Automatic Litterbox Central

Or we use litter with good odor control.

This issue has always been perplexing because we have customers that claimed a great reduction in odor as compared to the regular box, and then some customers (much less frequently) complaining about increased odor. We believe, through evaluation of returned units and discussing the issue with customers that the odor problem is caused by 1. cats that don't urinate inside the globe - they get partially in the globe and then pee on the step - the foam seal gets soaked and then reaks - additionally urine will collect in the drawer which is a sure sign this is happening, or 2. urine gets trapped in the weight discs in the bottom of the flexible vinyl liner - we seal off the holes required for insert molding the weights but this is not bullet proof and the seal/caulk can come off and allow urine to seep in between the 4 steel discs causing a constant odor. We are working on solutions for both possible causes even though the incidences are relatively low frequency. We pride ourselves in our first rate customer service - I would encourage the customer that posted this complaint to contact us for a refund or a replacement unit. We would also like to get the unit back for evaluation. Thanks for listening.

The new model makes it more difficult to clean the bottom of the liner if it is leaking since it's less accessable now. I guess you'd have to pour water through the vents and shake it around.

That's true, but the new liner (implemented late March, 2006) now overlaps the opening and actually forms the bottom lip to the opening. This eliminates the possibility of urine leaking behind the liner in that area. I forgot to mention that above as another possibility of the odor - the liner prior to late March 2006 could come loose if the cat clawed at the area where the liner was previously glued to the globe wall just under the opening, and then if the cat peed in the right spot, urine could get behind the liner.

Brad

APCP_Inc wrote:the new liner (implemented late March, 2006)

What is the liner? Is that the drum? I was thinking about ordering one, but this thread has me scared. We use a Drinkwell, so our cat's urin isn't strong, and our cat is a "middle boxer" kind of litterbox user, so I don't think that him peeing out of the drum would be a problem.

Thanks!

The liner is a flexible rubber-like bladder that covers/seals the bottom half of the drum (globe). The purpose of the liner is to contain the litter and catch/contain sprayed urine if the cat does not go directly in the litter. It also releases clumps that might be stuck to the sides during the slow rotation of the sifting cycle. If your cat is a middle boxer, then you should have no problems. As I mentioned above, the liner design was improved after March, 2006, so the odor issues discussed in this thread should not be a problem with our current production regardless of where your cat goes in the litter.

Brad

APCP_Inc wrote:That's true, but the new liner (implemented late March, 2006) now overlaps the opening and actually forms the bottom lip to the opening.

Oh yes. For those who haven't seen the new liner, it has a thick lip that extends outside the entrance like a small welcome mat. This eliminates the potentially leaky spot in the liner at the entrance which was previously just riveted to the globe.

Also, the new vinyl liner attaches higher up inside the globe than the previous liner. This eliminated yet another potental leak for cats like mine who somehow pee horizonally against the back of the globe.

abbeytoo wrote
>Well, thanks so much for sharing your opinion Lon-who-likes-stars-and-was-born-in-1970. Glad to hear it is working out for you and your 3 cats.<

You're welcome, as that what a FORUM is for.

BTW, if you have to reduce yourself to mockery of others, that is only a reflection of your own insecurities and immaturity. This forum has become a cesspool of mean people who don't want to hear anyone else's side of the story.

Your sarcasm is not lost on me, you care nothing about me and my 3 cats, and your mockery of my signature is uncalled for. All I was doing was offering a testimonial just like everyone else on here. So I get ripped for that? And the person who chimed in LOL, well aren't you just so clever. I'll bet you hang out nightly in those highly intelligent yahoo chat rooms and gang up on other people.

Go ahead and waste your time writing some long winded, hate filled retort, as it will only show others how simple you really are. I won't read it as I won't ever be back to this forum. It's been taken over by your UNkind.

I am new to this forum, but read most every topic/post prior to purchasing my LR in July...I weighed the pros and cons, noted the mods people were using and purchased it.

With that said...the main reason I purchased is because one of my cats insist on a clean litter box or he will poop outside of it. This solved the problem.

I do not, however, experience the odor problem for a variety of reasons all noted in this post

First I have 3 cats using the unit and clean the drawer once every 2 days. I line it with a scented cat pan liner and use Tidycat Immediate Odor Control for Multiple Cats and dump the drawer every two days. Plus I am lucky enough to have the newest version of the LR.

But, I also do not have completely unrealistic expectations that a litter box will not smell...for those of you who think it should not emit an odor please use a drawer in your bathroom to do your business and come back in two days and let me know if your bathroom stinks or not...

The LR is a high end solution to most litter box issues...but if you want a litter box that does not smell make sure you do not have a cat using it. because I hate to break it to you but cat excrement stinks...if it didn't there wouldn't be all these products out their trying to combat the issue...

Also, if you expect that this box will address every quirk for every cat...again, unrealistic expectation...I have one cat that digs to china, and one cat that likes to stick his butt out of the front of covered boxes...the tape across the entrance solved both issues for me, as an added preventative measure the litter pan liner extends out to cover the step protecting the step and foam seal. I am not mad at the company because I have to do this, it is not their fault. I am glad there was this forum which addressed this...I recognize the issue is with my cats...not the freakin' box.

It is an inanimate object and has limitations: it cannot help a skittish cat or one set in his/her ways immediatley begin using it without issue, it cannot be silent as it has mechanical parts, it cannot never break or have a glitch as it has mechanical parts, and it cannot make your cat's excrement miraculously become odorless.

