldn’t recommend this product at all. Show details

Not as good as I expected for price – Took two days to set it up. Automatic light doesn’t work half time no instructions came with it and the videos are not helpful. Sensor to cycle doesn’t always work have to manually push button. For 815 dollars it shouldn’t have this many issues Show details

Made life so much easier – After successfully trialing a standard Robot, I was able to purchase a Robot 3 with WiFi. Currently I have 4 out of 7 cats using it up to 8+ times a day. It has proved very successful and usage of standard litter in litter trays has reduced more than the cost of the correct litter for this unit. The appropriate App for this unit is also great,… Read more ·  1

being a bit of a techno junkie. Over all, I highly recommend the Litter Robot, it saves time for me and has been a big success.

Amazing and loving it ! – We found out about the litter robot by accident and after a bit of research on the net and speaking to Mary at Cat evolution we decided it was worth a try. We were sure one of our cats would use it but maybe not the other one for a bit - shock horror - they both used it the first night it was put in their area and we have not looked back. We have… Read more ·  1

had it for a week now and we are feeling the difference in our backs that we don't have to bend and scoop litter trays. We got the Open air connect bundle. Well worth the money and we received it 2 business days after purchase. It is very economical on litter too we have found. Both of our boys sit and watch it clean cycle, we have it on a 7 minute timer as they are brothers and were trained by their mother to use the litter tray together (when they were small) or one after the other and they have been like that since we got them as babies, they are 2 now. The support before and after purchase is really good. Would highly recommend to anyone with cats.

Good when it worked – The litter robot is a brilliant idea that’s been poorly engineered, the parts used are not made to withstand the environment it’s being used in. We have had one for 2 and a half years, in that time it has probably worked properly for less than 6 months, the warranty process is arduous as you have a choice of either sending the box off for 2 weeks… Read more

for repair or repairing it yourself. The warranty lasts for 18 months and the day that 18th month passed they wash their hands if you even if you’ve had continual problems from the day of purchase.

Issues we’ve had include sensors breaking 3 times, pinch sensors corroding and not working twice, buttons stopped working three times, on the last time it was nearing the end of the warranty so they sent new buttons which didn’t fix the issue and they then said I had to pay for parts to fix it even though the issue was from before the end of the warranty period, the buttons probably worked for less than 6 months of the entire 2 years we had the box meaning we couldn’t reset it or empty the box, it had to be rotated by hand to empty or switched off and on at the wall to reset, Hood detectors have now stopped working so we’ve moved over to another box now, during this time we’ve spent maybe 12 months rotating it by hand or emptying it as a normal litter box if you add up all the seperate down time. I understand that the warranty is what it is and the way they deal with the warranty is actually fair, you can’t expect them to replace it so the only options are to send it off or replace parts yourself, the issue is this is a time saving device, sending it off leaves the cats with no box and the product itself comes with instructions on getting the cats gradually used to it and they then expect you to remove it from the house and use a normal box immediately in order for the repair, and repairing it yourself although not difficult is time consuming which defeats the entire point of the product, I think I’ve probably dismantled this thing 20 times over 2 years trying to resolve issues, I’ve had to replace the screws holding the motor cover on as they are corroded and the plastic they screw into no longer takes the screw.

If this product was engineered better with protection for the corrosive parts it would be a great product but as it stands we basically spent $1000 on a box that worked for less time than it was broken for 2 years. Very frustrating considering the issues with this box could so easily be fixed with better design, it’s a litter box, why use corrosive materials so close to the litter which are vital to its operation and why install a PCB in the open next to the litter draw, it’s almost as if these have been installed as planned obsolescence as i’m an electrician not an engineer and i could have created alternatives for the pinch sensors and location of the PCB which would prevent this. Also repair and replacement of these parts are not in easy to reach places and are difficult to repair, another issue that could easily be designed out by just allowing the top and bottom half of the base to be dismantled into 2 halves

