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Litter Robot looks like a spaceship for your cat to poop in

This self-cleaning litter box will help keep your cat's "special space" tidy.

Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Expertise Apple, iPhone, iOS, Android, Samsung, Sony, Google, Motorola, interviews, coffee equipment, cats Credentials
  • Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Patrick Holland
2 min read
litter-robot-iii

This self cleaning litter box keeps things tidy without you having to get dirty.

Patrick Holland/CNET

From far away the Litter Robot Open Air III looks like the pod from "2001: A Space Odyssey". But as you get closer to it, you realize it's full of cat litter. And here's the cool part: The Litter Robot cleans up your cat's doo-doo so you don't have to.

Without conducting an official poll, it can be said that no one likes cleaning a cat's litter box. It's messy, smelly and, well, there's poop involved. And that's where the Litter Robot deserves your attention. It can clean the box for you.

Here's how it works. Your cat does his or her "business" in the domed chamber of the Litter Robot. After the cats exits, a timer starts giving the litter time to clump. When the timer is done, the white sphere slowly starts to rotate and sift the litter. The unwanted waste drops into a plastic bag-lined drawer below. When the drawer is full, you simply dispose of the plastic bag -- definitely better than scooping.

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The Litter Robot Open Air III has a sensor detects when the cat is inside the box and when it is safe to clean. A Wi-Fi connection sends reports to your phone via an app on how full the drawer is and when your cat uses the box. The Litter Robot can even notify you when the waste drawer needs to be emptied.

The Litter Robot Open Air III costs $500. A model without Wi-Fi is also available for $450, £461.39, $895.

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