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Litter-Robot Automatic III Open Air
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Don’t waste your money
Great when it’s working. Non of the buttons work, it will not cycle. I have emailed for assistance without any response. Don’t waste your money!!
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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Great to hear. They also have a chat feature and FB page, in case you need other avenues to get assistance!
Love it
Great for when you hate to scoop and have 3 cats
- Incentivised Review No
Thank you so much for your review, its wonderful to have your feedback! Enjoy not scooping ;o)
- 3 reviews
- 1 like
Can’t fault the customer service
I have a litter robot 3. It is been a god send. The cats love it. I had an issue with the lights flashing and Mary was super helpful with her advice, she was patient and very responsive. If only all products had this level of service.
Purchased in .
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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A purrleasure to help you Claudine, especially when you were so happy to get 'paws on' and do some checks to see what might be the issue. The Litter-Robot is an amazing appliance, but like all applian...
Read moreces, sometimes there are faults and sometimes more operational information is needed. Cat Evolution provides service and support for the amazing Litter-Robot III Open Air in Australia and New Zealand, and is happy to pounce to assist if needed!
Great service
I had an issue with the full drawer indicator. I emailed Cat Evolution on a Sunday afternoon, not expecting an answer until Monday. Mary responded within 5 minutes of receiving my email. It took me a week to get back to her with an update, but again Mary responded quickly with further troubleshooting advice that enabled me to fix the sensor. 100% satisfied with the product and the aftersales service.
Purchased in .
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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A purrleasure to help Wendy, and thank you so much for your wonderful review. We understand how integral the Litter-Robot becomes for cats and cat owners, and work to get issues resolved as quickly as...
Read more possible. Its a great appliance to support as issues can be identified quickly and repairs or additional information provided when needed to keep it working hard catering to your cats litter box needs. Enjoy not scooping again ;o)
Find out how Litter-Robot Automatic III Open Air compares to other Cat Litter
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Great time saving product!
I have owned the Litter-Robot Automatic III Open Air for nearly 4 years and have found it to be very convenient. I wouldn't want to live without it, tbh. After being out of action due to a major renovation, it stopped being automatic. It had been unplugged for 9 weeks. I contacted after-sale customer service on a Saturday and received an immediate response with all the trouble-shooting advice I needed. I followed the advice to the letter, and it is working again. It was all very easy. My advice is that if you're looking to buy this, remember that it's an appliance, and you MAY have an issue, but support is available and ready to help. I could not have received better after-sale service than I did from Mary.
Purchased in .
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
- Incentivised Review No
Dear Veronica, thank you so very much for your wonderful review. We do like to provide a level of customer service that we would want should any of our Litter-Robots have a problem. The Litter-Robot i...
Read mores designed for self repair, and we can provide diagnostics and guidance to keep it in working order if there is a problem. Just ask, and we will pounce to help, as you have experienced. Great to have you back in order and enjoying not scooping again!
If I could give negative stars I would
This is a terrible product. As soon as the 2 year warranty ends the product keeps failing at least once a week. When you contact for help/support, they send you to buy new parts one at a time. Its a scam. Would avoid wasting your money on this product.
Purchased for $800.
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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Dear Anita, good to actually speak to you and have the opportunity to discuss your issue directly. As mentioned, the Litter-Robot has 18-month warranty for manufacturing faults. The key to your applia...
Read morence longevity is to use good clumping clay litter, with the Litter-Robot able to use a variety of litters providing you with choice on what best suits you and your cats. Key characteristics of good litters are low dust and fast clumping, which you can check by reviewing your waste drawer contents when changing the waste drawer liner. It's best to get in touch quickly for assistance if you have an issue, so that we can review and provide appropriate support and information. Photos are requested so that quick diagnosis can be made and issues resolved asap, with the Litter-Robot designed for self repair unlike most appliances, minimising wait time and costs should repair be needed. We look forward to getting you back in working order soon and thank you for your review.
Don't Waste Your Money
Don't waste your money on these hugely overpriced pieces of junk! Our LR3 has just completely died...YET AGAIN!
