Automatic Litterbox Central

We've been using the Fresh Step scoopable 40 lb buckets from Sams Club since it's the only litter they offer at our store (we;d rather store a couple of big buckets than shop more often). I'm glad I found this forum though since I thought there was something wrong with our LR II. The first issue is that the bigger #2 clumps don't always go down on the first cycle. The second issue is that the #1 clumps don't get very hard so they get smeared all over the inside when it turns. And everything gets stuck on the grate - we have to keep scraping stuff off of it every other day or nothing goes through. Though we do have 2 big cats (15 lbs each).

As for tracking, one has great fun kicking out litter when he buries his stuff but we starting using a cheapo hose-able doormat from Home Depot and that seems to be working. We have to empty it every other day since the clumps pile up in the middle of the bag right over top of the bump in the drawer. Maybe shaking it would help like some said.

I think I'm going to try spraying Pam as others have mentioned, but if that doesn't help we'll have to try switching litters.

I use Dr. Elsey's Premium cat litter for out Litter Maid Litter Box. It is the best litter I have found for the Litter Maid Box. Other litters tend to break up the clumps instead of scoop them. Dr. Elsey's premium is carried at Pet Smart. Other places carry the Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract Litter, but it is more expensive. My cats will not use anything but clay-based products.

Arm & Hammer Super Scoop seems to have been reformulated within the last year, and though I formerly had great success with it in the Litter Robot, it has recently been causing endless problems. The issue is that the clumps now behave like little balls of thick tar and have incredible adhesive superpowers. The tarry layer coats the inside of the globe, fails to exit cleanly through the waste port, ends up on the ouside of the globe, etc. Yech.

I had to use a regular litter box for a week or two while the LR was out, and that's when I really noticed the change in the litter. It's not just a Litter Robot issue - this brand has become nigh-unusable even for manual scooping. It just glues itself to the bottom of the litter box and cannot be dislodged.

I've switched to a combination of Johnny Cat unscented scoopable and the scoopable litter available from Costco. My gosh, what a huge improvement. I'd just go with the Costco litter, but it's scented...

What brands have you tried and rejected? Why?
rejected Swheat Scoop and World's Best both for the same reason: gummy clumps stuck to the bottom and wouldn't release during normal cycling, which kind of defeats the purpose in an automatic box. rejected Feline Pine Clumping doesn't work at all...it doesn't "flow" properly during cycling, doesn't sift though the screen, and ends up in the collection drawer (but it was worth a shot).

What brand are you using currently? How long have you used it?
been using Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat for about 3 months.

How much odor? How much tracking? How well does it clump?
despite being an unscented litter, it controls odor surprisingly well. tracks more than i'd like but no worse than anything else i've ever used. clumping varies. sometimes clumps very solid, sometimes is a bit gummy, but not to the point and it sticks to the bottom and refuses to let go during normal cycling.

Any issues with sticking to the LR walls?
none at all

How many cats are using your LR?
we have 5 cats using 2 Robots

How often do you empty the drawer? How often do you completely change the litter?
empty the drawer twice per week tops. change the litter completely about every other month.

Where do you purchase it? How much does it cost?
buy 40-lb bags of litter from PetSmart for about $12.

Synopsis - Litter Survey Threads for the Litter Robot

This post summarizes previous posts in this, and a previous thread (litter-robot/topic131.html) with the purpose of helping others find a brand of litter that works in their Litter Robot. Once you narrow down your choice of litters, you can experiment to see which one you and your cat prefer.

Information on where to buy, and cost, would have been useful, but some of these posts go back to late 2003 so prices and availability have surely changed on all products. It’s also probable that several of the litter names and formulations have changed since being reviewed, so keep that in mind.

For instance, my experiences with Scoop Away have all been positive, and the only difference I can discern between the various formulations is the level of odor control (which seems to mean more perfume). I’ve never had odor or clumping issues with any of the formulations in either a standard litter box or in the Litter Robot.

