Is the CatGenie A.I. worth the $479 price? Should you buy it? Find out in this detailed review based on three weeks of independent testing. We were not paid or given any free products to create this review. Stay in the loop through our email list: allaboutcats.com/all-about-cats-inner-circle

I showed your film to my cat. When he was done laughing his tail off, he explained that he takes pride in his productions and that one of the great pleasures of his life is watching me clean his litter box. He added that expensive cat treats would be money better spent!

I feel like this is going to end up being more work than just scooping a normal box everyday, definitely nice to see an honest review

Great information to know before buying one of these. I prefer the old fashioned way of cleaning the litter box myself. Thank you for this thorough and informative video!!

I absolutely love my cat genie 120!!! One of my cats uses it all the time and the other is resistant… still in the early days of usage though! (About 3 months) I just love how much less waste I have - I was spending so much money on kitty litter and throwing so much out every week… $20/wk for 2 cats is a lot!! I have had one issue where it beeped constantly so we had to pull it apart and clean the sensor… turned out to be way easier than I thought it would be! I was pleased it came with everything I needed for setup and have now hooked it up in my laundry. I also have a second regular litter tray in my en-suite which I fill with the cat genie litter (cats get locked in bedroom when visitors are over) and then throw in the cat genie to wash. Eventually I’ll probably buy a second genie. I worked out I liked the scented solution better as I have a small house and keep the doors open - it got a little smelly with the un scented one. I wish I had the AI but it’s not available in Australia - trying to program it to work all the time isn’t possible - I’d love it to go 24/7 even through the night. I put large honeycomb cat litter mats under my litters and they really helped with reducing the litter going everywhere! Overall it’s noisy and takes a while but I really do like it, and will probably buy a second one when the AI is available in Australia.

I owned 2 cat genies for about 6 years and the issue is the smell and buying sanisolution cartridges. The smell when a cat has soft poop will make your entire house smell as it does not remove it properly. The stink of of hot air dried cat poop wafting around your house is so bad. During the pandemic I could not get the sanisolution from any vendors. I called cat genie and asked if there is a way to bypass the sanisolution lockout. They said there is no way to bypass it so I was stuck with 2 stinking expensive litter box that would not run. I went and bought the Litter Robot as it uses regular litter. The problem with Cat Genie is the "printer ink business model" as each cartridge has a unique microchip that wont let you refill it yourself. You cant even run the Cat Genie without sanisolution so you are basically screwed.

Thank you for the review. I am still considering which kind of litter box I want to upgrade to. This was VERY helpful!

This review made me laugh! First it was the number of sighs coming from Mallory throughout the video. Then it was the explanation of the set-up, which to me sounded more like the job for a plumber. Next was the discussion of the all the smells that could be expected--ewww. Finally, it was the discussion of the periodic cleaning and the ickiness of dealing with dirty toilet water. And yet, this device still got a thumbs up? How? Anyway, I'm sticking with my cheapo pine pellets. Easy to use, no smell and no dust.

Wow I was literally thinking about this litterbox and if you guys would review it and you did! Thank you for the amazing review. I don't trust anyone except your reviews

When I got my cat genie I was lucky enough to have a unused pantry right next to the washer and dryer. One hole drilled near the bottom and I had the power and the drain. I am so glad I did not have to use a toilet because going in the bathroom to see that sitting in the toilet makes me lose my lunch. My only complaint was my kitty tracking the granules out of the box ( I tried several different mats but to no avail) but I would gladly sweep up the granules than to ever go back to a regular box. People would come to my home and say wow did you get rid of your cat? Because my home always smelled like I had a cat! I had my CG for the last 3 years of my cats life and it made those 3 years the best years as I spent more time playing and enjoying being with him vs constantly dealing with the mess. BTW I also tried several automatic boxes but they never worked as advertised. Always getting stuck or having issues. Btw I had the original CG not the Ai and have not had a cat since I lost my last. I truly love cats but decided I will wait until I am near my end so my Kitty will outlive me because losing my Kitties over the years was always hard for me. You would have thunk with all the advances in science someone would have developed a cat that can live fifty years 😂😂

I'll buy one when they improve the scooping capability. It defeats the purpose to have to hand clean the smaller pieces

Great review thank you!

great review

Great stuff M! You may wanna use thread tape when installing plumbing devices to prevent leaks.

