Automatic Litterbox Central

1 week run w/SF vs LR. Used the LR for a couple of years, no major malfunctions and it worked as advertised. The difference using SF:

The Good:
-NO litter dust - in lungs, on floor, on walls, on counters, in water dish! None, zip, nada. Worth the change for this alone.
-No weekly bagging, cleaning up box, replacing bag, carting to trash - also a huge plus.
-No pouring litter to top off. No vacuuming spilled litter; far less tracking w/SF, and one pass to clean up if needed - I use the hood and pad.
-No cleaning (yet!) any of the mechanical parts - considerable chore w/LR.
-Smaller, by about 50% in height; about the same footprint.
-Less noise, perceived about 50% less. Shorter cycle - by far, so less noise PLUS you don't hear it as long.
-Odorless, or rather, a faint "bathroom cleaner" odor. Not objectionable at all. LR was fairly odorless as well, until opened to reveal litter+kitty poo; THEN a brief whiff of nature!
-Half the price of LR, with accessories.
-No adjustment needed to detect kitty in the box; LR required tweaking and adjustment for weight of cat - sometimes aggravating.
-Easier for kitty to get into and out of I suspect.
-Maybe cartridge will not require changing for 30 days; we shall see.

The Bad:
-Expensive cartridges. But you knew that. C'mon guys, this is cardboard and kitty litter; let's get production costs down, and if they already are, let's pass it on to customers.
-Need to fiddle with cartridge some to be sure it closes properly; minor.
-It's purple. I mean, REALLY purple: grape purple, plum purple, purple Easter-egg purple. OK, some would put that in the plus column. I would point out however, that this is a LITTER BOX, not a cat TOY, and Elvis didn't decorate everybody's laundry room/bathroom.

The Ugly:
-Your kitty will need to get used to crystal litter. Our finicky Siameses did, BUT, her first response was: "Doesn't LOOK like litter, doesn't SMELL like litter, doesn't FEEL like litter. NOT my litter!" She used it, but only because it was the only game in town and she WON'T go in the house. YMMV with your kitty; be warned. This could be major for some. Now used to it and semi-loving it - at least she rubs her chin on the box.

So that's the tale (tail?) so far; would buy it again.

Doc H.

2 week update:

So far, so good. Still no odor, kitty's using it regularly, litter and unit look clean. Guarded optimism.

Doc H.

Don't want to repeat myself (have been reporting under another link on the SF) but wanted to add my experience with the SF to this link. After a ten day trial, the SF has shown some difficulties moving the cat poop from the box to under the flap. Some of it ends up in the home position area on the other side of the rake, some caught in the rake, some caught in the flap - a mystery so far although I am trying to catch the SF in the act to get an idea of what's happening. I've found this minor mess about half the days the cats have been using it.

Also, I have been putting the cardboard cartridge in a plastic garbage sack to line the bottom of the cartridge and reuse the tray. This worked first time around. This second time, the cats scratched into the sack, making minor rips and the rake got caught in a rip creating a bigger rip. Thus, I cleaned the litter box, today, for the second time in ten days. The cartridge was fine to reuse -- no urine that I could detect despite the rips in the sack. I saved some of the crystals, relined the cartridge, and replaced the rest of the crystals. However, I did note a big odor difference between the crystals I saved and the fresh ones...

End result is that in the last ten days, I have used much more litter in the SF than I did in my conventional hand-scooped litter box at a cost of $20 plus for the crystals.

I've ordered the Litter Robot II which should arrive late next week. The first thought that comes to mind is that all the litters that I have lying around -- crystals, World's Best, Nature's Miracle... remains from purchases over the course of the past few months can be used in the LR and should last a couple months! Of course, the question is how will the LR work out with the two bengals? I think it will be fine but only the real experience will tell.

