Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsThis box is far superior to the LitterMaid variation in the following ways
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2015
UPDATE TO PREVIOUS 5 STAR REVIEW;
I bought this box on January 9, 2015 and it started malfunctioning in August. Intermittently, the box will rake to the end, and then do a little dance and error out with the box held wide open (talk about smelling bad). The rake will not return on it's own, requiring me to power cycle the unit. Even that doesn't always work, you have to repeatedly power cycle it until it finally decides to return the assembly to the ready position. At first, this would only happen about once a week, but now it is multiple times a day. Being a fairly mechanical person, I pulled it apart to see if there was something stuck or perhaps debris stuck in the gears. No such luck. Also, the advertising of metal gears is very misleading. Yes, there are some metal gears, there are also some plastic gears. I considered buying another one, but after skimming through the reviews, it appears this is not an uncommon issue. I will purchase another Littermaid instead as my previous Littermaids lasted years instead of the months I got out of this unit!
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If you have use a LitterMaid, you know the pros and cons of automatic litter boxes. This box is far superior to the LitterMaid variation in the following ways; It is FAR quieter, easier to empty, and feels much better made. Instead of using bins that you have to properly align with tabs, this unit uses a permanent bin that you put a trash bag around. When it is time to empty it, you simply remove the bin using the handle, then peel the bag from one end of the bin and roll it down to the other end. This traps the mess in the bag, you never get your hands in the refuse. Put the bin in a new bag (a plastic grocery bag works just fine), and drop the bin back into place. Such a simple solution to this messy job. With the LitterMaid, I hated this job. You could never avoid getting crap on your hands, and the bins were a pia to reinstall. With this unit, it is a five minute frustration free job. As far as the litter goes, I suggest Tidy Cats hard clumping litter. This litter works perfectly with this unit. Do not fill the unit above the upper line of the pan. I have three large cats (MainCoon, Angora, and a Blue Russian), and this box is more then up to the task.
The only two downsides I see with this product are the charcoal filter does not stay in place, and you must leave room on both sides of the unit as the motor and guide rails are on the outside of the box.
Answers to a few questions I have seen posted;
1. The attachment on the end of the box is to help release sticky refuse from the rake as well as to insure larger clumps do not roll off the end of the rake.
2. If your cats pee on the rake, turn the box around. They are aligning themselves with your walls, not the box.
3. If the clumps are sticking to the bottom of the box or are breaking apart, use a better litter. Again, I suggest Tidy Cats hard clumping litter. I tried their feather light product with my old LitterMaid, and they broke apart instead of being raked. In fact, I have tried several different litters over the years, and, in my experience, Tidy Cats simply works best with automatic litter boxes.
4. All of the automatic litter boxes I have used do not rake all the way to the edges. This is not usually a problem, but can cause small pieces of refuse to be left in the box. Your cat will adjust the litter without your help, this will cause the missed pieces to eventually be picked up.
To sum it up, this is the best automatic litter box I have used. Is it perfect, of course not!
