Product test

Petkit’s automatic litter box – luxury or must-have?

8.9.2023

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

The mere mention of a self-cleaning litter box makes cat owners’ eyes light up. Just change out a bag every few days instead of kneeling on the floor in the search for clumps? Sign me up! But is this 600-franc litter box by Petkit really worth the money?

Petkit provided me with an automatic litter box for my two cats to test. Now, I’m not too bothered about cleaning out my cats’ litter boxes. But it’s certainly not the highlight of my day. Spoiler alert: Petkit’s litter box didn’t disappoint.

Petkit Pura Max (Self-cleaning litter tray)

Cat litter boxes + Supplies

CHF479.–

Petkit Pura Max

Self-cleaning litter tray

Full disclosure: I’m not part of our independent Editorial Team. I work in the Category Management Team, where it’s my job to make sure our shop offers you the widest and best selection of drinks and sports nutrition. But as there are hardly any cat owners in the Editorial Team, my colleague Jonas Rudin (who is constantly expanding our range) and I were allowed to step in and have our felines test two self-cleaning litter boxes. Jonas’s report will be published shortly.

Meet the testers and our usual setup

The two litter boxes testers are two spoiled and good-natured British Shorthairs who are nearly three years old. They tend to approach new things with a healthy dose of scepticism, so an important aspect in this review is whether they accept the new box. Their typical toilet setup consists of two large litter boxes filled with customary bentonite litter. Anything my fur butts can’t test themselves will be examined by me.

Meet Gismo. Photo: Tanja Lehmann — Meet Gil. Photo: Tanja Lehmann

First impressions – and location problems

The packaging leaves no secrets as to the size of the Pura Max. It’s a fair bit plainer, but no less futuristic-looking than the Catlink litter box currently being tested by Jonas’s cats, Zelda and Leia. Jonas compares «his» potty to a spaceship. «Mine» is more akin to a motorised igloo.

The Pura Max is a covered model which, as the name suggests, automatically cleans itself after use. The supplied spray goes off after each use and, according to the product description, eliminates bacteria. That’s all nice and well, but my cats would certainly feel irritated by the pear scent. So, I deliberately leave out the spray so as not to overwhelm the sensitive noses of my fur babies. There are stickers supplied with the litter box that you can use as decoration, but nothing more.

Photographed in the living room for demonstration purposes. Its permanent spot was in my dressing room. Photo: Tanja Lehmann

Setting up the litter box, I ran into the first difficulty. Whoever designed my rental apartment seems to have forgotten to include sockets at the light switches in both of my bathrooms – the sockets are all located inside the mirror cabinets. Tricky, as the litter box needs electricity to auto-clean. With that, I can’t place the Petkit where my current litter boxes are. While this isn’t the Petkit’s fault, I would advise you to check beforehand if you can access electricity where you’d like to place the box.

One more thing: Petkit’s replacement bin bags are rather expensive. I don’t like that. So right at the beginning of the test, I take it upon myself to find cheaper, universal bin bags that fit.

Do you really need an app to go with your litter box?

The app is very intuitively designed and easy to use. Connecting the litter box to Wi-Fi and then to the smartphone app is quickly done. To keep track of who does their business when and how often, I create a profile for each cat, including their body weight. That way, the integrated scale can tell them apart. This is no problem with my cats, as they have different weights. I can’t say what would happen if they weighed the same. The Petkit brand also offers app-enabled feeding bowls, which you can also control in the app. This allows you to track not only your cat’s output but also their intake.

The app allows you to link other Petkit products and monitor your pet. Screenshot: Tanja Lehmann

You always know how heavy your pet is and how often they go to the toilet. Screenshot: Tanja Lehmann — The app allows you to link other Petkit products and monitor your pet. Screenshot: Tanja Lehmann

If you’re not a fan of the manufacturer being in the loop on your pet’s toilet habits, including the weight of their excrements, rest assured that you can also use the litter box without the app.