Forgot how many times I have spoken and dealt with customer support since owning this and what is extremely frustrating is that they do not maintain a database of you as a customer so every time you contact them you have to give them all your personal information and LR information and serial number like you are calling for the first time.
We have had a complete LR3 warranty replacement, set of sensors for full litter tray, and now ...
Read morea complete new base under warranty. We are at the point now where the thing will not function without going into some kind of fault mode such as litter that full when it's empty and pinch bar error. Totally fed up with going through the same troubleshooting checklist only to find nothing works, unless they send you a new replacement.Purchased at Whiskers for $500.
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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Dear Craig, sorry to hear you have been experiencing issues with your Litter-Robot. This is the Australian site, and it appears you are located in USA. Please get in touch with Whisker.com for assista...
Read morence unless you are located in Australia in which case we will certainly pounce to assist further.Related Articles
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- 3 reviews
- 1 like
Good, but has serious design flaws
The Litter Robot is a good unit when it works with a robust build and is easy to set up and use.
However - there are 2 major design flaws which will mean most units will need repairs within the first 1-2 years of use.
1. The circuit sensors for detecting when the waste box is full are behind a piece of perspex with a cut out half-circle directly above the waste bin - so it is just a matter of time before urine soaked litter gets onto the circuits and fries them, requiring replacement. The location of said circuit is also difficult to access ...
Read morefor replacement, so repairs are not easy. 2. There is also a piece of metal "pinch detectors" which are part of a circuit vital to the operation of the machine (they detect if something is pinched between the base and the globe) - unfortunately the metal used is prone to corrosion, especially when exposed to cat litter...and it sits in a location where it is inevitable that cat litter will get on it. From speaking with their rep, it is the most common point of failure as corrosion is inevitable and again, whilst you can replace it, it is difficult to access. I don't know why these two obvious design flaws exist on such an expensive unit, however, it wouldn't take much to 1. fully enclose the circuit sensor to avoid the 1st issue and 2. to either change the metal used for a non-oxidising metal or implement a simple plastic push button system (with no exposed vital components) to avoid the 2nd issue. So in summary, the product is great while it is working, but will almost certainly require annoying repairs within the first 2 years.Purchased in at Cat Evolution for $895.
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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HI Walter, thank you for your excellent feedback and review. We very much value your taking the time to provide insight into your experience. For the design comments, we have sent the feedback onto th...
Read moree manufacturer of the appliance, for their consideration and comment. As a note, the Litter-Robot is designed to be used with good clumping litter. Good clumping litter is essential for good longevity, as it keeps the appliance cleaner and provides better odour control by locking in uric acid (urine) within the clumps. Locking in the uric acid minimises the effects of vapor uric acid on the pinch detectors and electronic parts. Good clumping litter also minimises loose soiled litter that maybe distributed onto the electronic circuits and parts, again causing damage from the effects of uric acid. The Litter-Robot is designed for self installation for out of warranty longevity, and although it does require some dexterity for plug and play replacement, the parts are quite accessible when the base is unscrewed for repair. Thank you again for your detailed feedback, and we will add an additional reply when we have further from the manufacturers.
- 2 reviews
- 1 like
Convenient, but downsides
Convenient for removing scooping from your daily routine, but in a small house, the whole place can end up smelling like a litter box. Needs to be changed over at least twice weekly. Carbon filters should be replaced much more regularly than the website recommends once monthly is a stretch. Design does not promote cat adjusting business location… so wet smelly patches build up and can cause smell. Sensor issues and small kittens cannot safely use the box, we have this set to timer or manually trigger the cycle.
Purchased in at Lucky Pet for $1,100.
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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Thank you for your review, its always appreciated to receive feedback. For the odour issue, you are correct that the Litter-Robot is designed for automatic scooping of the litter to remove soiled matt...
