My Experience With Automatic Litter Boxes
Yes, I’ve dealt with that unsavory situation. I now have a cat in chronic kidney failure who not only urinates frequently, but also in copious amounts. I simply don’t have enough hours in the day to keep up with it. Plus, I have three cats who all have their own cat box, but seem determined to all use the same one. I was cleaning out those boxes constantly and finally decided I needed a better solution. I got pregnant and the need for one became even more crucial as I was afraid of toxoplasmosis.
I’ve spent years being a pet sitter, so I’ve been able to test-drive numerous models of automatic litter boxes, cat toilets, and regular boxes. I have some recommendations about what the best ones are and what’s a waste of your precious money.
Help Them To Understand That This Thing Is A Litter Box
Cats instinctively bury their waste and seek out soft, dig-able substrates. But after years of using one litter box, the introduction of another strange-looking litter box could leave your cat unsure of what to do.
Tell your cat that this is their litter box in no uncertain terms place a scoop of their old litter in the new litter box. Your cats ultra-sensitive sense of smell will help them to read the message.
Transition Tips: How To Help Your Cat Start Using A New Automatic Litter Box
Between operational noises and unexpected movements, a self-cleaning unit is a little bit more disturbing than the standard inanimate plastic pan.
For cats who grew up using a traditional litter box, it might not even be clear that the new litter mixing machine is a litter box at all. Its important to gently acclimate your cat to the new litter box.
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Never Scoop Litter Again Ever
Scooping stinks.The PetSafe® ScoopFree®Self-Cleaning Litter Box automatically rakes away your cats waste, so you dont have to. Youll never have to touch, smell, or see a litter scoop again when you Live ScoopFree®.
Simply load the mess-free, disposable crystal litter tray into the self-cleaning litter box.
No more nasty scooping. Your cats litter gifts are dried or absorbed and automatically raked beneath the covered waste trap.
When the waste trap is full, simply throw away the entire tray and load a new disposable crystal litter tray.
Hagen Catit Hooded Cat Litter Box
I will begin the Best Automatic Litter Box Reviews with the Hagen CatIt model. You can now provide some privacy to your kitty with this. Your kitty can use this system through a removable clear door. A carbon filter is used for trapping and reducing the odor. Thus, it helps in maintaining a fresh environment and keeps your home odour-free.
The shape and the size of this Hagen CatIt Litter box is a right one. This is a convenient choice that you can make for your cat. The installation process is easy, and it is also a recommended product by most of its users.
There is a large hood on the tray, which lifts up for cleaning purpose. You can lift up this hood easily, at the time of cleaning it at regular time intervals. Also, there is one anchor used, and it helps in keeping the box open while making your hands free for scooping it.
You can replace the lid provided in this, and take the support of the latches provided on the sides. There is one well-built handle on the unit, and you can use it for lifting the whole system from one place to another.
Discussing the drawbacks found, the locking mechanism has got some issues. And the quality can be improved significantly, as per some user suggestions.
The dimension of the Litter Box is given as 22 x 17 x 18.3 in inches. And the weight is 5 pounds. This product is suitable for felines and handling other cat households.
What I liked in Hagen CatIt Hooded Cat Litter Box
What I didnt like in Hagen CatIt Hooded
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Say So Long To Scooping
Leos Loo Too and Leos Loo offer cat families relief from the least enjoyable part of cat parenting: scooping poop.
Both self-cleaning litter boxes also feature:
- A sleek modern design that will look great in your home
- Odor elimination
- Noise levels quieter than most home appliances
- Advanced sensors, radar and anti-pinch technology to keep kitty safe
Ok But Do Automatic Litter Boxes Actually Work
Yep, they really do. Not only does an automatic litter box do the scooping for you, it also keeps odor at bay. You’ll no longer have cat poop and pee just literally sitting out in the open in your house. It’ll be swept into a sealed chamber to help repress the smell.
Be aware though, a lot of self-cleaning litter boxes are enclosed, which not every cat will like. If your cat doesn’t regularly like a covered box, opt for one that’s open. Automatic litter boxes also make noise while they’re cleaning themselves, which could scare timid cats. There are quieter options out there for cats who get spooked easily.
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How Do I Introduce My Cat To An Automatic Litter Box
Cats are creatures of habit and do not necessarily like abrupt changes. When introducing your cat to an automatic litter box, try to take things slow. For example place the automatic litter box in a quiet, low-traffic area in your home, while keeping the old litter box in its original spot, and see if your kitty uses the new box. You can also place the automatic litter box next to the old one, and let your cat decide which one she prefers. No matter what, its important to take things slow, and let your cat get used to the automatic litter box. If he starts using the litter box, then you can remove the old litter box after a few days. Here is a good article from Petsafe that can help with this problem.
