LavvieBot S: The Ultimate Automatic Litter Box for Your Cat
LavvieBot S: Automatic Litter Box
Let me begin this article by saying I'm a cat lover. I have three in my house right now and I wouldn't say I am their owner because it is they who own a little piece of my heart. I'm also a tech-savvy person and am fascinated by the way technology makes our lives better. Put those two together and voilà! You have someone looking for an automatic litter box for my cats all over the place.
I've been obsessing on the topic on the internet forever; I read everything and even own one (from another brand). I'm always looking for the best automatic litter box for my cats; this time I think I found it. I don't mean to be a spoiler, but I can help you make a decision. In case you are wondering whether that automatic cat litter box is for you; I did the hard work on your behalf.
Read on, make a wise choice, and say goodbye to worrying about your cat's poop ever again.
What Is a Robot Cat Litter Box?
Let's start from the beginning by clearly stating what a robot cat litter box is. Not all of us were lucky enough to come across one in our lives. It is not a Jetsons kind of thing in which a robot nanny will chase your cats around the house making sci-fi noises. It's more like a regular litter box approach just that it automatically takes care of cleaning after them.
Let's face it; the worst time of the week is cleaning up after the cats. I mean, I have three of them and it really is a lot of poop I have to dispose of; sometimes even more than once a week! The smell, the texture; I just think it's all disgusting. So, why not use technology to help us go through that ugly moment?
So, what a robot cat litter box does is simply taking care of making that moment a little better for the owners. Also, it makes the cats' bathroom cleaner. For example, in my case, the third cat to go in a row walks away until I add a little more litter and ease the smell. This is when I'm able to interpret their moaning right away or I'm even around. Sometimes they get annoyed and might even break something to capture my attention. We don't like going to dirty public toilets and nor do they.
So, the robot cat litter box solves a basic, simple need for the owners and makes the moment a little better for the cats too.
Why Should I Get One?
There are many reasons behind getting a self-cleaning litter box for your cat(s) that are closely related to your situation. Let's take a look at some of the most relevant ones in my case:
- Forget about remembering — This is not a tongue twister or the follow up to Inception, but a very simple need the robot litter box does for me: I can forget about remembering to empty and change the cats' litter box. Especially with multiple cats in the house, forgetting about their bathroom can turn into a revolution; some knocked lamps, and might even take the life of a vase too.
- Fight the smell — Most robot cat litter boxes get a carbon treatment and a closed space for the poop. This really changes things especially for those of us who live in an apartment and share it with them.
- Follow up — 21st century is all about statistics and with a robot litter box you can gather data about your cats' digestive activities and detect any kind of deviation. This way you can make sure you get proper vet attention for them in a very early stage of the problem.
What Is the LavvieBot S?
Now that you know what a robot cat litter box is and why you should get one, it's time to address the issue directly. The LavvieBot S is an automatic cat litter box that can take care of your cats' poop for you. This is a low-noise, simple to use solution for us cat-lovers of the world. According to the company itself, it is the smartest of its kind. That is yet to be seen. Keep on reading and learn what this avant-garde cat litter box can do for you.
How Does It Work?
The LavvieBot S is a unit that works with a scooping method. This means that every time that it senses a difference in the weight of the reservoir, it senses your cat is using it. Once the cat leaves, you can set a time for the scoop to go by the litter and remove all the feces. This method is very old yet very effective.
The poop removed from the litter goes into a compartment you can easily remove and clean. Also, you can put all the litter in the upper deposit and the machine will refill the internal reservoir automatically when needed. Moreover, you can follow up on all these movements thanks to the PurrSong App (more on the app later).
According to the manufacturer, with only one cat in the house, the LavvieBot S can be up to three weeks doing its thing before it needs you. This means that you could forget completely about your cat's poop and litter for three weeks at the time. That is clearly a major plus for the unit.
Benefits
We've been through the benefits of owning a robot cat litter box; let's take a look at the benefits of this self-cleaning litter box in particular:
- Urinary health — The main reason, according to Taegu Noh (founder and CEO of PurrSong) for building the LavvieBot S was to avoid cats getting urinary infections and diseases. Thus, this model monitors the urinary health of cats and prepares reports from the app to show your cat's vet.
- Low noise — The Company claims the LavvieBot S operates at 26.5 dB which is similar to the noise of rustling leaves. While this is not so critical for us, humans, cats hearing is way more sensitive and hence we need to take more precautions for them.
- You can order more litter — The App sends you a notification when you are all out of litter in your reservoir. You can opt to buy more from the same app. If this is not convenient, then I lost track of what convenience is.
- Deodorizer — The deodorizer inside the LavvieBot S will take care of 93.9% of ammonia coming from your cat's feces. It does require changing every two months but also keeps it smelling great inside, meaning that your lovely cat will always walk into a nice-smelling bathroom.
