This self-cleaning litter box eliminates most odors while keeping the litter pleasingly fresh for sammy the cat.
It’s ingenious in design: a cat entering the box triggers a sensor; the sensor sets a timer that counts off 10 minutes; then a rake runs through the litter.
Scooping out clumps and depositing them in a plastic container at the box’s end; the container is automatically sealed until the next cat visit, when the raking cycle opens the container for another deposit.
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69 Reviews until now
I’m a cat lover of the first order, and presently own
4 Himalayan Seal Points.
this product is a dream come true.
with a little care and common sense, it does everything they say it does.
after years of digging and scratching around in litter
boxes myself, it’s a joy to own something that brings the process into the 21st Century.
some thoughts:
use the premium litters they recommend. anything else, and you’ll
be cleaning the rake and scraping the bottom of the tray more often than would be necessary.
spray the bottom of the tray with silicone from time to time.
it makes the operation much smoother.
don’t overfill it. the cats will naturally form mounds in the litter, in the process of trying to “bury” their waste,
so smooth the litter around in the tray now and then, to keep it even.
keep the unit set on a piece of old carpet, and keep a hand-vac nearby. small granules make litter tracking a little more of an issue.
forget about the tent.
if you like to keep the box as clean as your cats probably like to have it, the tent makes the box impossible to get to, and work around in.
the disposable trays are very handy. they’re stiff plastic. line them with a small garbage bag, or wash them out and reuse them. throwing them out every time is an expensive proposition.
keep your supply of litter next to the box. (i store it in one of
those plastic stackable bins.) as the volume of litter is reduced
just add more as needed. you’ll be dumping the whole tray a lot less often.
with 4 cats, i clean the entire unit about once every two weeks.
i use a lot less litter, and spend almost no time dealing with the waste itself.
any issue with smell is easily dealt with by sprinkling a little
baking soda in the waste receptcle from time to time.
all in all it’s a very fine product, that makes caring for your
pets much more efficient.
I’ve used the littermaid for several years and find it reliable and easy to use. With two indoor cats and a schedule that takes me away from home for several days at a time, the littermaid has saved me a lot of hassels. If one cat didn’t clean up after himself the other cat may decide to use the bathtub or the floor next to the litterbox for it’s toilet, this problem was solved by the regular raking of the littermaid.
It does require a thorough cleaning from time to time, but this mainly occurs when I’m not diligent about daily or subweekly checks. If there’s too little litter the litter will not form an easily rakeable clump. The litter remains wet and will either cling to the rake or harden to the bottom of the box and require manual scraping to dislodge.
If there’s too much litter, the rake cannot rake to the end and will cycle continuouly, creating a mound of litter or eventually stop until enough litter is removed and redistributed to work with only one cycle. It’s difficult to know when it’s too full, and I keep a plastic cup close by to remove excess litter when I overfill. By shutting off the switch and restaring the littermaid you can see if the rake cycles correctly (without waiting the 10 minutes it takes for it to automatically cycle.)
So, until they come up with something better I’ll make the following suggestions: 1) use high quality clumping litter, 2)don’t overfill 3)Make sure there’s enough litter so your cat can’t dig a hole that exposes or allows any liquid to reach the plastic bottom 4)keep a small vacuum cleaner (Dust Buster, Dirt Devil,etc.)nearby to vacuum any loose litter off the floor and the track path of the rake and 5)For economy and I find it easier, line the “disposable” collection trays with a 4 gallon garbage bag or small plastic shopping bag. When the tray is full, remove the bag for garbage disposal and reline the tray with another bag. (I’ve never had to buy additional trays in 7+ years.)
My downstairs neighbor bought one of these for her cat, Zipper, about eight months ago. My tortoise shell, Lotta, who stays downstairs daytimes while I’m gone, fell in love with it, so I bought one for her birthday four months ago.
