Pet parents in multi-cat homes primarily invest in self-cleaning litter boxes so that they no longer need to worry about constantly scooping. With this type of litter box, having multiple cats no longer equates to needing multiple litter boxes.
You can learn more about owning multiple cats in our guide for managing multi-cat households.
There are plenty of great reasons to use a self-cleaning litter box in a home with several felines—including the fact that a consistently clean bed of litter is great for cats, especially territorial ones. Let’s explore what to look for when choosing the best automatic litter box for multiple cats.
Features of a good self-cleaning litter box for multiple cats
When choosing an automatic litter box for your multi-cat household, superior quality is essential. After all, this appliance will be used often throughout the day. In addition to a well-engineered unit, here are some important features to consider.
Rapid and reliable cleaning
With multiple cats using one litter box, you want a unit that cleans itself quickly and reliably. The longer the bed of litter is left dirty, the more likely a territorial cat will go to the bathroom elsewhere (or even hold it in—which can lead to numerous health issues).
When the unit cleans itself, you’ll want to ensure it is dependable and not more trouble than it’s worth. For instance, self-cleaning litter boxes that use rake mechanisms often jam or clog, accumulating feces and waste that is a smelly pain to clean off. Instead, opt for a sifting rotational system that uses gravity to separate waste from clean litter, depositing the clumps for easy disposal.
Wide opening
Cats come in all shapes and sizes. They shouldn’t have to sacrifice comfort in the litter box just because they’re a large cat breed or perhaps overweight. Choose a self-cleaning litter box that accommodates cats of all sizes, with a wide opening and a spacious litter bed.
Large waste drawer
Trips to the bathroom add up when you’ve got multiple cats. You’ll want a self-cleaning litter box with a large drawer or chamber to accumulate a lot of waste. Otherwise, you’ll be emptying it almost as often as you were scooping. And who wants that?
Odor control
The more cats, the more waste… and the worse the odors. With all that waste stored in one place, make sure the self-cleaning litter box you purchase is proven to keep odors to a minimum. Is it too much to ask that your guests don’t realize you have cats when they walk in the door? Not with the right litter box.
Multi-cat recognition
If you’re investing in a litter box that cleans itself, why not consider the smart features that come along with it? Perhaps one of your cats has a health issue or you’re simply curious to see which feline is using the bathroom when. An automatic litter box that can differentiate between multiple cats can provide vital information to pet parents.
Litter-Robot is the best multi-cat self-cleaning litter box
Wondering what’s the best self-cleaning litter box for multiple cats? Litter-Robot is smart, automatic, and suited for up to four cats—which makes it perfect for multi-cat households. Let’s explore more below.
No more scooping
Scooping for one cat is a chore. Scooping for multiple cats is a nightmare. Litter-Robot uses a patented sifting process that begins just minutes after your cat exits the unit. Rather than being a stinky issue for the next cat that uses the litter box, your cat’s waste is deposited into a tightly sealed drawer below the unit. It’s easy to manage—just empty the waste drawer when indicated.
Because you might have two cats, four cats, or even more, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for how often you should empty your waste drawer. The good news is that Litter-Robot will notify you via the Whisker app or the control panel when the waste drawer is full. And you can check current waste drawer levels in the app at any time.
Individual cat weight and activity
Keep tabs on each of your cat’s weight using… the litter box? Yes, the litter box! Litter-Robot 4 features SmartScale® technology that identifies trends in your cats’ weight, all within the Whisker app. As long as your cats weigh a difference of 1 or more pounds, you can monitor which cat used Litter-Robot and how much they weighed at the time.
Tracking individual cat activity and history can help you identify patterns and—even more importantly—irregularities that may indicate the need to visit your veterinarian.
Quick, quiet clean cycles
With Litter-Robot, you can set how soon a clean cycle begins after your cat exits the unit. The standard setting is 7 minutes, but pet parents can shorten this to 3 minutes. In a household with multiple cats, Litter-Robot will be utilized often—and a shorter cycle delay means a clean bed of litter even sooner.
No matter how often your self-cleaning litter box runs, you won’t be bothered by noise. That’s because Litter-Robot 4 features ultra-quiet cleaning cycles. Place the unit in any room without worry of disrupting the ambiance or bothering any particularly skittish cats you have at home.