Thank you for the review. There is nothing about this product that makes me want to buy it, especially since it works like a cat porta-potty. I don't ever remember looking at a human porta potty thinking 'Lucky person that gets to clean those'.

Mallory, I have been watching your videos and especially this video and the CatGenie 120. I have the CatGenie 120, and I have had it for a long time, probably over 2 years. I had originally bought the CatGenie 60, and I have had it a long time before the CatGenie 120. I have had some issues with the poop shaking off, and once I took off the white cover on the Genie hand, it works better, and doesn’t shake off the poop.

Very thorough..thank you.

No complaints from me and I have the previous model. In over 3 years of use, only once did some solid waste remain. If one follows the instructions and does the maintenance, no issues. It has paid for itself. Might seem steep at first, but the time saved along with the hassle and stench of cleaning a litter tray, well worth it.

The idea of a product like this sounds a lot better than how it works in practice. deep cleaning inside sounds super tedious and the scoop shaking out what it's supposed to grab plus the odor makes this a hard sell. Hope you asked for a loaner for review and didn't shell out the cash!

We have had the older version for over 4 years now, and the honest answer is, it is worth it if you have space and are committed to taking care of it. It needs regular deep cleaning every 3 months at least (leaving it for 6 months is too much). You need to be a handyman and have a good understanding of troubleshooting as it can get very messy at times. For example, if something gets stuck in the narrow hose, the grinder won't be able to flush it through. I have experienced this multiple times, and it can be messy. Also, it won't be cheap. You can substitute the litter with something similar from eBay or somewhere else, but the cleaning solution is a must; otherwise, the whole thing won't work. Unless you know what you are doing and follow the steps I have taken, which involve flashing and reprogramming the litter box, your life will be much easier. You can customize the wash cycle according to your preferences (faster, longer, or whatever), but you need to have the necessary knowledge; otherwise, you will void the warranty and be left with a broken litter box. At the end of the day, the wash cycle is something that cats may dislike, and they may simply stop using the litter box. This is what happened to us; our cats stopped using it willingly, so we had to place regular litter next to it. We are now considering getting rid of it as they no longer like it. CatGenie is a great product but it needs a lot of improvement, which I don't see the company investing enough in R&D due to their sales and demand. Just comparing the 120 to the A.I., there is no noticeable improvement apart from a wireless module that connects the device to the app. There have been missed opportunities to fix scooping issues, improve the drying mechanism, fixing malfunctioning sensors (I had to replace the cat detection sensor myself which was poorly assembled and cheaply made), address the problem of debris building up under the drain/grinder, or add a mechanism under the bowl for self-cleaning as it rotates (which I actually did myself to our device). The issue is that the company does not generate sufficient revenue to justify adequate investment in R&D and improvement, and they likely won't have enough sales if they fail to R&D!

So I’ve been keeping tabs on this system since 2008. It doesn’t sound like it’s overcome some of the big headaches that keep me from even entertaining it.

I've owned and solely used the 120 (older version) for 4+ years now. If you live in a house or someplace with an outside yard and a hose this box is ideal! I would recommend putting it in the basement, draining into the same floor drain that your laundry water goes into. If you live in an apartment as I do, prepare for a more intense cleaning session in the bathtub. If you run it on a regular basis and maintain it well I've found that it doesn't tend to get clogged, but when it does you basically have a giant bowl of poop water. I have two cats and my machine runs twice a day about an hour after feeding time. Overall I haven't noticed any major odor issues since everything gets washed and, if it runs fairly soon after the cat(s) poop, any small pieces that don't get scooped will dissolve in the washing process. I'm looking for a different box for my apartment but once I eventually buy a house I will 100% be getting the newest version of this product.

Thanks for that wonderful review you told me everything I needed to know I think I'll stick with my litter robot 3 It's a Wonderful product I think I'm like you the addition to water and Cat crap does not seem like a good suit thanks again for the good info.

