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Testing a new automated litter box
Aug. 1st, 2023 11:56 amI last posted about the Litter Robot 3 in March. It has mostly worked for two years now and I am not sorry I bought it. But I keep an eye on new entrants in this space.
Most of the new robots are basically Litter Robot copies. So many other turning globes. I think it’s entirely possible for someone to take this turning globe design, and improve it a lot. I would like to see a much larger globe. It would give the cat more space in there, and allow more room in the design to place the screen higher so it is less likely to be peed on. Unfortunately no one does this; in fact they seem focused on making them smaller. I guess that makes sense since shipping costs get crazy and not everyone has a large basement to put it in. But given the space (which we do have) a larger globe would really help! There are also more subtle improvements that could be made, to seal or smooth crevasses that collect dirt, improve sensor functions, etc. Maybe someday a rival will nail enough of these things to make it worth it. So far I don’t see any who have.
Then a very different design caught my eye and I could not resist ordering it. It’s is called the Popur X5.
This is an open design. The litter sits in a rectangular box. When the clean cycle runs, the entire box lifts and tilts sideways. There’s a huge accordion baffle to keep cats from going underneath. The clean litter slides through a screen into a compartment. The clumps are tipped into a second box. This second box has a lid that closes to seal in the smells, and is lined with a plastic bag.
Popur claims it doesn’t need all these flaky sensors since it’s safe even if the cat gets in while it’s running. But there are several deeply negative reviews online, from people whose cats still managed to get caught up in it. So I am approaching cautiously. Right now I have the automatic cleaning function turned off. I set up the litterbox camera to focus on it. When the camera detects motion I get a notification on my phone. I look to see what is happening. Ten or fifteen minutes after the cat leaves, I use the Popur app to trigger the cleaning cycle, and I watch it run on the camera feed.
It’s clearly a first generation product. The waste box is made of cardboard and could use some improvements in how it is held to the main unit. The controls are inconveniently located. There were apparently a lot of issues with the app and the firmware, earlier, but they seem to have ironed a lot of that out now. There is no IFTTT support.
But overall, it seems robust and highly functional. More importantly the cats prefer it. The first time Scotty used it was night before last, and since then he has used the Popur twice as often as he has used the Litter Robot. Clare has never used the Litter Robot, but yesterday she discovered the Popur on her own and has been coming into the house to use it, rather than using the old school boxes in the porch that she shares with the kittens.
Scotty still pees on the screen in the Popur. But the screen shape is such that it doesn’t clog up when peed on, and the sifting motion clears the residue over the next several runs. It’s early days but so far it seems like it can recover from screen peeing, instead of growing more and more gunky.
I would not worry about Scotty getting caught in it. He is much too big, and he is disinclined to get into mischief. If it was just Scotty I would turn on the automated cleaning right now. But Clare is small enough to squeeze behind the screen, and she is curious and energetic. So I am going to run manually for a bit longer.
Most of the new robots are basically Litter Robot copies. So many other turning globes. I think it’s entirely possible for someone to take this turning globe design, and improve it a lot. I would like to see a much larger globe. It would give the cat more space in there, and allow more room in the design to place the screen higher so it is less likely to be peed on. Unfortunately no one does this; in fact they seem focused on making them smaller. I guess that makes sense since shipping costs get crazy and not everyone has a large basement to put it in. But given the space (which we do have) a larger globe would really help! There are also more subtle improvements that could be made, to seal or smooth crevasses that collect dirt, improve sensor functions, etc. Maybe someday a rival will nail enough of these things to make it worth it. So far I don’t see any who have.
Then a very different design caught my eye and I could not resist ordering it. It’s is called the Popur X5.
This is an open design. The litter sits in a rectangular box. When the clean cycle runs, the entire box lifts and tilts sideways. There’s a huge accordion baffle to keep cats from going underneath. The clean litter slides through a screen into a compartment. The clumps are tipped into a second box. This second box has a lid that closes to seal in the smells, and is lined with a plastic bag.
Popur claims it doesn’t need all these flaky sensors since it’s safe even if the cat gets in while it’s running. But there are several deeply negative reviews online, from people whose cats still managed to get caught up in it. So I am approaching cautiously. Right now I have the automatic cleaning function turned off. I set up the litterbox camera to focus on it. When the camera detects motion I get a notification on my phone. I look to see what is happening. Ten or fifteen minutes after the cat leaves, I use the Popur app to trigger the cleaning cycle, and I watch it run on the camera feed.
It’s clearly a first generation product. The waste box is made of cardboard and could use some improvements in how it is held to the main unit. The controls are inconveniently located. There were apparently a lot of issues with the app and the firmware, earlier, but they seem to have ironed a lot of that out now. There is no IFTTT support.
But overall, it seems robust and highly functional. More importantly the cats prefer it. The first time Scotty used it was night before last, and since then he has used the Popur twice as often as he has used the Litter Robot. Clare has never used the Litter Robot, but yesterday she discovered the Popur on her own and has been coming into the house to use it, rather than using the old school boxes in the porch that she shares with the kittens.
Scotty still pees on the screen in the Popur. But the screen shape is such that it doesn’t clog up when peed on, and the sifting motion clears the residue over the next several runs. It’s early days but so far it seems like it can recover from screen peeing, instead of growing more and more gunky.
I would not worry about Scotty getting caught in it. He is much too big, and he is disinclined to get into mischief. If it was just Scotty I would turn on the automated cleaning right now. But Clare is small enough to squeeze behind the screen, and she is curious and energetic. So I am going to run manually for a bit longer.
