Cat Killed by Self-Cleaning Litter Box in Bronx Incident

A woman from the Bronx returned home to a tragic scene when her cat was fatally injured by a self-cleaning litter box. Stephanie Gomez found her cat, Sarabi, dead and partially trapped inside the Autoscooper 11 litter box, which she had received as a Christmas gift.

Gomez described hearing her other cat, Sebastian, crying loudly as she entered her apartment. Upon opening the door, she saw Sarabi, a small, friendly grey-striped cat, entangled in the machine. Despite the device’s supposed safety features, it failed to stop when Sarabi was inside, causing her neck and hind legs to be crushed. Gomez reflected on the distressing sight, noting the machine continued to close on her pet.

Sarabi, a small grey striped cat, standing on Gomez's shoulder — Sarabi was rescued by Gomez after she was crying outside a laundromat during a rainstorm. Gomez named her after a character from Disney’s “The Lion King.”

The litter box, retailing at about $200, was marketed as being safe for pets because it remains partially open, with sensors designed to prevent entrapment. The lawsuit, filed by Gomez and her partner Frank Gueits, blames a safety failure for Sarabi’s death. They also revealed that on the same night, Gueits discovered a canceled Amazon review from a pet owner warning that the device nearly injured their cat, but the review was later removed.

The couple received a refund from Gomez’s mother and a condolence letter from the manufacturer, Pet Pivot, which included a $10,000 offer they believe was meant to settle hush claims quietly. Gomez expressed her refusal to trust similar gadgets again and hopes to prevent others from suffering similar tragedies.

A marketing shot of the Autoscooper 11 with a cat sitting inside — The Autoscooper 11 claims sensors prevent cats from being trapped inside, but this incident raises concerns about its safety.

Sarabi weighed less than 10 pounds and was dearly loved. Gomez said she rescued her after hearing her cry on a rainy night, and she remains heartbroken. Sebastian, her other cat, has been deeply affected and continues to sleep at the spot where Sarabi was killed, with Gomez hand-feeding him to help cope with the trauma.

Despite the distress, the device remains available for purchase, advertised as safe, although Gomez and her attorney argue that Sarabi’s death was not an accident but a preventable failure. The company standing behind the product maintains that this was an isolated incident among over 100,000 units sold.