Automatic Litterbox Central

by **Fierce Critter** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:31 pm

Dawn:

Do you have Meijer's in your area? I have 3 very close to my home, as well as a Wal-Mart, and none of them carried it, though I was looking for it.

I checked the online sales flyer for a newer Meijer's that just opened in the past few months, and they actually had it on sale that week, I really lucked out.

Try newer Meijer's, or ask Wal-Mart if they can get it for you.

By the way, thanks to the person above with the information about the upgrade kit. I e-mailed back the guy from marketing I had been communicating with and he is sending me out the upgrade kit.

Hope they'll be just as accomodating when I buy my next 2 SmartScoops.

by **Mad, Ol' Cat Lady** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:35 pm

I looked up Meijer's since I had never heard of it and it is only in 4 states from what I can tell and none are anywhere near Texas. I have an uncle who lives in Michigan and is coming down to Texas in a week so I am wondering if he could find one that sells it. Does this store do coupon type things like Bed Bath & Beyond where you get 20% off one item or is it just in store sales? Thanks for the suggestion and I'll just have to see how it goes.

Dawn

by **Fierce Critter** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:25 pm

Dawn

Do a search on the Meijer's website for the stores closest to your uncle. Then call them to see if they actually stock them. Several in my area did not, but the newest one in the area actually did and had them on sale that week.

Also ask them if they accept competitor's coupons and be specific about the coupon - where it's from, what it covers, etc.

by **dermanj** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:22 am

dermanj wrote:It's definitely NOT looking good...

Day 2 (Sunday) [continued]:

After filling the SmartScoop with A&H Super Scoop litter, I was really hoping for a better result (but not holding my breath). Within a couple hours, it was more of the same. In fact, the results seemed even worse with the A&H litter -- more broken clumps, mess stuck to the rake, etc. I did manual scooping of all the broken bits. More of the same a couple hours later. I guess here's something positive to say about SmartScoop: My cats aren't afraid to use it.

Day 3 (Monday):

Woke up Monday morning to find more mess, broken clumps, sticky litter stuck to the rake, etc. Had to do more manual scooping and scraping to clean it up.

----------

At this point, I'm thinking the SmartScoop is pretty much a disaster. In fact, I'm thinking back to those 2 comments about the product on Amazon -- one positive comment and one negative. I have to figure that the 1 positive comment was total nonsense (fraud?) and the 1 negative comment was sincere. After using the SmartScoop for 3 days, I don't see how it could possibly work. It creates a mess almost every time it runs. Maybe there's some other brand of litter that would work better, but I just don't see how it could possibly work well, given the design flaws that look rather obvious from where I'm standing (and I can go into more detail if anyone wants to hear more).

The obvious advantage that SmartScoop has over Littermaid is that SmartScoop is MUCH easier to clean -- but at least the Littermaid usually (more or less) scoops out most of the waste without creating a mess (but when Littermaid creates a mess, it's really a pain to clean).

I'm thinking about contacting the SmartScoop company to see what they have to say about all this. I suppose the biggest problem has to do with the rake design. Maybe it could work better with redesigned rake, but I doubt it.

I'm so disappointed.

Just came back to this forum for the first time in nearly 2 years (where does the time go?) and I see perhaps there have been improvements to the SmartScoop? You can look back in this thread (around October 2007) to read about my SmartScoop experience. I had purchased two of them, tried to use one (with REALLY BAD results), and never even opened the box on the second one.

I never did get around to contacting the company, but reading recent comments (about a new improved model?) I wonder if there's anything they can do for me. I still I have that original model, untouched, still in the sealed box.

by **FurryOne** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:28 pm

Fierce Critter wrote:Just came back to this forum for the first time in nearly 2 years (where does the time go?) and I see perhaps there have been improvements to the SmartScoop? You can look back in this thread (around October 2007) to read about my SmartScoop experience. I had purchased two of them, tried to use one (with REALLY BAD results), and never even opened the box on the second one.

