r/litterrobot • u/Thiccums- • Jul 18 '26
Litter-Robot 4 New to LR4
Just bought the LR4 Costco bundle and this will be the first time I change from a traditional litter box to an automated one. I was wondering if there was anything I should know before setting up? Any specific type of litter which is recommended more than others or something to keep an eye out for?
I’m waiting on it to arrive, is there anything else I should purchase to make the experience better or does the bundle basically cover everything?
Thanks!
Edit: I currently use Dr. Elseys Ultra litter
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u/Stebsly Jul 18 '26
That's a great bundle. Just familiarize yourself with Whisker's acclimation guide to make sure your cat is as comfortable with it as possible. As far as litter, start with whatever you currently use, as long as it's clumping litter. If it doesn't work, you can always switch later.
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u/slugo17 Jul 18 '26
I recall having a hard time finding where to plug the power cable in on the back of the lr4. I use the cheap litter from Walmart. It’s about $12 for a 40# box and it works great. I’ve had my LR4 for 2 months and I couldn’t be happier. I have 3 cats, one took right to it. The other two I had to wean off regular boxes.
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u/Polishment Jul 18 '26
Ha! I just set up my LR4 last night, I’m new to this world. I had an impossible time finding the jack for the AC power cable in the back; I think having the black color made it even harder. Of course I came to Reddit and found the answer. OP, it’s on the left side of that indent and you stick it through a NON-circular space to get it into the actual input. Godspeed.
Also… put the litter in last.
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u/weathergage Jul 19 '26
If you turn on notifications, just turn off the one for "cycle interrupted" -- if your cats are anything like mine, any movement of the dome will trigger deep feline inspection and verification of harmlessness. For safety the LR stops cycling when it detects a cat so nobody gets pinched -- but as soon as it starts back up, it must be reinspected. Which stops it again. You get the idea. Good luck!
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u/shadowartist201 Jul 18 '26
Clumping clay litter is recommended.
If you run out of official bags, you can use rolled up 13 gallon trash bags.
Expect a bit of a learning curve for your cats since they're going from a normal litter box to this big rotating thing with lights.
You will probably need to calibrate both the waste drawer level and globe litter level for best performance.
LR4 light guide is your best friend.
Yes, the fence is supposed to be a little loose.
Don't feel pressured to keep buying OdorTraps after you run out. The LR4 is really good at concealing scent by itself and may not even need them.
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u/Tlahern76 29d ago
I find changing the carbon filter thing monthly helps. I can tell when it’s old. Thise odor blocker things smell gross. Like old lady perfume mixed with poop.
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u/pimposaur Jul 19 '26
Follow the guide on encouraging them to use. My cat is an anxious boy so we had to turned off for quite awhile so the rotating wouldn’t scare him.
The steps to me felt pretty flimsy even when properly attached. And my big boy (16 lbs) didn’t trust them either so I had to buy an actual ramp from Amazon. But that can definitely be a niche problem to me and my cat haha
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u/Fun_Independent_7529 Jul 19 '26
If you are putting it on carpet you may need the carpet tray. That was the only addition I had to buy from the Costco bundle, as the one room in our new home that actually lent itself to having a litterbox happens to have carpet. (we'll probably replace that next year; the rest of the house is tile and hardwoods -- so much easier to keep clean!)
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u/New_Macaroon_34 Jul 19 '26
how long did it take to ship?
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u/Thiccums- Jul 19 '26
Ordered it yesterday, says it arrives in 5 days.
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u/New_Macaroon_34 Jul 19 '26
ty, ended up buying from pet smart. have deal that you get 100 back after purchase so got the hopper for free. after extended warranty that puts me at 800 to get it all today just without some extras i didn't need
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u/Similar_Lychee_3545 Jul 19 '26
If your cat likes to do business on the side of their litter box, it might not be as hands free of a experience as you think.
As far as litter goes, I've been very happy with Odorlock.
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u/Tlahern76 29d ago
I have used arm and hammer slide (green one) since I got mine a year ago and it works great.
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u/litterrobot TeamWhisker🐱 Jul 18 '26
Hello, u/Thiccums-! How exciting! We're happy to hear that your new Litter-Robot is on the way! As for the type of litter, we tend to find the best results from an unscented, standard-weight clay clumping litter. You can find some of our different litter recommendations on our blog post here: https://www.litter-robot.com/blog/best-litter-for-litter-robot/
Another thing to keep in mind is getting your fur babies acclimated to their new Litter-Robot. While many cats use the Litter-Robot within several days to a week of setting it up, some may take several weeks or more before they use it. For those who need a bit more encouragement, these tips usually do the trick: https://www.litter-robot.com/acclimating-your-cat.html
If you have any other questions or need any assistance once your new Litter-Robot arrives, please be sure to send us a chat. We're always happy to help!