The testers’ behaviour

My cats seemed very interested from the start, with the packaging enjoying a bout of feline attention. After filling the litter, it didn’t take long for Gil to do his business in the new toilet. Throughout the first few days, Gismo stayed away from the toilet and, with a disturbed demeanour, observed how the toilet cleans itself. After a week, not only could I see in the app that the Petkit litter box was being used frequently, but the old box also remained empty. After several months, I can say that my cats have no preference of one over the other. A good sign.

Whether the self-cleaning toilet will be suitable for your cats in part depends on their size. Gil is 35 cm tall and weighs over 7 kg. It looks like a tight squeeze when he uses the litter box, but it doesn’t bother him. For a Maine Coon or a large Norwegian, however, the box will likely prove too small.

For weeks, the toilet works reliably. Cleaning it every 3 weeks – or rather emptying the litter before actually cleaning it – is a bit tricky, as I have to get the contents out through a small opening on the side. After a while, I get the hang of it and can wash the inside well with washing-up liquid. Now and then, the litter might not absorb enough and the inside of the box will get dirty between deep cleans. When this happens, I reach for a bit of water and litter box cleaner to tidy up.

The box auto-cleans by rotating. The excrements land in the bin bag. Photo: Tanja Lehmann

You can take everything apart for cleaning, which makes the process a lot easier. Photo: Tanja Lehmann — The box auto-cleans by rotating. The excrements land in the bin bag. Photo: Tanja Lehmann

According to the instructions, you only have to change the bag when it’s full. But for Gil and Gismo, the stench is already too strong after two days. How can I tell? Because they then start using the other toilet more often. I can’t smell any stench myself, though.

Another upside: your cat litter consumption goes down drastically with the Petkit. I have to use much less to fill up the automated litter box. The standard litter box should always be filled with 15 centimetres of litter, the Petkit toilet with a maximum of 5 centimetres.

Spare bags and litter

Which litter works with the Petkit litter box? Certainly not large pellets, as they don’t fit through the integrated rake. On the other hand, bentonite and wood fibre litter worked great. I also managed to find alternative bags. If you secure them well, you can use much cheaper, commercially available bags.

Cat litter

Intersand Extreme Classic Pine Forest 14kg - (18514)

Clumping, 14 kg

Litter box accessories

Quantity discount

CHF4.90 per piece for 4 units

Petkit Pura X garbage bag

Bin bags

dm Profissimo Bin liners

85 x, 5 l

Cat litter

Intersand Extreme Classic Pine Forest 14kg - (18514)

Clumping, 14 kg

Quantity discount

Litter box accessories

CHF4.90 per piece for 4 units

Petkit Pura X garbage bag

Bin bags

dm Profissimo Bin liners

85 x, 5 l

It’s enough to put in a smaller bag as best you can. Mind you, this reduces the volume. Photo: Tanja Lehmann

The lid keeps the bag in place. Photo: Tanja Lehmann — It’s enough to put in a smaller bag as best you can. Mind you, this reduces the volume. Photo: Tanja Lehmann

The verdict: good if you hate cleaning – or can’t do it often

The Petkit self-cleaning litter box costs 625 francs at the time of my review (September 2023). Is the high price justified? Do you really need such an expensive litter box? That’s hard to say. Not everyone has to, wants to, should or can even spend that much on their pet. I like the toilet and am considering buying it. I rarely leave my cats to their own devices for long, but on days when I’m in the office, the two will always have a fresh toilet. Because they haven’t shown a clear preference in all the months of testing, I also know they don’t mind the litter box.

All in all, Petkit’s self-cleaning litter box primarily brings relief to us can openers. It’s a similarly great, albeit expensive luxury good as my robot vacuum cleaner, which not only vacuums, but also mops and cleans itself. It leaves me more time for more important things in life. For cats, I only see an added value if you can’t otherwise have one litter box per cat and clean it daily. If this is the case, Petkit’s self-cleaning litter box becomes more than mere luxury – namely, a clear purchase recommendation.

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Tanja Lehmann

Senior Category Business Manager

tanja.lehmann@digitecgalaxus.ch

Friends, family, cats and good wine are my lifeblood.

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