Should You Invest in a self-cleaning litter box?
It’s easy to see why self-cleaning litter boxes for cats are among the most sought-after products in the pet supply industry right now. The convenience of not having to scoop out the litter box is a significant selling point, but happy cat owners attest to the fact that there are other advantages as well.
On the other hand, they can be pretty pricey; some automated litter boxes can cost up to $600 (not including litter, of course). Are the benefits genuinely worth the cost? We examine the available options and ask whether cat owners should invest in self-cleaning litter boxes.
An Investigation into the Ideal Detachable Litter Box
The first patent for an autonomous litter box was submitted in 1991. Ever since then, entrepreneurs in the pet industry have been tweaking the design to create the ideal self-cleaning litter box. (A dozen campaigns are running on Kickstarter at the moment.)
Rest assured, the primary objective of an automatic litter box is still to minimize your contact with cat waste.
A self-cleaning litter box can accomplish this in a number of ways. Some sort trash into big, odour-reducing bins that can store enough for multiple days. Some sort the garbage by type, sorting solids into throwaway trays, while others soak liquids in silica crystals. One sort washes and dries reusable litter particles, and the byproducts are flushed down a drainage pipe in the residence.
Manufacturers of automatic litter boxes have had to ensure that they are convenient and aesthetically pleasing for cats and time-saving for people. Early versions were not uncommon to be noisy, crowded, hard to enter, or broken down frequently. Newer models come with excellent warranties, spacious entryways, and almost silent motors.
Assuming the litter box is suitable for the household’s requirements, they have the potential to revolutionize litter management.
Many Sorts of Automatic Litter Bins
Expect some delightful surprises if the conventional rectangular litter box with a noisy, motorized rake is your mental picture of a self-cleaning litter box. Over the last decade, manufacturers have introduced four distinct varieties of robotic litter boxes.
Sifters that spin. While the Litter-Robot 4 may have more name recognition, Leo’s Loo Too is quickly becoming a fan favourite. A big trash can rests atop these litter boxes that clean themselves. The sifting will start once your cat has departed the box, thanks to electronic sensors and timers.
You can monitor your cat’s activity in the litter box and see when the waste drawer is complete with the latest types of rotating sifters that have WiFi. One of these large appliances (plus high-quality clumping litter) will cost you over $500.
Reusable litter box liner. When it comes to robotic litter boxes that recycle litter, the CatGenie AI Automatic Cat Box is currently unrivalled. If you have a cold water system in your home, you can use the CatGenie to rinse out litter granules and dispose of cat waste down the drain. After cleaning the litter, the machine dries it by heating it. With this unconventional system, which costs over $500, there is no need to purchase litter or carry trash bags to the dump.
I am scrubbing litter boxes using crystal silica litter. The ScoopFree Ultra Automatic Litter Box is an affordable self-cleaning litter box that resembles a conventional rectangular box. However, it has a rake that goes through the box once the cat gets out. A disposable tray (or a washable one, if desired) collects waste, and silica crystals neutralize litter box odours by soaking up pee. The exclusive ScoopFree silica crystal litter and trays are necessary for this.
A litter box with a slow-sifting mechanism. You may use any clay clumping litter with the relatively cheap (frequently on sale for approximately $100) PetSafe Simply Clean setup. The clumping litter is directed to a disposal bin as it travels through a sifter as the container rotates. A cat using the box won’t even perceive the motion because this operation is so slow.
Is It Worth It to Invest in a Cat Litter Box That Cleans Itself?
First, the unfortunate news. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if the cat uses it or not; the point is that only some homes or cats will benefit from a self-cleaning litter box.
Based on our personal experiences as cat parents and reviews of goods like Leo’s Loo Too, it is evident that not all cats are interested in these devices. A litter box that generates a lot of noise could be too much for some cats to handle. The elevated entrances of the revolving sifters are impossible for many elderly, arthritic cats, including mine.
A self-cleaning litter box would be an expensive bet, given that.
The silver lining, though, is that the reward does exist. There are a lot of ways in which one of these self-cleaning litter boxes may revolutionize your home life if your cat is open to trying one. A litter box that costs $500 might be worthwhile in the following cases:
- If your health prevents you from safely handling cat excrement, someone could come in once or twice a week to clear the waste drawer instead of you having to scoop it yourself every day.
- In cases where you are unable to lift hefty bags containing cat litter or garbage, you can transfer the garbage from a wash-and-reuse litter box system—which uses reusable litter—right into your home’s drainage system.
- If the smell of the litter box is a nuisance in your living space, the odours produced by most automatic litter boxes can be significantly diminished; nevertheless, the Leo’s Loo Too stands out due to its ultraviolet germ-killing feature.
- If you have long shifts or frequent shorter travels. You may rest assured that none of these litter boxes will ever be complete and stinky (and that your cat will be less likely to go elsewhere) when you return home.
- If you don’t have much room but still want to make sure the litter box is visible from wherever in the house. Litter-Robot and Leo’s Loo are two examples of automatic litter boxes that feature stylish, understated designs and are perfect for cats.
If you or someone else in your home needs a little nudge, do something about the litter box. WiFi-enabled litter boxes cannot only manage it but also track your cat’s usage patterns.
So, Is an Automatic Cat Litter Box Right for You?
An automatic litter box can be a time-saving investment unlike any other in the pet world—if the risk is worth the rewards or if you have a friend ready to take it off your hands if it fails.
Consider getting a less expensive hooded box or making a homemade cover for your cat’s current litter box as a trial run before investing in one of the covered automatic models if they need to get used to using one.
To make the transition to a mechanical litter box easier for your cat, you can use the old litter in the new one to make it appear more familiar and wait to use the automatic clean cycle until your cat has used the new one a few times before using it.
A self-cleaning litter box may be a worthwhile purchase, but it may not be worth it if your cat has a history of being fussy about using the restroom.
My two young cats love their Litter-Robot, but none of my grumpy, old cats have ever used it. My friend Ken swears by it, though. For those who also have litter boxes that clean themselves, he has a suggestion: In his garage, Ken stashed the Litter-Robot, and he set up a cat door that leads directly to the chamber. Except for the weekly bag change in the trash, the entire litter box process is now out of the way. “It’s perfect,” he remarks.
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