Brilliant product when it worked though, hopefully the new bid which works in the same way for less money will be better as it already looked better engineered so hopefully the cat link pro won’t be as much of a disappointment as the litter robot, it’s looking good so far and has more features for a 3rd less cost

Don’t waste your money – Great when it’s working. Non of the buttons work, it will not cycle. I have emailed for assistance without any response. Don’t waste your money!! Show details

Can’t fault the customer service – I have a litter robot 3. It is been a god send. The cats love it. I had an issue with the lights flashing and Mary was super helpful with her advice, she was patient and very responsive. If only all products had this level of service. Show details ·  1

Great service – I had an issue with the full drawer indicator. I emailed Cat Evolution on a Sunday afternoon, not expecting an answer until Monday. Mary responded within 5 minutes of receiving my email. It took me a week to get back to her with an update, but again Mary responded quickly with further troubleshooting advice that enabled me to fix the sensor. 100% satisfied with the product and the aftersales service. Show details ·  1

Great time saving product! – I have owned the Litter-Robot Automatic III Open Air for nearly 4 years and have found it to be very convenient. I wouldn't want to live without it, tbh. After being out of action due to a major renovation, it stopped being automatic. It had been unplugged for 9 weeks. I contacted after-sale customer service on a Saturday and received an… Read more ·  1

immediate response with all the trouble-shooting advice I needed. I followed the advice to the letter, and it is working again. It was all very easy. My advice is that if you're looking to buy this, remember that it's an appliance, and you MAY have an issue, but support is available and ready to help. I could not have received better after-sale service than I did from Mary.

If I could give negative stars I would – This is a terrible product. As soon as the 2 year warranty ends the product keeps failing at least once a week. When you contact for help/support, they send you to buy new parts one at a time. Its a scam. Would avoid wasting your money on this product. Show details

Don't Waste Your Money – Don't waste your money on these hugely overpriced pieces of junk! Our LR3 has just completely died...YET AGAIN! Forgot how many times I have spoken and dealt with customer support since owning this and what is extremely frustrating is that they do not maintain a database of you as a customer so every time you contact them you have to give them… Read more

all your personal information and LR information and serial number like you are calling for the first time.

We have had a complete LR3 warranty replacement, set of sensors for full litter tray, and now a complete new base under warranty.

We are at the point now where the thing will not function without going into some kind of fault mode such as litter that full when it's empty and pinch bar error.

Totally fed up with going through the same troubleshooting checklist only to find nothing works, unless they send you a new replacement.

The litter robot stinks too, we had less odor with traditional litter trays. The problem is the plastic they use, the odor eats into it and you simply cannot get rid of the smell so matter how often you clean it the odor has etched into the plastic.

Worse product I have EVER bought...period

Good, but has serious design flaws – The Litter Robot is a good unit when it works with a robust build and is easy to set up and use. However - there are 2 major design flaws which will mean most units will need repairs within the first 1-2 years of use. 1. The circuit sensors for detecting when the waste box is full are behind a piece of perspex with a cut out half-circle directly… Read more

above the waste bin - so it is just a matter of time before urine soaked litter gets onto the circuits and fries them, requiring replacement. The location of said circuit is also difficult to access for replacement, so repairs are not easy.

2. There is also a piece of metal "pinch detectors" which are part of a circuit vital to the operation of the machine (they detect if something is pinched between the base and the globe) - unfortunately the metal used is prone to corrosion, especially when exposed to cat litter...and it sits in a location where it is inevitable that cat litter will get on it. From speaking with their rep, it is the most common point of failure as corrosion is inevitable and again, whilst you can replace it, it is difficult to access.

I don't know why these two obvious design flaws exist on such an expensive unit, however, it wouldn't take much to 1. fully enclose the circuit sensor to avoid the 1st issue and 2. to either change the metal used for a non-oxidising metal or implement a simple plastic push button system (with no exposed vital components) to avoid the 2nd issue.

So in summary, the product is great while it is working, but will almost certainly require annoying repairs within the first 2 years.

