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Written by Stephanie
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Sunday, 06 December 2009 13:21 |
My husband and I first started looking into automatic cat litter boxes when we decided to expand our family. Our concern was "toxoplasmosis", which is an infection particularly dangerous to unborn babies, caused by a parasite found in cat faeces. We considered simply having my husband take over the responsibility of cleaning the litter box while I was pregnant, but as soon as he found out he could automate the process there was just no turning back. Not only does an automatic cat litter box practically eliminate the need to scoop cat waste, it also reduces disgusting cat odours, the potential for disease or infection, and makes our cats very happy (they are clean freaks, like us!) The only member of our household who is unhappy with our move to an automatic system is the dog….he sure misses his cat cookie snacks <barf>
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Last Updated on Sunday, 06 December 2009 15:29 |
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Written by Peter
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Thursday, 30 April 2009 17:30 |
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Stupid cat. That's what I used to think when cleaning the litterbox and grumbling to myself about him prancing around like royalty while I clean up after his majesty. Of course, the simple solution of getting rid of the little fluffball isn't really an option due to the wife's emotional attachment. So what's a guy to do? Note: For an at-a-glance view of Litter Robot vs Cat Genie 120 vs Littermaid vs Scoop Free click here.
My first attempt at solving the problem was to search for some sort of automatic litter box, insisting that someone has to have this figured out by now – I was right, but there are several options and you can only do so much reading about a cat litter box before you feel awkward and bored. I settled on the Littermaid box which essentially uses a rake to run across the litter, scooping up any cat droppings into a container which becomes air-tight after the rake goes back to its resting place.
There is a sensor to stop the rake in case the cat does something silly like jump in, and I figured that emptying the container once a week would surely be easier than each and every day as I did currently (ok, once every couple days, but it begins to stink after that.) After some mild threats about giving the cat away, I received wife approval for the expenditure and ordered it immediately...
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 December 2009 14:28 |
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Written by Peter
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Saturday, 02 August 2008 07:49 |
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| Cat Genie 120
| Littermaid | Litter Robot | Scoop Free | 
Rating: 5 out of 5 | 
Rating: 2 out of 5 |
Rating: 4 out of 5 |
Rating: 1 out of 5 | Pros: - Only litter box with no
requirement to touch waste. - Urine drains immediately
leaving dry granules for your cat to use - Best option for health-concerned individuals as waste is never stored within your house
- New model fixes previous issues with clogging and drainage
| Pros: - Cheapest automatic litter box of the bunch
- Sealed container keeps smell contained
| Pros: - Can be run on a schedule or at the push of a button
- Larger container for waste than Littermaid or Scoop Free
- An excellent option for those without access to plumbing for Cat Genie
| Pros: - No refilling of litter required
- Clean-up is dust free
- Has optional cover
| Cons: - Granules tend to scatter without covered dome in place
- Requires location with access to cold water tap and drain
| Cons: - Small waste container requires emptying weekly
- Sensitive to litter levels for correct operation
| Cons: - No option to remove cover for cats who won't use covered litter boxes
- Large device compared to other offerings
- Some smell can escape through holes in container
| Cons: - 30 day tray typically lasts 2 weeks
- Refills are comparatively expensive
- Silica gel can be harmful if eaten by babies or other pets
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Last Updated on Monday, 07 December 2009 00:21 |
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Written by Peter
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Tuesday, 17 June 2008 07:23 |
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Summary: The Littermaid is a well-constructed litter box which turns the chore of daily litter cleanings into a simple weekly container emptying. It runs on batteries or with the included AC adapter and with a simple trick (explained below) it will run without problems, automatically doing kitty’s dirty work.
Note: For an at-a-glance view of Litter Robot vs Cat Genie vs Littermaid vs Scoop Free click here.
They named it appropriately.
With two cats and one litter box, you basically become a maid to the litter box, tending to it daily. So, when I found out that a product existed that would reduce the frequency of scooping litter from my schedule, I was very very interested.
The premise is that the litter box has a rake at one end and an airtight container at the other. An infrared sensor (much like the ones on garage doors that prevent people from getting squished) detects when the cat is in the box and when it leaves. About 10 minutes after the cat leaves the rake scoops through the litter, collecting the kitty mess along the way and drops it into the airtight container before going back to its resting spot.
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Last Updated on Monday, 07 September 2009 10:42 |
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