Automatic Litterbox Central

First I want to say this site is great! I was almost going to buy the Litter Free device (after having had 2 LitterMaids in 3+ years) then I found this site and sifted through all the real people comments.

I now have the Litter Robot (got it within 2 weeks of ordering back in May, so maybe their backorder problem is now solved), and for the most part it's been great.

My problem is - one of my cats doesn't seem to want to use it. I don't think she's afraid of it - I've put her in it and she doesn't get freaked out and both of my cats are used to mechanized litter boxes. She used to poop behind the robot - I've put a stop to that, but she continues to pee in front of of the robot (I don't know if she's using the robot for poops now, but I haven't seen any anywhere else for over a week...) I've never had any other behavioral problems with them before.

Any suggestions on how to get her to go inside the robot?

Thanks much!

How big is your cat? Is the area well-lit? Are other cats prone to 'attack' the problem cat? Is the cat stressed or skittish?

Try to think like your cat.

Lauren, do you have any suggestions?

One resource most pet owners seem to overlook is ther veterinarian. A good vet will be able to help with pet behavioral issues like these. If you don't have a good vet, find one! Ask friends, co-workers, and relatives. Which vet appears on local TV news broadcasts? Carrie and I were lucky enough to find someone in Houston who is practically Doctor Dolittle -- a true magician with animals.

Jeff, the cat is average - about 10lbs, doesn't normally have any behavioral problems. She and the other cat doesn't get along, but have never had any problems at the litter box before and of the times I've been around, the other cat isn't there to terrorize her; they don't generally bother each other except to hiss at each other as they pass.

I've tried to give the area as much light as possible as I thought that might be a problem with it being enclosed and inside a below stair case closet. There's a night light in there. They had no problems using the Littermaid while it was in the same closet. I'm not sure if it made much difference, but I'll give it another try.

I think if I can just give her no other options she'll use the robot, but I'm not sure how to do that or entice her to go in by herself.

These are tips from our website on getting your cat to use the Litter Robot. I'm including the link because the picture didn't print when I cut and pasted.

The link is:

http://www.litter-robot.com/tips.htm#2

Here's what's posted on the site:

2. Getting your cat to use the Litter-Robot™:

In most cases cats will quickly adapt to a new litter box, however if your cat protests, here are some suggestions that may help:


To avoid unnecessarily frightening your cat, leave Litter-Robot unplugged until you are sure your cat is using it regularly. Clean cycles can be run by simply plugging in Litter-Robot.
Try enticing your cat into the globe with cat treats or cat nip. Hold the treat or nip through one of the waste ports allowing the cat to enter through the entry/exit opening. This will your cat become familiar with the interior of the globe. Note: This is not possible with the Kick’n Kitty guards installed.
If your cat protests by urinating somewhere outside of the litter box there is no reason to continue the 'cold turkey' approach. Bring back the old litter box, but leave the Litter-Robot out as well. By letting the old litter box get full it may motivate your cat to migrate to the cleaner litter in the Litter-Robot. You can also gradually move the old litter box closer to the Litter-Robot helping your cat get used to the presence of the Litter-Robot.
Cats love empty cardboard boxes. You can try covering the Litter-Robot with the cardboard box it came in. Cut an opening in the side of the box to match the entry/exit opening in the globe and cut a notch in the bottom for access to the drawer. Note: Leave the Litter-Robot unplugged while covered with the box. You can run a supervised clean cycle by simply plugging it in and waiting for it to finish and then unplug it again. Please refer to the picture below for cut-out ideas:
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What I'd add to the information on the website is that I would offer lavish praise (and maybe some cat nip or a treat) any time I found the reluctant cat exiting the box. I might even try putting the cat in the Robot and offering the reward when it leaves.

To get my cats to use the Robot (which didn't take much doing, I admit) I took a bowl of litter out of their old box and placed it on top of the clean litter in the Robot. They both went in within 5 minutes. Make sure you're using a compatible litter if you do this. Clay litter that doesn't say either "clumping" or "scoopable" is not compatible with the Robot and will leave a sticky, smelly mess!!

Less than 3% of cats don't acclimate to the Robot (we get this figure from our return rate) which means more than 97% do! While this is little consolation to the owners of the 3%, it gives you reason to not give up until the last minute. You have 30 days of in-home use to decide whether to keep the Robot or not, and we encourage you to keep trying for the whole trial period. Most cats will come around and use it!