SAN JOSE, Calif. — When you’re around dogs, you hear a lot about poop; poop jokes and humans always want to know if the dog needs to go out and poop, among other things. It’s all about the poop.

But cats? Not so much. Always hiding in their litter boxes, doing their business in private. So, when a seasonal pet story about a cat-inspired Christmas tree that’s “lit by sh*t” drops for the holidays, we have to write about it.

On Wednesday night, December 10, in New York City, the crazy cats from Petlibro, makers of smart pet waterers and feeders, will unveil their new robotic cat litter box, the Luma Smart Litter Box.

To celebrate the product launch, at 6^th Avenue and Waverly Place (near Washington Square Park), a 73-foot projection of a Christmas tree will glow with ornaments that twinkle—whenever a cat uses their app-connected Luma Smart Litter Box.

Local New Yorkers are invited to attend the tree lighting with well-behaved, leashed dogs welcome. If you can’t make it to NYC to see the “Lit by Sh*t” event, then you can watch on the company’s Instagram.

The festive display, while delightful, also demonstrate the Luma’s new interactive technology that uses sensors and Luma Video Cloud AI to track and analyze a cat user’s potty profile. Subscribers can get a “Data Dump” waste analysis whenever their cat uses the Luma—and keep the tree lit this Christmas, too!

“This playful activation brings to life Petlibro’s latest innovation, Luma, that uses our self-developed AI technology to turn each trip your cat takes to the litter box into a powerful examination of their well-being,” said York Wu, CEO of Petlibro in a press release. “Luma unlocks critical cat parent knowledge, sharing insights like AI Waste Analysis that tell you what your cat did, when, and how much, so owners can act upon changes in their pet’s routine.”

Of course, it’s the season for giving, too, so, the folks at Petlibro have also launched a “Donation Dump” initiative designating EveryCat Health Foundation, a nonprofit focused solely on feline health internationally, as the beneficiary of the fundraiser for “groundbreaking cat health research with an initial donation from Petlibro of $22,222.” Cat fans can donate in multiples of two, so, $22, $222 or any amount — to donate, go here. Donations will be accepted from Dec 10-16.

Happy holidays and wishing everyone a healthy microbiome in 2026, from At Play Today.

Photo: Courtesy Petlibro.com.