I’ve read through the reviews and the unhappy experiences several people have had with it, but neighbor Shirley and myself have had no trouble at all with our units. The cleaning isn’t at all that difficult (does help to follow printed instructions…taking the thing apart as one person apparantly did isn’t necessary). The waste receptacles shouldn’t need replacement more often than once every month or so. And while the unit does make some noise, neither of us have found it excessive or particularly annoying.
As noted, the above is based upon my experience with my littermaid as well as neighbor Shirley’s experience with hers. Each of us agree that it sure beats the heck out of scooping the litter out every day. Also, we have noticed that less litter is required…probably because the unit operates about 10 minutes after use, before the urine soaks up a lot of the litter.
Unless you’re very efficient with cleaning their box every day or at least every other day, this is a product sent from heaven!
I bought one of these a few years ago, but before I had a chance to use it and see how it works for me, I had to send it back because “it wasn’t working for my cat”. My cat was scared of it and I didn’t know how to break it in and get himm used to it.
Well, I should have read the instructions in the box!!
This is the second time I’m buying it and I absolutely love it! Bye-bye stinky apartments, no more pooping on the carpet (yes, cats won’t get into a dirty litter box).
My husband bought me the Littermaid for Valentine’s Day 2 years ago and it was the best Valentie’s present I have ever received. We have 3 cats and 3 children and I was having a hard time keeping the litter box clean enough for my picky cats. With the Littermaid, it’s OK that I only have time once a week to change the box, that’s all it needs. I find that it’s very clean and for me makes alot less mess than a standard litter box. It does jam on occasion but we keep a scoop next to the box and a few seconds later it’s up and running again. Much less maintanence than any other litter box. After 2 years of running constantly, it wore out. I’m just glad that my birthday is coming up, the Littermaid is at the top of my list.
I own two indoor furry felines who are stinky pooping machines. And I own three furry canines who are kitty crunchy eating machines. Yuck! I originally bought this product to help elevate this issue but it has proven to be a blessing from the litter box gods.
I have owned this product for about 8 months. Yes, it’s not perfect, but it sure beats “scooping-the-poop” every day. I change the plastic poop-catcher once or twice a week, scrape the litter around (esp. the bottom) to ensure the box’s teeth won’t get stuck on something down-right ungodly deposited from my felines, lightly clean the tracks and teeth of litter and blamo-I’m done. The stink factor has dropped about 75%, the litter box cleaning time by 90%, and the kitty-crunchy factor has dropped by 100%. Woo-hoo!
Drawbacks:
-It does appear after 8 months of intensive use, the pooping machines have warn out the box’s motor…
-When you pop out the plastic container full of poo, yes litter and other unmentionables do fly EVERYWHERE (eyes, hair…yeak!). So be prepared, put the trash bag strategically over the plastic container before removing.
-The engineering design isn’t perfect, but for a first cut it works….Hint.Hint.
-Sometimes the box seems to have an attitude. Haven’t figured that out yet. But I win most battles.
bought our first Littermaid about 8 years ago because hubby and I seemed to have constant battles over who’s turn it was to clean the box, so I decided to automate the process! For me the biggest single positive with this box is that my hubby will empty it without more than a mumble. No more discussions about “who’s cats” made such a stinky mess (no more mess!), LOL.
We’ve had two LitterMaids so far. The first was lost in a big house move, after about four years and was still going strong. After the loss we reverted to a “standard” box for a while but our cats made it quite clear to us that they had developed standards of box cleanliness which we simply weren’t meeting with our intermittent scooping. There were “incidents” where blankets, rugs and piles of clothes developed cat-box-like odors. The grumbling about scooping had started up from hubby so I finally gave in to all of the rather blatant demands and bought box number two. Domestic tranquility returned.
Our current box as held out for nearly four years but I will be replacing it soon since it has started acting strangely and it looks like the motor may be on the way out. Despite that I have no reservations in buying another one or recommending the LitterMaid to others. On average it has worked out to about $25 a year for the hardware. That’s not much to pay for domestic tranquility IMO.
