Automatic Litterbox Central

I just purchased a new Littermaid.. My old one lasted TEN YEARS and I was pretty satisfied... The sensors finally broke, so I opted for a newer model that is quieter which arrived today.

However, I did and still give (if something happens to this new Littermaid as I hear they are made cheaper now and break down easier) thought to the litter Robot.

Except my bathroom is too small for its 22x24 footprint.

Therefore, I was wondering WHAT room you hbave the Litter Robot in?

Thank you for voting.

our litter robot is in an entryway just off the garage/kitchen/laundry room/basement stairs. I would rather it NOT be as close to the kitchen as it is, but it's the only place that is suitable for a litterbox of any size

My LR is in the laundry room right next to the front door and off the kitchen dining area.

Do you notice any odor with the box in these locations? Does litter get all over the hous ein any way?

Thanks for your input.

Some variables play into this odor business... I have used the Scoop Free, the LR, and an ordinary litter box (and I am a novice at the auto litter box businss starting to use auto boxes LAST month!). None have perfectly controlled odor... I doubt if there's a box out there including the Catgenie that does... There are advantages and disadvantages to each box...The LR isn't perfect. Much may depend on how the cats use the LR, the cat food, the litter used, the pet owner's attention to cleaning the litter box, venting in the room, and to odor control in the drawer.

I originally placed the ENTIRE drawer of the LR into a 13 gal (2 ft. x 2 ft x 5.5 inch.) tall kitchen bag (Got this "drawer in the bag" suggestion from a post on this forum.) -- yes the entire drawer including the step... open end of bag at the step end of drawer... AND taping the open end of the bag together. You have to snug the bag up around the drawer to decrease it hanging around the bottom of the drawer: the bag will get snagged on various parts of the LR undersides when sliding it out so "snugging it" may decrease this. I have been adding baking soda and sometimes crystals in the drawer to contain odor and decrease moisture. (I have been using World's Best Cat Litter... it has no deodorizing perfumes which is what I wanted for the cats' comfort but odor control in the drawer may be less with it.)

In learning to use the LR, my younger kitty was hanging his behind out the door and pooping on the step so I put the drawer in the bag to protect the step and make clean-up easier. He has learned to keep his behind inside the LR so last Friday, when I changed the bag, I decided to put the bag in the regular way and 24 hours later I ended up changing the bag due to odor. I was coming home from work to an odorless house and now, in 24 hours, the odor was very noticable. To place this in context, I have also been experimenting with the litter and the cat food and these may have affected the odor... Time will tell... I have left the cat food and changes to the litter the same and just put the drawer back inside the bag to see if this eliminates the odor increase...

Putting the drawer in the bag may prevent odor from escaping out the litter holes in the drawer step. The LR isn't as pretty but I have decided pretty isn't as important as odor control. (Covering just the step may be more elegant, easier, and work equally as well.)

Also, if a kitty pees or poops on the lining of the LR above the litter line, or if the litter becomes soiled and gummy and sticks to the top of the LR (as can happen with some litters) these can create odor. A quick check of the LR and some wiping up can take care of these.

As far as litter tracking goes, in any room I have placed any box... and with my cats, litter tracking has been confined to that room. I have never found litter all over the house... The ScoopFree box with its lower sides and crystals produced the least tracking with my cats.

usually only when they've jsut gone. And when it's time to change the bag. As far as the tracking, I have a mat in front of the bot, then there's a big commercial type rug in front of the garage door and the side door.

i live in new york, so space is at a premium...this also means my bathroom (while actually a very nice size in terms of ny apartments!) is not the right size or set up in a way to accommodate ANY litter box.

also, about 5 years ago i decided i disliked litterboxes in the bathroom, period... stray litter that has liquid-reactive properties in the one room of the house that is prone to dampness? gross and no thanks.

anyway, my newest apartment, as small as it is, has this little...nook at the end of the hall opposite the bathroom door and next to the utility closet (where the water heater is) and it turns out it's the perfect size for a litterbox so that's where mine is. i also keep my tall stainless steel garbage can back there too, as there isn't any place for it in the kitchen.

the only downside is that the air intake vent for the heating unit for the apartment is in that area, so if the box starts smelling bad, the smell gets circulated through the whole place...but luckilly with the LR, that hasn't been an issue. (except when i used tidy cat "for small spaces" litter...the perfume added to that crap was HORRENDOUS.)

So is the bathroom not really used for the Litter Robot or any litter box for that matter, often? I always thought it was a logical place, since the litterbox is also a bathroom... Maybe I am wrong?

We have our LR in our master bedroom closet. Not the place I wanted but we modified the drawer and now it is too big for the laundry room. I have never had my litter box in the bathroom because floor space in every bathroom I have is very minimum. I just don't have room in my bathrooms for the LR. I prefer the laundry room. I don't mind too much in the closet. My clothes are not smelling like litter or poo so I don't mind it. I would really like to try the WBCL but can't find it here in Oklahoma.

Tiffany, Cliff,
Alex, Megan, Samantha, Connor,
Gigabyte, Megabit, Oreo & Uh-Oh
(you can guess which ones are the cats)

I keep ours in the bathroom, right next to our human toilet.

We have four cats who use the LR without problems.

Regarding odor: We've never noticed a problem with odor. The LR seems to contain it very well. We empty the waste bin about once every 4 or 5 days. We use Tidy Scoop for Multiple Cats with Tidy Lock control - it's inexpensive, clumps very well, and isn't dusty. Our cats eat only solid food.

Regarding tracking: We have a big mat in front of the robot, and then a smaller square plastic track welcome mat next to it. These catch most of the litter, but some still gets past it and gets tracked around the bathroom floor. Still looking for the perfect solution to litter tracking (but aren't we all).

Does anyone have 2 cats (adult) and if so, how often do you need to change the Litter Robot bag?

I have three adult cats and I empty the robot at least every two days, I would be able to go longer but my girl kitty is very picky about her litter. I'm sure if I was able to use a crystal litter or even one with crystals, I could empty a lot less.

lilcaspol wrote:I have three adult cats and I empty the robot at least every two days, I would be able to go longer but my girl kitty is very picky about her litter. I'm sure if I was able to use a crystal litter or even one with crystals, I could empty a lot less.

does the robot support crystal litter?

yes I was using it and suddenly Miss Lily decided she did NOT like the crystals not one little bit and started going outside the box. Even if the litter has just a touch of crystals, she boycotts it. So at the moment, I'm using scoop away multiple cat . We've made it for almost a month on this one, and she's had very few instances of pooping outside the box, UNLESS, she's doing it and the dog's been her pooper scooper before we notice it. SHe's also very particular about the scent of the litter, as well as the texture. The boys could care less as long as they've got clean box to use.

We have 2 Litter Robots and they are side-by-side in the laundry room. Our 5 cats use them just fine in that location. Another nice thing about using the lundry room is that it has a vent fan and it is on the opposite side of the house from the bedrooms.