REVIEW – We have two cats and with summer finally in full swing we wanted to take some longer trips so when MeoWant offered their new self-cleaning litter box for review this was the perfect opportunity to try it out. Let’s see how the MeoWant Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box performs.
What is it?
The MeoWant Self Cleaning Cat Litter Box is a wifi capable self cleaning litter box utilizing a rotating drum design. It has multiple sensors for safety and weight tracking that you can see with the Airpet App to provide insight into your cat’s health and bathroom habits.
What’s in the box?
- MeoWant Litter Box
- 12V power adapter
- User Manual
- Quick start guide
- Litter Catching Pad
- Box of 20 litter box liners
Hardware specs
- Model: MW-SC01
- Dimensions: 20.5” L x 20.9” W x 21.85” H
- Weight: 20.9 lbs empty
- For Cats: 3-22 lbs / age > 4 months
- Max Weight Capacity: 44 lbs / 20 kg
- Applicable Litter: All clumping cat litter < 15mm in length
- Toilet Space Area: 57.6L or 15.2 gal
- Toilet Space Dimensions: 14.9” x 13.7” x 19.7”
- Waste Bin Capacity: 5L or 1.3 gal
- Waste Liner Dimensions: 18” x 12.6”
- Noise: Less than 40 decibels
Setup
The MeoWant Self Cleaning Litter Box was pretty easy to set up . I placed the drum on the base making sure to slot it in the back then put the rear cover on.
I then opened the side cover to reveal the waste bin. I took a liner and put that in the waste bucket and then closed it up and plugged it in. What I found out though is I should have added the litter first because when you plug it in the feet sensors calibrate how much weight is in the box.
That way when your cat gets in it can accurately record the difference. If you add or change out the litter at any point you will want to unplug the box and plug it back in to re-calibrate the weight.
Performance
To make it more likely for your cat to use the MeoWant Self Cleaning Litter Box they recommend using litter from their old box, placing it in close proximity to the old box, and stop cleaning the old litter box to encourage using the MeoWant.
I did all that and our one cat, Han Solo, was fascinated by the new litter box. He got in it, on it, laid in it, and pretty much did everything you could do with it but actually go to the bathroom.
Our other cat, Luke Skywalker, was deathly afraid of it to the point where after a few days I attempted to encourage him in the MeoWant and he scratched me trying to get away. He is pretty skittish so if you have a cat that is similar it may take a while for them to get used to it.
On the base, there are three buttons that allow you to initiate a clean cycle, spread the litter flat, replace the litter, or activate the child lock but you’ll want to download the app to get full use out of it.
With the Airpet App you get more customization options and information. It tells you whether a cat is in it or not and you can set it to auto clean from 1 minute up to 60 minutes after it is used. I turned that off though because Han was constantly getting on top of it or just getting in it but not actually using it so you can set scheduled clean times which is what I did instead.
The MeoWant is very accurate when it comes to weight and cat presence. The radar in the front of the box can detect when a cat approaches and it works very well. I noticed during the cleaning cycle Han would approach out of curiosity and as soon as he got within 12 inches of the opening it would pause until he backed up. Then it would start again and he would come back to look and it would pause again. A normal cleaning cycle without any interference only takes about 30 seconds and hardly makes any noise but depending on your cat’s curiosity it could end up taking a while.
You can add your cat data to the app including a picture so when you receive notifications you know who is in the loo. If you want to replace all the litter with fresh then you just push the button on the base or in the app and instead of going clockwise to filter the litter the drum travels counterclockwise and puts it all in the waste bin for you. Then just pull the bin out and add more litter. Of course once done unplug and plug it back in to re-calibrate the new weight of the litter.
I think the best feature of the MeoWant is the weight tracking. Han weighs 9lbs and Luke is bigger at 12.8lbs and being able to keep track of this automatically will let us know if one starts to gain weight which could indicate a health concern.
So I removed the old litter box completely thinking both cats had completely accepted the MeoWant but after two days Luke pooped on the carpet. He is a bit bigger than Han but he is super skittish and I think he was just too afraid of it. If we only had Han I think this would have made a great litter box that would allow us to go on week long trips without worrying about him since we have an automatic feeder as well. If you have more than one cat or a cat larger than 10lbs the MeoWant might be a little too cramped for them. Sort of like using a port-a-john vs a nice hotel lobby stall. If I had the choice I wouldn’t use the port-a-john either. If your cat is also very skittish and afraid of everything like Luke then it just might not work which is too bad because the MeoWant did work well so it really just depends on how your cat will react to it.
What I like
- Accurate and sensitive sensors
- Can go a while without having to empty the bin
What I’d change
- Might be a little cramped for larger cats
Final thoughts
The MeoWant self-cleaning cat litter box is super convenient and works well but that convenience comes at a price. At $479.99 on Amazon after a $120 coupon was applied it’s pricey and I would have hated to spend that kind of money just to find out one of my cats won’t use it. The app is easy to use and the weight sensors are very accurate and nice to keep an eye on your pet’s weight. I think the MeoWant would work best if you only have one cat that isn’t over 10 lbs and isn’t skittish at all. I know Han will miss it but Luke is happy his old litter box is back.
Price: $599.99
Where to buy: MeoWant Online Store (save $229.99 with code: gadgeteer01) or Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by MeoWant.
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The article is incredibly insightful, and I sincerely appreciate the sharing. It has been very helpful for someone like me who is currently considering purchasing a cat litter box!
Our Furry Overlords get very set in their ways, and with Cats, change is really hard. This product looks very interesting, but as a Cat Daddy, I think this radical approach would be best if introduced to Kittens, not full grown Fuzzballs.
Just bought the 18L litter box for bigger cats and my cat took to it instantly. I love this litter box and I’m so lucky my cat would go into a whirl pool if I put some litter in it. 😂 10/10 recommend.
They do NOT stand by warranty. The design has a flaw that allows urine and litter to get underneath and it is nasty when you discover it. We had ours for a month and conracted Meowant about the seal issue but they blamed the cat. Read Amazon reviews as you’ll find the same.
Thank you for your review. It offered many answers to questions I had.
I did see where one customer talked about urine and a bad design. Can you address that?
Greetings Renee,
Brett is referring to the possibility of excess urine that fails to clump and little bits of litter to pass through the tumblers seams. You can see the back plate is screwed on in the pictures above. I recommend putting a rubber tray or cardboard underneath the base to catch anything that falls through at least initially to see how your cat does with it. The MeoWant is not really maintenance free but once you see how it works with your cat you can determine how often you need to check on it.