If you like the Pet Pura X but can’t quite stretch the budget, have a look at the ELS Pet Self-Scooping Litter Box. That said, they’re expensive so you want to make sure you find the right model for you and your cat. The best self-cleaning litter boxes are safe and comfortable for your cat, easy to clean, quiet, and simple to use.

ELS PET Self Cleaning Cat Litter Tray, Extra Large Automatic

While the idea of a self-flushing litter box is appealing, and it works most of the time, we found that it’s a big commitment that requires some special care and consideration. To reboot the litter box, you should unplug it from the power source for ten seconds. After ten seconds, reconnect the litter box to the power source. For example, the PetKit Pura X and the PetKit Pura Max don’t work at all with silica litter. And most automatic litter boxes don’t work well with wood-based litter.As it is, there aren’t that many self-cleaning litter boxes on the market. Even of the ones we could find, many of them aren’t available, at least not in the UK. That made choosing pretty easy. While it’s the most advanced litter box on this list, the Litter-Robot 4 isn’t perfect. In some respects, it’s more frustrating than the Litter-Robot 3. The cat litter box is set to automatic mode as the default settings because the majority of people like the self-cleaning mode, which is why they don’t configure other settings. Its core functions can also present some issues. The Genie Hand almost never caught all of our cats’ poop, leaving it to get washed and dried. The heat involved in this cycle means that the poop gets warm and smelly. Similarly, loose stool and diarrhea won’t get scooped and can get baked onto the litter. Deep cleaning involves some water and getting your (gloved, presumably) hands dirty. In case the LED indicator is blinking red, it indicates an error with the bowl motor. You can try fixing the blinking red light by rebooting the unit.

ELS PET Self Cleaning Cat Litter Tray, Automatic Cat Litter ELS PET Self Cleaning Cat Litter Tray, Automatic Cat Litter

While the cat detection system and cycling worked well, and the unit did a good job of sifting out clumps, it had a significant problem with leaking. Instead of a permanent, built-in liner like most automatic litter boxes have, the Petkit Pura Max features a removable liner that doesn’t create a perfect seal. During my test, I found that urine was able to seep around the edges and drop down into the base below. A noisy self-cleaning cat litter box isn’t only annoying, but it could also put your cat off using it.When the litter box turns on, it must be completely reset, and you will be able to use the automatic cleaning mode. In addition, you will be able to see the cleaning mode on the display panel. A combination of a metal rake and crystal cat litter allows the PetSafe ScoopFree to outperform other raking boxes. While other self-cleaning boxes with rakes tended to jam up and miss clumps, the PetSafe ScoopFree worked consistently, scraping up solids and carrying them into a waste compartment. Because crystal cat litter adsorbs liquids, the litter stays dry and manageable without needing the liquid to be removed. While all automatic litter boxes promise to save time and make your life easier, our tests have found that most of them have design flaws that could make them more time-consuming than a regular box. That’s why it’s important to choose a self-cleaning box with a smart, effective design. In addition to this, you should ensure that the waste guide is put in a lower position to make sure waste is properly moved to the conveyor. The Petkit Pura Max is their newest self-cleaning litter box, employing a rotating mechanism built into a low-slung, easy-access body. The basic sifting functionality is paired with an app that gives you cat identification, a weight log, an activity log, and basic litter box controls.

ELS PET 2 Packs Replaced Waste Bags, Portable Cat Litter ELS PET 2 Packs Replaced Waste Bags, Portable Cat Litter

While we had a pretty difficult time with the Pura Max due to the leaking issue and frustrations during cleaning, a lot of commenters on our original YouTube review of the product disagreed, saying that they hadn’t noticed any leaks and loved it. Therefore, we only recommend it to people whose cats “go” in the middle of the litter box. Watch the Petkit Pura Max in action: We don’t recommend buying an automatic litter box because, generally, they’re expensive, they’re loud, their scoops can get gunky or clogged, some models take 30 minutes to 1 hour to scoop, the litter beds are tiny, and the sensors don’t work for cats that weigh less than 5 pounds. Some automatic litter boxes also take a long time to scoop, which can annoy cats who like pristine litter boxes and may go elsewhere in the home while they wait for the litter box to do its job. For example, the CatGenie takes 30 minutes to flush away messes, and the PetSafe Simply Clean needs an hour to scoop out excrement. It features the same ‘xSecure System’ to detect your cat’s presence, both inside and outside of the box. So, if the drum is part way through a cycle, it will stop. So, there’s never a worry about your cat getting trapped or hurt. At 62cm wide, 53.8cm deep, and 55cm high, it’s bigger than the Pura X. The waste collection bin is bigger too.

At a Glance: Best Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes To Buy

Once the waste trap is installed into the base, the green light will turn on, which means the litter box is fully operational. You can buy with confidence knowing that you have 30 days to try the ELS PET Litter Boxes in your home. If you want to return, read our return policy and follow the return procedure below. This model has a larger waste drawer than the Litter-Robot 4 and still has the same carbon filter to help reduce odor. We didn’t think the build quality was quite as good as the PetKit either. One of the rakes broke after a couple of days. That said, their customer support was excellent. They sent us a couple of reinforced rakes free of charge and we’ve had no issues since. Also, the litter box has a 60-liter capacity, which is perfect for different types of litter, such as mixed litters, plant litters, bentonite litters, and mixed litters.