Feb212008
Let the Litter-Robot Do Your Dirty Work
Filed under Litter & Hygiene by moderncat at 9:44 pm on Feb 21 2008
While at the pet expo, I had the opportunity to see, first-hand, several of the newest innovations in litter box technology. One of my particular favorites is the Litter-Robot. This automatic, self-cleaning cat litter box has a unique litter sifting system that will keep you from ever scooping litter again.
How does it work? Seven minutes after your cat leaves the box, the globe portion of the Litter-Robot begins to slowly turn. Solid waste is sifted out of the clean litter and deposited into a drawer in the base of the unit. The globe rotates back into place, leaving the clean litter ready for the next use. You can easily empty the drawer, once a week for one cat, more frequently with multiple cats.
Watch the demo here >>
Why is the Litter-Robot unique? Some of the other automatic litter boxes use a raking mechanism to sift out the clumps. This raking motion can break-up the clumps in the litter, requiring the entire box to be emptied, cleaned, and refilled with fresh litter. One of the big advantages of the Litter-Robot is that the special sifting technology gently removes the clumps without breaking them up. This results in less mess and a lot less wasted litter.
My main concern was, is it safe? I was assured that the Litter-Robot was designed with the cat’s safety as a number one priority. The unit has a safety mechanism that prevents it from moving whenever a cat is in the box. Even if they try to re-enter while it’s moving, the motor will automatically shut off. Also, there are no moving parts or sharp objects inside the globe.
Of all the automatic litter boxes, this is one that I plan to try myself. Not only do I think this is a quality product, but I was very impressed with the gentleman I spoke to at the expo and what he told me about the company. The Litter-Robot is made here in the U.S. and the company definitely stands behind the quality and craftsmanship of their products because they offer a 60-day money back guarantee and an 18-month full warranty.
The Litter-Robot comes in black or beige. Available at Amazon.
1 Katherine DePasqualeon 22 Feb 2008 at 9:42 am
i’ve seen this but they are expensive. since you say you are going to try it, why don’t you update your readers on how it fares in your house (along with some pics of it in action and/or your cat inspecting, etc.)?
i was an early adopter on the first litterguard a decade ago and my cat at the time hated it. let’s see what you can come up with and share on this one, since you’re planning to try it yourself.
2 mod*momon 22 Feb 2008 at 10:02 am
interesting. i love robots. i forgot about litter boxes. i think all cats are toilet trained like mr.kitty
3 Meowzerson 22 Feb 2008 at 6:32 pm
Could anyone comment on the *noise* factor of the machine? Looks and seems to be ideal, but I’m assuming the rotation requires a motor which produces noise. How much noise is my wonder…
4 Umaon 25 Feb 2008 at 1:20 pm
I own one. I did not get scared away by the high price because it has options to breakdown the bill to 3 months when you purchase and it has good reviews on Amazon.
After using it for a month, there are pros and cons;
Pros-
It works! It automatically clean itself, easy to operate, does not hurt your cat accidentally. Noise is bearable, kind of like a mild blow-dryer. My 2 cats were scared at the beginning but now they get very used to it.
Cons-
Stinky! For some reasons I thought it’ll be okay to clean it just every couple of days but I was wrong. The robot separates dirty clumps right away and dumps them into the “trash” compartment. Because of that the poops were no longer “berried” in the litter so it’s stinkier than the traditional litter box. I tried to put some fresh litter in the trash compartment but I guess the dirty deposits only “sit’” on top of it rather than “being berried”.
Conclusion:
If you can take the trash out everyday (At most 2 days), it is fantastic! If you were like me who travel a lot and hoping the litter robot can do some miracles, well, it’s still far from the miracle I wished.