Litter Robot 3 vs LitterMaid: Which Should You Choose?

Cleaning your cat’s litter box takes time and attention. Not only do you need to scoop it out at least once a day, you need to completely clean it and change the litter once a week. It takes physical energy to clean it out and in some cases, it can be detrimental to your health. It’s especially risky for pregnant women.

If you don’t enjoy cleaning up after your furry friend, you might want to look into a litter box that can clean itself. You’ll find a lot of products on the market that claim to be automated, so let’s take a look at a couple of the options.

The Litter Robot 3 and the LitterMaid both automate the chore of cleaning your cat’s litter box so you can focus less on cleaning and more on cuddling. They offer advanced solutions with a lot of features to make it easier for you to change your cat’s litter.

Litter Robot 3

The Litter Robot (Read my full review here!) has been around for more than fifteen years. It’s in its third version and after years of taking customer feedback and suggestions into consideration, they incorporated the improvements that people like you want to see.

Litter Robot 3 limits your contact with waste to avoid health issues, keeping you and your children away from the dirty litter as much as possible. It also keeps your entire family safe from toxoplasmosis infections that can cause harm to unborn children.

Design

The Litter Robot 3 prevents you from having to scoop up your cat’s waste with a futuristic design that also eliminates odors. Leaving your cat or cats home for several days won’t be a problem because they can take care of their own bathroom habits and stay clean. It can save you time and energy because you won’t need to clean it daily, and it uses 30-50% less litter than other boxes.

The modern-looking capsule comes with steps, making it easy for cats to climb in and out and reduces the risk of them tracking dirty litter around the room. The simple buttons on the side help you configure the settings and operate the machine manually. It also comes with some liners to get you started.

The dome gives you cat a spacious litter area as well as a large opening for entering and exiting. Your cat will feel comfortable doing his business in a large, private space. It also prevents intimidation of shy cats and promotes comfort instead of fear. A night light can also encourage your old or frightened cat by keeping the unit lit, especially at night.

Once you get it set up, this reliable tool will allow you to relax while your cats have a clean and accommodating bathroom. It keeps your home and your animals cleaner without you having to lift a finger.

Operation

The Litter Robot 3 uses a weight sensor to detect a cat entering and exiting the dome. You can set the unit to clean 3, 5, or 7 minutes after your cat leaves, reducing the risk of them being scared by the noise and operation.

The machine will sift the clumped litter and deposit it in the waste tray, where you can place the liners for a mess-free clean up later. You can also use normal trash bags instead of the expensive replacement liners to save on cost.

The Litter Robot 3 accommodates many different types of litter, so you can use what your cat already likes. The kind of litter you use and the number of cats you have will dictate how often you need to clean it out. However, in between cleanings, the carbon filter works to eliminate odors in the receptacle, keeping it clean and smelling fresh.

To prevent your cat from trying to use it during a cleaning cycle, the Litter Robot 3 will rotate closed. After it’s done, the dome rotates back to an open position so your cat can use it again when he’s ready.

During cleaning, your Litter Robot 3 will rotate closed so your cat cannot use it while it’s cleaning. After the Litter Robot 3 is done cleaning, the bubble rotates back to its original position and will be ready for use again. Your machine also detects when a cat is trying to enter during a cleaning cycle, allowing it to pause and return to its normal position if needed.

The Litter Robot 3 has a blue indicator light that will switch on and a buzzing noise that will sound when it’s time to change the liner in the waste tray. Pull the drawer out, empty it, replace the liner, and insert the tray back into the machine. It’s quick and easy, with minimal contact between you and your cat’s waste.

The control panel’s lock feature keeps curious cats and babies away. You can configure your Litter Robot 3 and then lock the controls so no one can mess it up or change your settings unless they unlock it first.

The 8-hour sleep mode comes in handy if you’re a light sleeper and want to turn the machine off at night. You can switch it off while you sleep and then turn the handle yourself for manually cleaning if needed. The manual cleaning mode works well if you lose power, too.

Parts and Accessories

Everything you need to set up the Litter Robot 3 comes in the box. The unit, steps, and extra liners will all get you started. You can also buy extra parts and accessories online or use your own trash bags to save money.

A battery backup is available for travel or in case you lose power. It will power your unit for up to 48 hours for two cats. It will last longer if you only have one cat, or it could run down more quickly if you have more than two.

Setup

All you need to do to set up your Litter Robot 3 is unbox the unit, put a liner in the waste tray, and plug it in. It needs to be on a flat, stable surface with litter in the dome, and you should configure how soon you want it to clean. After that, it’s ready to go.

Since the Litter Robot 3 uses 30-50% less litter than traditional litter boxes, putting too much inside could affect how well it cleans or cause it to work too hard. The manufacturer says that clumping clay or litter crystals work best.

Cats from 5 to 20 pounds can effectively use the Litter Robot 3. If your cat weighs less than 5 pounds, the weight sensor won’t trigger and it will not clean. If your cat weighs more than 20 pounds, it may not be able to handle the amount of waste your cat leaves.

Maintenance

Scooping, sifting, and cleaning are automated, but you do have to replace the liners or trash bags in the waste tray with the indicator light comes on. If you don’t see or hear the indicator, or you aren’t home, the unit will not continue cleaning until you empty the waste tray. That way, it won’t malfunction or overflow.

Once every week or every two weeks, you should clean the inside of the dome and the waste tray with disinfectant spray and a damp cloth. This will make sure it’s sanitary, hygienic, and clean. Don’t put the entire unit under water or it won’t work.

