Automatic Litterbox Central

okay so my LITTER ROBOT showed up this morning! it's a beast, but not as bad as i thought it would be considering the size of the box. anyway, i let the old box get kind of stinky so the boys would be more open to the robot (i knew it was due to show up today). i put it in the same spot as the old box and move the old box to the side so they could compare the two.

background:
i have 2 cats, milo (almost 7) and oliver (2 and a half). milo is very particular and likes a clean box. if a litterbox is not to his liking, he WILL pee on anything made of fabric that happens to be on the floor. (clothes, rugs, etc.) oliver is super laid back and will use a litter box no matter how funky it gets. they have automated litterbox experience...i had a littermaid a while back, but of course, those things suck. before today, they had a white "buddha dome" litterbox. (just a normal litterbox that looks like an igloo, basically.)

also- milo is an asthmatic and this makes him less active than oliver. he also has a prescription medication that contributes to his size. he just weighed in at his biggest ever- 18 lbs. oliver eats more, but is basically a hyperactive spaz, so he's very slender and light.

so here's what has happened so far:
oliver was interested while i was setting it up, but once the litter was in he really wouldn't pay it any attention. milo seemed VERY interested, and went up to examine it...he seemed kind of unsure because the entrance is up kind of high. i then picked up his paw and put it on the step so he could see it was safe to stand on. he was like, "oh cool" and peeked farther in the box. he started getting in and i was like, "yes!" THEN...his big fat belly got to the opening and met a bit of resistance and he was like, "WTF?" and hopped back out and down.

i was then worried that he wouldn't fit or he just wouldn't use it, period.

all 3 of us then decided to take a nap. (it showed up @ 8:30 on a saturday, no thanks.)

after i woke up again, i went and sat next to the robot to show them it was okay. milo came up and was hanging out and eventually he got interested in the robot again. he peeked in and was sniffing the clean litter and even though his ponch rubbed against the sides of the opening, he hopped his big ol' butt all the way in. he peed and immediately hopped out. (he is usually a big time scratcher and digger.) but hey! he used it and that is the first step.

after a few minutes went by, the automatic sifting cycle started and scared the crap out of both of the dudes who were hanging out next to me and checking out the robot.

however, while it was still going, oliver became curious and watched it finish the cycle. he then decided to sniff around. he used the step and peeked inside...then he climbed in. he walked around sniffing, but then jumped back out. he stared at it for a minute (i think he was seeing if it would start moving again.) then went back up to it....he then jumped back in, but he didn't use the steps, so his hind leg didn't make it. i was worried he would get scared and jump out, but he stayed in. then he peed too and jumped out without digging around.

sooo basically i'm excited that i got them both to use it so quickly and i hope they get more used to it fairly fast as well. i will update this thread with any major developments.

it's way quieter than the littermaid, by the way. of course you can still hear it, but it's not nearly as loud and grinding.

ok so oliver crapped in it which is GREAT, buuuut...i think he may be too light to set off the automatic sensor! (it triggers the 8 minute waiting period that leads to a sifting cycle) it gets set off when a cat uses the step to get in the dome, and he did use it, but he's such a skinny dude it didn't get pressed down all the way. so i guess occasionally on my way to the bathroom, i may have to tap it manually to start a cycle if it looks like he's been in there and a cycle wasn't triggered.

i mean, i never thought he was especially skinny..to me he's an averaged sized cat...probably around 8-11 lbs. maybe he just has a gentle step? who knows.

milo hasn't been back in since this morning.

You should be able to adjust the weight sensor. Since you just got it, I am assuming you have the Robot 2. Check your manual. My Pollux is the smallest of my three and I'm guessing is about 7-8lbs, and he triggers it just fine. Goodluck!

i did end up adjusting the sensor and it triggers every time now.

a couple days after the litter robot was set up, milo decided to pee on some bedsheets right after i removed them from the bed. i caught him in the act and scolded him with a douse of water, and i could tell he knew it wasn't good. as far as i can tell, there haven't been any "accidents" since...and i don't know why he did it. just being a brat, i guess.

anyway, the LR has been working perfectly still and i took the suggestion of another poster here and purchased some ammo carb to sprinkle in the drawer and i think it has made a big difference! (the litter robot is set up close to the intake vent for my apartments heating/cooling, so if something stinks around there, it circulates in the whole place.)

the cats have also gotten more comfortable scratching around in there like they always did in traditional litter boxes.

the most EXCITING part though is that milo has not had a significant asthma attack since the litter robot arrived, and i can't help but think that the LR has contributed to this. i think it creates less dust and since it gets rid of waste right away, there isn't any build up of fumes/bad smells in the box.

oh, and i would advise people AGAINST tidy cat "small spaces" litter. it works well as a litter, but the added fragrance is awful and i hate it.