Superior odor control
Anyone with more than one cat must deal with many cat odors. Litter-Robot helps with odor control because it’s automatic, partially enclosed, and contains odor-absorbing components like carbon filters.
Litter-Robot 4 features an optional OdorTrap® System designed to neutralize litter box odors. This system combines a sealed waste drawer and carbon filter to reduce odor. You can replace the carbon filter with OdorTrap® Packs to eliminate litter box odors through natural chemistry.
Litter savings
Having multiple cats usually means going through multiple bags of cat litter before you know it. Not so with Litter-Robot: The patented sifting process removes only the dirty clumps, preserving the clean litter. This results in greater litter efficiency, even leading to savings of up to 50% in litter costs, according to many customers.
Plus, Litter-Robot bundles allow you to further save on litter, waste bags, and more at a preferential price. Keep an eye on our active Litter-Robot promotions and future Black Friday sales for more savings!
How to acclimate multiple cats to an automatic litter box
There are a few steps that you can take to acclimate multiple cats to your automatic litter box. Let’s review the steps you need to take.
Step 1: Introduce Litter-Robot
After your litter box is set up, it’s time to help your cats become comfortable with the change. Don’t remove their old litter box right away: For the first week, we recommend giving your cats the option to choose which box to use. (Note: Kittens must weigh at least 3 pounds before using Litter-Robot 4 in automatic mode, or at least 5 pounds before using Litter-Robot 3 in automatic mode.)
Keep the unit in the same location as the old litter box. This will help keep your cats’ experience as similar as possible.
Step 2: Utilize the same cat litter, if possible
Having multiple cats in your home means dealing with multiple personalities. Bubbly kittens might not be phased by the new litter box, but adult cats can have strong opinions about their litter box.
By keeping the automatic litter box in the same location with the same litter, your cats will have less stress about their new bathroom solution! However, not all cat litter types will work with Litter-Robot. If you were using strictly absorbent, non-clumping, loose-clumping, newspaper-based, or wood-based litter before, you will need to switch to a clumping cat litter for Litter-Robot. Learn more about the best litter for Litter-Robot in our dedicated article.
Step 3: Do not turn the power on right away
The motor noise or motion might initially startle your cats. (Luckily, Litter-Robot 4 features quiet self-cleaning cycles!) If your cats are sensitive, keep the power off until they are comfortable using the unit.
After they are comfortable, switch the unit on. Be sure to supervise your cats after you have switched the unit on to ensure they are still utilizing their new facilities.
Step 4: Incentivize use in the new unit
Utilizing catnip, treats, and praise are great ways to transition your cats to their new Litter-Robot.
For more litter box tips, check out our full litter box guide.
Pet parents agree: Litter-Robot is the best self-cleaning litter box for multiple cats
Felines make great pets and companions but will need you to take the lead on their bathroom cleanup. Scooping kitty litter is the not-so-glamorous side of pet ownership, especially when you have multiple cats under your roof.
With the use of Litter-Robot, you will no longer need to have multiple litter boxes for your multiple cats. The consistently clean litter will fend off any territorial problems. It provides a no-scoop, mess-free experience to save you time and help keep your home smelling fresh.
Check out why Litter-Robot is the top-rated self-cleaning litter box for multiple cats with these real customer reviews:
“As anyone who has multiple cats knows, keeping conventional litter boxes clean (and clean enough to keep the kitties happy!) is a daunting task. Litter-Robot has made it such a breeze, freeing up time that I can now use for extra play time with them! The cats also love watching it cycle, so it has provided the extra bonus of entertainment for them. It has also eliminated unwanted litter box odors throughout the house; guests have even commented it is hard to tell we have multiple cats! Overall, I highly recommend Litter-Robot.” - Rachel H.
“Best purchase for our home! Has changed the way we live... no cat odor or litter crumbs strewn throughout the house anymore, and the cats love to have a fresh box every time. In fact they used to fight over who used it first after being scooped, now every time is the first time!!” - Alicia B.
“We had enough of not only cleaning the pans but also the area around the pans. Have 4 cats, two male and two female and had to have three pans. We got Litter-Robot to deal with the mess with hopes of getting rid of all three pans. Well it took about a month but all four cats are now using Litter-Robot. Now the floor stays clean, no odors and we only empty one box once a week! We also went from 30 pounds of litter per month to 10 pounds per month. Wish we had bought one a lot sooner!” - Dennis
