I have two cats and have tried multiple different ways of housing my cats’ litter box with varying degrees of success. This is mainly down to one of them being quite large so she struggles to get in and out of different places in my home. I got the opportunity to look at the Neakasa M1 Automatic Litter Box and see how it performs in a multi-cat environment.
First things first, the unboxing, as always. The box that the Neakasa M1 comes in is nothing short of massive. It barely fit through the front door to my apartment, and while it isn’t the heaviest thing in the world (my Fanatec GT DD Pro racing wheel setup weighed more), it is quite cumbersome to move around if you don’t have long arms. Beyond that, in the box, you get the M1 itself, as well as the attachable legs, two rolls of disposable bags, a floor mat to place the unit on, the power cord, the manual, and about ten pounds (an exaggeration) of packaging to hold the unit in place during transport.
The setup was quite easy. I simply needed to attach the legs, put a bag in the tray, put some litter in and plug it in. The Neakasa M1 took care of everything else once it was turned on. It then went through its first automatic assessment of the machine, levelling the litter in the basin and determining the amount that was in there. I then set up the app that Neakasa recommends you to download, and that was just as easy as the physical setup. I just needed to create an account and pair the M1 with the app, all of which took about 5 minutes in total.
Once in the app, I was able to see that it measures the litter level and tells you when it needs to be filled, as well as when it cleans itself. You can set the cleaning option to operate on a cycle (cleaning at a set interval, such as every hour) or automatically, where you can set the time for how soon after a cat leaves the bin. By default, the app was set to automatic cleaning 5 minutes after a cat left the bin, and I didn’t see the appeal in changing it to cycle cleaning since you can only set it by the hour rather than the minute.
“In terms of usage, the Neakasa M1 does not dispose of much litter when it cleans itself.”
Inside the unit itself, where you load the litter, is a physical marking system showing exactly how full the bin is of litter, so you can always have a physical reference if the app is down or the power is out. This was extremely helpful during the early stages of testing, as it showed me how much was being used every time the bin cleaned itself, as well as giving me a way to see how much was used over time.
In terms of usage, the Neakasa M1 does not dispose of much litter when it cleans itself. One of my initial worries was that it would dispose of too much, requiring me to fill it more frequently and spending more money on litter. I can safely say that we have used less litter than if we hadn’t used the M1. That right there is all I need to know to know how good this device is.
The Neakasa M1 is built with four different weight sensors and five pairs of infrared sensors to determine the usage of up to three different cats. It accurately determines the weight of the cat inside and how long they were in the litter box. That information is then relayed to you in the app. The sensors also determine if a cat is inside and stops the machine from cleaning itself during this time.
“The Neakasa M1 is built with four different weight sensors and five pairs of infrared sensors to determine the usage of up to three different cats.”
The cleaning process itself is rather interesting to watch the first few times. The bin will rotate itself so that the litter enters a separate basin that has a grate to prevent waste from entering it. Waste will then slide down into an opening leading to the storage bag tray, rotate itself back, put all of the litter back and level itself out so there is a fresh environment for your cat(s) to use again.
I can say that my partner and I watched with enthusiasm the first few times the Neakasa M1 cleaned itself. There were also times that we’d be sitting in the living room and hear some kind of mechanical whirring noise and wonder what it was, only to learn that it was the Neakasa M1 cleaning itself.
Speaking of noise, the Neakasa M1 is not loud at all. The cleaning process takes about two minutes from start to finish, and if you’re doing something or watching TV/playing a game, then odds are you won’t hear it. All of this is contingent on it being in the same general area as you are. If the Neakasa M1 Automatic Litter Box is in another room entirely, then you’ll never hear it unless you happen to be in there during a cleaning phase.
The thing most, if not all, cat owners hate is the smell of the litter box in between cleanings. Luckily, the Neakasa M1 remedies this by cleaning itself every time the litter box is used (provided you have the settings set that way). In the few weeks that I have used the M1 so far, I can confidently say that the only times I have smelled the litter box at all is after fresh litter was added, or it’s a time in between a cat using it and the cleaning cycle beginning.
“If the Neakasa M1 Automatic Litter Box is in another room entirely, then you’ll never hear it unless you happen to be in there during a cleaning phase. “
When it comes to emptying the waste collection tray and adding a new bag, the process is extremely simple. The tray is designed to be used with bags that have a drawstring attached and a method of allowing you to pull the drawstring to close the bag without needing to touch it in any other way. This allows you to collect the bag with no risk of spillage, no scoops and no hassle. Replacing the bags is just as simple, as the provided bags fit the space perfectly, and the drawstring goes right into the designated slot to be pulled the next time you need to dispose of it.
The only downside I see here is that the bags may be difficult to find. We are still using the ones that come with it, so we will have to cross that bridge eventually. I’ve only had to use three of the 30 bags the Neakasa M1 comes with, which is a good testament to how quickly the bags fill up. The proprietary bags from Neakasa are around $30 USD to purchase and you get 30 for the price. Given how infrequently I have had to change them, it seems to be good value, but if you change the bags more often, then it’s good to know how expensive the replacement bags are.
The Neakasa M1 Automatic Litter Box features a 17-inch opening at the top for your cat(s) to climb into whenever they need to use the litter box, which is good if your cat is from small to normal size. If your cat is a bit bigger, like one of mine is, then they fill up the bin quite completely, leaving not much room to do their business. All the same, I never experienced an issue with it, so the Neakasa M1 gets another point there. The other issue with having bigger cats is that they need to climb up into the bin itself. If they struggle to get up on chairs or another elevated surface, then the Neakasa M1 may not be the best solution for you.
Coming in with a hefty $499 USD price right now, the Neakasa M1 is not exactly inexpensive. However, if you weigh in your time saved and convenience, the price may very well be worth it for you. For me, it is still on the pricier side, especially since it’s a glorified toilet for your cat. Having said that, we won’t be going back to a regular litter box any time soon.
As pet owners, we all know the thing we want to do the least is clean up after them after they use the bathroom (figuratively, not literally). The Neakasa M1 all but removes that unpleasantness from the equation and provides a no-nonsense solution that is easy to use and easy to clean. I can wholly recommend the Neakasa M1 Automatic Litter Box for anyone looking to make their life easier when it comes to cleaning up after their cat.
The Neakasa M1 is regularly $599, with a long-term $100 off coupon right now. Anyone interested can also get $30 USD off with this code: M1NEW30OFF.
- Open-top Design: Traditional cat litter boxes and side-opening self-cleaning options available in the market often come with a host of common problems. These include overpowering and unpleasant odors that infiltrate your home and safety concerns stemming from smaller side openings, which can be particularly hazardous for larger feline companions. Neakasa M1 open top maintains a clean interior and provides a safety protection environment for cats.
- Large Capacity: M1 self cleaning cat litter box spacious 17” opening ensures easy adaptation for cats of all sizes, even for skittish kitties (>2.2 lbs), ensuring quick adaptation. It also allows you to monitor your cats’ toilet habits due to the roomy design.
