Living with three cats means living with three sets of turds, sometimes twice a day. Now put that in a studio (we know – crazy cat lady = us) and you may as well have a cot within the sewer system.
It’s truly amazing how long we, as a culture, have had cats as pets and how little the litter box has advanced. It’s only been of late that some high tech solutions have shown themselves.
After Unplggd reader, siobahn, waxed poetic about the Litter-Robot we thought we’d give it a go. After the jump a full re(al)view of how this monster works…
First, let us warn you, this thing is gynormous and pricey. Standing tall at 24-by-22-by-29 inches, the thing took over an entire corner of my house. Also, its $330 price tag is nothing to baulk at, but according to the company you’ll save on litter. “Customers have reported litter savings of up to 40% with the Litter-Robot as compared with traditional litter boxes or other self cleaning litter boxes.” If you’re buying the expensive, but enviro-friendly, World’s Best Cat Litter you’ll really like this advantage.
Despite how complicated it looks, it was fairly easy to put together. Simply place the lower half, which holds the waste drawer and control panel, on the ground and then fit the Death Star looking top on it so that it’s protruding seam gently pops in. Then watch your cats’ investigations.
We followed the instruction’s advice and filled the Death Star with litter and left the device off so our cats could get used to doing their business in their new space. Once they were into that we turned the machine on and this is what happened on the feline end.
They pretty much thought the sky was falling. But rather than running away, they let their curiosity take over and just watched as the Litter-Robot did its thing.
Now what does the LR do you ask? Well, it’s a self-cleaning litter box. When your cat steps into the Death Star it has to place its weight on an outside step, which has a trigger telling the Litter-Robot that someone has gone in. On their way out they trip the step again and a seven-minute timer is set. After the allotted time the LR does its thing. While I didn’t have the stomach to videotape the process, some crafty YouTubers did. For those who don’t want to watch poop I’ll explain, below the video, what happens.
Little motors within the bottom half of the LR slowly rotate the sphere counterclockwise. As it rotates, the litter is moved past a sifter. Clean litter passes through, while clumped litter moves across the sifter and eventually into an opening that drops the waste into a drawer. The drawer is lined with a plastic bag, which needs to be emptied once or twice a week, depending on how many furry friends you have.
We have to say it was impressive how much it diminished the smell. We used to dread coming home after a few hours away because, if someone pooped, we’d know just by walking into the building – not even into our apartment. Now, with the Litter-Robot, we weren’t sure if anyone had went until we checked the drawer.
While the lack of smell was a major plus, the noise wasn’t. We couldn’t keep this sucker on at night since when it went through its cycle it would wake us up. This won’t be a problem for those of you living in larger apartments, or houses. The noise is pretty minimal, but when your bed is 10 feet away it’s hard not to wake up, and like your cats, think the sky is falling.
The cats luckily got pretty used to the whole thing and went in and out without a hitch – well, most of them did. One kitty (Dim Sum!) wasn’t too into putting her entire behind into the Litter-Robot. While the LR is huge, its actual pooping area is rather small – 14 inches across with the max amount of litter inside. Dim Sum, the calico, had a tendency of going in just enough (or not enough) to get her pooper inside. The result: finding little presents on the trigger step. Not sure if this is the Litter-Robot’s fault or my r-tard cat’s fault.
And one last bummer, the instructions warned us that for a few cycles the static of the sphere’s rubber bottom may make litter stick, but that this would go away over time. Well, after a few weeks it didn’t and Gizmo (the gray guy) would come out of the LR with litter dust and granules on his back – gross!
While we applaud the Litter-Robot for advancing the litter category, we think it needs some work before we invest three Benjamins on it. We’ll wait until version 2.0.
The Litter-Robot can be found on Amazon.
What are you, dear reader, using to keep the poop at bay?
I found that feeding them a high quality food helped with the smell with my girls. Or at least I assume that's it because I have the litterbox in the open area under the kitchen sink (Don't look at me like that, there isn't anywhere else in the apartment.) and actually had a friend comment that I must be a great housekeeper (hah!) because she never smelled the litterbox. They get fed less of the expensive stuff so there's less, ehem, waste.
Or it could just be that I generally have at least one window open all year 'round.
