Finest Pet Tech Devices of 2026: CNET Employees Picks

Why I prefer it: The Litter-Robot 5 proved to be fairly simple to arrange and use. After unboxing it and filling it with cat litter as much as the fill line (I like to recommend Boxie Cat Pro), it was a easy matter of getting into details about every of my three cats. I’ve one senior cat that weighs 15 kilos, a fluffy middle-aged 14-pounder, and a younger, spry two-year-old that weighs round 9 kilos. I used to be in a position to get two out of the three boys to make use of the litter field; the fluffy one by no means fairly obtained snug with it, however he’s at all times been the shyer and extra skittish one, so I count on he’ll use it in a number of months after the novelty has worn off. 

One factor price noting is that the step as much as the globe appeared somewhat excessive for my senior cat, however I added a step stool for him, and he didn’t have any points utilizing it after that. 

The Litter-Robot recognized every cat by its weight, reporting how lengthy it used the amenities and the way a lot waste it left behind. There’s a show on prime that may let you know this at a look, too. You can even set it as much as mechanically cycle after a set interval after the go to, along with the guide choice. By default, it’s round 5 minutes, however I modified it to round half-hour to scale back the danger of spooking the cats. The app additionally exhibits you the historical past of the utilization, how full the waste bin and litter degree are and can let you know when the filter must be modified or the waste bin emptied, taking the guesswork out of issues. 

Currently, the app doesn’t help the Waste ID characteristic, which supplies well being monitoring, however it seems that this characteristic is forthcoming. If you go for the Litter-Robot 5 Pro mannequin, it’ll include a digital camera that makes use of AI for visible identification. However, personally, I’m effective with not having a digital camera in my workplace or lounge. 

There have been a number of points with the app, equivalent to occasional Wi-Fi disconnects and the robotic biking the waste for no obvious purpose, however these have been minor bugs within the grand scheme of issues and didn’t intrude with my cat’s utilization. 

The greatest promoting level for me is how a lot time it gave again to my nightly routine. Normally me my spouse and I’ve to scoop round three litter packing containers every evening, and with three cats, all of them get heavy use. According to the Whisker app, I’ve saved round 63 scoops as of this writing, and that sounds about proper to me. If you’re bored with scooping and losing litter, I don’t assume you’ll be dissatisfied. 

Who is that this for: The Litter-Robot 5 is Whisker’s new sensible cat litter field, providing vital upgrades over earlier fashions that make it an excellent choice for cat homeowners with a number of cats. Notably, I by no means observed a major mess caught to the highest of the globe, which was a standard consumer criticism in earlier generations. 

Who shouldn’t purchase it: If you solely have one cat, the Litter-Robot 5 is likely to be overkill. Whisker gives a extra reasonably priced mannequin, the Litter-Robot Evo, particularly designed for households with one or two cats. It’ll price you $599 in contrast with the $799 Litter-Robot 5. The Litter-Robot 4, which we beforehand examined and favored, can also be nonetheless in the marketplace at a reduction for $649. There are additionally many rival firms that provide sensible litter packing containers, however I haven’t examined them. I urge you to be cautious with unfamiliar manufacturers which have a completely closing litter field, as these have been recognized to cause harm to cats.  

–Ajay Kumar