- Clean it with water — The LavvieBot S has an "Empty" button for you to remove all the litter inside and wash it directly with soap and water. This is another plus; you don't have to spend half a day scrubbing to get odor out.
- Auto-refills for litter — There is a reservoir of up to 6.5 L on the upper part of the machine that allows you to fill it with litter and then forget about the whole thing for weeks. The machine will dose it according to your cat´s needs.
Dimensions
"Competitor" = Litter-Robot III Open Air (more on the Litter-Robot later)
Here I think I can talk about the first flaw of this kind of artifact. This is not something regarding the LavvieBot S but all robot cat litter boxes in the market (or soon to be). They are big machines. I know that they have to be, but for you to have an idea we could compare it to a dishwasher, just a little shorter. The dimensions according to the Company are 19.5 x 22.9 x 27.7”. This makes the LavvieBot S ideal for a big laundry room or a spacious kitchen or even your living room.
Those of us who do not live in a big house with meters to spare do suffer the size of the machine. Moreover, if you were to compare it to a regular litter box, the differences in sizes are huge. The fact that it actually looks quite similar to other home appliances like a dishwasher, or a washing machine and such makes it a great addition to the kitchen or laundry room electronic appliances. If you have the room, placing it inside your human bathroom is a great idea too (as long as you can leave the door open most of the day).
The PurrSong App
The PurrSong app is one of the highlights of this automatic cat litter box in my opinion. You can do follow up, monitor activity, and set custom reminders. For example, you can see on your phone and from the office if your cats have used the bathroom. It will let you know if the waste and litter levels are full or empty and will allow you to order more litter with just a touch. A great thing for this model is that it is designed to differentiate between cats in a multi-cat house like mine (given they are 1.5 pounds apart in weight).
The monitoring of the ongoing activity with precise numbers of how long it took each time and how many times they did it are great for the vet too. They can use it to keep track and detect anomalies early on. I think the PurrSong App really makes the LavvieBot S a better product; I think I would enjoy using it a lot.
You can download the app here:
LavvieBot S Indiegogo
If you go to Indiegogo you'll find out that there is a big amount of robot cat litter box products available for funding. You'll see some that are completely crazy and some that got some heart and dedication in the making process. It's hard to read the story about the cat-loving navy officer who started the company to make the world a better place for cats and not shed a tear.
The campaign had 365 "backers" which is something like investors who believe in the product and raised $160,841 in less than a year. As for the updates on the page, the first shipment of LavvieBot S to cross the Pacific Ocean and reach SoCal from South Korea departs on 08/01/2020. This means that by next week, the first units will be sailing the sea and be delivered (unless Godzilla decides otherwise) safe and sound in the houses of the backers.
Although the Indiegogo campaign is currently closed, they are taking pre-orders through a different site (the LavvieBot S is now available on Amazon). More on this in a couple paragraphs.
LavvieBot S Price
Are you wondering if you'll be able to afford this robot cat litter box? It happens to me a lot that I'm afraid to hear the price of something really good and complete. This smart, self-cleaning litter box is available for pre-order at $899 (the LavvieBot S is now available on Amazon).
Release Date
Although the first units of this robot cat litter box come out of South Korea on 08/01/2020, there is no posted date for the actual release or launch of the product for a massive audience (the LavvieBot S is now available on Amazon). Without any doubts, after the first batch is delivered and tested, manufacturing will resume and soon they shall be available in the market.
You know what they say about pioneers, they always get the best stuff and this is no exception. The rest of us will have to wait until this smart, automatic cat litter box reaches the market.
Availability
According to PurrSong, Inc., the LavvieBot S is available for pre-order from the RobotShop store. The approximate arrival time for the website on preorder is for 10/02/2020. You can set a reminder and the page will let you know when the LavvieBot S robot cat litter box is in stock for purchase and delivery.
The LavvieBot S is now available on Amazon.
Where to Order
If you go to the official website for the LavvieBot S, the pre-order link will take you immediately to RobotShop. They also have a store dedicated to the UK where members of the United Kingdom can order this smart, self-cleaning litter box with a due date set for 09/04/2020.
The LavvieBot S is now available on Amazon.
LavvieBot S FAQs
There are always some loose ends when you read a post like this. I know that because it happened to me many times and it is a bummer. To avoid that, I decided to add some FAQs in case you were wondering about them too. Yeah, I know; you're welcome.
Money-Back Guarantee
Yes, there is a 90-day money-back guarantee in case your cats do not get used to it or don't like it.
There are a couple of things to bear in mind:
- The unit has to be returned with the original packaging and all accessories as it came from the factory.
