Automatic Litterbox Central

That was very funny. Thank you for sharing!!

We use Fresh Step Scoopable (clay) litter for the past 3 years (since we got our first LR) because that's what our 2 cats were used to using and we didn't want to face any problems with them suddenly not liking a new type of litter. It is also easily available. There's the odor of litter when we refill the globe of course, and some odor when one of the cats has just gone. But otherwise, there isn't much--but it's out on the enclosed porch and we generally always have the window open after the rainy season passes since our worm beds and other cultures are kept out there too. Fresh Step clumps just fine, no problems. Has some sort of freshness crystals in it. It does track but we don't care, tracked litter gets vacuumed up regularly.

We change the bag every 4th of 5th day--but I expect when we get the bigger LRII bottom, we'll be able to go a whole week before a bag change is needed. If we don't change the bag with the LR we have now, we have streaking-on-the-globe problems and other bumpy things (globe doesn't rotate properly because piled used litter interferes). These are not big problems but when you haven't got any memory left.... We are getting the bigger LRII bottom soon I hope. I just have to try to remember to order it The only time we completely empty the litter and pour in new is when we clean the globe--and usually we wait until the amount of litter in the globe is pretty minimal; we're lucky because our cats will continue to use the LR even when there's only a handful of litter in there (such good kitties).

I haven't noticed any sticking to the sides problems. But we haven't washed down the globe entirely yet either which may cause some static once it's dried ?--we'll see.

We bought ours directly from the website so whatever the going price is plus shipping.

I love my LR II, but wish I could find a litter that works well for it. I started out using the same brand I've used for years: Cats Pride Multiple Cat (from WalMart). It was ok for the first few days but then I noticed the inside of the globe was starting to gunk up, especially around the grate, and that clumps were sticking to the liner through the entire cycle and not falling through the waste port doors.

So I made the hour and a half drive to Petsmart to get a better litter. Their clerk convinced me their store brand litter was the equal of all the higher priced ones (even showed me: dumped water in a pile of it to show how fast and how solid it clumped). So I bought two huge boxes of the stuff. A huge mistake! It is the worst stuff I've ever come across! It took only a day to completely clog up my Litter Robot, which had all the lights blinking on the circuit board and refused to work no matter what I did, even turning the unit off and turning it right back on. The inside of the globe was almost entirely gray and there was a thick belt of semi-liquid gunk clogging the outside gears. Somehow the stuff had even managed to coat the wires on the inside of the base unit. I was in panic mode, I can tell you. But the worst was yet to come. I took the globe out back with a garden hose and sprayer turned on high and the gunk would not budge. Even with a scrubbing brush, it took me two long hours of scrubbing and pulling out chunks of thick, clay like mud by hand (thank heaven for rubber gloves) to get the globe clean. I had to shower and change after--it was an aweful mess. But once thoroughly clean, the LR II worked fine again.

Next experiment: Nature's Miracle cat litter. It got quite a few recommendations from LR owners on Amazon. The first thing I noticed is the heavy perfume smell of the stuff. Whew! Gave me a headache and smelled strongly of pine. Because I also have two house rabbits that are semi-free range, pine makes me nervous as it's dangerous for rabbits. But since I'd just shelled out $15 for the bag, however, I tried it anyway and turned on a fan to help with the pine odor. The first day went fine, with no problems I could see and I thought I'd found a solution. But the next day, I checked the inside of the robot and saw another mess. The litter itself was kinda swampy/mushy and a thick layer of it stuck firmly to the inner liner all through the cycling. It hardly clumps at all when the cats pee and instead, seems to filter the urine down to the rubber layer, thus the whole swamp effect. Dumped out and cleaned the globe again. Filled with the same litter a second time but with a new strategy: I tried turning off the LR completely, with the idea of cycling it manually twice a day to give the litter more time to clump. No effect. Found out that same evening that one of my rabbits finds the taste of the clean litter very appealing. She ripped the seam of the heavy duty plastic bag open to snack and roll in the stuff, despite the intense (almost repellent) odor of the litter, which makes that the final nail in the Nature's Miracle coffin.

