Neakasa M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box Review
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Retail Price: $599.99
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Disclaimer: Neakasa sent us a unit free of charge to review, but all thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are our own and were not discussed with the company prior to publishing.
Automizing Litter Control
Our guest reviewer Kaylee
The Neakasa M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box is a new entry into the growing market of automated cat litter box solutions. It features an open-top design, customizable cleaning cycles, and effective odor control—offering both practicality and convenience for cat owners. It accommodates a wide range of cat sizes, provided they are litter box trained. Cats that dislike enclosed spaces will especially appreciate its open-top structure.
At its core, the Neakasa M1 is a quiet, rotating upper bin that sifts waste and deposits it into a lower waste bin. The design minimizes the amount of clean litter that gets discarded while ensuring all waste is effectively removed. I was impressed that it consistently leaves no trace of waste behind. After each cleaning cycle, the device automatically levels the litter, preparing it for the next use. A thoughtful feature of the litter box is how it incorporates markings that indicate the level of litter to ensure that it does not get overfilled.
How it Works
Like the name of the product implies, the litter box operates automatically, making it particularly convenient for multi-cat households. Owner involvement is minimal—typically limited to emptying the waste bag every one to two weeks, depending on the frequency of bowl movement from the kitty. In my experience with a single cat, the waste bin is about half full after one calendar week.
However, because waste accumulates on one side of the bin, the system may prematurely indicate that it’s full. Cats don’t manage their litter by evening them out after doing their business. It’s normal for it not to be a clean layer. A more even waste distribution system would enhance capacity and reduce unnecessary alerts. That said, I prefer not to let waste sit for more than a week anyway, so this wasn’t a major issue for me. The M1 is also capable of accommodating multiple types of litter. The company recommends Bentonite litter as the one that works best with the system, but it ultimately is up to the cat’s human.
Transition Time
The Neakasa litter box sat for about a month untouched before our cat reviewer finally began warming up to it.
The automatic M1 at work
I will say that odor control is absolutely excellent. Even when standing directly next to the unit, I noticed no unpleasant smells—though, as expected with an open-top design, there may be a brief odor blast right after the cat’s potty time and before the self-cleaning cycle begins. But between those cycles, there’s essentially no smell emitting from the litter box. The self cleaning process takes roughly around 2 minutes to complete.
One feature that may contribute to its excellent odor control is an automatic sliding door that opens and closes between the upper and lower waste bins. This promises that the foul odors escaping the waste bin is reduced to a minimum.
It’s worth noting that the waste bags that are used by the M1 are proprietary to Neakasa. That means if you want perfect compatibility with this system, you’ll have to buy the bags branded from the company. However, with a bit of searching, you may find similarly sized alternatives at a lower cost, but once again there’s no guarantee that they’ll work with the M1 perfectly. The purchase of the M1 does include two rolls of waste bags that total up for 60 bags though.
Smart Kitty
The Neakasa app for the M1
The Neakasa M1 is Wi-Fi enabled and can be customized and monitored through the Neakasa app. The app allows you to adjust settings and receive notifications when the litter box is be used by the cat, when the waste bin is full, or when additional litter is needed. It’s available to download for both Android and iOS devices. Connecting the litter box to my household's Wi-Fi network was simple and straightforward. In some ways this is a good method to somewhat track the potty movement of your feline companion. It can simultaneously keep records of up to 3 cats and their bathroom habits through the Neakasa App. Since I only have a single cat as my companion, this was not something that I was able to review.
Seeing as the M1 is a smart litter box, it will need to be plugged into a wall outlet at all times to operate. That may or may not affect where you can place the litter box in your house. Another factor to consider if it will fit your cat’s potty location is that the Neakasa M1 will require 2.8 ft² with a width of 23.26”, 20.2” in height, and 20.67” in depth.
The Neakasa app gives owners the ability to remotely control the litter box by managing the modes. The system is also able to distinguish between multiple household cats and monitor their weight. The reason it’s able to do these things is because the M1 is equipped with 5 pairs of infrared sensors and 4 weight sensors. Speaking of weight, the M1 is recommended to be used with cats that weigh over 2.2 lbs and up to a maximum of about 33 lbs.
Apparently there’s also what Neakasa calls a special kitten mode that prevents automatic cleaning when it senses a pregnant cat or when a kitten wanders into it. I can’t say how accurate the sensing of this is because my cat isn’t pregnant, but it is a feature that is marketed by the brand. To further push the safety features, the M1’s sensors will pause all operation when it senses activity around the lower base or when the cat is inside to prevent any accidental incidents for the feline with mechanical parts. It has a litter capacity for 7.17 L and a waste bin capacity of 11.23 L.
Limitations
Despite its many strengths, the M1 does have a few limitations. Its two-bin design results in a higher step-in height compared to traditional litter boxes. While my cat has no issue entering, she tends to jump out due to the higher exit height, which leads to litter being scattered around the area. Neakasa does offer a compatible step stool, but there’s no guarantee your cat will use it—or that it will prevent litter from being scattered in every direction.
Another limitation is that when the system detects a full waste bin, it locks the rotating bin in the closed position, making the litter box temporarily unusable. This means owners must either monitor the waste bin more frequently or provide a backup litter box. For those concerned about entrapment, Neakasa assures that built-in sensors detect weight and stop the bin’s motion, preventing any risk to the cat.
final thoughts
The transition from a traditional to an automatic litter box varies depending on the cat’s personality and habits. My cat didn’t use the M1 for about a month after setup, likely due to her cautious nature and previous preference for a covered litter box. Since Neakasa currently does not offer an enclosure option, this may be something to consider. To my surprise, she eventually began using it and now relies on it as her primary litter box. If your cat is less sensitive to new environments or prefers open spaces, the adjustment period may be much shorter.
The Neakasa M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box isn’t perfect, but both my cat and I are happy to have it in our home. As of this writing, it’s priced just under $500 on Amazon. With effective self-cleaning, quiet operation, and app-connected features, it provides a functional, convenient, and appealing solution that simplifies cat care and enhances the overall home environment. The best part is that it simplifies the maintenance of the litter box to match the already low maintenance of cat ownership in general.
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