Features that I have liked best about the SF are its size, little litter tracking, and ease of clean-up as well as the general freedom from tending the litter box multiple times a day; however, I have continued to scoop out the poop daily from under the flap. I am hoping this habit will go with the LR.

3-week plus update

Changed the litter once already; MAY have lasted 30 days but much better with a 2-3 wk change I think, even with a 10 lb Siamese. Sooo...makes the litter pretty pricey. I think the convenience is worth it - no scooping, breathing litter dust, bagging kitty poo - but you have to judge for yourself. Haven't had any problems with the unit functioning as advertised - our cat is missing her front claws, so no issues of ripping through the box. Also no trapping of kitty poo where it shouldn't be, and seems to absorb the kitty pee pretty well. So far liking it better than the LR, but YMMV...

Doc H.

As per my last update elsewhere, less litter in the SF seems to have solved finding poop in the home area of the box.

I had a LR (old model) before the SF and while the LR worked pretty well, I hated how if it got even the tinniest bit overfull or the poo didn't fall correctly it would smear the globe in poo. It was very hard for me to clean and I sliced up my hands a few times on the hard plastic when I tried to clean it by myself and getting my husband to help was like pulling teeth. With 4 cats using it I had to change the bag one to two times per day and my claustrophobic cat would freak out if he got anywhere near it so that meant cleaning two boxes. The SF is easy as can be to clean and although I have to change it weekly, at least I don't have to do it daily like I was before. I really like the SF and would recommend.

Dawn

I had a LR for years and the ScoopFree is working much better for me. The LR was stinky stinky.

My cat pees huge clumps, so those huge clumps would roll around in the globe when it cycles, smearing the entire inside of the globe. So when kitty went in to do her thing, he body was surrounded by that funk, not just her feet like normal boxes.

I am hoping the changes in the LRII will have taken care of the issues mentioned above.

The SF is a simple box that has worked fairly well, reduced my litter box workload, for sure. There's much less litter tracking than with the manual litter box. The crystals are doing much of the work creating less tracking, absorbing the urine, shrinking the poop, & reducing/controlling the odor. The rake simply moves the poop to one area where it is covered by a lid (flap) until removed (by scooping) or dumped another way. And the rake mixes up and smoothes the crystals but not enough mixing up to keep me from also doing it. As mentioned above, the SF is very simple to clean and maintain. That's another great feature of this box. But it does mess up once in a while... again, these mess-ups are very easy to clean-up -- NO CUSTOMER SERVICE, dismantling the box, or new processors (through express mail) needed! A three minute clean-up job, if that.

The downside of the SF is in supplying it with crystals or buying the cartridges. I calculated a yearly expense of about $450 on crystals, changing the crystals once a week for two cats, and using a reusable cartridge. Even the Catgenie with its special supplies may be less expensive.

I think the LR will be more cost effective, control initial odor better, and be even less labor intensive if the bugs (mentioned above) have been successfuly worked out. I scoop the SF once or twice a day, now, to remove the poop. I am hoping that I will be attending to the LR maybe twice a week to remove a bag and add a little litter, perhaps wiping the inside of the box periodically. I know, its a dream...

I was hoping the LRII would arrive, today, but it looks like Monday... I'm disappointed but it will give me an opportunity to see if I can stretch the crystals in the SF for two more days... I think I am on day 8 now (last two batches of crystals replaced at day 5). In the past three days, the bottom of the SF is wet in spots unless/until I mix-up the crystals.

This is a tad bit off subject, but Spaceshare or anyone for that matter, do you know if UPS runs on Monday? I know the LR comes by FED EX ... I'm expecting a cat genie on Monday but it's MLK day so not real sure if either are running. I sure hope so... Thanks in advance for any answers on this one...

Toddro -- Looked up UPS holidays via Google. According to this source, Martin Luther King day is not a holiday off for them.

Spaceshare- thanks for info.. I had given up on Monday and was looking at Tuesday. So this is good news. I have a tracking number and it does say Monday, so maybe I'll have a new toy tomorrow. Thanks again, and have a great day...