Convenient, but downsides – Convenient for removing scooping from your daily routine, but in a small house, the whole place can end up smelling like a litter box. Needs to be changed over at least twice weekly. Carbon filters should be replaced much more regularly than the website recommends once monthly is a stretch. Design does not promote cat adjusting business location…… Read more

so wet smelly patches build up and can cause smell. Sensor issues and small kittens cannot safely use the box, we have this set to timer or manually trigger the cycle.

I love this litter box so much but I have to remove a star due to faults – I really wanted to love this product more for longer however after 21 months of use I’ve come across an issue that I believe people need to be aware of prior to purchase. I’ve been a super strong advocate for the litter robot and have always given it very positive reviews when cat pages have asked about self cleaning boxes. However I wasn’t… Read more ·  1

aware that the dfi sensor/ pinch sensor was a common issue that requires parts to be replaced.

I emailed cat evolution about the issue and they were very helpful and thorough with helping me try to find a solution for my problem. In the end after many quick replies from them we established that a part needed replacing. As I was out of my 18 months warranty I would have to out of pocket this. To my shock the new part cost $155 which I didn’t really expect to have to fork out after purchasing a $895 litter box.

I have yet to purchase a new replacement part as I’m now tossing up my options moving forward as there’s no garuntee that this will not be a reoccurring issue that would require constant parts replaced frequently.

Apart from this issue I defiantly would have given it a 5 star rating. As long as you use good litter the litter cleans very well. I only have to check it every 2 days and top up the litter twice as week. I’m able to have the waste tray last 6 days with 3 cats before needing to change. I don’t really notice much of an odour either. Prior to this issue happening just 2 days ago I never encountered any other issues at all.

Its a little bit on the loud side but it doesn’t bother me too much as it stays in the laundry. If you keep the litter box in an area you need to keep quite it may be an issue. However it does have a night mode where you can program it not to clean during set times.

Make sure to use a low tracking litter. If you use a litter that is very dusty, when it rotates you can see all the dust particles in the air which makes the room very dusty.

Overall my dealing with cat evolution has been 5 stars and the robot itself when it’s working properly is also a 5 stars. It’s just a shame that the robot didn’t last me as longer without additional cost as I believed it should have being the price that it is.

Dfi sensor issues – Good at start when works however have (what appears) a common dfi blue light sensor error. No amount of online troubleshooting has reolved. Too exp for this to be happening. Show details

-DO NOT BUY- – My machine worked perfectly for the first 3 months, after this the machine started displaying sensor issues, I was able to fix the machine myself by watching YouTube videos, after the issue recurring I contacted [Name Removed], she advised me to clean the sensors with a magic eraser. The machine was 'fixed' in her opinion, few months later same… Read more

issues again. Sent box away to be fixed, in this time I used less litter with less smells in the house with just a regular $20 box from the shops.

Would come home to find the machine stuck upside down with cats unable to use machine. [Name Removed] refuses my request to return the box as it is out of the 90 day change of mind period.

All in all, amazing if your machine works - but if and when your machine breaks. Good luck to you.

[Name Removed] suggest you re sell the machine to some unlucky person to deal with.

AutoPets Connect App doesnot support Australia – We paid extra few hundred dollars bought Wi-Fi enabled version but only to realize the AutoPets Connect only support country like US,UK , Canada or EU. We are located in Australia, there is no option to select this country when you trying to set up the app . It is very disappointing as we wasn’t been told this is the case when we bought this machine. If we know we could just bought Non Wi-Fi version . Show details

Litter robot makes life better – I really did my homework and took a long time weighing up the pros and cons before spending $1000 on a litter tray. Owning 3 cats means a lot of litter trays, scooping them constantly and regular cleans. Given that I work full time, I can’t explain just how much this changed my life! Dramatic right? But so true! My only regret in buying this, was… Read more ·  2

not buying it sooner. Oh, and had a couple of questions on maintenance etc, cat evolution are so amazing and helpful to deal with!

rubbish didn't last warranty period – even after foxed under warranty always playing up and stalling I'm over it rubbish!! Show details