I’ve had cats all my life and let me tell you: I despise cleaning litter boxes. It has never gotten easier or more enjoyable in my 30-some years on this planet.
While doing my San Francisco apartment kitchen makeover, I finally realized: I have big girl money now and I can spend it on a device so I never have to scoop litter again. We researched all the top brands and landed on Petkit Puramax, an automatic litter box promising odor removal, sleek design and can fit large cats (my girl is half Maine Coon).
This is my honest Petkit litter box review after 30 days of use!
I’ll get the elephant out of the room: why not pick the famous Litter Robot? I have a few friends with the Litter Robot unit but I knew right away it wasn’t for me.
It’s just so LARGE. I live in a small apartment in the city, I don’t have room for something that big. Even if I lived in a normal house, the thing is massive.
Which is why I landed on the Petkit Puramax – it’s designed to fit large cats but it’s still fairly small. Just a little larger than our previous litter box (one of those cute ones that look like a planter). Perfectly sized for my lifestyle.
But that’s not the only reason I’m a fan girl of the PetKit litter box. I’ve had this for about 30 days to thoroughly test it out, and I can never go back to a normal litter box again.
Petkit At A Glance
Petkit is a technology pet company founded by the Guo Brothers in 2013, who basically looked around at all the smart devices popping up (smart home lights, Alexa, etc) and realized there was a huge gap when it came to smart devices and pets.
They don’t just have litter boxes – Petkit also makes smart water drinking fountains for any cats who insist on only drinking running water (I had one of those growing up) along with smart feeders.
They even expanded their products to grooming devices, including these adorable little drying boxes you can place kittens and cats in after they have baths. It is as cute as it sounds.
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Life Changing!
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Petkit Pura Max Litter Box Review After 30 Days Of Use
But, this article is primarily focused on their smart litter box. I tested out the Pura Max which is the extra large box for larger cats and families with multiple cats.
My girl Twyla is a shelter baby so nobody knows for sure what breed she is, but vets always think she has some Maine Coon in her. She’s a big girl and I was worried the standard Petkit PuraX would be a little too small for her.
How The Smart Litter Box Works
For your cat, the experience is pretty much the same as a regular litter box. You place clean litter in the main compartment and they can use it whenever they want.
But, these are automatic litter boxes there are some pretty neat smart features for us humans to take advantage of. Instead of manually scooping out litter, the Petkit will automatically clean itself after your cat uses the box, and dump the dirty litter into a little waste drawer.
You still have to swap out the waste basket when it’s full, and top off fresh litter when that is running lower but otherwise this litter box takes 90% off the workload off.
Never having to scoop litter again has already made me extremely happy. I can’t go back.
The App Tracks Everything
Everything is done via the Petkit app, which is on Android and Apple. The app controls all the settings, and cleaning cycles and even notifies you when tasks need to be done (like adding more litter or emptying the wastebasket).
The app even tells you the weight of your cat, which is helpful for tracking health, along with when they used the litter box and for how long.
Knowing when Twyla pees is never a data point I thought I would know every day but here we are, and it’s been fun looking at her bathroom break schedule.
We’ve learned she primarily uses her box at 7 am for 2 minutes, and then again 10 minutes later for another 2 minutes. And then not again until the next morning, the little weirdo.
Start With Kitten Mode
Another cool feature of the Petkit litter box is their Kitten Mode. The machine works so it can detect your cat inside and when it leaves, and then does an automatic cleaning cycle after to keep things clean and smelling nice.
This ensures your cat can’t be trapped inside while it cleans. Expect, kittens are small and don’t weight a lot – in fact, not enough for the machine to recognize them all the time. Hench: kitten mode.
It shuts off the automatic cycle and you can manually choose to clean it whenever you want, to keep your cat safe. They also recommend you use this feature if your cat is pregnant.
We actually only use the Kitten Mode, even though our cat is 5 years old. Twyla is afraid of EVERYTHING. I don’t want her to be afraid of the litter box moving while cleaning and develop urinary issues. So we keep her on Kitten Mode.
But not every cat is like this – we have friends with kittens who don’t mind automatic cleaning cycles at all. Just do what’s right for your cat, the machine has both options for you.
There’s Odor Control, Too
Lastly, the other neat perk of PetKit is their odor control via a smart air spray. This device sits inside the litter box and sprays after use to help control odor.
If you really hate the smell of cat pee, this thing will help your house smell nice and fresh.
Note: we haven’t yet used the odor control spray. Cats thrive on routine and the familiar, especially scents. We didn’t want to toss out her old litter box, get a brand new one AND make it start smelling different all on the same day.
We may activate the odor control in a few weeks now that Twyla is fully adjusted to her new box, but are taking it slow.
Honestly, with the regular cleanings, we don’t smell the litter box anyway but the spray is a nice touch to have when we want it.
