Litter-Robot 5 Pro Review: We Tested It

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

The most advanced Litter-Robot to date, the Litter-Robot 5 Pro features an enlarged interior design, two integrated cameras, and an array of impressive features. But how does it compare to earlier models and is it worth buying?

View on Whisker.com

Ratings

Ease of Cleaning – 5/5
Odor Control – 5/5
Appearance – 5/5
Construction – 5/5
Price – 3/5

Overall Score: 4.6/5

In this detailed review, we’ll explore the features of Whisker’s latest Litter-Robot and you’ll find out how it performed when subjected to real-world testing.

Litter-Robot 5 Pro Video Review

Why Trust Cats.com

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

I’ve been a cat owner for over 15 years and, for the last five of them, I’ve spent a significant amount of time testing and reviewing automatic litter boxes. My personal history with Litter-Robots began with the Litter-Robot 3 Connect and I’ve used a Litter-Robot 4 as my cats’ primary litter box for the past three years. During that time, I’ve done extensive research into the Whisker brand and have read countless customer reviews of the various Litter-Robots.

To enable me to write this review, Whisker sent me one of each model in the latest suite of Litter-Robots. I spent a few hours reviewing the Litter-Robot 5 Pro’s features and reading customer comments to familiarize myself with the device before testing it myself (with the help of my two cats, Munchkin and Biscuit). We tested it over a period of about three weeks alongside the Litter-Robot 5 and Litter-Robot EVO.

Litter-Robot and Whisker Brand Overview

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Whisker, the brand behind the Litter-Robot, was founded in 1999 by Brad Baxter. Originally called Automated Pet Care Products, or AutoPets, the company released the first Litter-Robot in 2000 to mixed reviews. Even though early models faced criticism for design flaws and maintenance issues, the Litter-Robot slowly gained traction and the company achieved profitability with the release of the Litter-Robot 2 in 2005.

The second-generation Litter-Robot featured a new-and-improved build with a more refined sifting process, better sensors, and a larger waste drawer. The Litter-Robot 2 set the standard for future iterations, all of which went through years of research and development prior to their release. The Litter-Robot 3 was released in 2015 and a WiFi-enabled model, the Litter-Robot 3 Connect, came out two years later.

Following the success of the third-generation Litter-Robot, AutoPets sought a $31 million investment from Pondera Holdings which helped fund the rebrand to Whisker in 2019. A few years later, in 2022, the Litter-Robot 4 hit the market featuring a brand-new face, optimized safety features, and a new mobile app. The latest suite of Litter-Robots (the Litter-Robot 5, Litter-Robot 5 Pro, and Litter-Robot EVO) were released in late 2025 along with Whisker’s membership program, Whisker+.

Litter-Robot 5 Pro Features

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

One of three new designs to hit the market in late 2025, the Litter-Robot 5 Pro is Whisker’s smartest self-cleaning litter box yet. Similar in outward form and functionality to the tried-and-true Litter-Robot 4, the Litter-Robot 5 Pro is just a little bit bigger and comes fully loaded with new features. If you’re looking for a solution to save you the hassle of scooping (while also providing valuable insights into your cat’s health and litter box habits), the Litter-Robot 5 Pro deserves your attention.

Sitting just under 30 inches tall with a 22-by-27-inch footprint, the Litter-Robot 5 Pro offers the same sleek styling and wide open entrance as the Litter-Robot 4. Compared to the earlier model, however, the build is even sturdier and the bonnet is already designed to accommodate Whisker’s automatic litter refill device, the LitterHopper (once it’s released for Litter-Robot 5). Most noticeable, however, is the addition of two integrated cameras and a large, full-color LCD screen on the front of the bezel.

All Litter-Robots work in the same basic way—the globe rotates on the X axis (side to side), sifting the litter inside and sending clumps tumbling into a spacious waste compartment in the base. The Litter-Robot 5 Pro doesn’t differ in this regard but it offers significantly more than the Litter-Robot 4 in terms of data collection and AI-powered insights.

Each time your cat uses the Litter-Robot 5 Pro, it displays their weight, the length of their visit, and a countdown to the cleaning cycle on the LCD screen. You can view additional data in the Whisker app, like your cat’s usage trends, the fullness of the waste drawer and litter bed, and estimated waste amounts. In the future, Litter-Robot 5 and 5 Pro users will also have access to the WasteID feature which uses a combination of sensors and AI technology to distinguish between liquid and solid waste then schedule a cleaning cycle accordingly for maximum odor control.

