Attention all cat owners! Tired of cleaning out litter pans several times a day?
One of the biggest and most disgusting chores involved with owning a cat is cleaning the litter pan. Not only can it be inconvenient and messy, but it can be unhealthy for your family and your pets.
I've personally owned just about every type of litter pan out there, and have decided the automated systems are best for my cat.
But which self-cleaning litter pan is the best?
There are pros and cons of each type. My reviews below are based on first-hand experience and ranked in order of preference (#1 being my favorite).
Table of Contents
#1 - LitterMaid Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box
PROs
- Automatically rakes the pan after each use thanks to a built-in motion sensor.
- Rake is REMOVABLE for easy cleaning!
- Any clumping litter can be used, you don't have to go with a specific type.
- The waste receptacle consists of a separate plastic container with lid. To dispose, you just close the lid, and toss.
- This model includes an ionic air cleaner which really seems to work great for odor control. You can also purchase inexpensive stick-on carbon filters that fit inside the receptacle lid to further eliminate odor concerns.
CONs
- The new model seems to be a little louder than the original.
- Since the rake goes forward and then back, sometimes it collects some clumps at the back. But since you can easily lift off the rake, this isn't a big deal.
- You still have to clean out the plastic litter base sometimes and replace it with fresh litter.
- While you don't have to purchase special litter, you do have to purchase special plastic containers which are not designed to be re-used.
NOTE
- I started with Littermaid, then tried out the other brands, and ended up coming back to Littermaid. Tried and true, I like this brand best.
ACCESSORIES
LitterMaid Elite Self-Cleaning Litter Box - Item: 705-914
Transform Fluffy into a happier, healthier cat with our remarkable LitterMaid Elite Self-Cleaning Litter Box. Purrfect for a large cat or multiple cat household, the box provides plenty of room for all of his or her needs. After 10 minutes, the cleaning cycle starts and rakes the clumps into the waste receptacle, then returns to the home position. Simply dispose of the waste without all the hassle. The box even includes 12 receptacles for immediate use. No need to worry about your furry friend's tail - a safety bar halts the raking action and prevents injuries to cats. Avoid litter from tracking all over your floors with the easy-entry paw-cleaning ramp. The built-in sensor-activated ionic air cleaner...
#2 - Scoop Free Litter Box
ScoopFree® LB1 Self-Cleaning Litter Box
Amazon Price: $104.29 (as of 12/02/2008)
The super-absorbent, non-clumping litter takes care of liquid waste and the electric rake sweeps the length of the litter tray to scoop solids into the covered end of the tray.
PROs:
- Clean-up is fairly easy, just lift up the unit (all one piece) , pull out the dirty cardboard litter tray, put the lid on, and toss. Replace with a new tray and litter.
- The system automatically rakes the box 20 minutes after the cat enters, thanks to a built-in motion sensor.
- This is very quiet running, and since it just scoops the waste to one end and covers it, there is no loud "ker-PLUNK!" as the clump drops down into the bin like other models.
- Replacement trays include just the right amount of fresh litter, so the trays are all you have to purchase for maintenance.
CONs
- The non-clumping litter seems to get everywhere, I was always finding little blue plastic granules all over the place.
- The cardboard didn't seem to be liquid-proof quite enough. I usually wrapped the lid in a plastic trash bag and slipped it under the clean tray when I installed it. That kept any leaks from escaping.
- The electrical/mechanical parts are all one piece, so it's a bit challenging to clean.
- The waste collection area of the disposable bin is not very large and often lead to having to replace the tray sooner than otherwise needed.
NOTE
- If you're going to try the Scoop Free Litter Box, I would highly recommend that you also purchase the Litter Box Hood attachment to help contain the little blue litter pellets as much as possible.
ACCESSORIES
#3 - CatGenie Self Cleaning Litter Box
CatGenie-Self Washing, Self Flushing Cat Box
Amazon Price: $267.09 (as of 12/02/2008)
Once a day (you set the timing and frequency), the system will clean the box completely. This process takes about 30 minutes and consists of several cycles each of raking, filling with water and special cleaning solution and agitating the granuals to clean them, and then drying the bowl with heated air.
This product advertises itself as a truly "hands off" litter box. While this is true to a certain extent, they definitely have some kinks to work out before that's 100% true.
It's a great concept, but I would recommend waiting until a few improved model becomes avaiable.
PROs
- Never have to empty out the bowl and put in new litter (though as the granules gradually depletes, you need to add more).