We have had the cat genie for 4 months now. Our cat is often left alone for several days at a time. I think the review is fairly honest, but we have not experienced any odor issues. Cleaning it out once every 6 months is much nicer than every week-which I have to do with the scoop free. Our cat took some time to get used to this system, but now she loves it. We were having an issue when she felt her litter box wasn’t clean enough she would find other places to do her business. This is no longer an issue. I love that I know when she has used the system and that the system also says when cleaned. If she hasn’t used the litter box I can ask a neighbor to check on her. Also, my dogs are no longer interested in her litter box. A bonus! So for us it is worth the price.

thank you 4 good explanation

The CatGenie is a neat idea that’s just still too ahead of its time. If it can’t do odor control and properly scoop waste efficiently, it’s not worth it, not to mention the limitations with needing water supply (which means the litter box will have to be in a bathroom or laundry room, and the short power cord.

Been using it for close to 2 years. Odours during the drying process is absolutely terrible unless you do a deep clean every 2-3 months TOPS. That cleanup is terrible as time goes on as pet hair builds up as well as what I could only describe as slimy excrements in areas only visible by doing a deep clean. Overall, honestly, I've just given up and replaced it with a regular non-automatic letterbox.

I had a 120 & upgraded and bought 2 Cat Genie AI’s. It’s a life saver. They are expensive and it’s the best product on the market. Make sure if it’s using the toilet that you take the hose to the toilet. I accidentally knocked mine off the toilet the drain hose and it flooded my bathroom and my new flooring I had to have the floor replaced. Other than that it’s perfect. I did payments on Affirm. You have to get a CGIF OUTLET. I had one because of my BioBidet 2000 I already had in my bathrooms.

Thanks for an honest review. I've noticed pee clumps can actually take up more space in a standard litter box than solid waste. If the Genie can just handle that part I'd be willing to scoop the heavy stuff. The unit would have to be kept on a permanent manual setting to make this possible. Can the Genie be set that way? Thanks😄

Just got it for our office we have 2 cats I love it so far. No cat poo smell few minor things I see when arm shakes it shakes bit of litter out. (we don't have hood yet). When arm throws poo into hole that would need bit of a whip down now an then an the scooper also. But if it keeps oder gone an keeps working like new I will love it. I post in few weeks with update also small chunks of poo left behind get dissolved an wash away

Do you have to use a specific type of liter ? Maybe changing the litter will help with the loose ends falling off

From what I read off Reddit. A cheaper way for litter is by using Safflora Seeds. I've had mine for almost a month.

Seems messy and impractical for many, I absolutely love my pura max! The iRobot 3 was too bulky and big for my space. My two 12.5 and 13 lb kitties love the clean toilet every time too

How long do you set the machine that is ready to scoop? 30mins? 15mins?

Can you do a video reviewing biodegradable litters? there’s so many opinions online but I only trust this channel😅

5-day update so far it's working great little chunks of pool left behind have not been a problem has dissolved in the washing or whatever the only thing I notice is the scooper poop shoot get a little bit of poo on them I just clean it up with sani wipes love it so far no smell other then the freash sent smell cats took right to it. The app is great cats go about same times every day lol

At first I thought the cat genie was a printer in the background, lol. I actually have four cats now and I’m scooping litter at least three times a day. If this were to be a permanent situation, I’d highly consider an automatic litter box but for now I’m gonna throw my back out every day :). Btw Mallory, would you ever consider going on a vacation with a cat? Somewhere that may be cat friendlyish. maybe this could be an excuse for you to take a well deserved vacation with Wessie on the company’s dime! 🎉

Are those plastic granuals safe to ingest. I would imagine that some granuals get stuck in their paws.. licked off during grooming & swallowed. Is that safe for them?

Excellent description of this litter system, but no thank you. Looks like more trouble than it's worth. I'm older with only 5 Cat's right now so carrying in the new litter and taking out the old litter is absolutely awful. But to go through all this with the water alone would scare me. Congrats to anyone that has one, with hopes it works great, but for now I'll just keep throwing out my arms and back doing it the old way. Thanks

GCFI outlet is probably required. Waiting for a washlet bidet for cats.