Is it possible that my cats' urine is to blame? Nature's Miracle seems to clump fine for other people. Or could the cleaner I used on the inside of my Litter Robot be the problem? What does everyone here use, to disinfect their globe insides with?

Anyway, on the recommendation of a few members here, I picked up Tidy Cat Immediate Odor Control Multiple Cat formula with Tidy-Lock tonight (from WalMart). The company claims crumble-free hard clumping and I'm crossing my fingers. I'll report back.

Good luck with your new litter trial. I also tried multiple litters with the LR until I found one I was happy with. Actually started out with a mix of natural litters which included Nature's Miracle, gave them all up -- like you thought Nat Mir odor was too strong. I tried some clay based litters, World's Best (both varieties), then went to crystals which I contentedly used for a while but I eventually worked my way back to Nature's Miracle. I am pretty sold on it at this point. It clumps well for my cats -- no soup that you spoke of. Very little dust. Although the pine odor is fairly intense, it seems to settle down after the globe cycles. The cats like it. They are both using the LR more now than the box with crystals that I also leave out for them (even the cat who resisted the LR seems to prefer it, now). I sanitize the globe with Hydrogen Peroxide -- just started this... Prior to this, I was wiping it out with a mild soap with water and then using a sanitary wipe. I dry the inside before I cycle it back. I have a small tub in the drawer of the globe which I empty at least once a day and and sanitize -- takes me maybe three minutes. Between Nature's Miracle, emptying the drawer, and the food I feed my cats there's little, if any, cat box odor in the house to contend with, now.

Ahhh... having said that, I also must admit that the cats are taking their business outside in the warmer weather but both use the LR at night and the younger kitty prefers it to the out-of-doors.

Best wishes --

What brands have you tried and rejected? Why?

From the first day I brought my cats home, I've been using Swheat Scoop. I never really had a problem with it, I thought the sticky clumps at the bottom of a traditional litter box were normal. But with the Litter Robot II, the sticky clumps and odor were a problem, so I switched to Arm & Hammer Mult-Cat. Now, no more clumps nor odor.

What brand are you using currently? How long have you used it?

I've been using Arm & Hammer Mult-Cat for about 2 weeks now.

How much odor? How much tracking? How well does it clump?

Absolutely no odor, other than a pleasant smell if you can believe that
Minimal tracking
Clumps fast and hard

Any issues with sticking to the LR walls?

Not one clump has stuck since I switched.

How many cats are using your LR?

Two 4 year old cats share the LR:

Cyclone, male, tabby, about 12 lbs.
Tornade, male, tabby, about 8.5 lbs.

How often do you empty the drawer? How often do you completely change the litter?

I can get away with emptying the drawer once a week. The only time I've completly changed the litter is when I switched types of litter... I figure I probably will change it every 2-3 months, but that all depends on how long the Arm & Hammer stays clean.

Where do you purchase it? How much does it cost?

I purchase it from Mondou, a local pet supply chain. I paid 16$ CDN for a 14lbs box which will probably last at least 2 months. I used a approximately a third of it to initially fill the globe, and only need a few scoops to top up weekly.

No matter what type litter you buy for use in your LITTER ROBOT it MUST be of a size to allow it to flow easily thru the filter screen, larger diameter litter be they clumping types or otherwise can "hang up" on the screen and hold back litter in addition to the clumped litter...this means that some wasted litter goes into the tray each time with the clumps.

We found that The World's Best Cat Litter worked well in California and that Ptit ami Litiere compacte ultra fine worked in our French unit. Yes we have 2 Litter Robots...the French one was a suitcase for dishes on our trip here last spring. Nice hardcase (it was new at the time).

