Will not cycle
Stop and check The unit sits idle after a visit, or starts and immediately stops without completing a cycle.
Likely causes
- Too much litter. Overfilling past the fill line is the single most common cause of a failed cycle.
- A clump has welded to the sifting screen or the drum wall and is jamming rotation.
- The waste drawer is not seated fully, so the safety interlock keeps the motor disabled.
Fix it, in this order
- Check the litter level. Litter should sit at or just below the marked fill line. If in doubt, remove a cup and try again.
- Reseat the drawer. Pull the waste drawer fully out and push it back until it clicks. A drawer that is 5 mm proud will stop the cycle.
- Clear the screen. Power off, remove the globe or drum, and scrape any welded clumps off the sifting screen with a plastic scraper.
- Run an empty test cycle. With the litter removed, run one cycle. If it completes empty and fails when loaded, the problem is litter or weight, not the motor.
When to stop and get help: A unit that fails an empty test cycle has a motor, gear or control-board fault and needs warranty service. Stop using it.
Deodoriser module does nothing
Common The odor module runs but the drawer still smells, or the module never seems to activate.
Likely causes
- The module is set to run only after a cycle, and the cat is visiting less than the trigger threshold.
- The module cartridge is exhausted.
- The module is installed but not enabled in the app.
Fix it, in this order
- Check it is enabled. Open the app, find the deodoriser setting and confirm both the schedule and intensity are set.
- Replace the cartridge. Cartridges are consumables with a finite life. Replace on schedule rather than on smell.
- Verify the seat. Remove and refit the module — a partly seated module powers on but does not draw air correctly.
When to stop and get help: A module that draws no power at all after reseating is a warranty item.
Drum jams or grinds
Stop and check The drum makes a grinding noise, moves unevenly, or stops partway through rotation.
Likely causes
- Litter has migrated into the drum track.
- Tofu litter has absorbed moisture and swollen into the gap between drum and shell.
- A roller is worn or has come out of its seat.
Fix it, in this order
- Stop using it. Unplug immediately. Running a jammed drum damages the drive gear.
- Clear the track. Remove the drum, vacuum the track thoroughly, and wipe with a dry cloth. Do not lubricate.
- Inspect the rollers. Check each roller turns freely and sits in its seat.
When to stop and get help: A grinding noise that persists on a clean, empty drum means a drive fault. Open a warranty case.
Cat weight readings are wrong
Common The app reports a weight that is clearly wrong, jumps between visits, or attributes visits to the wrong cat.
Likely causes
- The unit is not on a level floor. Weight sensing assumes level.
- Litter has been added or removed without re-taring, so the baseline is stale.
- Something is resting against the unit — a wall, a mat edge, a cable — and taking part of the load.
Fix it, in this order
- Level it. Use a phone level on the base. Even a small tilt on an uneven floor throws readings off by a pound or more.
- Re-tare after every litter change. Run the calibration or re-zero routine in the app whenever you add or fully change litter.
- Give it clearance. Leave two inches around the unit and keep it off thick rugs, which flex under load.
- Separate similar cats manually. Weight-based identification cannot reliably separate two cats within about a pound of each other. Tag visits by hand if that is your situation.
When to stop and get help: If readings are still erratic on a level floor after re-taring, the load cell is likely faulty and is a warranty item.
Drawer shows full when it is not
Common The app or the indicator light insists the waste drawer is full immediately after you emptied it.
Likely causes
- Waste is packed against the sensor window rather than spread across the drawer.
- The sensor window is dusty. Litter dust builds a film that reads as full.
- The liner is bunched up over the sensor.
Fix it, in this order
- Wipe the sensor window. Find the small clear window inside the drawer bay and wipe it with a dry microfibre cloth. Do this monthly.
- Reset the drawer count. Use the reset in the app or the physical drawer button so the counter clears after emptying.
- Fit the liner flat. Tuck the bag so it lies against the drawer walls rather than ballooning across the sensor line.
When to stop and get help: A sensor that reads full with the drawer removed entirely is faulty and is a warranty item.
Shows offline in the app
Common The unit works but the CATLINK app shows it as offline, or commands from the app do nothing.
Likely causes
- The box is on a 5 GHz network segment. Almost every litter box on the market is 2.4 GHz only.
- The router moved the unit to a different band after a firmware update or a mesh node reshuffle.
- The box sits behind an appliance or in a metal-lined cabinet that kills the signal.
Fix it, in this order
- Check the band. Confirm your phone is on the 2.4 GHz network when you pair. On a combined-band router, temporarily split the bands or use the guest 2.4 GHz network.
- Power cycle in order. Unplug the box for 30 seconds, then reboot the router, then plug the box back in. Order matters — the box looks for the network on boot.
- Move it 3 feet. Signal strength at floor level behind a washing machine is far worse than it looks. Try the unit in the open before concluding the radio is faulty.
- Re-pair from scratch. Remove the device from the app entirely, then run setup again rather than retrying the existing entry.
When to stop and get help: If it pairs and drops within minutes repeatedly, that is a hardware or firmware fault — contact CATLINK rather than continuing to re-pair.
Wi-Fi setup fails during pairing
Common Setup runs to the last step and then reports a failure, or the app never finds the unit.
Likely causes
- Phone is on 5 GHz while the box needs 2.4 GHz.
- The Wi-Fi password contains characters the unit rejects, or the network name is hidden.
- Location or local-network permission is denied to the CATLINK app, so it cannot see the device.
Fix it, in this order
- Grant the permissions. Both Location and Local Network permissions must be allowed for pairing to work on iOS. Android needs Location.
- Use a simple 2.4 GHz SSID. Broadcast a plain, visible 2.4 GHz network with an alphanumeric password for setup. You can move it afterwards.
- Stay within six feet during pairing. Pairing uses a short-range handshake before the box joins the network.
When to stop and get help: If pairing fails on a known-good 2.4 GHz network from two different phones, the radio module is faulty.
It still smells
Common The box cycles normally but the room smells worse than expected — often starting a few weeks in.
Likely causes
- The carbon filter is past its life. Filters degrade quietly; there is no warning.
- The drawer gasket has litter dust on the seal face, so the drawer no longer closes airtight.
- Litter depth is too shallow, so urine reaches the drum wall instead of clumping.
- The unit needs a full wash. Waste film builds on the drum wall and no amount of cycling removes it.
Fix it, in this order
- Replace the filter. Set a recurring reminder rather than waiting to notice. CATLINK filters are a running cost, not an optional accessory.
- Clean the gasket. Wipe the drawer seal and the mating face with a damp cloth, then dry. A gritty seal leaks.
- Deepen the litter. Run to the fill line, not below it. Shallow litter is the most common cause of odor in an otherwise healthy unit.
- Full wash every 4-6 weeks. Strip the unit, wash the drum and drawer with unscented soap and warm water, dry completely before reassembly.
When to stop and get help: Persistent ammonia smell despite all of the above can indicate a cat health issue. It is worth a vet conversation, not just a cleaning routine.