The Best Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes for Multiple Cats

Having a litter box for one cat is a great solution to a common problem; having it for multiple cats is as close to a revelation as it gets. Let´s face it, the more cats we have at home, the more it becomes a daily chore to take out their poop. I have three cats and ever since I discovered I could buy a machine to do it for me I didn´t think about it twice. That being said, I had to go through some thorough research and several machines to find the perfect one for me and my lovely companions.

I decided to put together this post to help those who are as lost as I was when I started this journey. Read on as I go deeply into the subject and give you three options to meet every budget; let´s kiss poop-collecting goodbye.

Can Multiple Cats Use the Same Litter Box?

This is a question that cat-lovers make a lot to litter-trays salespeople. Normally, unless we live in a very small space, we tend to have multiple cats. I mean, they are so full of purr love for us… why stop at one? Plus, they usually get along great and is a lot of fun to see them chasing each other.

The answer to the question above is an absolute yes. There are plenty of models in the market that can accommodate multiple cats. The thing that most cat-lovers will know is that cats are lonely animals who don´t like roaming around in a pack or being told what to do. Thus, there is no way of ensuring your cats will love their new bathroom before you test it. It might very well happen that an alpha cat can block it for the beta cat in the house just for bullying reasons. Or they might just walk around it, look at it thoroughly, even go inside and then leave as if they had just seen nothing. Cats are curious animals but not necessarily obedient or cooperative.

To know a little more about the multiple cats and litter boxes here´s a helpful article by online vets to help you.

What To Look For in a Multi-Cat Automatic Litter Box?

So, chances are you have more than one cat climbing up your rocking chair and… yes, pooping in the tray. Which are the characteristics of a multi-cat automatic litter tray you should look for? Let´s take a look at them.

• Space — Cats need space to do their needs. Usually, the litter trays that are advised for more than one cat are bigger than those for a single cat. This is because they simply don´t like stepping on anybody else´s waste.
• Adjustable Timer — If one cat jumps in and does its thing, the others in the house might want to follow. Look for an automatic litter box in which you can adjust the timeframe of the machine so it will clean the tray before the next cat jumps in.
• Multi-Cat Information — Usually, cats don´t weigh the same. There are differences between them as much as there are among humans. Multi-cat automatic litter trays that collect info should differentiate between them due to their weight.
• Big-Enough Waste Receptacle — This is the last item, but definitely not the last thing to look for. The poop is going to pile up inside a receptacle so you can throw it away; make sure it is big enough for you to clean it weekly. Otherwise despite the word “automatic” you will be working daily anyways.

Best Value: LitterMaid Automatic Multi-Cat Litter Box

Let´s start by taking a look at the most affordable, multiple cat automatic litter box on the list. This is the LitterMaid Automatic Multi-Cat Litter Box; in my humble opinion the best option for an automatic litter tray when on a budget.

What Is the LitterMaid Automatic Multi-Cat Litter Box?

As advertised by the company, this is their multiple-cat model. Truly so, the receptacle for the litter can hold up to 50% more litter than any other from the same brand. All of this litter is contained inside high blue walls to avoid your cats from spilling them all over the place. Moreover, the included ramp works great for cleaning their tiny paws as they leave the unit.

How Does It Work?

This unit for multiple cats looks very much like a normal litter tray. It works by doing robotically what you normally do yourself. It features a scoop in the shape of a giant comb that goes through the entire pile of litter and picks up only the waste to throw it inside a plastic receptacle with a carbon filter to avoid any odors. The unit has a sensor inside that, when blocked for over ten seconds, activates a timer of 20 minutes to scoop on the waste.

On the good side, this system works great in a much smaller size than the expensive competition we are about to see. You can definitely put it under furniture and it will do the trick at ease.

On the other hand, if your cat does a great job covering its poop it might be sunken so deep that the giant comb won´t pick it up. If that´s the case (like Jack, my oldest cat) you have to go manual at least once a week for anything still in the bottom (Hey, it´s still better than scooping daily!).

