New Litter Robot 3 - smells horrible after 2 days

Hi!

I require your help regarding a problem I’m encountering.

**i Purchased a Robot Litter 3 on Tuesday evening. I have 1 cat. Yesterday evening my house was filled with an awful smell coming from it. **:

I checked if all the pieces were put together as recommended, i followed the pictures from the manual and looked if mine is the same. It does not appear to have misplaced partes:

**I cleaned the globe, i looked if the bonnet is clean, i checked to see if there is poop or anything stuck in it. It’s all clear. I dumped the bag and the smell disappeared. So apparently that was the issue, the smell came from the dumping drawer. **:

**The litter is brand new, the filter is in place, the litter parts are in place, the base seals seem fine. the litter i use is Tigerino - it clubs really good and it’s odor free.
At the same time, my sister purchased the same litter, she has 4 cats. She has no odor, nothing. **:

Thank you so much in advance for your help!

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Hi,

Keep your Litter-Robot working (and smelling) like new with these four maintenance reminders:

  1. Empty the Waste Drawer when indicated.

Infrared emitters and sensors detect the level of waste in the drawer, and the blue light on the control panel flashes when it’s time to empty. For one average-sized cat, you’ll need to empty the Waste Drawer about once per week, and for two cats, twice every 7-10 days is typical.

To change the drawer liner, simply pull out the drawer, unhook the edges of the liner, and dispose. Then, install a new drawer liner (like our custom-fit, biodegradable drawer liners) by rolling the edges a few times and pushing them into the four tabs (keeping the bag taut at the back).

Any time you affect the weight or placement of the unit (by removing waste, adding litter, cleaning, or moving the unit), press the Reset button to ensure proper function. Press the Reset button when the unit is at the Home position and the control panel displays a solid blue light.

After you change the Waste Drawer liner and push the drawer back into the Base, make sure you haven’t pushed the unit against a wall or into a corner. The Litter-Robot must not be touching any walls for the Cat Sensor to detect your cat and cycle properly.

  1. Add litter as needed.

Each time you empty the Waste Drawer, check the Globe and add litter as needed. Add just enough litter to meet the raised Fill Line on the black rubber liner, but be careful not to overfill the Globe.

Don’t forget to press the Reset button when you’re done adding litter.

  1. Replace the Carbon Filter and Seal Strips periodically.

Keep the Litter-Robot smelling fresh by trapping unpleasant odors in the Waste Drawer with replacement Carbon Filters and Seal Strips (or buy them together). How frequently you’ll need to replace the filter is up to you (and the number of cats you have); every few months or when you start to notice that the Waste Drawer smells, change the Carbon Filter. You’ll only need to replace the Seal Strips if you notice they are worn flat or peeling, or if you think excess odor is escaping the Base.

  1. Keep it clean!

About once every month or so (depending on how frequently the unit is used), give your Litter-Robot a wipe down. A couple times per year, give it a more thorough cleaning.

First, empty all of the litter from the Globe by pressing the Empty button. The Globe will rotate in the opposite direction of a Clean Cycle, allowing the litter to fall through the waste port, into the drawer. Give the Globe a bath with a gentle cleanser, then let it dry completely.

The Base contains the Cat Sensor and electronics, so never submerge or soak the Base—and never use bleach to clean it. Wipe down surfaces with a cloth dampened with disinfectant—and if you use a spray, spray it directly onto a cloth or paper towel away from the Base, so the disinfectant doesn’t get into the electronics.

The Litter-Robot may be an automatic self-cleaning litter box, but it still takes a little maintenance to keep it working and you free from the chore of scooping the litter box. Make sure to empty the Waste Drawer on time and top off the litter, refresh the Carbon Filters and Seal Strips as needed, and take the time to wipe down and clean the Base, Globe, and Bonnet. Devoting a few minutes here and there to ongoing maintenance will keep your Litter-Robot in top shape for years to come.

Best regards,

Thank you for the reply. However, like i mentioned, the robot is 4 days old, i don;t need to change any of the parts (filter, seal strips).
Also, no sensors have appeared to show that the drawer is full.
And with 1 cat, after 3 days, really, it was not full.
The litter is added respecting the lines from the globe.

How can it be in top shape for years to come, if after 4 days it’s already non usable due to smells?

3 Likes

Hi Coraline,

Here are the recommendation from Litter-Robot:

Will the Litter-Robot eliminate all litter box odor?

No, the Litter-Robot will not eliminate all litter box odor. However, because waste is promptly removed and contained in the base, typical litter box odor will be reduced significantly. Additionally, a large carbon filter located in the front of the waste drawer absorbs odors and moisture to discourage mold growth (a major culprit of that telltale litter box smell). The amount of odor control the Litter-Robot will provide depends on the amount of odor created—by how many cats use it, what type of litter you use, and your cats’ diets, among other things. Of course, the more often you empty the waste drawer, the less opportunity there is for odor to escape. That said, if you empty the waste drawer and notice the Litter-Robot is still a source of unpleasant odors, we recommend changing out the bed of litter completely, deep-cleaning the Litter-Robot twice per year, and replacing the carbon filter and seal strips as needed. It is also worth noting that scented litters are generally not as effective at absorbing odors as unscented litter. Instead, we recommend an unscented, odor-trapping, natural litter like Litterbox.com All Natural Clumping Litter.