It is important to keep in mind that the LitterMaid is not 100% maintainance-free. You do have to look in on it from time to time and the occasional “preventative scooping” is necessary where the cats have created a solid clump in the corners that won’t rake out. In my house we refer to this as “squeegying the box”. But that is NOTHING like what a manual box requires. It is absolutely necessary that you use a good clumping litter. We use Fresh Step and have no problems. I have tried other brands and it’s nothing but yucky messyness where the clumping is insufficient for the job at hand.
It is critical that you keep the litter level in the accepted range (there are lines in the box), too much and the rake sticks, too little and there is not enough litter to clump properly and then you just get yucky litter stuck to the bottom where it won’t rake up. If that happens you MUST squeegy the box with a scooper to break the clumps or it just gets worse. I think that 80% of the complaints you will see in these reviews are probably from people simply using the wrong litter and or who are not regulating the amount of litter well enough. Be prepared to experiment for a while until you figure out the ins and outs of the system and how it all goes with your cats.
Things I don’t like about the LitterMaid (I just sent a rant into the company so they are fresh in my mind)
1) no control over the lengh of time between rakes. I would like to be able to set the time longer than 10 minutes – more like 15 would be better IMHO.
2) it’s loud – you get used to it but every time we have guests we have to explain “that horrible noise” to them.
3) I wish the litter pan was deeper. This would require a stronger motor, so maybe that is why they haven’t done it yet.
4) The tabs that hold the litter bin in are a real pain, they catch on the plastic bin as you pull it out and WILL flick litter in your face if you are not VERY CAREFUL. After a while you learn strategies to cope but if you forget, well, FLING. Bleck!
One final thing I am compelled to add: once you start using this box there will be no going back! Cats learn that they don’t have to have stand in a dirty box anymore. It’s a good thing cats don’t have unions because everybody would have to have a LitterMaid in the house! It raises their furry expectations, and heaven help you if you cannot continue to deliver… as I found out the hard way. But don’t let that put you off, in our house this gizmo is the cat’s meow!
I have had the same LitterMaid Self Cleaning Litter Box for almost 9 years now and have never had one problem with it.
After I adopted my two kittens, now 9 years old, I realized that keeping a regular litter box clean would be a never ending and impossible task. Plus I am a clean freak and love to have a clean smelling house. I hated walking in and smelling cat litter! I debated on getting one of these for a few months because of the cost but finally broke down and made the purchase and have never regretted it.
While it does jam up sometimes if there is too much litter this is easy to fix. So easy I don’t even consider it a problem… just take some out or shake the container to even the litter out. Sure, you are probably going to end up with some litter scattered on the floor, even with the cleaning ramp, but that’s going to happen with any litter box. I have a space in between my washer and dryer where my box fits so they have to use the ramp which helps.
Some suggestions that I have used that you might find useful…
Re-use the waste containers by dumping the dirty litter in plastic grocery bags to save you some money. Add some baking soda or the litter deodorizer to the bottom of the containers each time you empty to help keep clean and fresh. I find I can use one container for several months if not longer. Actually guess I do use them longer since I think I have purchased maybe 3 12 packs in 9 years.
I also buy a big bag of baking soda at Sams and sprinkle it all over the bottom of the litter box and throughout the litter each time I add some or change it out. This seems to help keep the little box cleaner meaning less deep cleaning for me every 6 months or so.
Your cats will still track some litter outside the container even with the Paw Cleaning Ramp and some litter will fall through when raking into the container. I went to a carpet outlet and picked up a leftover piece of carpet they had and placed under the entire cleaner. It catches anything left on my cats paws and litter that falls through. Then all I have to do is move the cleaner every once in a while and vaccum any stray cat litter up.
Whether you have just one cat or more than one you will not be let down by this product. Like I said at the beginning I have had mine for going on 9 years and it keeps my house smelling little free. I would not do without it!
ABOUT THE LITTERBOX
10 minutes after your cat uses the litter box, it ‘rakes’ the litter and stores the waste in a special compartment box. Having one cat, I find the compartment is filled and needs changing on average about once a week. This machine comes with 12 disposable compartments, which you can cover with a plastic bag to reuse them. I still have some of the original 12 after three years of use.