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
holychrist my cats would so not be down with that! first off, fatcat wouldn't fit inside the thing. do they make a plus szie version?
furthermore...he's already very skittish. i made a loud noise by his litter one day, and for weeks he would approach the box in stealth posture... poor kid, i think he was a trauma kitten.
here, let me show him off, heee: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kdkaboom/2551512484
but even if it did work for him (sizewise, soundwise), i don't think i could spend that kind of money on a litter box. and it isn't very attractive looking. i'd more likely put my money toward a kattbank or something (which, btw, i would never buy either!)
either way, your kids are gorgeous! it's gotta be fun to have three cats in a studio...wee!
view kdkaboom's profile
kdkaboom, your cat and my cat have similar issues. I was in a bad mood yesterday and threw my sandals in the corner-- not even in his general direction-- and he's still skittish today.
It's an interesting concept for a litter box, but the gigantic size that doesn't accommodate larger cats and the price tag are off-putting.
view J. Cipa's profile
That third picture is really funny and totally captures the sky is falling look. I found that one of my cats doesn't really like being covered while doing her business and therefore found many presents just outside the covered litter box.
view Signe's profile
kdkaboom - great picture!
I have 3 cats and have gone through 3 LitterMaids at $100 a pop. Each has worn out it's motor within a year. No more, I'm back to digging for gold. And 17 years ago, my husband said he would marry me but never clean the litter box. Well mornings are his shift with the scooper!
view Lori's profile
oh yeah, there's NO way my girls would be into this. They do not like their litterbox moving at all. I agree with Tiamat-- I give my girls great quality food and not only do they eat less, they poop less and it smells better! (plus their coats are so shiny and soft it's crazy-- i am a huge fan of Nutro foods). I use 2 Clevercat litter boxes (the box that's completely covered but has a hole in the top; http://clevercatinnovations.com/(S(irljwrvyd42mzd55eksohj55))/top_entry_litterbox_order.aspx )
it's INCREDIBLE! you still have to scoop, yes, but it makes things smell a LOT less and there is less litter all around the box! Does anyone else use a Clevercat?
view karenwog's profile
I LOVE my litter robot, worth every penny and the only problem we have ever had was when a new kitten liked playing with it and made it run over and over just to watch it go and kept trying to get inside to go for a ride!
Unplugged it for a couple of days and she lost interest.
I have had EVERY kind of litter "machine" and the litter robot is the only one that I still have.
view witchdoc's profile
karenwog, i was going to buy that clevercat thing, but even THAT is too weird for my fatcat.
i did, however, buy this one, which makes it easy to scoop da poop because the lid flips up instead of having to take the whole thing off:
http://www.tidycats.com/getpage.aspx?ContentID=228
and, best part, it's BIG ENOUGH FOR FAT CAT.
view kdkaboom's profile
I love the clevercat kdkaboom. (I have a kitty with an aim problem) I wonder if I get a rubbermaid container and cut a hole in the lid it will work the same.....
view Hollie's profile
those pictures are cracking me up! love the wide-eyed stares. I also had a Clevercat for a while. It was great! I left it behind when we moved and have yet to get another. the only thing about it was that they liked to play "submarine." one would pop his head up from the hole and the other would be standing by waiting to swat him. but smellwise and litter-scatter-wise, the best box i've had.
view scmorgan81's profile
The Litter Robot is one of the best purchases I have ever made for my home. With two cats, I was panning for gold daily, even with two Buddha Domes, to keep my two girls appeased.
No longer! Once a week I dump the hopper, top off litter and add litter deodorizer. No longer must I suffer the indignity of digging around in cat waste - glorious, glorious day. Even better, I can leave for a week-long stretch and not have to worry about the litterbox overflowing!
My Russian Blue was VERY nervous at first but that faded pretty quickly. My British Blue likes the Litter Robot a little too much....
The only other problem I have ever experienced is having the LR cut off because it is too full - that's on me! Great, great product. We spend so much on furniture, etc. - spend some money to make the quality of your life (and your pets, by extension) better. Totally worth every penny.
view NathanSE's profile
I have had a Litter Robot for over a year now and will never go back - I have a fat cat too and she does fine in it (she weighs about 16 lbs). Even my skittish little cat got used to it pretty quick.