In the Whisker app, you’ll also find a video recording of each cat’s visit. The front-facing camera mounted below the bezel is used to identify individual cats (supported by the weight sensors inside) while the inward-facing camera records the visit. When you set up your Litter-Robot 5 Pro, you’ll need to confirm the identity of the cat in each recording for the first few visits to train the AI to recognize them. From there, your cat’s data will be compiled under their profile in the app.

To optimize the benefits of the new Litter-Robot 5 Pro, you’ll need to become a Whisker+ member for $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year. Without a membership, you can still view the past two days of video recordings and use up to 5 minutes of live-streaming per day. Members have access to unlimited live-streaming and 30 days of video recordings. You’ll also need a Whisker+ membership for long-term data trends (up to 2 years), anomaly detection, PetTag compatibility.

Still standard with all Litter-Robot models after the Litter-Robot 4, Whisker’s array of cat-specific sensors helps keep your cat safe in and around the Litter-Robot 5 Pro. The device automatically stops cycling if your cat enters the globe while it’s moving and won’t restart until they leave. There are also pinch guards in the waste drawer opening as a fail-safe which stop the motor and reverse the globe’s direction if an obstacle is detected.

What We Like:

Dual integrated cameras enable individual cat identification
Automatically starts a cleaning cycle after your cat uses the litter box
Efficiently sifts waste from clean litter and deposits it in a discreet bin
Waste drawer is generously sized and conveniently located in the base
Advanced sensor network provides enhanced safety for your cat
Works for up to 5 cats weighing between 3 and 30 pounds
Carbon filtration system helps control odor for up to 10 days
Get real-time updates and detailed health insights in the Whisker app
WasteID differentiates between liquid and solid waste
Large color LCD screen with physical buttons for easy operation
Includes a 1-year warranty (extended warranty and parts available)

What We Dislike:

Membership required to utilize certain features and access long-term data
Very large cats may still feel cramped in the litter bed
Limited compatibility with non-clay cat litter like tofu (depends on grain size)
Some smart features weren’t available at the time of review
Settings are only adjustable via mobile app (not the control panel)

What Did Our Test Cats Think?

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Like the version before it, the Litter-Robot 5 Pro arrived almost fully assembled. All I had to do was lift it out of the box, snap the waste drawer into the step, and follow the prompts in the Whisker app for setup. The process felt even more streamlined than with the Litter-Robot 4 and I appreciated that the unit automatically updated its firmware immediately after setup.

Since my cats have been using Litter-Robots for several years now, they had no trouble acclimating to the Litter-Robot 5 Pro. As with the Litter-Robot 4, the 7-inch step is still a little hard for my oldest cat, Munchkin, to navigate and she has trouble getting back out of the globe when the fence is in place. Whisker now offers a bezel guard to use in place of the fence (to help keep liquid and litter out of the mechanical components), but I didn’t have a chance to test it.

Using the Litter-Robot 5 Pro came easily and the only noticeable difference in terms of basic function was the switch from the Litter-Robot 4’s indicator lights to the large LCD panel with physical buttons. I immediately noticed that the weight sensor seemed more accurate than the Litter-Robot 4’s and I liked the countdown timer that let me know when the next cleaning cycle would commence. It would be nice to be able to adjust the timer (or other settings, for that matter) from the control panel but it’s easy enough to do it in the app.

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

I had a little trouble getting the front-facing camera on the Litter-Robot 5 Pro to connect so I could test the live-streaming function (interior video recording wasn’t available yet) but once it was up and running, it worked smoothly. I wasn’t able to test the WasteID function since it hadn’t been released yet (it has since been released) and, without a Whisker+ membership, I couldn’t test the AI-powered facial recognition feature. Instead, I relied on the unit’s weight sensor to differentiate between my two cats and that seemed to work consistently.

When it came time to clean the Litter-Robot 5 Pro, I really appreciated the newly designed waste drawer bags. They seem to fit the dimensions of the drawer better and I liked the drawstring closure. The interior of the globe seemed to have fewer crevices than the Litter-Robot 4 but I found that litter sticking to the sides above the weighted flexible liner didn’t always fall off during the cleaning cycle. The liner only extends a few inches above the maximum litter line now, whereas the one in the Litter-Robot 4 went halfway up the sides of the globe.

