Automatic Litterbox Central

Hi, has anyone thought of an alternate cleaning solution to use to refill the Litterfree cleaning cartridges? The cost of those supplies can really add up! My local pet store does not carry the cartridges, and to pay to have them shipped to me really adds up.

Go to pets mart and buy the Petzyme cat urine remover and fill up your solution - be careful not to lose the metal spring in the bottle top of the solution cap.

I saw an auction on ebay for a litterfree and they stated in their ad that they have been refilling the cartridges with Mr Clean- however I was wondering about the safety of that. Would love to hear any ideas on alternative cleaners though before I buy one! mailto:RCantarelli@yahoo.com

I would not use Mr Clean. I buy the solution online at Petsmart. You can buy a 3 pack and it works out with shipping to about 16 a bottle. That is chepaer than I used to pay for litter. It is safe and I do not have to sit and waste time and energy to try and refill the bottles.

yes if anyone come up with this answer please email me

mailto:walt@wollny.org

i will look as well

peace

From the research I have done, the clean solution is nothing more than Roccal-D (a quaternary ammonium disinfectant produced by Pharmacia). It is a disinfectant commonly used by vets. It cost $65/gallon and is diluted to 1/2oz/gallon. You would need to determine how much water is used in the cleaning cycle and then do the math. According to my math they dispense 3/4oz of their solution per cleaning. As far as I can tell, the litter is nothing more than scrap plastic which can probably be purchased for $1 per 100lbs. It does not appear the litter would ever need to be replaced.

I have been using a product called Oxyquat in the cartridges. It is supposed to be safe for the environment, cats, and people. I just pour it in full strength as only a shot comes out in the final rinse. It doesn't foam up a whole lot and it kills bacteria, etc. Good for ringworm, too!

I'm glad to have found this forum and your suggestion for alternatives to the cleaning solution. I saw where a box of 3 went for $132.50 on E-bay!!!

One of the things that I thought I read about the solution was that it dissolved fecal matter and that's why it was necessary. But as I've read posts in this forum, I realize that was marketing hype.

Thanks.

So far, there's only one store, a PetsMart, in the Portland metro area (population 1.6 million) that's ever kept up with the LitterFree product line. Went to find solution yesterday, but there totally out.

Bought Nature's Miracle instead. One gallon fills 3 LitterFree refill bottles. As was suggested above, take care to replace the spring loaded stopper in the cap. Have seen several cycles now, and the boy's don't know the difference.

So far, so good.

Tom

I had suggested to someone else to drill hole in the bottle inorder to pour a solution into the bottle. They said they did and it worked. I had suggested using a cork but they said it worked without the cork, only using the solution when the unit acctivated.

I used an Exacto knife and got a hole in the top. I use a kind of cap that is designed to be used to seal soda bottles, etc. It works also.

I drilled a hole in the top - mixed up some Scope and Oxyclean (half a scoop) and poured it in the container.

1. It smells WAY better than the original solution
2. It is completely safe for animals
3. The pellets look cleaner and more of them float than before
4. It doesn't appear to require a seal to work - I leave the hole open and the system only pulls from the container when needed during a cycle.

I think the 'don't mess with the solution container' is a marketing ploy to prevent people from making their own stuff.

Please post other home-brew concoctions - I'm curious and love chemistry experiments. The Scope was sort of an afterthought - I'd like to replace it with something that doesn't have saccharin or sugar. But since I run the box twice a day, it probably doesn't matter. And since it has alcohol in it, it probably won't mold or mildew in the container.

Unfortunately, you are doing chemisty experiments on your cats, since anything you put in the cartridge will leave a residue in the box, which will get on your cats paws, and from there into their mouths, since they lick their paws.

I have no idea what the basis is for your assertion that it is "completely safe for animals".

The Oxyclean has a high PH and can damage mucous membranes in the mouth and throat. The Scope is probably ok, but I cannot be sure of this, since they *are* going to swallow small amounts of it regularly.

It is probably better and safer to add this concoction at the *beginning* of a cycle occasionally, since then it will do it's cleaning, and be flushed out at the end of the cycle.

The box does not have to be sterile. Just running it on plain water 3 times a day makes it far cleaner than any box using traditional litter. Cats don't get sick from regular litter boxes, but they very well may get sick from home brew solutions that leave residue in the box.

I keep trying to make this point about the cartridge - over and over.

Michael & Duncan:

Thank you for your continued vigilance on this subject. I too am very wary of chemicals around the boys. Have you analized the Nature's Miracle Just For Cats? While this isn't sold with a Material Safety Data Sheet, it lists the following for ingredients: Water, "Nature's Enzymes, Isopropyl Alcohol, and Natural Citrus Scent. That's it.

Furthermore, no where on this 1 gallon jug is there any "Warning" information. Rather, it does say, "Non-toxic, non-flammable, non-caustic, and non-acidic. Safe for use around children and pets, on colors, and on all water-safe surfaces."

It does say, "KEEP CLOSED WHEN NOT IN USE. KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN." While I don't have children (other than my boys), I think the cats are probubly smarter anyway.

Thanks for keeping your eye on all of our science projects.

Tom

Glad to be able to help - I know how much I love Duncan, and I guess I hope and believe that everyone else loves their cats just as much. That is the reason for my notes of caution.

So - here I go again. I guess I would be a bit wary of that "Nature's Enzyme" ingredient, since it is not clear what it is, and also would be concerned about the ambiguous labeling. The manufacturer will send you an MSDS if you ask them for it.

You then have to ask yourself if you would be willing to drink the stuff; if you are not, it does not belong in the cartridge. It might be perfectly fine to use at the beginning of a cycle since it will be flushed by the subsequent cycles - but it should not be in the cartridge in my opinion.