Whether the odor of a particular litter is good, bad, strong, etc. is subjective so reviews based solely on odor were not included. How well odors are controlled by a particular litter is also subjective, and is influenced by how often the tray is emptied, the litter is changed, and the globe is cleaned. Therefore, reviews based solely on odor control were not included.

Additional reviews not included are those that gave:
- a review with no indication the litter was tested in a Litter Robot.
- results from mixing different brands or types of litter.
- negative reviews based on cat behavior, such as eating the litter, etc.
- negative reviews with absolutely no details.

I’m not recording details of each post, but if you’re considering a particular litter I recommend you read the posts linked underneath each litter type. It may also be helpful to do a full forum search for the litter you’re considering.

Finally, I recognize there are many other reviews spread throughout the many threads on this forum, but sorting through all of that is beyond my patience level.

========================================================================

* Arm & Hammer Unscented *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p11381
[POSITIVE Review]
“My favorite is the unscented Arm & Hammer, regular, going on three years now.”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p11682
[POSITIVE Review]
"I just changed completely over to Arm & Hammer and love it!"

* Arm & Hammer High Performance *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p11381
[NEGATIVE Review]
“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.”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p13341
[NEGATIVE Review]
“sticks to liner in nasty, mulch-like chunks”

* Arm & Hammer Mult-Cat *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p10213
[POSITIVE Review]
“Absolutely no odor, other than a pleasant smell if you can believe that. Minimal tracking.
Clumps fast and hard”

* Arm & Hammer Scoop *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131.html#p686
[POSITIVE Review]
“Clumps well - doesn't stick to LR”

* Arm & Hammer Super Scoop *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p11700
[POSITIVE Review]
“The clumps hold pretty well and don't stick.”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-30.html#p18290
[NEGATIVE Review]
Nov 08, 2009 – “seems to have been reformulated” – “The tarry layer coats the inside of the globe, fails to exit cleanly through the waste port, ends up on the ouside of the globe, etc. Yech.”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131.html#p747
[POSITIVE Review]
(Unscented) – “clumps well, good with odor control, and very little tracking”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131-30.html#p1647
[POSITIVE Review]
“Great clumping, great odor control” – “Did not stick to globe or liner”

* BioKat's Fresh (made by Gimpet) *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p13157
[POSITIVE Review]
“Clumps fairly well”

* Cat Attract *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401.html#p5096
[POSITIVE Review]

* Cat's Pride *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401.html#p4329
[NEGATIVE Review] (But continues to use it. Weird.)
The label says “flushable”, so it breaks apart easily and creates lots of dust.

* Cats Pride Multiple Cat *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p9971
[NEGATIVE Review]
“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.”

* Dr. Elsays Cat Attract *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401.html#p2821
[POSITIVE Review]
“Minimal odor, some tracking,” - “it's cheaper the WBCL”

* Dr. Elsays Precious Cat *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p13341
[POSITIVE Review]
“clumps like rocks”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-30.html#p18584
[POSITIVE Review]
“clumping varies. sometimes clumps very solid, sometimes is a bit gummy, but not to the point and it sticks to the bottom and refuses to let go during normal cycling”

* EverClean *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131.html#p660
[POSITIVE Review]
“have not experienced any sticking” – “pretty large clumps, which the L/R seems to dispose of with no trouble.”

* Exquisicat *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131-30.html#p1647
[POSITIVE Review]
“Great clumping, good odor control. Some tracking and "kick-out". Did not stick to globe or liner.”

* Feline Pine Scoop *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p11908
[NEGATIVE Review]
"Too much litter in drawer, & dust."

* Fresh Results *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p11682
[NEGATIVE Review]
“It didn't fare well in the LR. It didn't clump tight enough and stuck to the walls.”

* Fresh Step Clumping Clay Litter Plus Crystals *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401.html#p4574
[POSITIVE Review]
“Only down side is tracking and dust from clay.”

* Fresh Step Crystals *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401.html#p4574
[NEGATIVE Review]
“Biggest problem is it is too light, so when cat gets in it she kind of has to wade through it. It also is a bit slow absorbing, and things can be gooey when robot rotates, leaving some sticky stuff that drops down later.”

