My husband and I frequently forget to clean the litterbox, since it’s in a nicely out-of-the-way location, so we thought it might make both kitty’s and our life nicer to get one of those automatic ones. We found one in one of those pet supply catalogs, but it was around $150. That’s a lotta simoleons just not not have to scoop out the catbox. I figure there must be cheaper ones out there, but don’t know if they’re any good.
So, has anyone used an automatic litterbox? How much did you pay for it, and was it worth the money?
$150 is a pretty good price. I think I paid $175 or something from Petco.
Is it worth it? Yes!! I go out of town frequently, and the box has allowed me to leave my cats alone for a week at a time, sometimes even longer (I maintain two other “regular” litter boxes too).
I have two cats. One cat loves it (it’s the box she uses primarily). The other cat will sometimes use it, but I think he’s a little afraid. That’s why I have the auxilary boxes. I think he’d use the automatic box more if I took the little ones away, though.
Advantages:
The crap collects in a nice little container that somehow reduces odor. I mean, it can get shockfull of shit and you won’t even smell it! At least, I don’t. And it’s easy to throw away.
You can forget about it for as long as a week.
The cats like to watch the whole process. It’s like their television show.
Disadvantages:
It makes noise, so don’t put it close too your bedroom.
It’s very sensitive to the amount of litter you put in it. If you fill it up too much, the little rake thing won’t be able to make it’s trip to the container at the end of the box. But it will try over and over–making a bunch of racket in the process.
You have to use top of the line kitty litter. Not that generic stuff that you can get really cheap.
Overall, I think the automatic litter box is a wonderful invention. I was able to persuade my mother (who was very skeptical) to get one and now she’s thinking about getting another so that each of her two cats will have one. I wish I was that rich!
I got mine at Wal-Mart for around $100. I think it’s great, except it can get clogged if you don’t use good kitty litter. I’ve found that the litter designed for multiple cats works best.
Costco has the Littermaid for $89. One downside is that the plastic dirty litter containers are about $20 for 18. And you need one per week. Two, if you have two cats.
You’re supposed to throw them away each time you use them? Unless there’s a lot of crap caked on the sides, I usually dump the crap out and reuse them. I’ve had my box for almost a year and I just finished using all of the plastic containters that came with it a week ago. You’ve made me feel like I haven’t been changing my underwear or something. Now I have to go and apologize to my cats.
monstro - I don’t even have a machine! Be to be honest, part of the reason I hadn’t bought one was the on-going cost. I researched all that when I was thinking of buying one, and I just didn’t realize they were reusable. If they are reusable, I’m going to rethink that purchase. Thanks!
I read a review about one that raked the poop into the container. The problem the reviewer had is that the rake kept skewering the poop before dragging it and made quite a disgusting mess.
I have one that was purchased at Target. It is the middle of the line one (I believe.) It was on sale for $88. This is the best investment I have made for my cat. It keeps the box clean at all times. This gives her a clean box to use each and every time. It senses when the cat has gone into the box and then ten minutes later it activates the rake and TADA! Clean box.
I do not throw away the plastic container each time they are full though. I do throw them away about monthly. If you use good litter it won’t be that dirty if you just empty the waste.
I probably wouldn’t have purchased one if I hadn’t lived in a location that had one before though. It does seem expensive to purchase and upkeep with the containers. Once I moved to a new location and brought my cat with me there was no way I was going to use a regular box.
How often does the thing turn on? Is it automatic at a certain time of day? Does it have some kind of sensor to know that the Cat just used it?
I’m scared of getting one and little Spud would go in to use it and have it turn on as he is in the process. I scared that it’d scar him and he’d be too scared to use his litterbox ever again.
I got mine for roughly $100 from Petsmart. I only have one small cat. I found it to be cheaper than just buying litter. a $10 box of giganto sized litter lasts roughly 6 months when before it would last a month. Also, I only need to change the container every other week. So, the box of containers lasts roughly as long as the litter. So $30ish for 6 months is cheaper than $10/month.
It has really been a godsend. I never notice kitty litter smell anymore and the cat never complains if I forget to change it like he used to.
On a downside, you have to locate the box near a plug. The batteries last maybe overnight if you use them. Also, a friend’s cat didn’t like the electric box and would constantly miss the box itself. That problem seemed like the cat though, since the cat would pee/poo on the walls of the hooded box that he had. I think the problem could have been alleviated if there was a plastic hood to put over the box. I haven’t seen one for it though, just a little tent thing.
bernse it is electronic, so its always on, but it has an on/off switch. If you are afraid that little Spud won’t like it you can use it first as a regular box without it turned on. Get Spud used to the new box, then you can use it with the switch turned on. Salem is very tiny, and she has never gotten caught in the box while its been on. And if the rake does sense something large it will stop and return home.
As dorkusmalorkusmafia mentioned, you need to have it near an outlet. It won’t active if there is a cat in the sensor. It waits until the sensor is triggered, and then ten minutes after it isn’t triggered, it will activate.
bernse, it is activated by a beam of light. It recognizes when the cat enters and leaves, and only turns on once the cat has left (I think about a minute afterwards.)
We loved ours for about a year. It worked well for us for a while, when we had two cats. Once we added the third cat the volume was too much for the machine to handle. The rake continually got caked with litter, and would often jam. Then the alarm would go off (usually at 2am). And it’s incredibly loud.
There is a new automatic litter box on the market that actually cleans itself with WATER. You hook it up to a water supply (like the one near your washing machine), and drain it through the washing machine or toilet drain. It sound like it works well, but costs $299 at Petco. I don’t think I’ll be investing in that any time soon.
I had one that I broke accidentally. I got a replacement, and set it up one morning before work. I was eating breakfast, and suddenly I smelled something funny - like a burning. My brand new, just out of the box automatic litterbox had gotten stuck - and was overheating. I sent it right back to the manufacturer and went back to the old-fashioned way - I’d rather change the litter more often than risk having a fire.
I keep using those bins until they start falling apart. I would guess around six months on average. I can’t see tossing them every time, when they are as durable as they are. It probably depends on your cat’s… deposits. I agree with the “non-stinky” claim. I don’t know how or why, but in that magic bin, my cat’s shit don’t stink. My cat is in the “I love to watch my catbox clean itself” club. He shows up ten minutes later, and then stares at it until it’s done. It -is- just like kitty TV. Overall, it’s the best money I spent on a somewhat pricy gadget.
Excellent! Thanks for all the revies. Now, lots of you have said use good litter; what brand or brands do you use? We’ve been using Fresh Step, which our kitty prefers (he showed his distaste for Arm & Hammer litter in a most emphatic way), is that a good one to use in the Robo-Catbox?
My mother bought the Littermaid brand straight from the company before they were available at discount stores. It was nearly $200, but it came with a lifetime guarantee. Whenever it malfunctions she can return it no questions asked and they will send her a new one. She has taken advantage of it 3 times so far (she has had one for like 4 years).
But the comb does get clogged. Each of her three cats has a favorite spot to pee in, so it is always getting bogged down and the clogs (lovely things) are always in the same spot on the comb.