Littermaid Lm980 Mega Self Cleaning Litter Box
This litter box can be used for multiple cat households. And the size present in this is almost 50% larger than other standard self-cleaning systems available for the cats. The machinery parts included in this are, a paw cleaning ramp, AC adapter, waste container, backup battery section, rake cleaner.
We will check out the product Littermaid 980 model here. This has got some programming done in it. Here the removal of the waste is done using an automated feature present in it. This has been found to be perfect for the owners who travel a lot, and best suitable for pregnant mothers. This is because of the adjustable programming for removal of the waste found in this.
The controls found is quite simple to understand. The container in which litter is filled is found to be almost 50% larger in size compared to all the available units in the market. The walls surrounding the product is high, thus keeping the surrounding clean.
Now we will point out some drawbacks found in the system. Four containers are provided for collecting the waste in the purchase. After the use of all the four, the next replacement was found to be a misfit for this item. And the other issue reported is the poor designing done in this.
Understanding the working of it, here the waste is scooped away automatically. And the waste is moved to a container, which has got a carbon filter within it. This filter will help in removing the odor and helps in keeping the surrounding clean and refreshing.
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Great Automatic Litter Boxes Dont Jam
Cleaning cat litter is a sticky business. A pile of clumped-up litter can get you in a jam, especially if youre a machine with a limited range of motion. For that reason, automatic litter boxes are notorious for jamming.
So how can you spot the jam-prone automatic boxes before you buy them? Certain designs are more prone to jamming than others.
Litter boxes that pair clumping litter with a raking mechanism tend to collect gunk, but not all have the same problems. Its important to evaluate customer reviews to get a snapshot of your potential future.
Best Covered Litter Box
Petphabet Covered Litter Box
Covered litter boxes are popular because they keep the litter contained but tend to be smaller than other styles of litter boxes. I like this model, shares Chris Menges, a veterinarian in Austin, Texas, working in digital pet care delivery. Its nearly 2 feet long, unusually roomy for a covered box, he notes. For average size cats, it will provide that extra space they need to feel comfortable doing their business. And it comes in pretty colors, also rare in a covered box.
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Petmate Clean Step Litter Dome
Next, comes the litter dome by Petmate is a quality material which is best for the pets health. It is manufactured in U.S with meeting all the top quality standards in the making. It is designed in such a manner that privacy of the cat is maintained along with a sleek design of it. This litter box is presented to you by Booda, and they have been into the pet industry for quite a long time.
Checking out the structure, this Booda system has got a step design it, along with having a sleek structure. The step design is for the litter found in the cats paws. There is a hood kind of top in this, which helps in providing complete isolation to the cat.
You will find steps in the designing of the litter box. These steps are provided for collecting the litter found in the paws of the cat. Some users have adopted this for their pet rabbit. It is recommended to take an expert opinion on this. The product has got enough space in it, and the quality of the plastic used in the making is found to be good.
The dome shape found here helps in preventing the spray and the litter to go outside the vessel. The size is 50% larger than the average litter available. Thus it can easily accommodate cats of all sizes.
The dimension is 20 x 24 x 19 in inches, and the weight is 5.5 pounds. The device makes use of carbon filter in it, and this helps in removing all the odors and freshens up the product.
What I liked in Petmate Clean Step Litter Dome
What I didnt like in Petmate Clean Step
Iris Open Top Cat Kit With Shield And Scoop
The first feature, which is given in the product name itself is Open Top. This will help in keeping your cat playful, and yet keep your home clean from getting littered. Checking the appearance, there is one open litter pan which is again surrounded by an extra-tall wall. This wall helps in keeping the surrounding the free from the cat sprays and any spills.
The dimension of the litter box is given by 19 x 15 x 11.8 in inches. The weight of the system is 1.3 pounds. Mainly cats need some privacy, and when they find it, they mostly avoid littering the place. The opening is considerably large therefore the cat can enter and leave, effortlessly.
You will find smart design, and this design helps in placing the litter at the right place. Thus maintaining cleanliness in the surrounding place. Also, it includes tall edges now you do not have to worry about the cat sprays and other spills from messing up the floor.
The interior surface is polished. This helps in cleaning the surface easily, with fewer efforts. The feet and the outer surface are perfectly molded, and this makes it more stable and flexible. The materials used in the making of this litter box are plastic and Polypropylene.
