Who wants to scoop cat litter? If you're a cat parent, you know the answer is no one. Scooping cat litter is one of the least enjoyable parts of cat ownership.
Recently, a California-based pet technology company called Smarty Pear introduced a smart, self-cleaning litter box called Leo's Loo Too, a game-changer for cat families and the 95.6 million cats living across the US.
How does it Scoop the Poop?
It's not magic. The process is actually pretty straightforward. But the relief of no longer having to do this crappy chore sure feels magical.
Using sensors located in the base, the Leo's Loo Too detects when a cat enters its litter drum to do its potty business. After the cat leaves, it initiates a cleaning cycle by turning the drum in a clockwise rotation. As the drum turns, it spills the litter over a sifting screen that separates the waste and deposits it into a drawer at the base of the machine, leaving behind a fresh bed of litter for the kitty.
Odor Control Waste Drawer
The waste drawer in the base of the machine is quite large, with a usable capacity of 9.5 liters. For most single-cat households, it will hold about a week's worth of waste before needing to be changed.
Thankfully, the drawer includes a couple of features designed to reduce odor. An EPA-certified UV treatment system treats the waste after each cleaning cycle. The manufacturer claims the treatment kills 99% of odor-causing bacteria and viruses. Two carbon filters are placed near the front of the drawer that help prevent odors from wafting out.
Mobile App
Where Leo's Loo Too really starts to stand out is its mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android. The app walks you through the 5-step setup process in about 10 minutes (pro tip: make sure your router supports 2.4 GHz wifi frequency and that you've enabled it before beginning setup).
Once you're set-up, the app becomes the control center for Leo's Loo Too. You can easily manage settings, like switching from manual to automatic mode, increasing the number of rotations the machine makes during a cleaning cycle, or adjusting how long it waits to initiate a cleaning cycle after the kitty leaves. And you'll receive notifications when the drawer is full and needs to be changed.
It also becomes a handy tool for tracking your cat's behavior and health. You'll get activity reports each time the kitty visits, including a weight reading. If you notice dramatic changes in how often your cat visits or in its weight, you should schedule a visit with your vet as both can be early warning signs of health issues.
Whisper Quiet
A major complaint from customers who purchase other self-cleaning litter boxes is the noise they emit. If your kitty decides to visit the potty at 2 a.m., it's a problem if the machine sounds like a table saw or a small jet engine when it cleans.
The Leo's Loo Too, by contrast, hardly generates any sound. You could safely place this next to your bed and not expect to be disturbed. At only 30 decibels, the noise it makes is equivalent to the sound of a whispered conversation.
A Smart Solution
The Leo's Loo Too is packed with a lot of technology that may seem a little extra for a litter box, but it helps make this product a win for cat parents and their kitties.
We've already covered the EPA-certified UV treatment system and the mobile app, but that's just the start. Smarty Pear developed a three-layer safety system using weight sensors, anti-pinch sensors, and radar (you read that right) to keep kitties safe. It ensures that all moving parts stop whenever a cat is detected in or anywhere around the machine.
The Leo's Loo Too also supports Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls. Setup for both systems is relatively easy and gives you the convenience of initiating simple commands without bothering with your mobile device.
Smarter Design
It's clear that Smarty Pear took great pains to develop a modern aesthetic for the Leo's Loo Too. Unlike some competitive products, the Leo's Loo Too actually looks pretty cool and will fit nicely into most modern homes.
It also comes in four spiffy color options - grey, green, blue, and pink - for those that like their litter boxes with a splash of color.
But design isn't just skin deep. A closer look at the Leo's Loo Too reveals small design details reminiscent of luxury tech brands. For instance, the bottom of the drawer is convex instead of flat, which helps spread waste out as it falls into the drawer.
The litter drum is made from a single-piece plastic mold, which prevents anything from leaking out as it turns during the cleaning cycle. The entryway is rimmed with a sticky silicon rubber that grabs litter particles stuck in your cat's fur as it exits the machine.
It's clear that this device was crafted with care.
Final Thoughts
At $600, the Leo's Loo Too is a heck of a lot more expensive than your run-of-the-mill $30 cat box and shouldn't be a spontaneous purchase. But the long-term value it offers cat families - and their kitties - is enormous. The upside of no scooping is that there is no smell and no walking on poop for your cat. That makes it easily worth the price.
There is also a short-term benefit to the way the sifting process works. It reduces litter use by up to 40 percent. If you calculate the annual cost of litter, that's a decent amount of savings.
In short, this is a product we recommend. Bite bullet, we think you'll be glad you did.