Overall, I thought the Litter-Robot 5 Pro worked just as well as the Litter-Robot 4 in terms of performance and odor control. I like the idea of expanded health insights based on long-term data tracking but the device is still pretty new to the market, so it will be a while before these features can really be evaluated. Based on my own history with Litter-Robots, however, I trust Whisker to heed customer feedback and make improvements with safety and wellbeing of cats in mind.

Personally, I’m not sure the cameras alone are worth the extra $100 over the cost of the standard Litter-Robot 5 ($799) but if the WasteID works as promised, I might change my mind. I can also see the potential value in the more advanced cat identification technology—especially in households with more than two cats and those where chronic health issues require constant monitoring.

What Do Customers Think of the Litter-Robot 5 Pro?

The new suite of Litter-Robots had only just been released when I received my units for testing, so online reviews were sparse. There’s some discussion on social media about the new models but no reviews on the Whisker website yet.

Leading up to the release of the Litter-Robot 5 Pro, many devoted Whisker customers expressed excitement about the new model. Others, however, were disappointed in Whisker’s move to a membership model for certain features. Time will tell how the Litter-Robot 5 Pro’s reception compares to the beloved Litter-Robot 4.

Positive Reviews

Customers hadn’t had much chance to test the Litter-Robot 5 Pro by the time of this review, but information about the new features generated a lot of positive feedback. Even some customers who express disappointment that the Litter-Robot 5 Pro isn’t fully functional yet feel hopeful that the upgrades will be worth the hike in price. Several online reviews praise Whisker’s customer service, especially in cases where units needed to be replaced.

“My wasteID is partially working. It’s been cycling after 1 min for poop and reg 15 min cycle for pee. And it’s been tracking waste as far as I can tell in the history. I honestly haven’t had or noticed many bugs with my LR5 Pro, but the missing software features will be released soon I’m sure.” – Chance_Librarian6248 on Reddit, December 10, 2025

“First the [customer] service on both occasions we called was outstanding. The litterobot was awesome for the most part it worked really well and did not break down… the only problems I encountered were the initial set up, connecting the wi-fi(several times)..and the big problem, one of my cats wouldn’t go near it.” – Tina on Trustpilot, November 26, 2025

Negative Reviews

Dissatisfied customers tend to comment on the bugginess of the Litter-Robot 5 Pro and some complain about the high price tag for a product that doesn’t have all the features fully activated yet. Some customers had trouble onboarding their units in the Whisker app and were sent replacements while others experienced inconsistent connectivity and operational errors after getting their unit set up.

“I got mine yesterday and signed up for the free trial of the plus for my 5 pro. It’s so buggy. Light doesn’t work, and since I turned it on, it says waste 30% full even when empty… I feel like they got me for the $899. They should have lowered the price for us beta testers and sold it for the original $899 once everything worked as advertised.” – Any-Shop-9694 on Reddit, December 13, 2025

“I’m being patient but I admit I’m disappointed in the cost of a device and the problems out of the gate. First one was a dud and was insta bricked during initial firmware update. Now, I have camera offline issues all day, chimes happening all the time, as if I’m part of a Whisker / LR beta test group.” – Chemical-Skill2199 on Reddit, December 16, 2025

Overall, Is the Litter-Robot 5 Pro a Good Choice?

There’s no denying that the Litter-Robot 5 Pro is Whisker’s most advanced model yet but it’s also the most expensive (priced at $899). For some cat owners, the integrated cameras and long-term data tracking may be worth the cost. If you’re not one to take full advantage of smart features, however, the Litter-Robot 5 may suit your needs just as well (and for $100 less).

At the time of this review, several of the Litter-Robot 5 Pro’s AI-powered features weren’t active yet. The product is also still very new to the market, so accounts of customer experiences were limited. The Litter-Robot 5 Pro shows great promise (especially in the context of Whisker’s 25-year history of dedicated research and customer satisfaction), but if you’re hesitant to pay a premium for a device that still has some kinks to work out, you can always stick with the tried-and-true Litter-Robot 4.

For cat owners who want the latest and greatest in smart pet tech, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Litter-Robot 5 Pro even if you’re not ready to try it just yet (or if you’re waiting for the full suite of features to be activated). No other automatic litter box brand has the same reputation for safety as the Litter-Robot and all units come standard with a 1-year warranty.