Something just came to mind, hearing you talk about the odor and scooper. Sometimes your cat isn't well and you can go anywhere from the total runs to runny poops. I don't know but I'd worry about how it would clean things up at those times. It's often when going through situations that aren't the ordinary that you see a product's worth. I'm interested to hear what you think about this, but it doesn't really look like something I'd be interested in trying. Sounds like while trying to create something to make life easier, it looks like a lot of work! I'll just stick to my boring litter box!😺 (My cat is an indoor/outdoor cat and I think she prefers to go in the garden. I've changed her litter once in almost a fortnight - I'd be interested in knowing if most cats prefer going to the loo outside)

very good

The more complicated the system, the more opportunities for errors and failures, and this looks like one heck of a complicated and potentially messy system. The proprietary Sanisolution that MUST be used reminds me disturbingly of printer ink, and how you can only use one brand or the printer won't work. Bi-monthly complete replacement of traditional clumping litter in a simple open or covered box seems a better option to me, plus they allow more room for kitty to maneuver. On a side note, I've never seen a water valve routed out of a floor like that before, only out of walls. If you're going to be disconnecting the supply line anyway, might as well shut off the water supply to the house and replace that old style valve with a modern quarter-turn valve.

A purrfect addition to my home just as energy prices have doubled and cost of living is insane!. I would thoroughly enjoy having this constantly cycling whilst anxiously watching my electricity credit count down as if in seconds!!

We have three cats. I have had a CG 120 for over 5 years. I have large male that won't turn around to pee in the Litter robot 3 so he pees outside of it. Thankfully he uses the CG120 and prefers it because it's more roomy for him. The other 2 prefer the LR3. So everything works out for us.

Good video. Thanks

Side rails n dome are purchased separetly too.

Could you review pullnscoop litter box?

Do you have a review on the pullnscope cat litter box ?

hey, off topic but any plans to review tuft&paw's new litter?

I just scooped it up use Boxie cat litter and their spray than I use the litter Genie, I only have one toilet don’t want such a complication something near my toilet!

Hi there! Thank you for all your videos. They are very informative and I have recently adopted a three months old kitten so I am a new Cat mom 😃. I live in Dubai and unfortunately they don’t ship Litter Robot to Dubai or I was considering getting Litter Robot 4. Any chance you could test the Newer version of Petkit Pura Max please? I am so concerned as I have read a lot of urine leak reviews. But I’ll trust yours. Waiting for your reply xx

Very thorough…thank you for the info! I would have a tough time convincing myself to send the waste into the toilet and zero chance of convincing my wife!

I had the old model for 5 cats and I would NEVER recommend it for anyone. Even though you’re now hands-off from cleaning the litter, it actually gets dirtier for your house. The plastic doesn’t dry out the water in the urine, so when cats steps on it accidentally, they will tred that urine in their feet across your floor and sofa, along with the plastic litter. It gets even worse when they have a diarrhea. Soft diarrhea will not seep through those tiny hole in the bottom, but it also won’t be collected by the handle. So it will just be dripping liquid poop everywhere. It seems that the new model still has the same problem. Plus, cleaning is really a pain and very expensive with the cartridges. We spent at least $60 a month for the cartridges, whereas the same cost for 1.5 month of high quality clumping litters. With that same cost, I’d rather invest in the Litter Robot one.

I dont even own a cat, i just love mallory :)

We looked at the Cat Genie some years ago but we have a very small bathroom and no utility room. There was no space in the bathroom for one so we decided against it. Now we have a Litter Robot 3 and a Pura Max 2. Both machines are brilliant. The Pura Max 2 is used upstairs mainly by our two 17 year old half-Bengals. It should be on a hard floor but we have carpet so the app doesn't work with it. It can, however be programmed manually so we have it set to clean every 2 hours. They're the best things we've ever bought for our cats - and us.

I have a "Litter Genie": my husband......HE cleans our regular cat litter box. I see you used it for 3 weeks, are you still using it? A plumber with a single cat that has several bathrooms would be a good fit. Can you imagine what it might do to your plumbing? I have 4 cats and they like there reg litter boxs.

ty

I am in Italy and i can’t download the app can someone help me setting it up pls?

I bought a catgenie that worked fine for a very short time. The scooper stopped scooping and when I called catgenie for support I was told that my catgenie was out of warranty and I should just buy a new one. They should offer support and parts for more than 90 days for an item this expensive. Very disappointed with my cat genie,

I kinda don't get it why won't hey just make a scoop with litter granules size grid, which really could drop out only litter (except it would be a rat-sized poop lol). I wonder if you could try to make somethn like that on a 3d printer Although I didn't buy one yet, but really looking forward to it

I set my cat genie AI in cat activation mode. I try and catch the poop and scoop it into the toilet. Less cleaning the whole machine and it keeps it super clean. I set it to 30 mins before the cycle starts and I use my iPhone app alerts me she used it. And I gave 30 mins to get to the box and scoop the poop.

