A recent incident in Shanghai involving a smart cat litter box has drawn widespread public attention. A pet cat reportedly trapped inside an automatic litter box for nearly 12 hours and was later found dead. According to available information, the exact model involved in the incident is still available for purchase on several online shopping platforms in Hong Kong.
Owner Says Cat Died After Being Trapped Inside the Machine
On April 2, a Shanghai netizen posted on social media stating that her pet cat, “Yuanbao,” was found dead inside the smart cat litter box at home on the evening of March 15. According to the owner, upon returning home at around 9:00 p.m. that night, she discovered that the cat’s lower body had become stuck in the waste collection compartment of the automatic litter box. There was a visible ligature mark on the cat’s body, the body was stiff, and there were no signs of life.
After the incident, the owner reviewed usage records from the litter box’s mobile app. The data showed that the cat entered the litter box at around 9:00 a.m. that morning and remained inside for more than an hour without exiting. At 10:24 a.m, the system displayed a notification indicating that the waste collection compartment was full. No further usage records were logged after that, until the cat was discovered later that evening. Based on this information, the owner believes that the cat may have been trapped inside the machine for nearly 12 hours.
Product Information and Sales in Hong Kong
The product involved is the “Shenzhou C1 Smart Cat Litter Box”, launched by mainland Chinese brand Niaoyuhuaxiang Pet. According to official product information, the litter box features an open design with an internal space of approximately 70 litres, a waste collection bin of about 9-litres, and support for smartphone app control. Official promotional materials also claimed that the product is equipped with multiple safety protection mechanisms. The open entry design is intended to ensure that the entrance remains open during the cleaning rotation process, preventing pets from being accidentally trapped while it is operating.
The product is priced at approximately RMB 2,300 on mainland Chinese platforms. In addition to mainland online stores, the same model can currently be found and purchased on Hong Kong e-commerce platforms such as HKTV Mall and CityLink.
Manufacturer’s Response and Investigation Progress
Following public exposure of the incident, Niaoyuhuaxiang Pet released an official statement via its corporate account. The company stated that after receiving feedback from the user on March 15, it immediately formed a special task force to follow up on the case. With the owner’s consent, the company retrieved the device involved and conducted an on-site reconstruction of the usage scenario and a preliminary analysis on March 24.
According to the manufacturer’s initial inspection results, the overall operating condition of the device was normal, and no abnormalities were found in the core components. Relevant testing is still ongoing. The company also stated that it proposed a preliminary interim resolution to the user on March 27, before the investigation had concluded, but the two parties have yet to reach an agreement.
According to a mainland media outlet Hongxing News, the brand’s official Tmall store is currently no longer displaying or selling the same model involved in the incident.