It's cleaner, I use less litter, I don't have to scoop, it doesn't smell. It does take up more space but the benefits far outweigh that.
Also, they have great customer service. I recently had to have mine repaired and didn't pay a dime - they paid for shipping to and from and repairs since it was under their lengthy warranty.
It get my two thumbs up despite the price tag.
view Erin1002's profile
Tiamat_the_Red,
What kind of food are you using? My guys get Evo wet and dry, which is pretty high quality, but the poops still kill me. Dim Sum is so used to my anal (sorry, PUN!) cleaning that she doesn't even bother burying her poop because I'm right there with the scooper. I don't mind, unless I'm not home and there's a fresh turd just sitting on top of the litter waiting for me when I get home!
view lil' soso's profile
Hmmm. I really don't mind the size of it (our litterboxes are in the laundry room anyway), and the price, well, if it works, then I don't mind; I'd pay $1000 for something brilliant. The concept of this litterbox is not unlike the 'containment' issue of diaper pails (of which I be a connoisseuse). Now, would my child play with this thing? That's the question. I'd have to keep this thing in the laundry room.
view genxmom's profile
After trying every litter known to man (including that all natural stuff that leaves your entire apartment smelling like a hamster cage), I use scoop away for multiple cats and it's amazing. I definitely don't scoop as often as I should, either. For a litter box I use: http://www.catsrule.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=25
which I got because it's a litter box that's actually kind of cute, but I may switch to a place that has a lid that's attached for the new place because it's been a year and I still have to put the lid back on for my boyfriend.
view -haley-'s profile
Hm, and by place, I mean box. I need to start proof reading.
view -haley-'s profile
I would LOVE to buy this, but my fat cat China would absolutely hate it. She freaked out when I bought a covered litter box and left me a present WAY outside of the litterbox (aka the couch >[ ). I'm loving the picture of the scared cats, though!
view ebroodle's profile
You don't need an elaborate cat box if you simply clean the litter box twice a day and change the litter frequenty. duh.
view ebrown's profile
ebrown, that's more unlikely than me buying the robotic litterbox! :)
view kdkaboom's profile
I love the "sky is falling" picture!
view Slim's profile
That pic is great! How I wish my old (18 this year) set in her ways cat would use it! I can't even put a cover on the box cause then she won't go in it, and I get the lovely presents outside it!
view DesignerGirl28's profile
"You don't need an elaborate cat box if you simply clean the litter box twice a day and change the litter frequenty. duh."
Because I want to spend my free time cleaning the boxes twice a day. Uh huh. Let's get serious now. I wannit. I needit. That's all you need to know.
view genxmom's profile
wow, i need one, great product
chris @ www.gofrostfire.com
view Gofrostfire.com's profile
this sounds hopeful. my Rivers is somewhat skittish so not sure how the sound would be to his ears or my parents wallet-money wise. I had been looking at those electric rake ones but its either people love it or hate it.
My cat is still a kitten (8 months) but I'm getting tired rather quickly of scooping the poop. >.< I can't imagine doing it for 10 years.
view witchbaby's profile
I agree with kdkaboom. I love the Tidy Cat Litter Box as do my cats. Maybe when I get a house, I'll consider the Litter Robot.
view MuffinGal's profile
I just bought a "reconditioned' one-$269 I think was the total- 60 day guarantee- the thing was new- likely some other kitty refused to use it....
My 2nd litter maid broke after 8 years, and I was researching their newer models when I came across the litter robot. It is actually much quieter than the our older model litter maid- My 13 year old kitty took to it as soon as I put litter into it. I did follow their directions of putting where the old box was, leaving it off initally, sticking some treats in it, then running it when I was with her for the first time and then letting her old box go uncleaned. Even though its tall- the cover on the old litter maid took up much more room. The clincher for me was reviews of both. Litter maids were like 50/50 loved/hated it- lots of it broke after x months (I experienced that too). And the Litter Robot was resoundingly positive... the only negatives were that they cat didn't fit or wouldn't use- hence the guarantee. I love NO MORE special resepticles- and much easier to clean....We are still phasing out the broken litter maid,, but I am happy with it! Really happy and glad I made the purchase the design is MUCH better than the litter maid!
view TracyJ's profile