* Fresh Step Multi Cat w/ Carbon *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p13341
[POSITIVE Review]

* Fresh Step Scoopable *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p9969
[POSITIVE Review]
“Used for the past 3 years” “Fresh Step clumps just fine, no problems. Has some sort of freshness crystals in it.”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-30.html#p14126
[NEGATIVE Review]
“Fresh Step Scoopable 40 lb buckets from Sams Club” – “smeared all over the inside when it turns” – “everything gets stuck on the grate - we have to keep scraping stuff off of it every other day or nothing goes through”

* Nature's Miracle *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p9971
[NEGATIVE Review]
“The litter itself was kinda swampy/mushy and a thick layer of it stuck firmly to the inner liner all through the cycling”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p9974
[POSITIVE Review]
“I am pretty sold on it at this point. It clumps well for my cats -- no soup that you spoke of. Very little dust.”

* Our Cat's Choice *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131-15.html#p1596
[POSITIVE Review]
“It doesn't stick and the cat's all like it.”

* Pestell *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131-30.html#p1647
[POSITIVE Review]
Good clumping, good odor control. Some tracking and "kick-out". Did not stick to globe or liner.

* Pet Gold Plus *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401.html#p2039
[POSITIVE Review]
No issues.

* Petsmart (store brand) *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p9971
[NEGATIVE Review]
“It took only a day to completely clog up my Litter Robot”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131.html#p666
[POSITIVE Review]
“We've used it with the World's Best Cat Litter and with clay clumping litter from Petsmart. Neither have left a mess on the globe.”

* Sam's Club *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131-30.html#p1647
[POSITIVE Review]
“Great clumping, great odor control. Large particles help minimize tracking. Light fragrance. Did not stick to globe or liner.”

* Scoop Away Multiple Cat Formula *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401.html#p2089
[POSITIVE Review]
“No odor, even from the drawer when I change it. Same tracking as all litter. Clumps great!”

* Scoop Away Maximum Clumping for Multiple Cats *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131-15.html#p1293
[POSITIVE Review]
“nice hard clumps that do not produce 'mud' and do not stick to the inside of the globe”

* Shweat Scoop *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401.html#p5096
[NEGATIVE Review]
“it tends to clump into very large, long shapes that will not filter out of the LR hole and stick to the walls”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p10213
[NEGATIVE Review]
“the sticky clumps and odor were a problem”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-30.html#p18584
[NEGATIVE Review]
“gummy clumps stuck to the bottom and wouldn't release during normal cycling”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131.html#p657
[NEGATIVE Review]
“clumps really well, but I find that it sticks ALOT to the rubber part in the bottom and the top of the globe, it almost looks like oatmeal stuck to the bottom”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131.html#p662
[NEGATIVE Review]
“it's gross!!”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131.html#p747
[NEGATIVE Review]
“definitely can't be used in the LR, sticks way too much”

* Tidy Cats Crystal Blend *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401.html#p2089
[NEGATIVE Review]
“It got gummy and left "goo" all in the globe.”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p13341
[NEGATIVE Review]
“dissolved into a bizarre muddy texture that sticks to sides, AND smears across liner and inside”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131.html#p748
[NEGATIVE Review]
“it breaks apart too easy in the litter robot”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131-30.html#p1647
[NEGATIVE Review]
“OK Clumping, good odor control. So far, the worst for tracking and "kick-out". Small sticky clumps stuck to globe, mesh, and liner.”

* World’s Best Cat Litter *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p10645
[POSITIVE Review]
“worked well”

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic131.html#p666
[POSITIVE Review]
“We've used it with the World's Best Cat Litter and with clay clumping litter from Petsmart. Neither have left a mess on the globe.”

* World’s Best Cat Litter- Multi Cat *
http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-15.html#p13341
[POSITIVE Review]

http://www.litterbox-central.com/litter-box/litter-robot/topic401-30.html#p18584
[NEGATIVE Review]
“gummy clumps stuck to the bottom and wouldn't release during normal cycling”

Thanks for the summary, Jack! Very helpful.