What should I do with an old pet device?

Strip the consumables you can reuse, wipe the account and any stored data, and take the electronics to a proper collection point — most of these machines contain a battery or a motor and none belong in household waste.

Three steps, in order.

Salvage

Filters, unused cassettes, guide combs, blades and mounts often fit a replacement machine or a friend’s. Keep them out of the box before it goes.

Wipe the account

Unpair connected machines and remove them from the app before disposal. Cameras in particular should be reset to factory settings.

Dispose properly

Motors, pumps, batteries and electronics go to electrical waste collection. Battery-powered trackers and cordless fountains contain cells that must not go in a bin.

Or pass it on

A working machine a cat refused is a perfectly good machine for another household — and refusal, not failure, is why most of these are replaced.

This does not replace your device’s manual. Blade temperatures, locking mechanisms and cleaning procedures differ from model to model, and the manufacturer’s instructions take precedence over anything written here. Unplug a device before dismantling it, check a hot blade or an air nozzle against your own hand before it goes anywhere near an animal, and keep a mechanism that closes or rotates under supervision until you know how it behaves.