Are self-cleaning litter boxes safe for cats?

Most modern units from established brands use weight sensors plus multiple infrared sensors and anti-pinch logic, and r/litterrobot and r/CatAdvice threads on the Litter-Robot 4, Neakasa M1 Plus, and PETKIT PuraMax 2 consistently report no safety incidents. However, specialist communities have repeatedly flagged generic unbranded drum-style boxes (the r/YouShouldKnow thread about "deadly self-cleaning litter boxes" is the canonical example) as genuinely dangerous, especially for kittens and small cats. Stick to a brand with documented safety sensors and a real warranty.