Litter Robot 3 Pros:

• Works for more than one cat, 5-20 pounds

• Large entrance and litter area

• Uses less litter and regular garbage bags instead of expensive liners

• Eliminates odor

• Automatic night light

• 8-hour sleep mode

• Cleaning indicator for full waste tray

• Safe for cats and babies

Litter Robot 3 Cons:

• Makes noise while cleaning

• Doesn’t work for cats smaller than 5 pounds or larger than 20 pounds

• Expensive

Litter Robot 3 Verdict

The Litter Robot 3 may be pricey, but the features are useful, especially if you have an old cat, a timid cat, or more than one cat. It makes your life much easier and is a sanitary solution, eliminating hard work and odors. It has a 90-day warranty if your cat doesn’t like it.

LitterMaid Mega

The LitterMaid Mega is a popular choice among beginners in the automatic litter box market. A lot of new users gravitate toward the LitterMaid Mega because it’s affordable, easy to use, and gets great reviews.

It makes it easy for your cat to transition from a traditional litter box to an automated one. The simple design looks more like a traditional box, helping them understand what it’s for and learn to use it more quickly.

Design

The LitterMaid Mega is spacious, leaving room for multiple cats in one household. It also has a waste container with a carbon filter to eliminate odors. The high wall design keeps litter in the box so your cat won’t kick it out on the floor, keeping the unit and your entire house cleaner.

The anti-litter trailing ramp makes it easy for your cat to enter and exit the box while preventing the litter from sticking to their paws. Your cat won’t leave a trail of litter for you to clean like in a traditional box.

Advances motion sensors drive the automatic cleaning design. The sensors are weight activated, so when your cat is done with the unit, the machine waits ten minutes, then engages the cleaning cycle to clean up after your cat so you don’t have to.

It easily accommodates any litter type you prefer but works best with the clumping clay litter for easy disposal. You can set it up in both automatic and manual modes for your cleaning preference, or allowing you to use it even if you lose power.

Operation

Just like other rake-driven litter boxes, the LitterMaid uses a rake to sift through the litter and push waste into the waste tray. It has a series of motion sensors that are activated to initiate the cleaning cycle just ten minutes after your cat exits.

This ten-minute delay gives your cat plenty of time to do his business and gives the litter time to clump so it can perform a more effective clean. If your cat decides to enter the litter box again while the cleaning is in progress, the machine will stop cleaning and wait another ten minutes after your cat leaves to reactivate.

During cleaning, the rake will move slowly through the entire length of the box, catching clumps and waste in its tracks. At the other end, it deposits waste into the tray so it is disposed of properly.

If you find that the litter is dirtier than you’d like, you can also press a button on the unit to initiate a cleaning cycle manually. Instead of waiting ten minutes, it will get to work right away. While there’s always a chance litter could get caught in the rake, leading to a less effective clean, LitterMaid offers a push-button rake release that removes the rake for easy cleaning.

Parts and Accessories

The LitterMaid Mega is fairly simple and doesn’t have a lot of parts or accessories. It comes fully assembled so all you have to do is plug it in and it’s ready to go. There’s no complicated set up either. Use the manual clean button if you need it. Otherwise, the machine works on its own.

Setup

Just unbox your unit and set it up. The LitterMaid’s operations are so simple that they require virtually no setup. Fill the receptacle with the litter of your choice, plug it in, turn it on, and it’s ready to go.

Don’t overfill the litter tray or the rake won’t work as effectively as it should. It will jam and require your intervention to reset it. It comes with a convenient red line to show you where the max fill limit is.

Maintenance

Maintenance with the LitterMaid Mega is easy. You will need replacement waste containers, but they are cheap and easy to find. Customer reviews indicate that some have figured out how to reuse these containers, so it is possible, but not recommended.

Despite the fact that the containers are disposable, you can make them last longer by using your own plastic liners made out of trash bags or shopping bags to wrap the container first before placing it in the unit.

Doing this eliminates the need for new containers every few weeks and makes the waste tray very easy to clean. You should periodically clean the entire unit by emptying it, wiping it down, and then setting it up again.

You may also find that sometimes you need to manually clean the rake. The push-button rake release makes it easy to pop it off, clean it out, and then replace it.

LitterMaid Pros:

• Rake is easily removable

• 10-minute cleaning cycle delay

• Motion sensors initiate cleaning cycle

• Anti-litter ramp to prevent litter trailing

• Carbon filter eliminate odor

• Affordable

LitterMaid Cons:

• Waste can get stuck in rake, requiring manual assistance

• Works best with clumping clay

• Can be noisy

LitterMaid Mega Verdict

The LitterMaid Mega is an affordable solution for people just getting started with an automatic litter box solution. It offers an easy design and simple operations without all of the complicated bells and whistles.

The rake design provides an efficient clean and you can also initiate manual cleans when needed. It is a great option for people with only one or two cats or those who just want to try out a simple solution before spending a lot of money on something more advanced.

Comparison Chart

Final Thoughts

The Litter Robot 3 and the LitterMaid Mega offer an automated solution with hands-free operations, keeping your house cleaner and you healthier. With easy setup and maintenance, they both leave you more time to play or snuggle with your cats instead of clean up.

The price of the Litter Robot 3 may deter some people, but it offers a lot of features and advanced technology to make your life easier. It’s nice for old or timid cats because of its night light. The LitterMaid Mega is more affordable but doesn’t offer features like a control panel lock, 8-hour sleep mode, or backup battery. It’s basic, simple, and reliable.

Both systems are made by trusted brands, so if you’re looking for something that automates you cleaning life and cuts out odor, both are great options. You just need to decide which one you think works best for you.

Further read:

• Litter Robot 3 vs ScoopFree Ultra