THE NEGATIVE
The reviews that state it tends to fling pieces of litter at you when you change the waste compartment are absolutely true, but eventually you learn to be a little more careful. It also tends to leak out a very small amount of litter underneath, which is easily cleaned with a Dustbuster. Those are about the only negative things I can think of.
THE POSITIVE
After three years of use, I believe I have saved enough in litter costs to pay for the entire machine. Since this machine scoops up the waste almost immediately, less litter is `contaminated’ in the process, significantly reducing the need to change or add more litter.
Unless the box starts to overflow (which happens sometimes when I get really lazy and don’t change it for awhile), my apartment is usually cat-odor free, which wasn’t the case before I bought this box.
Having only to empty the waste once a week, this thing has saved me a ton of time. My cat always has a clean litter box, even when I am on vacation!
INTERESTED?
It’s fairly pricey, but if you are even half as lazy as I am, you’ll be glad you spent it!
Use only the fast clumping PREMIUM cat litter.
It is what works BEST in the machine!
I give it a good cleaning when it needs it.
Some one said something about the pooh constantly getting caught in the rake. That does happen from time to time, I do not find it a horrible problem. Someone else said something about spraying “non stick” spray on the firts set up. I tried that and it works great! Being that this system works so well, and I do not see the cat pooh regularlly, I use the pooh on rake sighting as a “tool” — in other words my cat might not be feeling well, if the pooh is soft and on the rake, it alerts me to that. Other wise I might not see a possible problem with my cats health for some time.
I have dogs and – no snacking out of the cat box for them!
When I travel my house sitter has to just check it at a glance and really likes the machine.
For cleaning the LM500—
Unclip the clips on either side of the bottom tray, put the machine part to the side, pick up the rather small bottom tray and dump old litter. Clean tray. As easy as that!
Do not over fill the tray, and you do not want the litter to get too low either.
There is a “happy level” for the litter.
I reuse the receptacles. Again, if you use premium litter they stay tidy for a long time.
The replacement receptacles come in different quality plastic.
When I use one that is flimsy, I do not let it get too full before emptying it. Still working on my finesse getting the lid pushed onto the reseptacle and out of the frame when I want to throw the whole thing out. It wants to flick litter at me. As you work on your technique, keep your mouth closed and squint your eyes!
It really is TERRIFIC! Clean- when needed, use FAST clumping litter, then it will work well for you!
UPDATE UPDATE! I bought the Elite Mega to use at another home and it does NOT work as well!
Bought the LM500 to replace it! The LM500 is working GREAT!
Since it “clicked” a week after bringing her home, our 9 week old puppy has not missed her LitterMate automatic cleaning kitty litter box (with whole wheat litter).
There is poop in the collection container, so proof that she IS going. This machine works perfectly as described.
She has yet to pee in it though… but atleast that’s not so gross as doggy poop.
Incase you or someone you know want to try to litter train their puppy, this is what we did:
1. Put litter box turned off in her room with puppy pads on it for a few days.
2. Emptied poop from pads (where she was going since we got her) into litter box (turned on).
3. After a few days, took the pads out of the box and turned box on.
4. Placed her in the box when we caught her going.
5. Made her watch us put poop in the box.
After she went the first time, she got to stay out almost all night, and we played with her immediately afterwards instead of keeping her locked in her “room” (large closet).
Since then, she has not missed.
It stinks for about 10 minutes until the sensors on the Littermate initiate scooping action.
Whole wheat kitty litter is dustless and naturally clumping.
I don’t know of any other dogs trained to the automatic litter box, but litter training dogs has been catching on (judging by special dog boxes on the market)… but why do it that way when it can be self cleaning?!
I’ve had mine for almost 2 years, and I must say it makes owning several cats much easier and more enjoyable since I detest litter boxes.
Only a few points must be followed to keep it enjoyable.