Plastic Receptacles

I guess my biggest complaint is that the plastic receptacles are not big enough and disposable. You need to buy one each time it fills up. This can happen up to twice or three times a week depending on your cats. Some people advise installing a bag inside so you can reuse it and I´ve done it with good results. The world doesn´t need any more disposable plastic ending up in some paradise beach somewhere.

Why Should I Get One?

If you have multiple cats in your house, you probably are fed up with cleaning the litter. This will do the trick for you (or at least reduce work drastically) on a budget occupying close to the same space as a large, regular litter tray.

Lastly, I don´t recommend it for a bedroom because it can get quite noisy when it´s working. Layla, my youngest cat loves going at night and it was not nice waking up because of it. If you have space or budget restrictions (or both) this can be of great help to alleviate your daily cat-related chores. Oh, and it comes with an internal battery in case of an electrical shortage, which I think is very handy.

Here´s a cool review video of it in case you want to know more.

Benefits

• Larger tray to fit multiple cats
• Internal battery in case of an electrical shortage
• Ramp to clean their paws
• Carbon filter to eliminate odor
• Very convenient size and price
• Works on your cats´ favorite litter (or any other)

Premium Pick: LavvieBot S

On the other side of the spectrum of automatic litter boxes for multiple cats we have the LavvieBot S. This is, by far, the most sophisticated piece of equipment on this list. We are going to go through the insights of how it works and also the differences with the “best value” pick; let´s go right to it.

What Is a LavvieBot S?

The LavvieBot S is an avant-garde piece of equipment developed for cats of the 21st century. The company presents it as “The Smartest Automatic Litter Box” and they are not mistaking one bit. It utilizes the same scooping concept the Litter Maid model above and adds everything you would expect for this time and age. The unit integrates the PurrSong App which keeps track of every movement and informs it to you via Wi-Fi.

The unit comes prepared to work on houses with multiple cats keeping track of each individually; they need to be at least 1.5 pounds apart in weight. I don´t know if you like it as much as I do that the app lets me enter their name and a picture, but I think it´s great. Also, the vet thinks that the info provided by the app is useful to detect anything going wrong in their tummy at an early stage.

How Does It Work?

As stated above, this unit works for multiple cats by measuring the weight difference. Because it is designed for more than one cat, you can adjust the time frame between the cat leaving the apparatus and the scooping of the feces between five and ninety minutes. The scooping works traditionally, with one giant comb lifting the feces from the litter and letting them drop in the container bin that locks underneath it. The machine uses an internal weight sensor and an additional one installed at the door to acknowledge when a cat is near; preventing the mechanism to start scooping so nobody gets hurt. Cats are curious animals, always bear that in mind.

Once the cat has done its thing, and if you downloaded and installed the PurrSong App, it will tell you who used the bathroom at what time. It also collects the data so you can have a record of your cat´s disposing habits.

Why Should I Get One?

If you have multiple cats, this unit is especially good for you. I mean, don´t get me wrong, it works great for one cat as well and will give you up to three weeks of poop disposal with no human help. While it is true that this timeframe reduces drastically when you have more cats, it might give you up to a week of tranquility before having to open the tray to get rid of the feces and add more litter. To me, the fact that it refills the tray automatically and that triggers an alert in your phone when you are running out of litter or the waste tray is full is super handy; even close to amazing. Furthermore, you can order your favorite litter straight from the PurrSong App.

I think that if you have a way with technology you´ll appreciate all the extras that this device can give you. Also, it is important to note that the machine is only available in pre-order status thus you will have to wait for the shipping. That being said, if you have the budget and the room for it, you can have the smartest litter box in the world.

For a detailed video, you can tap/click here.

Benefits

• Accommodates multiple cats
• Connects to the PurrSong App via Wi-Fi
• Very quiet
• Adds litter automatically
• You can order litter from the app once it´s over
• Message alarms when the waste receptacle is full and litter is over

Best Choice: Litter-Robot 3 Connect

When we talk about “Best choice”, we talk about that rare and great moment in which features and price go hand in hand. For those of us who have multiple cats, we know that they already are a budget to add to our lives. What if a single device could solve our problems without breaking the bank? Such is the case of the Litter-Robot 3 Connect.