Read moreer. To improve odour, and reduce wet patches, its best to use a good clumping litter. The clumping action is important to absorb liquid before it reaches the liner if possible, or if not possible, clumping well for full removal. It also encases the urine which has uric acid component, largely causing the recognisable litter box smell. A quick check is to review the contents of the waste drawer and check if the litter you are using is in good clumps, or if it is more granulated. WIth the increased humidity this year, some of the litters in use are not clumping well. A good one is Everclean Super clumping which users are reporting as clumping well still. Good clumping litter helps reduce the work needed by the carbon filter, and prolongs its usable period. Unscented litters are also recommended for this reason. The Litter-Robot III Open Air is not designed for use with kittens, as minimum weight required for activating the cat sensor is 2.25kg or heavier. If using with kittens its important to supervise when cycling as the safety feature of stopping cycle if the cat gets in will not be triggered if the kitten is under 2.25kg. If you would like more assistance with your litter choice, purrlease get in touch at [email protected]Find out how Litter-Robot Automatic III Open Air compares to other Cat Litter
Know better, choose better.
- 2 reviews
I love this litter box so much but I have to remove a star due to faults
I really wanted to love this product more for longer however after 21 months of use I’ve come across an issue that I believe people need to be aware of prior to purchase.
I’ve been a super strong advocate for the litter robot and have always given it very positive reviews when cat pages have asked about self cleaning boxes. However I wasn’t aware that the dfi sensor/ pinch sensor was a common issue that requires parts to be replaced.
I emailed cat evolution about the issue and they were very helpful and thorough with helping me try to find ...
Read morea solution for my problem. In the end after many quick replies from them we established that a part needed replacing. As I was out of my 18 months warranty I would have to out of pocket this. To my shock the new part cost $155 which I didn’t really expect to have to fork out after purchasing a $895 litter box. I have yet to purchase a new replacement part as I’m now tossing up my options moving forward as there’s no garuntee that this will not be a reoccurring issue that would require constant parts replaced frequently. Apart from this issue I defiantly would have given it a 5 star rating. As long as you use good litter the litter cleans very well. I only have to check it every 2 days and top up the litter twice as week. I’m able to have the waste tray last 6 days with 3 cats before needing to change. I don’t really notice much of an odour either. Prior to this issue happening just 2 days ago I never encountered any other issues at all.Purchased in for $895.
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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Thank you for your review Liddol, and its good to hear you have been enjoying the Litter-Robot benefits. Its quite a remarkable and helpful appliance. Im sorry there has been an issue with your DFI an...
Read mored that it has occurred outside of the manufacturers warranty period. The Litter-Robot is well designed for durability, but is designed for clumping clay litters, and this year is quite challenging in terms of available clumping litters, with litters not clumping as well, so they are more crumbly in the waste drawer, and not scooping out cleanly in good clumps. Some of the usual litters that were clumping well are not doing so in the high humidity and extra-wet summer experienced in Australia currently, and there also supply difficulties affecting quality and availability. Soiled litter has a uric acid component from cat urine, and if soiled litter does drop onto the electrical parts, the uric acid will cause issues as it deteriorates the protective resin coating and can then damage the electronics. It will also typically cause corrosion to the metal parts as well, if the litter is not clumping well and containing the uric acid (urine). The DFI circuit boards are a more expensive part, as there are 2 electronic boards in this part. The Litter-Robot designed for self repair which helps with any out of warranty costs as DIY is an option, rather than additional shipping and workshop costs, and additional repair time. However, it is an appliance, and we have seen an increase in the issue this year with the challenging climate conditions affecting litters. Cat Evolution has developed a little modification, adding a small vertical strip of household sticky tape to close over the small opening in the DFI perspex cover and help keep any soiled litter crumbles from reaching the DFI board. This has been having good effect in helping keep the DFI boards cleaner. We certainly expect you will not have the same issue with replacement DFI as we are applying this modification to any parts we send, to help longevity. Thank you again for taking the time to provide your review, and your excellent insight into using the Litter-Robot. We will certainly work with you to get your appliance back in working order asap, and so sorry you have an issue currently.
Dfi sensor issues
Good at start when works however have (what appears) a common dfi blue light sensor error. No amount of online troubleshooting has reolved. Too exp for this to be happening.
Purchased in at Other for $850.