Among the limitations, there were some design issue reports found. And also some leakage problems were reported for the same product.
What I liked in IRIS Open Top Cat Kit with Shield and Scoop
What I didnt like in IRIS Open Top Cat Kit
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What To Look For Choosing The Automated Cat Litter Boxes
Take the following considerations into account to choose the best automated cat litter boxes that meets your needs.
In todays world, shopping has to be a difficult task, especially when you have to choose one from thousands of options. Its difficult to keep track of all the many brands and varieties. To clear up any doubts and cut a long story short, weve compiled as much information as possible about the top 10 best automated cat litter boxes now on the market. Several questions about this product may have arisen in your mind while making your decision, including:
- Is it worthwhile to purchase this product?
- What are the most common applications of best automated cat litter boxes?
- Why should you buy automated cat litter boxes?
- What are the advantages of employing it?
- Why should you limit yourself to the best option?
- How do you go about selecting the best best automated cat litter boxes for you?
Best Self Cleaning Litter Box Reviews
The Top Recommended among all the Self Cleaning Litter Boxes will be ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning. Using this unit, you could easily deal with the Cat Litter without doing any scooping work here.
Next Recommendation will be CatGenie Self-Washing Self-Flushing Cat Box. Now, this unit is expensive than the previous system. But the unique feature of the system is that it does not make use of real litter, and the granules used here are washable.
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How Does Automatic Litter Box Work
Automatic litter boxes rely on a power source to rake through your cats waste and dispose of it into a waste bin based on a set time program. You can set the timer to scoop between 5-20 minutes after your cat has left the box , which is quite convenient. Semi-automatic boxes scoop on their own terms, meaning setting the timer is not possible. As for non-automatic or manual self-cleaning litter boxes, although they scoop on their own, you do need to roll or sift them in order to remove the waste from the bin.
Smartscoop Automatic Cat Litter Box
SmartScoop is the brand which is into manufacturing smart litter boxes for cats. The unit we are going to check out here is the Automatic unit offered by the SmartScoop brand. The main feature included here is the trigger sensor which helps with activation of the cleaning process.
You will find some improved design in the rake area, and also the deflector has also got the design changes in it. The main purpose of including these changes is to make the unit effective and more efficient than it was before.
The best functions performed by the unit include handling the odor well, and you dont have to scoop around the litter box all day. This is because of the feature of Self-Cleaning included in this product. Here you will also find one unique feature called Motion Activation.
Using the Motion Activation feature, you will get the feature of sense with the Litter Box. There is one timer within the unit, so after the cat leaves the litter box for around 15minutes, you will find that the self-cleaning process is triggered here. And the cleaning process begins within this time.
The dimensions of the unit are given as 26.5 x 16.9 x 7.6 in inches, and the weight is around 13 pounds. The waste which has been collected will be shifted to the waste tray area. After the processing gets complete, the waste system gets back into its old position.
What I liked in SmartScoop Automatic Cat Litter Box
What I didnt like in SmartScoop
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Petsafe Simply Clean Self
Unlike competing brands, the PetSafe device runs continuously thanks to a rotating litter bowl. This maximizes its hygienic benefits.
Why You’ll Love It
- Comes with a 1-year warranty
- Thanks to the continual waste removal mechanism, you can get more use out of your litter since there’s less of a chance for foul-smelling bacterial growth
- You can easily expedite the waste removal process by lining the waste bucket with any kind of plastic bag
- It’s a super quiet motor
- The unit is small and affordable, making it a great choice for pet owners in apartments or other small spaces
Disadvantages & Things to Consider
- Got a big kitty? She probably won’t fitthis unit is designed for a single cat weighing 12 pounds or less
- If your furry friend is particularly finicky, she may not like the movement
- Occasionally, the device may make a grinding noisefix by cleaning litter out of the space between the base and the rotational plate
- If you use cheap litter with this product, waste may clump under the sifting device
While compact and hygienic, this device does need a bit of daily love and maintenance. Otherwise, it may be a great option for you and your small and healthy kitty.
A Good Automatic Litter Box Cleans Quickly And Effectively
Remember that your cat cant do their business when the automatic litter box does its business, so dont choose one thats much slower than a human with a scoop in her hand.
Besides working quickly, the automatic litter box should deliver a complete clean. Again, compare the automatic litter box to yourself. Whats the use of a self-cleaning box that leaves clumps and chunks that youd sift out?
Besides working time and speed, think about noise levels. Automatic litter boxes can be scary, and the noisy ones are the most disturbing of all.
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