Please review the Petkit Pura Max!

My thing is woth the $500 price your essentially only having to clean it every 6 months. I have 3 cats, and they recommend one machine for all 3. I think after watching this video it look like 2 is more accuate, or 1 and a regular litter box. I spend $30 every 2 weeks or so on litter so $20 a month would be saving me money on buy sanitizing solution and granuels.

I own a cat genie A.I. I used it for 3 years and overall, this is a pretty good review. For the most part, I loved the cat genie. You do have to do a deep cleaning every 3-6 months which honestly is pretty icky but that's it! Also, I would mention that I had it hooked to my washing machine outlet which worked perfectly. I don't think I would have bought it if my only option was the bathroom because you would have to see the poo water and flush frequently or it would stink up the bathroom. Also, these do take up quite a bit of room. However, the reason I ultimately stopped using it was because we got a new kitten who refused to use it. I think he hated the way the plastic pellets felt on his feet. I could kind of understand since they do track easily and are like the world's tiniest leggos. Anyway, the kitten started using the bathroom in closets and the bathroom sinks. It came down to keeping the kitten or the genie. So... here I am, scooping litter again while the kitten smugly watches. Sigh. I wish so much that cat genie would make a litter that feels more like litter.

i would like to add that this machine just doesn’t work if you have a fixed male cat that sprays when he pees. this was my situation, and i did ask the folks at cat genie if this would work for me, but they recommended not to use it

They should give a 5 year warranty. But they don’t. They do have great customer service. For me it’s worth it. It’s an investment. If you can put it in the laundry room it’s better. If you have a bathtub that’s not being used I would put this in a bathtub. But we use our bathtubs in. It baths. I destroyed my brand new floor because the hose I took it off the toilet and I was going to put it in my bathtub. But I got out of the shower and forgot I took the hose off the side of the toilet and destroyed my bathroom floor. It cost me a little of money to replace the floor it was my fault. Do I recommend using TAPE on the side of the toilet or better to put the hose in the bathtub drain.

I miss the food reviews

I'm soooo glad I don't have to deal with a littler box. My cat goes outside.

I didn’t get a good sense of the improvements over the older models

Thank you for your honest review. This won't work for use

That would be illegal to use in the UK as we are not allowed to flush cat poop down out toilets, not sure how many other country's have this policy, also running 240v electrics into a bathroom is a high risk of shock

Great HINT: If you have a human at home 24/7 you can set it to Cat Activation and do 30 mins before start run. Then you have time to scoop the poop. This way the cat genie hoses stay more clean and there will be no smell. This has been a life saver for me. It’s something I came up with on my own. I won’t have to break it down but maybe once a year.

Oof it's cool in concept, but if it doesn't do its job of scooping waste, and then proceeds to wash & dry it........I can only imagine the smell D:

Hey Mallory! I currently have four cats in my house (two belong to my friend) and I've noticed that their stool smells really bad... I think it's due to the particular type of canned food they are used to having. I know that certain sprays like Lysol and such can be harmful to cats but I was wondering if you'd be covering anything that helps mask unwanted cat odors (plug-ins, candles, anything!). It would be a real life saver these days. The moment I enter my house, I'm greeted by four felines and this giant, horrible warm smell of poop :x PS. will we be getting a Halloween video this year? We really like those :)

Germs germs germs. I will stick to my traditional litter box. It’s cheaper too.

I see two major problems with this. #1 is potentially flushing plastic down the toilet and into the ocean. this is the last thing we need. #2 you can't see the pee; how much they pee etc which can be important to their health. now, I switched to Pretty Litter because I really like not having to clean up clumps of pee. but at least a consolation is that it changes color with potential health issues. and #3 - can you even use the toilet with that stupid hose under the lid? how janky this whole set up looks lol

You lost me at water supply 😹

the biggest issue of cat genie is the SUPER HIGH COST OF THE SPECIAL FLUID YOU HAVE TO BUY ! you did NOT mention it ! it isa RIP< OFF BIG $$$$ The good news is there is a hack ! you can take it apart ( which voids the warranty ) and hack the cartridges so you can then fill them w/ homemade fluid ! it is complicated and NOT everyone can do it ! but hey ! i've got 11 cats ! WE are buying two units and will take one apart for the hack !