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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Sorry to hear you have a problem Dave. Please get in touch directly at [email protected] for assistance. Online trouble shooting is very helpful to a point, but we can provide direct assista...
Read morence to resolve issues, which is faster if you need assistance. The also Robot is designed for self installation of parts, which is very unusual for an appliance. We can provide options for repair at workshop should self installation not be suitable, with workshops currently located in WA and NSW.
- Verified
-DO NOT BUY-
My machine worked perfectly for the first 3 months, after this the machine started displaying sensor issues, I was able to fix the machine myself by watching YouTube videos, after the issue recurring I contacted [Name Removed], she advised me to clean the sensors with a magic eraser. The machine was 'fixed' in her opinion, few months later same issues again. Sent box away to be fixed, in this time I used less litter with less smells in the house with just a regular $20 box from the shops.
Would come home to find the machine stuck upside down ...
Read morewith cats unable to use machine. [Name Removed] refuses my request to return the box as it is out of the 90 day change of mind period. All in all, amazing if your machine works - but if and when your machine breaks. Good luck to you. [Name Removed] suggest you re sell the machine to some unlucky person to deal with.Purchased in for $1,075.
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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Thank you for your review. The Litter-Robot is the most popular automatic litter box globally, and has been available for over 2 decades in USA where manufactured, so there is a lot of excellent infor...
Read moremation on the internet to help with issues. However, it can be difficult to locate the most relevant information quickly to resolve issues. We do suggest that its always best to get in touch asap if you have any questions or issues, as the Litter-Robt is a new appliance for most customers, and although designed to be as simple as possible to use, it does need some familiarisation with operations. Generally, solid lights are normal and flashing lights are indications of attention needed, with colour and flash rate helpful in diagnostics. The manual is an excellent easy to read resource, and the quick reference guide a good summary. The tip for cleaning base and bonnet contacts is supplied for Robots that are showing usage wear on these contacts, and helps avoid needing replacement of the parts. A good polish with a dry chunk of magic eraser to remove any built up material restores good metal to metal contact for power flow. Older Litter-Robots are also popular if available for resale if the automatic lifestyle is no longer suitable, as the appliance is designed for self repair and durability. We are sorry the experience has not been successful for you, and understand that all operational issues should now be resolved. Do get in touch asap if not, for further assistance.
Operational issues should be resolved... for now, but just like every other time I suspect the machine will be faulty again in a few months time.
If you do have any issue, please get in touch asap for assistance. Colour of light and flash rate is very helpful for diagnosis.
Find out how Litter-Robot Automatic III Open Air compares to other Cat Litter
Know better, choose better.
- 3 reviews
- 1 like
AutoPets Connect App doesnot support Australia
We paid extra few hundred dollars bought Wi-Fi enabled version but only to realize the AutoPets Connect only support country like US,UK, Canada or EU. We are located in Australia, there is no option to select this country when you trying to set up the app . It is very disappointing as we wasn’t been told this is the case when we bought this machine. If we know we could just bought Non Wi-Fi version .
Purchased in for $1,099.
- Cleaning & Maintenance
- Odour Absoprtion
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Hi Julia, the App is fully operational in Australia. There has just been a rebrand, and the App is now Whisker. If you need assistance, just get in touch. [email protected] Do also ask for help if you have any other issues!
- 12 reviews
- 17 likes
Litter robot makes life better
I really did my homework and took a long time weighing up the pros and cons before spending $1000 on a litter tray. Owning 3 cats means a lot of litter trays, scooping them constantly and regular cleans. Given that I work full time, I can’t explain just how much this changed my life! Dramatic right? But so true!
My only regret in buying this, was not buying it sooner.
Oh, and had a couple of questions on maintenance etc, cat evolution are so amazing and helpful to deal with!
Purchased in .
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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Thanks so much for sharing Jenny. The Litter-Robot is an awesome appliance that really does its job well, and is a total life changer for cat owners, in such a good way!