Setting Up The Litter Box Is Easy
I was expecting to have to sit on YouTube for ages figuring out how to get the box set up, but it took under 20 minutes in total and was super easy.
Honestly, a big time suck was just updating my Petkit app so it was synced with the latest features as my current IOS was no longer supported.
After that, it was just popping a few things in place, choosing which type of litter filter to use inside (this depends on what kind of litter you use) and connecting it to a power source. Boom, dome. Installed.
They Also Sell Cat Litter
If you wanted to put everything on a subscription and never worry about picking up another giant jug of litter on your Target runs again, Petkit sells flushable clumping litter.
It’s dust-free, odor-free and clumps quickly so your cat doesn’t track as much. But the main selling point here is: it’s flushable! The litter is soluable and can be put down the toilet so you never have to toss it in the garbage again and have it stink up your house.
Note: if you are on septic vs city sewer, I would touch base with your septic company to ensure it’s ok to flush the litter down the toilet. I can attest after owning my Whimsy Homes cabin for a year now that septics can be fickle so it’s always best to ask, first.
Personally, we do not use this as Twyla enjoys her current litter brand and hasn’t liked other brands when we tried to switch her in the past. But this is a great option if your cat isn’t picky, or if they are young and haven’t formed preferences yet.
What I Don’t Like About The Litter Box
Hey, it’s not a proper review if I only share the good. Thankfully, there’s not a lot I don’t love about this litter box, but there are a few things I did want to point out.
First, it’s a smart device which means it does need a power source. This feels obvious, but I had to point it out since you can’t just place the litter box anywhere.
Thankfully our apartment has an outlet right next to where our litter box goes, but I could see this being an issue for folks who store their litter boxes in bathrooms or outfitted closets. They may need to grab an extension cord before using it.
Second, the machine is fickle. It has to be on a totally flat surface (which is hard in older buildings – who else has janky 50 year old wood floors in their home?) and has to be a certain distance away from a wall.
We were able to make it work, but something to keep in mind when measuring your space. Factor in room around the machine, too!
There's no reason to have an old-school litter box anymore. Petkit's smart litter box is game-changing for pet owners. Keep tabs on your cat's health, weight and usage, along with help keeping the litter box clean with manual or automatic modes.
- Connects to an app
- Automatic cleaning
- Kitten mode for manual cleans
- Small enough for apartments, big enough to large cats
- Easy to set up
- Must be located near an outlet
- Automatic cleaning takes up to a minute
Final Verdict – Is The Petkit Litter Box Worth It?
Oh, absolutely. I can’t believe we waited this long to upgrade to a Petkit litter box. It’s life changing, and not JUST because I never have to scope litter again.
It tracks our cat’s health and usage patterns so we can monitor that when she gets older. We also love the size (just slightly bigger than a standard litter box) and how many setting the app has to notify you on usage, reminders and cleanings. You can truly customize it.
If you’re on the hunt for the best automatic litter box on the market, this is it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Kit
Petkit Pura Max vs Pura X
The Petkit Pura X Dimensions are about 19.84 x 20.94 x 25.42 inches while the Pura Max about 21″ x 24 x 21 inches. It’s not as tall as the Pura X, making it easier for shorties or older cats to access.
Petkit vs Litter Robot
I don’t own a Litter Robot, but I have friends who do and they are noticeably larger than the PetKit, which is a problem if you live in small areas. The Litter Robot also apparently can’t be shipped as many places as the PetKit machines can.
Where Is Petkit Located?
The tea is based in China and ships worldwide from the United States to Italy.
What Is Petkit Return Policy?
They have a standard 30 day free return policy if it just isn’t working out for your or your cat.
Where Can I Buy Petkit Automatic Cat Litter Boxes?
I recommend shopping from the Petkit site directly, as here you can get the quickest support with customer service and access things like sale prices or bundled deals.
You can also shop the regular priced machines on Amazon and get that free Prime shipping.
Got your own Petkit customer reviews to add? Drop your comments in the box below so everyone can see.
3 comments
You might check out the Popur if you haven’t already. I have a litter robot 3 and the new 4. I like them but, as you said, they’re huge. The other thing I dislike is that the globe gets so dirty and my cats (I have 5) have to deal with their ears brushing the inside of the globe. I have 4 male cats (Hugh, Phalcor, Ovar, and Pumpkin) and one female, Mew. Mew has never liked the litter robot. We’ve kept a standard litter box just for her. But she uses the Popur! It’s open on the top. It has the feel of a standard litter box and is so good at containing the smell that it’s in the living room. It also can track weight. The only drawback is that I have to buy special waste bags. They have elastic around the top to keep them securely attached to the waste bin. The website says you can use other litter box liners but not really. Without the elastic they don’t stay in place very well. But the waste bin is generously sized and I only have to empty it once a week or so.
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The product is beautiful, with a high level of finish, and it has been thoroughly researched for functionality tailored to pets.
I think this is an excellent product.