You need 2 cat genie AI’s even for one cat. Fuzzykat will pee in one while it’s cleaning she will go to the other one and use it.

I really wouldn’t recommend this if you have any dogs that tend to want to eat the litter or poop in litter.

I have two Cat Genie's: an older 120 and an AI that I've had for about a year. Without question, the AI is more temperamental, more trouble and has too many problems for the cost. The 120, with it's simpler design, chugs right along and never gives me issues.

Not worth the hassle and cost. I prefer to get a real good odor absorbing cat litter that im able to comfortably scoop out the waste and dont mind changing the litter box. The fact that you may have feces or whatever stuck in the water hose - well….that’s a heck of a lot of hassle to resolve it. Many ways to keep the area where your cat do their business clean.

This product is not worth it. It is complex enough that it will eventually have issues of some kind and when you do, you are SOL. The unit can not run without the Sani solution. This solution is only for making it smell better. The unit artificially limits how many washes can be done per Sani solution container, so you can't even refill them yourself. There is no reason to force customers to buy this solution. Then the impeller shaft stripped on my unit. No big deal, I called support and they told me I would need a whole new hopper assembly to get that part. Still no issue and an order request was placed for a whole hopper assembly for $40ish. Then the order goes through a manager for approval and suddenly the manager insists that I send them the main processing unit in for repair. I send pictures and argue, but they refuse to let me buy the part I need. Every interaction with this company has felt like they go out of their way to try and take advantage of their customers.

There's no way that small line could flush what my cats do...and getting it wet? That sounds like a colossal mess...I'll stick with the Litter Robot and away from the fucking water lol.

Hello …👋 I’m out… scoop for me 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

I have decided against investing in this product. My 18-yr-old Aby is so used to "The World's Best Kitty Litter" that I doubt that he would deign to use it. Then there's the problem of him having soft poops more often than nicely-formed boluses. Being retired and on a fixed income, I cannot justify the initial and continuing costs. Plus I am annoyed that, like with printers and mobile phones, you are locked into their products for the life of the device. (HATE, with a passion, attempts to become monopolies!)

It's too big, needs a water supply and a drain, and it's too expensive. This is a serious pass.

The drying process takes 30 minutes sooooooooo nope.

I hate reviews that are always in the middle 🙄

Here's a thought: Don't have cats and no litter issues. I have had many cats throughout my life but finally reached a conclusion that we as humans should not have housepets. We imprison them, force our human ways on them and complain about the fact that our homes turn into a zoo that is operating on the animal condition, not on human preferences. I love cats and all sorts of animals, have had birds and dogs too and loved all of them like own children, but I've still ended up to this conclusion. The pet industry is massive and making huge profits from keeping an environment and machinery going, to promote pet ownership, which is akin to forced adoption/prison sentence to the animal who does not get to live according their own instincts and preferences.

Way way too complicated and annoying. I will stick to simple uncovered boxes and a scoop!

Not worth it to be locked into buying expensive plastic litter and cleaning solution with microchips that don’t let you make your own!! That’s despicable corporate behavior.

DO NOT buy this product. It did not work properly, created the worst smells. When I contacted the company for help they told me the arm was likely bent. They would not SELL me a new arm even though it is a small part, because I had not purchased the sanisolution directly from them and rather I got mine off facebook marketplace from someone who had extra and was getting rid of their catgenie. Catgenie told me since I did not have any order history with them they would 'assume i had stored the product and that they will not sell parts to people who have stored the catgenie' and even though I had NEVER stored the product and we established the issue was the arm, they would not sell it to me since I did not buy their stupid disgusting smelling air-freshener cartriges directly from CatGenie.

Helpful but ladies anxiety level was so palpable in this vid. & zero other emotion. Plz breath, then talk.

Great video but I had to stop pause the video and will get out because my cat would never be happy using this but I want to leave comment for algorithm. 😊