What it can do is: eliminate the need for you to scoop the excrement by hand several times a day, use more litter than you should, allow the cat to have a clean box every time he goes, allow you to go away for a weekend and not come home to poop all over the house...ect...is it the absolute best product out there...for me it is...for everyone? Again...another unrealistic expectation.

By the way, to completely solve the noise issue...my husband built 3'x3'x4'high box in the garage against the adjacent laundry room wall with a cat door going into it from the laundry room and a door on it for me to access from the garage...the cats have their own space and I don't hear a sound...this also solved the "my dogs like to eat out of the globe" issue since I also have 2 greyhounds and again solved any "cat odor" issue...

So guess what, I took a relatively ingenious product and modified it to be perfect for my family...instead of coming on this board and deciding my animals quirks and a couple unavoidable consequences (noise, odor)should be the deciding factors whether or not this product is worth buying by people I have never met and animals I have never seen.

And by the way, the company seems to do everything possible to stand behind their product and fix the issues as they arise, they have modified the unit several times which means they listen to their customers...and they are reading this forum...so they do care...that speaks volumes to me...I ran a Customer Care center for many years and wish my company allowed me to be as customer oriented as these people are. And that is priceless.

Sorry, for the long rant...but some of these people could stand to have a little more common sense and patience and a little less oppinion...and dial the company's customer service dept before bashing the product...as it seems the rant that started this whole thing is moot as the company has publicly on this forum offered to refund the purchase....

And Scott...thanks for all of your posts...most of my preventative measures came from your suggestions...

Very well said 3TonksHere

We really thought the LR was going to be the answer when we first bought it and for the first few months it was nice not having to scoop/sift everyday; and the customer service is very good; but on the downside, there have been a lot of problems and lately I have considered getting rid of it, even if it meant going back to a regular litter box.

Ever since we bought the LR our cat has intermittently pee'd all over the house, something he never did before we bought the LR, though I have to admit we didn't have him a long time before that. We can't leave anything sitting around the house that even resembles a litterbox, because he will pee in it. He even pee'd in one of those round cat cushions with the sides I bought him. This gives me the impression he misses his old open litterbox. I think a big part of the problem is a lot of cats don't like litterboxes with hoods, or in the case of the LR, the globe. Our cats only weigh 10 and 6 pounds, but there isn't much room in there for them, especially the 10 pounder. My husband and I were just talking the other day about how nice it would be to have a litterbox with the sifting/dumping mechanics similar to the LR, but open, without the globe.

I am going to talk with my husband about getting rid of the LR before our new cat stops using it. She has already pooped on our carpet. I can tell our cats don't feel comfortable using it. We also have problems with the urine leaking in the drawer, the smell, etc. I am really interested in looking more into the Scoopfree. I had looked at them but was turned off by the price of the cartridges, but if you can refill them that would work for me.

I hadn't read the second page for this forum subject when I posted my previous response, so I wasn't aware that the globe had been modified after March 2006. We bought the LR in February but the globe had to be replaced and we received the new one about April 21; so I am assuming we have the newest version; but yesterday we noticed a horrible smell coming from the LR and on opening the drawer found urine had leaked in the drawer, the smell was much worse than just a dirty litter box. This never happened before. Maybe our cats clawed the liner, I don't know. We paid almost $400 for this product and don't think we should have to modify it. Maybe the manufacturers could spend more time researching potential problems that could be caused by the use of the LR by a variety of different cats. It may be months before my cats adapt to it, maybe never. My cats are not skittish, and we've tried everything to get them to feel comfortable with the LR, expensive Feliway diffusers and spray, Cat Attract litter, etc., etc. I don't feel comfortable putting my cats under that kind of stress.

I have to talk with my husband about getting rid of the LR because he is the one who has to take care of it, which was one of the reasons we bought the LR in the first place, to make things easier for him, though I kind of sense he is getting fed up. He is meticulous about taking care of the LR. I get an allergic reaction/chronic cough from litter, especially the perfumed, smelly kind, which by the way can deter cats from using a litter box too.

My overall opinion is I think the LR might work great for a lot of people, but not everyone. I guess you can just try. They do have very good customer service, compared to other companies I've dealt with especially.

On talking with my husband, we have had a longstanding history of urine in the drawer, but yesterday was the worst he has seen. We do not have the modified globe. The new globe we received in April was the unmodified version. Our first globe was replaced because of a broken spring in the mechanism that opened and closed the ports. We also had problems with the globe rotation malfunctioning and getting stuck and stopping midway between cycles. There is always an odor inside the globe even after it's cleaned.

With the new globe we haven't had the problem with it getting stuck mid cycle and stopping and the noise isn't a problem for us; but we have owned it for 6 months now and our cats have not adapted to it yet and that is the main thing that bothers me. It's very stressful.

The only way significant amounts of urine can get in the drawer is if the cat doesn't get all the way in the globe - my guess is that one of your cats is peeing on the step (rear end hanging out the opening) and therefore it drains into the drawer and soaks the foam seal on the drawer. Most cats go all the way in and turn around to pee. If your cat doesn't like the LR it might explain why it's not going all the way in. The LR isn't for all cats and all situations. I would recommend contacting customer service for a refund. Please reference this text when discussing with customer service.

Thanks,
Brad

What happens if the cat pees straight into a port? The new covers aren't perfectly sealed and can't divert all of the urine back into the globe.