Looking forward to your reports of using both the LR and the CG...

Yes, the Litter Robot arrived, today, and I wish the news were better. Both cats have used it -- Zen twice, Nuba reluctantly, once.

Zen explored the LR before it was all set up and then wouldn't go in it after the litter was in (very strong odor with the litter I am using -- the LR tends to hold in the scent). Also, stepping on the LR step will tilt the Bot forward a bit and this was freaking out the cats. To overcome the problems , I turned the LR off and opened the litter ports a bit to air out the bot. Then I taped a ribbon with some feathers tied to it over the LR door to dangle and entice the kitties. I called them and they were soon batting at the ribbon and feathers, standing on the step to do so thus adjusted to the step. In fact, after batting for a few seconds, Zen got in the LR, turned around, dug in the litter, pooped, covered everything, checked, covered again, and jumped out. An initial success....

Nuba, the eight month old, needed a lot more coaxing. We played a game of steal the feathers (Nuba ripped them off the LR and took off with them; I stole them back and put them back on the LR). I gave him treats on the step and then put an unopened mini can of kitty food in the Bot with a treat on top. He stretched in to get it. We did this several times... but no luck. He was not going to get all the way in the Robot!

And he needed to go... this is a cat that likes to be with Zen or me... or play with the fish but NEVER choses to be alone. He was sneaking away testing every door in the house to find a place to go. I kept carrying him into the laundry room and coaxing him.

The last time around, Zen came in, too, and used the LR again, this time to urinate... She did not turn around, however, and her little backside was aimed at the door... But she made it... All urine ended up in the Robot.

At this point, I pulled the drawer out to show Nuba the contents. He sniffed at it and seemed satisfied. I pushed the drawer back in and he climbed up the step and forced himself to go in... little butt hanging out the door and he thoroughly initiated the entry, buttons, and step of the LR with soft, stinky poop!

Yuck! I cleaned it up... relined the drawer by putting the entire drawer inside a bag hoping to protect the step (with those holes in it!) while the cats, hopefully, learn to enter, turn, and keep their rears in the Robot...

Well, its the first day... Maybe things will go differently tomorrow. Neither cat appeared frightened of the cycling. The LR sounds very similar to the Scoopfree which I packed away after the LR arrived.

I think you will be in good shape... the first time Felix my cat went he also dribbled urine out the front.. but since then... he turns around... If the other does turn around, are you like me and think this thing is wonderful? I believe all 6 of mine are now using the one. I know the drawer had a lot in it after just over a day. We had bad weather here in Texas the last 2 days.. so UPS is late with the Cat Genie. Maybe today... the roads seem clear this morning. I'm guessing the new drawer they have does away with the piling up in one spot thing... cause the poo and clumps was spread out pretty even this morning. So far, no apparent odor either.. I've even tried to get my head in to sniff... To no avail.. I've got a pretty big noggin. Not alot of brains... but I guess a nice large shell to cover em and keep em safe. Ok... keep us updated on how it goes. I think you have some great ideas to get em started.

I think you will be in good shape...

Well, I hope you are right, Toddro. I have spent a lot more time with the LR cleaning, etc., in less than 24 hours than I did with the Scoopfree. I now know why the SF is much easier to maintain than the LR. Lots more little places litter can get caught, etc. in the LR. Despite this, I prefer to spend less money on crystals as long as the daily attention to the litter box is the same or less (eventually) with the LR...

Nuba, reluctantly, entered the Bot this morning after watching Zen do her thing (Zen went in, turned around, dug happily away). Nuba got his butt further in, no turn-around, and ONLY caught the lip of the LR this time with the poop. I have put up a "tape" barrier advised by several on the forum to change his ways quickly if possible. I'll see if it works.

I hope your Catgenie arrives, today! Good luck with it! Looking forward to this new adventure of yours!