We LOVE the Litter Robot and have had one for the last two years. The have been problem free until the French one began to blink it's red light and refused to cycle no matter what we did...I contacted the company and recieved a prompt and very helpful reply that led to me removing the cover of the cat/weight switch under the tray and cleaning the contact area on the sensor with a pencil eraser . Best to remove the sensor assembly by unscrewing the adjustable foot and being very thorough by cleaning both parts of any corrosion. A bit of WD40 spray helps here. Reassambled and refilled with fresh litter it was once again fully functional. DO NOT OVERFILL with litter as you will throw off the sensor (and your cat!)...just use enough to cover the bottom to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. The cat will do the rest.
Best of luck!
H

What brands have you tried and rejected? Why?

I've used grocery store brands with some success. The only one I really don't like is the new Arm & Hammer High Performance. The Robot still works, but I wind up with mulch in the drawer instead of clumps, and it seems to stick to the inside much more.

What brand are you using currently? How long have you used it?

My favorite is the unscented Arm & Hammer, regular, going on three years now.

How much odor? How much tracking? How well does it clump?

With the kitten we adopted recovering from starvation, the litter started stinking, though it never did before. I added a cup of Cedarrific, which doesn't clump, but also doesn't interfere, and the odor problem stopped. There's some tracking, but almost all of it stays on the mat in front. I'm happy with its clumping, but I've found the Robot works no matter what I put in it, other issues are more important to me. Still, if something is on sale or I don't feel up to carrying the heavy big box up my three flights of stairs, I'll get something else.

Any issues with sticking to the LR walls?

Not until this stupid new High Performance stuff!

How many cats are using your LR?

For three years it was my fifteen pounder and my six pounder, both adults. Now we have a six month old. Who looooves it!

How often do you empty the drawer? How often do you completely change the litter?

Before, it was twice a week, with some margin for error. Now, it's every two days, and I have to give the drawer a shake in between. Our little booger eats like there's no tomorrow, but he seems to have made a complete recovery.

I must confess I never changed the litter. If a litter wasn't pleasing me, I would just add more of the stuff I liked better and let it age out. Even when I'd take off the globe for cleaning, I'd catch the clean litter in a bag and put it back in. The Robot does such a good job it was never an issue. I'd say I'm using half the litter I did before.

The Arm & Hammer unscented always clumped well, never smelled even when I changed the bag, and didn't stick. I'm going back!

Where do you purchase it? How much does it cost?

The Arm & Hammer, unscented, I get at the supermarket, big box for $7. With two adults, it would last a month, but now I use more.

I picked up a litter at Walmart, yesterday, that looks like a variant of Nature's Miracle (NM). Brought it home to compare it. I haven't used it, yet, but its made from the same stuff -- corn cobs -- Called Fresh Results. Like NM, pine has been added as a deodorant but has a lighter scent and is also slightly lighter in color. Cost for 10 pounds was $6.00. 10 lbs should last two months cutting the litter cost in the Robot to $3.00/month.

I also bought some Feline Pine Scoop to try in the Robot. I have read mixed reviews about this litter in the LR --that its too light to hold clumps together in the LR (due to the globe rotation, maybe). But then I read a review on the LR from someone who uses it in the LR and likes it so thought I would experiment a bit.

I started out with Fresh Results in one of my LR. I loved it in a regular box. It didn't fare well in the LR. It didn't clump tight enough and stuck to the walls. I did not try mixing it with another litter. I just changed completely over to Arm & Hammer and love it!

What is the best arm and hammer litter to use in the litter robot? Multi cat , high performance , super scoop , or oder alert????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? HELP!

I use super scoop. I only have an issue with smell right after one of my kitty goes or when the drawer is full of clumps. The clumps hold pretty well and don't stick.

Just learned that Nature's Miracle and Fresh Results are the same product made by Eight in One Pet Products.
The difference is the package and the cost. Walmart carries the Fresh Results and is cheaper the Nature's
Miracle.