Have never regretted spending the money
I've had my Litter Robot III for 2 years now with a big variety of foster cats coming and going, along with my regular cats and the robot has been amazing the entire time. All of the cats pick it up pretty quickly and are happy to use it. Even though I um'd and ah'd about the price for a long time before I eventually caved, I genuinely think it's worth every dollar. The construction is sturdy and very reliable.
But what really stands out about this product for me is the maintenance and repair availability. As mentioned, my robot has had heavi...
Read moreer than average use for a long time and I have been a bit lazy about cleaning it as often as I probably should! I had an issue with one of the parts, and not only was the problem easy to diagnose, but the team at CatEvolution worked with me to try and find an easier solution than replacing parts. When that didn't work the replacement parts were shipped out very quickly, along with thorough and easy to follow instructions to replace the part myself. The robot was back in working order within a week! I can't think of the last product I've had that makes it so easy and simple to repair and maintain a machine I paid for, rather than forcing me to have to get a new one. A huge thanks to the team at CatEvolution who made the repair process so simple and painless and who had such excellent communication.Purchased in at Cat Evolution for $895.
- Value for Money
- Cleaning & Maintenance
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Wonderful to hear your insights Clare. The Litter-Robot is a big investment but pays back in precious time saved, odour help, and happy cats. It also reduces litter trays and litter needed, using appr...
Read moreox 1kg of litter per cat per week. Self repairable design is outstandingly unusual in an appliance, providing added durability and longevity.Questions & Answers
I just purchased the open air connect machine. I have downloaded the Whiskers app which is supposed to support Australian customers now… However all the app does is directs me to the USA LR store on line then reroutes me to the AU cat evolution store store which is not an app nor provides links or connection to the litter robot. Getting super frustrated with the really poor instructions for Australian users.
Hi, I don’t have this one, however I have called cat evolution for advice on a couple of things and they were so helpful!
Thank you so much Jenny! It’s always a purrleasure to speak to lovely cat people!
For the App, there has been a rebrand from AutoPets to Whisker, which has led to some issues with locating the correct link. If you need help, just ask at [email protected]. For Apple, this ...
Read morelink is correct currently. https://apps.apple.com/au/app/whisker/id1475805212
Hi
I understand everyone seems to be happy about the less smells associated with Litter Trays but does the count for the 'Wee smells' as well ? Everyone seems to mention the 'poo smells' being better. My issue at the moment with a sifting pellet litter tray is that the 'wees' that go through to the bottom smell and we are continuously cleaning for this reason etc.
Thanks
The ‘poo smells’topic is more common as its a pervasive odour and at times very potent. Pee smells are also addressed by the same process. Basically the Litter-Robot scoops out clumps, be it poo or pe...
Read moree, and deposits into the waste drawer, removing from the open air. Quality of the litter does affect how well the odours are locked in once clumped and in the waste drawer, with fast efficient clumping good. In addition additives such as carbon or activated charcoal in the litter will work further on odours between deposit and disposal.
What brand of clumping litter does everyone use in their litter robot? Do you use the Catevolution one or another brand?
I just use the Trouble & Trix litter from Petbarn. They have a few different scents. Works a treat!
I have used a few.. catsan clumping, tidycats, and so phresh have been the best.
it does depend a bit on your cat and their habits which would work best for you.
A non-digger may need something different to a vigorous digger for example.
Get an answer from our members and Cat Evolution representatives
Details
| Category | Cat Litter |
|---|---|
| Litter Type | Clumping |
| Material | Clay |
| Biodegradable | No |
| Disposal | Rubbish Only |
| Odour Control | None |
| Manual | Download manual |
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Extra Information
Other Cat Litter
Found this due to reviews. Best in Oz
Love it for our litter Robot !!!
I LOVE THIS LITTER! Just wish it was less expensive :(
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Dear Amber, Im sorry to hear you have an issue with your Appliance. I have tried to locate your eail but we dont seem to have anything from you. Please email [email protected] and we will po...
Read moreunce to assist. Note that Cat Evolution provides warranty and customer support for Australia and New Zealand, but may also be able to provide you some initial assistance if you are elsewhere. If you need support outside of these areas, please get in touch with the manufacturer whisker.com for your closest assistance point.