- Hooks into your plumbing via either laundry room or bathroom, and includes all the pieces you'll need to do so easily.
- Scrubs and cleans the entire bowl and litter granuals to keep it a sanitized, more healthy environment.
CONs
- Only cleans when you tell it to. Because the sanitizing solution has to be used each cycle, it would be rather expensive to do it more than once a day. As a result, the waste stays in the bowl all day until the cleaning cycle.
- The cycle takes about 30 minutes and is very noisy.
- The scoop catches the large waste, but small pieces fall through with the granules. Normally this wouldn't be the end of the world ... but once the cleaning cycle gets to the heated drying mode, it really REALLY stinks as it essentially bakes any waste was left in the bowl.
- Requires a plumbing hookup, so it is more limiting in where you can put it in the house.
- Requires a plastic plug-in container of sanitizer solution, about once a month.
- These litter pellets get tracked around the house worse than any other I've seen. And the other problem is that the granules are expensive, so it's not only messy, but costly for them to end up all over the place.
- What finally pushed me over the edge was when it quit working and I had to take it apart. I thought I had it all 'cleaned out' but liquid started leaking all over and my entire laundry room was a disgusting horrible mess. Even the messiest litter box can't compete in grossness with a liquid one.
NOTE
- I would definitely recommend getting the dome for the CatGenie to help contain the litter pellets. This also includes higher "walls" for the bowl, which help contain the litter more, even if you don't want to fully cover it with the dome.
ACCESSORIES
How CatGenie works and How to Set it Up
Got to catgenie.com and get the best automatic cat box in the world
#4 - Tidy Cat Breeze
Tidy Cats Breeze Cats Litter Box System, 1-Count Kit
Amazon Price: $37.24 (as of 12/02/2008)
This system allows liquid waste to be contained in an absorbent pad in the pull-out base. Solid waste still has to be manually scoped and removed throughout the day.
The liquid pad is tossed and replaced once a week (this assumes one cat), and the special litter must be removed and replaced once a month.
PROs
- Does not require electricity.
- Inexpensive to purchase the system.
- Provides better odor control than a standard litter box.
CONs
- No automatic collection system; still have to scoop and dispose of solid waste.
- Must use special pads and litter. This works out to about $15-20 a month in supplies.
- Takes up less space than an automatic system.
NOTE
- I would use this as a portable alternative, but I personally will stick to the automated systems that handle more of the daily maintenance.
ACCESSORIES
#5 - "Self-Cleaning" Litter Box from Omega Paw
Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box, Large, Green and Beige
Amazon Price: $33.91 (as of 12/02/2008)
For this product, self-cleaning means that you tip it on it's side, and a litter rake is built in to catch the waste into a pull-out tray.
PROs
- Less expensive than automatic systems.
- Does not require electricity.
CONs
- Container is quite closed off and doesn't have good ventilation.
- After rocking it to clean, litter dust gets all over the inside.
- Poor quality does not seem to hold up to the tipping and rocking required to clean it.
- Extra floorspace is required in order to roll the box to clean it.
NOTE
- I'd stick to a classic style litter pan and litter rake before messing with this one.
ACCESSORIES
The Best Litter Box in the World
This is how the Omega Paw Self Cleaning Litter Box (http://www.omegapaw.com/RollAwayReg.html ) works. In my opinion, this is the best litter box EVER. It's well worth the money!
Favorite Kitty Toys
Vote for these, or suggest your own cat's favorite!
Here are some toys that my extremely picky cat loves!
The Da Bird Value Pack (Includes 1 Da Bird Original Single 3 Foot Pole Cat Toy & 2 Replacement Feathers)
Da Bird is a high quality, durable, interactive to more...0 points
Bergan Turbo Scratcher Toy for Cats (15'' diameter)
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Pet Stages Laser Fun
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Gifts for Cat Lovers
Cattitude Jr. Ringer T-Shirt
Price: 16.99
Mona Lisa Greeting Cards (Pk of 10)
Price: 17.99
Short Attention Span.. Tote Bag
Price: 15.99
Journal
Price: 11.75
Please provide your feedback!
wrote
Thank you for the great reviews and videos. I have had a few self cleaning litter boxes myself and have had similar experiences, as you can see on my blog. :)
Posted June 18, 2008
wrote
Great information! Really well organized and answers pretty much any
question you could have on the Kitty
Cleaners! Thanks for sharing!
Five*****
Peace! :~)
Posted June 10, 2008
