Auto-Pets

About Auto-Pets

Whisker, initially founded as Auto-Pets in 1999 by Brad Baxter, operates in the pet technology market, providing automated solutions for pet care. The company's genesis came from Baxter's personal experience and engineering background, leading him to develop a solution for the chore of cleaning the litter box after inheriting two cats. The initial development was funded by an investment from Baxter's father, who refinanced his home to support the idea. The business model primarily revolves around direct-to-consumer sales via its own websites, which account for the majority of its revenue, although it has expanded into retail partnerships with stores like PetSmart and Best Buy. Revenue is generated from the sale of its robotic pet appliances and accessories. The company has demonstrated significant growth, reporting revenues of $180 million in 2022.

The company's flagship product is the Litter-Robot, an automatic, self-cleaning litter box. It utilizes a patented rotational sifting method to separate waste clumps from clean litter, depositing the waste into a sealed, carbon-filtered drawer below to control odor. This process leaves a clean bed of litter for the cat's next use. The latest version, Litter-Robot 4, incorporates advanced features such as the SafeCat System with OmniSense Detection for enhanced safety, real-time tracking of waste and litter levels, and a quieter cleaning cycle. Through the connected Whisker app, users can monitor their cat's weight, track litter box usage to spot health irregularities, receive notifications when the waste drawer is full, and control the unit remotely.

Expanding beyond litter boxes, Whisker also developed the Feeder-Robot, a Wi-Fi-enabled automatic pet feeder suitable for both cats and dogs. This device allows pet owners to schedule and customize meal portions and times through the Whisker app. It features anti-jam technology, can dispense multiple meals per day, and includes a battery backup to ensure feeding schedules are maintained during power outages. The Feeder-Robot can also be operated offline. In 2021, the company rebranded from AutoPets to Whisker to better reflect its broader vision of creating a range of pet technology products beyond the Litter-Robot.