No matter what type litter you buy for use in your LITTER ROBOT it MUST be of a size to allow it to flow easily thru the filter screen, larger diameter litter be they clumping types or otherwise can "hang up" on the screen and hold back litter in addition to the clumped litter...this means that some wasted litter goes into the tray each time with the clumps.

also bought some Feline Pine Scoop to try in the Robot. I have read mixed reviews about this litter in the LR --that its too light to hold clumps together in the LR (due to the globe rotation, maybe). But then I read a review on the LR from someone who uses it in the LR and likes it so thought I would experiment a bit.

Well, over the past two or three days I tried the Feline Pine Scoop experiment I refer to above (2nd quote) and found that the first quote seemed to apply but with a twist: Feline Pine Scoop is too fine to sift through the LR screen with the same results cited above "this means that some wasted litter goes into the tray..." The fine material (sawdust, essentially) seems to flow too slowly through the screen as the LR rotates causing some unused litter to bypass the screen and end up deposited in the drawer. There may be a limit to this -- i.e., a point where, with less and less litter in the globe, less is deposited but then is there enough left for the cats to use, bury with, and to absorb the urine?

Also, such fine litter translates into DUST... to which my nose and sinuses seemed to object. On the other hand, the Feline Pine natural odor is positive, I bet it was easy on the kitty paws, it did clump (but also seemed to stick more to the globe), odor control was favorable, and no kitty objected to using it.

My vote is "no" on Feline Pine Scoop for the LR.

I am headed back to Nature's Miracle AKA Fresh Results (for half the price at Walmart) and World's Best. I might try adding some leftover Pine Scoop (a cup or two) to the World's Best for that pine fresh scent!

What brands have you tried and rejected? Why?

Various generic brands from the local supermarkets. Stopped using those in favour of one that has some odour control. This was all before my LR.

What brand are you using currently? How long have you used it?

BioKat's Fresh, made by Gimpet. Scented clumping litter. I have been using this brand for over a year on my regular litterbox.

How much odor? How much tracking? How well does it clump?

Very little odor. Some tracking, but similar to the other litters I tried. Clumps fairly well, clumps are not very strong though, and tend to fall apart after a few days. For my regular litterbox, this could be annoying, but for the LR the clumbs are strong enough to survive the rotation.

Any issues with sticking to the LR walls?

Just the regular dust so far.

How many cats are using your LR?

2 adult toms. One regular (4.5 kg), one large-ish (8 kg).

How often do you empty the drawer? How often do you completely change the litter?

Twice per week, could do once per week without odour problems.

Where do you purchase it? How much does it cost?[/quote]

Local pet store, 12 euros for a 20 kg bag,

What brands have you tried and rejected? Why?

1) Arm and Hammer High Performance - sticks to liner in nasty, mulch-like chunks
2) Tidy Cats Crystal Blend - dissolved into a bizarre muddy texture that sticks to sides, AND smears across liner and inside of globe during cycle. This stuff was so bad that I couldn't even go 12 hours without the LR smelling like cat pee due to the 'smear factor'!


What brand are you using currently? How long have you used it?
Dr. E's Precious Cat, Fresh Step Multi Cat w/ Carbon or Worlds Best Cat Litter multi-cat strength.

How much odor? How much tracking? How well does it clump?
All of these have minimal to no sticking in the liner, and the Precious Cat in particular clumps like rocks. Truly impressive, and probably the best out of all 3 with great odor control, even after 3 days!

Any issues with sticking to the LR walls?
See above.

How many cats are using your LR?
3 cats, ages 3, 1, and 9 months.

How often do you empty the drawer? How often do you completely change the litter?
I try to empty the drawer every other day, though I let it go 3 days, just to see if I could.

I have completely changed the litter 2 x times since I got the LR in February, to get rid of the failed experiments with the brands noted above.

Where do you purchase it? How much does it cost?
All purchased from a local Petco or Petsmart