First and most important, make SURE you use one of the better clumping litters. There is a list in the instructions of what to use and what NOT to use. (you waste less litter, so the cost of the more expensive litters is a wash)
If you use the wrong litter, you’ll have a clumpy smelly mess on the rake you’ll have to dig off (it’s like glue…first hand experience here), and the machine will jam because the clumps will also stick to the base and not allow the rake to do it’s job.
Second, use plastic bags from the grocery store to mold around the waste recepticles…it makes removal easier, and the recepticles last a long time. (I still have some of the original 12 that came with the machine 2 years ago)
Third, you may want to keep a piece or carpet or plastic floor runner under the unit to catch the extra litter that will fall around the unit. (I have my unit in a carpet covered wood box because I have a dog who likes litter boxes…especially when there’s a cat in it, and I keep a plastic runner at the opening of the box…it works great and I just vaccuum or sweep the runner when nec.)
If you follow those simple rules…you’ll love this unit!!
We have two cats in an apartment, and we got really tired of cleaning the litterbox all the time and the somewhat unpleasant smell that emanated from it. So my boyfriend bought this automated litterbox, and we absolutely love it!
It was very easy to set up, and the one we got came with a little carpet to put it on. It is a little loud if you’re in the vicinity where it rakes the litter, but not that bad. One of our kitties (who is very finicky) was afraid of the noise it made, but she’s completely fine now and has no issues using it.
Approximately 10 minutes after the litterbox feels a cat present, it will rake the litter and scoop any clumps into a receptacle at the end of the box. Nice and easy. There is no longer the smell or the arguments over who had to clean the litterbox. We also don’t have the problem of litter getting all over like it seems other people have had. It’s cleaner now than with a normal litterbox.
Plus the litterbox saves us money. We used to always end up changing the whole box of litter because even when we cleaned it every day, it seemed to retain the smell. Now, we use probably 1/5 as much litter over the course of the month since the waste gets cleaned up so quickly there’s no time for it to taint the rest of the litter. Plus you use less litter in this box (fill it what seems like only a little bit), so you save there as well. We used to use the crystals (which are more expensive), but those would clog up the raking system, so now we use just regular little. I absolutely love this!
My cats just LOVE to poo… nonstop. Especially in the basement when I go down there. Then they just poop and poop as if it’s a gift for me. So in order to survive I bought a Littermaid hoping to REDUCE scooping as much as possible (realistically knew that it wouldn’t be 100%) and to cut the odor level hopefully by a significant amount.
Bought a pricey Littermaid(LM from here on) with Privacy Tent and the following weekend found a less expensive 2nd one at a yard sale for $10 and snagged it. They are side by side in my basement.
If you use an LM and FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTIONS it is a gift from Heaven for cat owners. Drastic reductions in litter box odor alone make it worth every penny and the pans are fairly easy to dump or remove and replace (we dump 2-3x before remove,toss and replace). For (2)two LARGE cats at 28 and 17 lbs I use one large and one small LM & I use ONLY the highest quality as stated on the box PREMIUM litter. I empty bins 3-4x a week and when I empty them I just give the scoop tines a quick scrape plus give the pans a quick scoop for anything that is sticking to the bottom or got missed. I add a few cups of litter to replace/refresh and brush any stray litter back into the pan & away from the sensors – a small dustpan and brush kept just for cat cleanup is super easy for floor cleanup, litter pan brushoff and inside the tent stray litter patrol if you use that accessory.
Other maintenance – I dump ALL the litter out ever 4-6 weeks or so and replace 100%. You’ll see and smell as it starts to get icky when its really super dirty and needs to be replaced. The pans need scrubbing every so often….. 2-4x a year if you’re maintaining them. I put them in laundry tub/sink, soak in Lysol and just scrub them out. Don’t get the motor too wet! I got mine a little wet with dribbles but you don’t want to soak it or you’ll kill it. I soaked the pans, the part w/motor I held and washed using sink of hot Lysol water. Lysol kills intestinal bacteria and UTI germs!!! Nothing else does!!
My LM runs fine & I’ve had it a while(yr?). The maintenance is 10 min a week and the litter is cleaner, smells better and the cats are much happier. If my pan died tomorrow I’d get a new Littermaid immediately. Expensive but WORTH IT!! PS. the $$ litter clumps better so you DO use a lot less than the cheap stuff.