I'm glad to hear that it's working out for you now. The ammo carb really does help. I just had to quit using it because Lily, decided she didn't like it. She's a very odd kitty. LOL if the bot smells too clean she will crap right in front of it, but at least she usally drags the mat over it to cover it. Oh and when she does it, Pollux will come crying to tell on her.

We once had a Milo too. If we did ANYthing that he didn't like, he would go into the laundry room and pee all over the clothes that had just been folded but not put away. I so hope that it's not going to be a habit for your Milo.

yeah, my milo is a very particular fellow...back when i got milo, the guy i was dating at the time was in charge of scooping his box..and when he wouldn't be prompt about it, milo would take his boxers and bury them in his litter!

Thanks for your postings, Lizz. I am watching your experiences carefully as I, too, have decided to go down the LR path to litter box freedom!

no problem! i guess if i did have to complain about something, it would be that it seems that tracking has increased because i think both of my guys like to jump out of the box without using the step, which brings a lot of litter with them. i need to get a little mat to put down in front of it.

another thing i forgot to mention, my cats drink a lot of water (they have a catit dome fountain) so they have large clumps, which i did worry about after reading some of the negative LR stories on here..but so far they have been no problem whatsoever. i also haven't had any problems with clumps piling up in one spot in the drawer..they seem to get evenly distributed. i also haven't had any trouble with waste being smeared on the globe, but i also make sure to empty the drawer when it starts looking full. i have changed it out 2 times already, and probably will again for a 3rd time in the next day or two.

Lizz -- I think some of the problems you anticipated were with the earlier models of the LR and attempts have been made to design them out of the LRII, the latest model. Do you think you are empting the drawer about twice a week??

not quite twice a week, but probably around once every 4 or 5 days. i probably empty it a little on the early side, but i bought a box of 99 cent kitchen bags so it's not that big of a deal. i'd just rather be safe than sorry and not worry about the drawer getting too full.

milo pees a lot and oliver (the skinny one, go figure) eats twice as much as milo and drinks a ton too (they love water) so he uses the box a lot too.

I hope my experience goes as smoothly as yours has. The LR is due to arrive on Friday.

Hi.. I just wanted to say also that I just got mine last week... and have not had any of the problems yet either... the clumps seem to spread out and no smearing also. Smell is hard for me to say because I still have a non scooped dirty litterbox in the walk in closet also... Got 2 of six cats still not using the LR... but I believe they will come around.

Also, Spaceshare.. did you get yours on Friday? If so.. let us know. I'm hoping all is going well, and you are pleased with yours. I know I am with mine.

Till then, all have a great day.

Also, Spaceshare.. did you get yours on Friday?

Was told, initially, by the LR people that it would likely come on Friday -- then, I received something that indicated Saturday... Started tracking it with the FED EX tracking number and although it arrived to Southern Oregon from Portland, OR early Saturday morning, it stopped in the neighboring community. It is currently in a truck ready to go out "the next business day" according to reports from Fed Ex. I am hoping that means tomorrow NOT Tuesday due to the holiday. I'll let you know.

i switched over to worlds best cat litter today, and i am much happier already after a few hours.

never use tidy cat for "small spaces" it smells SO SO SO BAD.

i was so pleased to come back to my apartment today after being gone a few hours and open the door and having my apartment smell like....nothing. (before, every time i opened the door i was blasted with eau de tidy cat.) never again!

i did buy some ever clean unscented as a back up, but switching to a 100% natural, dust free, biodegradable litter is ultimately ideal for me. it's a little more expensive, but my cat's health and comfort (and mine too!) and the eco-friendliness is worth it to me.

(oh and i guess that goes without saying that the litter robot is still doing great. i really do need to get a mat though, the tracking sucks.)