Are the self-cleaning kitty litter boxes worth the price?

Question

do they work well? and what does it exactly do?

Answer 1

My friend had one. The noise scared her cat & he refused to use it. When the box detects motion, there's a delay, then a scoop thing drags along the bottom & puts the used litter in the holding section. It's alot of money for what a human can do for free in a few minutes. If the cat won't use it, you're stuck with it as I don't imagine they will let you return it afterwards.

Answer 2

I don't trust them and either did my cat! The one I had worked by a bar that scooped through the litter once a sensor in the bottom was tripped. It was suppose to go off after the cats weight was lifted off of it. However, the cat moved a certain way and tripped the thing while she was still in it! So much for that experiment! If you need this because you will be away for any good amount of time, say an over-nighter. Try putting out a second tray so the cat will have back up! The automatic thing was a waste of money and it freaked the cat out big time!

Answer 3

I have a litter mate... I used it for around 6 months and then switched back to my cat's regular litter box... it wasn't horrible.
But it doesn't get you completely off the hook, though it scoops the clumps on it's own you'll still need to replace the litter and waste receptacles, you have to clean the scooping mechanism often because of the waste that accumulates on it AND mine got stuck a lot since I have an avid digger most of the litter would be in one part of the box so the scoop couldn't pass over it so I'd have to stop what I was doing(even if what I was doing was sleeping) to go smooth the litter so the scooper could pass over it and would stop making horrible grinding noises.

Answer 4

I didn't like mine. It took 2 years with 5 cats to burn out the motor, but I hear that's pretty long for that product. It was hard to clean because you can't immerse it. The rake kept getting poo stuck to it. And you really do have to use premium clumping litter. If you put too much in, the machine freaks out. I had this one and 4 other regular litter boxes. Some of the cats really liked it though. They used it all the time and seemed fascinated when it cleaned itself. They liked it so much that after 2 weeks without one, I've had to go out and buy another one. Sigh.

Answer 5

They might work ok for 1 cat. If you do get one, you have to use clumping litter with it. It has an automatic raking scoop that scoops after each use that is activated by a motion detector. Some cats get frightened by the noise of the motor. You still have to empty the tray that the clumps get deposited into, and also, you may still need to take it apart and clean the mechanism from time to time (which sort of defeats the purpose, if you ask me).

Answer 6

I'm just guessing, but it seems to me that eventually you would have to clean the self cleaning litter box, especially if your cat has soft stools. Just guessing, I've never had one, it's never been any big deal to scoop and clean my cat's boxes. I have seen one at a friends house, and this "arm" sweeps across the surface of the box every so often and shoves waste into a container that you empty.

Answer 7

I have the litter maid and it sometimes jams when the litter is more toward one side, it scares the cats, you have to change it like every 2 days or it will overfill causing you to get your hands covered in the waste, it's very loud, the refills are a bit pricy, it's pretty messy and you sometimes have to use the scoop anyway. If I could go back I would've never got the litter maid and instead got a sifter or whatever that is, It looks like it works. :(

Answer 8

I saw one at the pet store and couldn't believe anyone would pay the money to get one of these contraptions. It sucks! The best thing is to get the cheap canopy litter box (has a lid so it keeps the stink out better, plus gives the cats privacy, they have their own swinging door) and then have the kids clean it for a chore .:)

Just imagine yourself pooping on a nasty toilet, you'd want someone to clean it for you. Thats what I tell myself when I make my kids do it. :)

Answer 9

My friends bought a very expensive self cleaner and their home always smelled like cat urine. I don't think it's worth the price.

Answer 10

My sister has one and she has three cats and she still has to clean it cuz the brush the pushes it into the disposable baggie gets clumps of poo stuck to it. maybe if you have one cat it would work better.