- All the costs associated with the shipping of the unit back to the manufacturer are entirely customer responsibility.
Warranty
The warranty for the LavvieBot S is for two years. If in those initial 24 months the unit has any manufacturing problems that lead to a malfunction, the company will repair or replace the unit free of charge. After the 24 months, the customer is subject to support from the RobotShop support team.
Is It for All Cat Sizes?
Most breeds in the world fit the 4.5 lb (2 kg) to 22 lb (10 kg) that the LavvieBot S supports. The company warns about large cats like Savannah Cats or Maine Coons. These are actually huge animals closer to bigger felines than a regular cat. If you own one of these, you know by now that they do not fit in almost any designed-for-cats product. Well, this is one more to add to that list.
Safety Mechanisms and Sensors
Which are LavvieBot S safety mechanisms? Let's take a quick look:
- Indented buttons — Cats love pushing buttons that make noises and hence they'll love your LavvieBot S front panel. With indented buttons you can forget about it; they will never be able to push them.
- Sensors — Three sensors that control the insides of the LavvieBot S. If a cat was to go inside during the cleaning process, the infrared sensor at the entrance would make the unit come to a complete halt. You can also access the inside through the side door if anything was malfunctioning.
- Safety standards — Everything in the LavvieBot S is RoHS compliant. This means that no component, substance, or material in the unit can damage your cat.
LavvieBot S vs Litter-Robot III Open Air
There is at least one big contender for the moment the LavvieBot S reaches the wide market: The Litter-Robot III Open Air — read my review here. It is called "III" because it is the third incarnation of a revolutionary idea.
I actually do own one of these (sitting peacefully next to my laundry machine at home) so I can review it with authority. It kind of looks like out of a Kubrik space movie such as Space Odyssey 2001 with its giant top ball featuring an oval hole in the front.
Mechanism
The first big difference between them is the actual mechanism. While the LavvieBot S works with a scoop that removes the poop from the litter, the Litter-Robot moves the entire sphere to drop the feces on one side and then put the litter back in its place. There is no litter reservoir and no auto-refill mechanism. The litter is something that the human in charge must change at least weekly.
Odor
Both units take care of the odor associated with your pet's poop. The LavvieBot S does this with a gel that needs to be replaced every two months. On the other hand, the Litter-Robot works with a carbon filter. When people come to my house actually surprises that I even have cats because you can't smell them at all. The Litter-Robot does a great job with the odor and so should the LavvieBot S.
Design & Size
The Litter-Robot is a big, otherworldly machine that will definitely occupy a big part of whatever room you put it at. I used to have it in the kitchen but had to take it out because it was too big to be there. I can say that the third version is the best design so far making the room for the cats bigger and more ergonomic. It actually is your cat's ergonomic pooping space what makes it very hard for their bathroom to fit more spaces. The curvy top and the fact that it can't be touching anything else (due to rotation) makes it a hard fit for most rooms.
I have mine in the laundry at home and every time I go there I say to myself "how did I fit you in my kitchen for a whole year!?"
On the other hand, the design on the LavvieBot S is smooth and looks very good; just like a state of the art home appliance that could be a dishwasher. Measures are definitely smaller and due to the edges being similar to other home appliances, it can fit most spaces. I think I would have it in the kitchen again if I had one while the big and old Litter-Robot will suffer confinement into the laundry room. I think the LavvieBot S really wins this one by a big difference.
Connectivity
Here is, I guess, the second biggest difference between the two of them. The Litter-Robot was designed over 20 years ago (yeah, in a whole different century). This makes it a little outdated judging it from 2022. Connectivity I guess it is the biggest flaw because it can offer none to the owners. I can picture five years from now linking the food and water reservoirs along with the bathroom and letting a Wi-Fi driven system handle my cat's needs. Sadly, the Litter-Robot will stay at the laundry room disconnected and (probably) still doing its thing for my cats every now and then.
Price
The price difference between the models is big. While you can get the LavvieBot S from a pre-order at $899 (the LavvieBot S is now available on Amazon), the Litter-Robot III Open Air can be yours for merely $449. If space, comfort, design, and connectivity are worth $350 for you, then you will enjoy your LavvieBot S thoroughly. You can get the Litter-Robot III Open Air from Amazon.
Getting to Know the LavvieBot S Through Some Videos
As I said before, this is the 21st century; the time of the videos. Here's a quick summary of the YouTube videos that can help you make a decision about buying the LavvieBot S or not.
Image Gallery
Verdict
As a verdict, I will say that every cat lover who can afford it will improve his or her life quality and that of his or her cats drastically getting a LavvieBot S. It is a couple of steps ahead of the competition right now and with just some years of trial and error, it can become the perfect solution for a need that all cat-lovers have.
LavvieBot S: Automatic Litter Box
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