How often do I need to empty the waste drawer?

This depends on the number and size of your cats. For two average-sized cats, twice per week is typical. For a single cat, once per week is usually sufficient.

How do I clean the Litter-Robot exterior?

Cleaning the Litter-Robot exterior is easy. Just remove the globe and the drawer and give them a sponge bath, or take them outside for deep-cleaning with the garden hose. All other surfaces can be wiped clean, but should not be submerged. CAUTION: The base and bonnet of the Litter-Robot contain electrical components that should not be submerged.

How often do I have to clean the inside of the globe?

This depends on your personal preference and your cat’s behavior. We recommend cleaning the inside of the globe every one to three months. Learn how to clean your Litter-Robot: 1. Press the Empty button to cycle the globe clockwise, which will allow the litter to fall through the waste port and into the drawer for easy disposal. Sweep any leftover litter toward the waste port. Then, press any button to return the globe to the Home position. Ensure that all litter has been removed from the globe—wet litter turns into messy clay! 2. Turn the Litter-Robot off and unplug the unit. 3. Remove the bonnet: Press and release the snap tabs on both sides of the bonnet, then lift and rotate the bonnet off of the globe and carefully set it aside. 4. Remove the globe: With two hands, lift the globe off the base. 5. Clean the globe with water and a mild soap. There are no electronic components in the globe that can be damaged by soap and water. If the globe has become extremely dirty, it can be soaked and cleaned with a water hose or power washer. 6. Let the globe dry completely before reassembling it to the base and attaching the bonnet. For a quick touchup, you can use a disposable towelette to wipe the inside and upper half of the globe (without removing the litter). The Litter-Robot can be used immediately, since drying is nearly instantaneous.

How much litter do I put in the Litter-Robot?

Fill the globe with approximately 8-10 pounds of litter, until it meets the raised fill line on the black rubber globe liner when spread flat. If there is too much litter in the globe, it will be expelled into the waste drawer during the first few cycles. Since the waste clumps are removed during each cycle, there is no need to put excessive litter in the globe.

I hope this information helped you.

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Hi Coraline,

I have this exact same issue and I am also using Tigerino - did you manage to resolve this? It seems the smell is coming from the waste drawer as when we empty it, the smell goes away. However, the point of getting the litter robot was to avoid having to scoop everyday and this is worse as we are having to clean it out every time our cat uses it!

If you managed to get this resolved, it would be great if you could let me know how.

Thanks

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I wrote about this issue many times too in this forum. The problem appeared after just one day my robot arrived and although I am desperate for some help within my warranty, NO ONE forwarded this problem to customer service. I can’t stand the smell in the flat. Seriously it’s ridiculous that such an expensive product doesn’t have a customer service and there is no chance for a serious claim. What’s the warranty for if no one takes this seriously? My waste drawer doesn’t even fit anymore. There is a little gap and it’s kind of like the drawer is always a bit open. You just wanna die because of the smell :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:. It’s such a pity because I love my litter robot but want to throw it out of the window because of the smell problem.
So had any of you luck in this matter? Please let me know.

3 Likes

Is the only solution to this problem to really disassemble the entire LR every month for a cleaning? I’ve had cats for 20 years and used regular litter boxes that didn’t smell this bad.
I’m also incredibly frustrated with this product.

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I have the same issue… it’s three days old, one cat, and the room where the LR3 is smells really bad. What a disappointment… I was expecting more for the price…

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What are you feeding your cat? If supermarket kibble food, that’s the reason. I feed my cat quality freeze dry raw and the smell is not too strong.

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I’m having serious issues with my IRobot 3. The only thing I see about the drawer full issue is to make sure the bag is folded down below the line which I do. Unfortunately, I fix it, she goes potty, it senses her and cycles and that’s it… from there, it says the drawer is full and won’t cycle again. Every day, I have to come home, hit reset, cycle and reset again to make the blinking blue light go solid again and make it ready for the next episode and every day, there are 6 or 8 clumps that go in the bucket which conveys it never cycled. I look at the history and it also typically shows the one episode the day before that she went potty after I cycled it manually and then framer full comments. Why can’t you reset it or cycle it remotely when it says drawer full?? I didn’t know it would lock up and be useless. I’m almost to a point of just getting a $10 litter box and scooping vs the $500 one which is essentially no different as it has been manual for me daily since I bought it.

Depending on the smell your cat may have a urinary infection.

Also add 1/2 cup Baking Soda to the Draw and Globe.

HTH

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Hi
I also have this problem. I have only had this product for a few months and I too also notice a whiff off cat poo, coming from the litter robot. Very frustrating considering the price of it!! Although I never smell cat wee which was horrific in a normal cat tray. I was expecting no smells whatsoever from litter robot.:pouting_cat:

First…Should the odor be very strong I would suggest taking the kitty to the vet for a urine test.

Second…I always use a little baking soda sprinkled in the Globe & a bit more in the draw when I change out the draw…

Third…I use Tiddy Cats with Glade…grey top 35lb tub or 20lb jugs

hth

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