There are people testing a "new design" SmartScoop, but from their comments, it doesn't seem that the Company took many of our suggestions to heart, especially the problem with the shape of the front of the box in relation to the length of the tines. The box falls away as the tines are turning upwards, and poop just slips between the tines and the front of the box, and then gets mashed back into the litter and dragged to the back of the box. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that, but apparently the people at SmartScoop don't come anywhere close (You won't see any of them working for NASA!).

by **Fierce Critter** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 2:39 am

Just wanted to point out that that quote is incorrectly attributed to me.

And I HARDLY see where you can gather from our comments that any of our suggestions were NOT taken to heart.

The motor is stronger, plastic gears have been replaced with metal ones, the front lip has been completely redesigned, etc.

I have very, very little of the kind of problem you describe.

In a house hold of 11 indoor cats and 2 SmartScoops going strong after nearly 2 years, I hope to never, ever be without one.

Ever.

by **FurryOne** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:41 pm

Fierce Critter wrote:Just wanted to point out that that quote is incorrectly attributed to me.

I just hit the "quote" button. I have no control over what the software here does... but sorry if it mis-attributed.

And I HARDLY see where you can gather from our comments that any of our suggestions were NOT taken to heart.

Let me clarify your mis-quoting of me...

it doesn't seem that the Company took many of our suggestions to heart...

. There were a lot of suggestions put forth by myself and others - how many did they implement?

The motor is stronger, plastic gears have been replaced with metal ones, the front lip has been completely redesigned, etc.

While the motor size was a problem for some, it wasn't for me, but bigger is bette in this situation, along with a change to metal gears. However, just extending the lip doesn't address the front clearance problem I have, not to mention the horrible cover hinge tabs.

I have very, very little of the kind of problem you describe.

How very nice for you, but not for me. A few months ago, I took photos of what I face every morning - a LitterMaid and a SmartScoop. The LM gets the most use. They're not pretty, but they DO show the difference in what I have to do practically every morning.

In a house hold of 11 indoor cats and 2 SmartScoops going strong after nearly 2 years, I hope to never, ever be without one.
Ever.

10 indoor cats, 1-LM Mega(not Elite), 1-SS. Well over 2 years on the LM, much less on the SS, tons of litter - I don't want to loose sleep thinking about not having automatic litter boxes.

by **Fierce Critter** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:02 pm

FurryOne wrote:10 indoor cats, 1-LM Mega(not Elite), 1-SS. Well over 2 years on the LM, much less on the SS, tons of litter - I don't want to loose sleep thinking about not having automatic litter boxes.

On and off for about 5 years, I had Littermaids of various models.

None of them even lived longer than about a year without some kind of problem.

Going strong on 2 years on a SmartScoop and about 6 months on a 2nd one. The kinds of problems I'm having with the SS's are minor compared to what I had with the Littermaid.

Not to mention, there's the LM "Bulldozer" effect - shoving used waste forward which then shoves GOOD waste forward, dumping BOTH into the bin.

With the SS "lifting rake", the good litter sifts out and back into the pan and only the used litter & poo gets thrown out. The amount of $$ I'm saving on NOT throwing out good litter with the bad alone is worth the box's weight in gold.

I do one scoop each day to take care of the sediment at the bottom of the tray left by the unfortunate design of the rake not going down far enough into the pan. But all that takes is a quick tilt of the whole thing to the left - scoop out the right. Quick tilt to the right - scoop out the left. Bang - done.

Also, customer service has been SPECTACULAR for me when dealing with SmartScoop. LitterMaid - not so much.

I was entitled to a free box from LM after my last one broke beyond repair. I went out and got my first SmartScoop instead, and ended up throwing away the parts I would have needed to send to LM for that free box.

<-- shrugs. Different people with different experiences.

by **bedrock33** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:52 am

Cape Cod Cats wrote:I just re-measured my Litter Maid - the inside of the box is 14 x 16. Hard to figure out how they get 14 x 12. The biggest advantage I see is the rollers on the outside of the box. "Quiet" is a relative term...how quiet is it! I am very interested in hearing from someone who used it.

it's not quiet......it sounds like a telephone off the hook

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