What Is a Litter-Robot 3 Connect?

The Litter-Robot 3 Connect is the last on the list of the best automatic litter box for multiple cats. In my personal and honest cat-lover opinion, it is the best pick of the three. Plus, being a veteran in the subject I went through previous versions (not just me, but my cats too) and they seem to love this version much better. The company made the space where they do their thing bigger and more comfortable.

The Litter-Robot 3 Connect is not as fancy-looking and smart as the LavvieBot S, but it does the job perfectly well. With a simple array of lockable buttons and a dedicated app, it can perform almost as much as the LavvieBot S but costing $350 less.

I am lucky enough to have tested both and I guess the biggest differences are:

• Litter Refill — This very simple endeavor is extra work and the LavvieBot S will do it for you. No auto-refill or alarm message is allowing you to buy more through the app in the Litter-Robot Connect 3.
• Shape and Size — While the LavvieBot S fits where a normal home appliance will, the Litter-Robot Connect 3 with its humanoid head needs to be in a corner. If you are a Star Trek/Star Wars fan like me you´ll be a proud owner of this far-from-normal device and put it in your living room. Moreover, it comes in Jedi-White and Sith-Black (LOL).
• Noise Levels — The LavvieBot S is a very silent machine while Kenny´s faux brother is not. The mechanism works turning the giant sphere to one side to drop the poop and that whole endeavor is quite noisy. Luckily for us humans, it comes with a night mode to prevent it from turning in the wee hours of the morning.

How Does It Work?

If you look at it from the outside it looks like a pale Kenny from South Park. The huge sphere on top is the main element of the mechanism holding all the litter and rotating to let the poop drop to the bottom receptacle while the clean litter comes back to its original position. Because it is especially thought for multiple cats, you can adjust the time lapse between a cat leaving and the mechanism rotating.

The good thing about this mechanism, when compared to the above two, is that there is no way dirty litter can come back to the main receptacle. Since it uses a very thin filter, only unused litter gets past it. Besides that, the receptacle is easily washable using water and soap.

Why Should I Get One?

This was my first purchase of an automatic litter box for my multiple-cat family. My girlfriend at the time was against it because she thought we didn´t need it. Within one week of not scooping manually, she was completely in love with it. In fact, she bought one with her current boyfriend. The Litter-Robot Connect 3 is the best bang for the buck in my opinion because it features all the great specs from the LavvieBot S at almost half its price and is a big jump from the LitterMaid unit I told you about at the beginning.

If you have the room to install it and the funds to afford it, there´s no way you can make a mistake purchasing this unit. Personally, I always prefer products that have gone through several versions because that is the way manufacturers can fix the design flaws with buyers´ feedback. Finally, if your cats (or you) don´t like it, the unit comes with a 90-day money-back warranty.

Here´s a video of the designer of the device explaining how it works if you have any doubts.

Benefits

• Connectivity with the Connect App
• Adjustable timer for the scooping cycle
• Sleep mode
• Improved litter space with more space and better ergonomics
• Allows you to save up to 50% litter compared with other models
• Very effective mechanism

Verdict: What Is the Best Automatic Cat Litter Box for Multiple Cats?

OK, I walked you through my top three choices to meet every budget in a house with multiple cats. There´s no beating the LavvieBot S if you have the money to afford it and the time to wait for it. It is the smartest, most convenient, and technologically advanced unit of the pack.

On the other hand, the Litter-Robot 3 Connect is currently the best option because of the balance between price and features. On one hand, you can pay half the price and get it immediately to enjoy its very accurate scooping technology and on the other, it is not as advanced as the LavvieBot S.

Finally, for those who have never had an automatic litter box, I strongly suggest you start with the LitterMaid Automatic Multi-Cat Litter Box before going to more advanced models. It is not a big jump, but you´ll experience and enjoy the idea behind automatic litter boxes and get ready for your next step.

Whichever your budget and space are; there´s an automatic litter box for multiple cats ready for you.

Happy cat-loving week!

By SCRAPP:E

2 years ago  10 min