I love Littermaid products. I have 2 large male Meezers, so I bought a reconditioned LM900 Mega box about 3 years ago. I’ve never had a day’s trouble with it over the 3 years, even though both cats use the same box. One cat is very timid and I was afraid he wouldn’t use it because of the cleaning mechanism, which is a bit noisy, but he loves the box and so does his brother. Since there is always clean, fresh litter for them, they use it without reservation and I know they are healthier for it. Sure, there’s still a little maintenance to perform–I have to scoop out some of the smaller pieces that fall back into the box after the rake, and sometimes my guys will fill up a corner–but I don’t have to clean the entire box several times a day and empty the litter every other day or so like I would have to with a conventional box. There’s virtually no litter dust or odor, since the box cleans itself and covers the debris every time it’s used. I highly recommend Littermaid products to anyone who loves their cats.
I have three cats and decided to try this automatic litter box. I have one young cat and two older ones. The younger one watched me put it together and set it up. She was quite intrigued by the raking motion. She immediately used it upon final set up. Then laid there and waited for the raking to begin. When the raking finished she jumped in again and then jumped out. Then she laid there to wait for the raking to begin again. I also bought one for the upstairs and have had no problems with that one either. I am looking forward to less mess and smell. I can see and smell the difference already.
I’ve had my LitterMaid for 2 years now and have not had a single issue with it or my Calico using it. If you’ve ever had to hand-scoop a litter box, you know what a pain it can be, so this little baby is the best thing you could possibly get.
Word to the wise: Don’t spend all the extra money on all that other stuff. It’s really unnecessary (the tent, ramp, charcoal odor filters…which don’t really do much). Here’s what I recommend:
-Go to Wal-Mart and get a tough, but not too rough mat from the housewares section. Position it longways so that about 3 or 4 inches is under the litterbox. This keeps tracking litter all over the house to a minimum and you don’t have to buy that ramp. Plus, you can just simply vaccum the rug and hose it off if need be.
-To cut down on odor (which there really isn’t much), keep the box in the laundry room. That’s where I keep mine and the smell of laundry detergent and fabric softener will overpower any litterbox smell. If you still have odor, get a can of Febreeze room spray. I love that stuff!
-This box takes very little maintenance: rake the litter every couple of days to keep it even and prevent clump pile-up in the same spot, take a hand vac or attachment to it every few days to keep litter tracking down, and for cleaning the pan, I just take it outside and hose it off in the driveway. The rake takes a little more delicate cleaning, but it’s not bad at all.
Last thing: keep an eye out for miscellaneous items ending up in the waste box. They get a little nosey as to how it works and might drop stuff in there (or maybe it’s just my cat).
We have 2 cats now, but have had up to 4 cats at one time. This box is WONDERFUL! We’ve had ours now for about 3 years and never had a problem with it. You have to be sure to use the right kind of scoopable litter – they give you a list with the directions for use. I will definitely buy another one if this one ever wears out.
This is the only litter box you need. This thing is the bestinvention since…since…cats!!
It was a bit pricey, but I will never go back to the old box…ever!
See Jerome Miller’s Review…He says it all perfectly- and I learned a few handy tips from him as well (the silicone tip…amazing!)But everything else I agree 100% and say AMEN. There is no magic for getting rid of “waste” but this is the next best thing for dealing with it!
i have the littermaid plus unit its the best thing ever… i have a 14 year old cat that has for some reason decided to never bury its feces, the odor was quite bad… and my dog had the tendancy to snack out of the box…. this unit totally fixed all the problems… plus she returns 10 minutes later just to watch it work (she actually times it and comes back and waits…its kinda funny)
basically it runs a rake along the box and dumps it into a container 10 min after the cat uses it… that simple… not much else to it
most i do to take care of it is add a scoop of litter every few days when im in the bathroom (doing my business or laundry or whatever)so its not like im going out of my way… jsut toss in a cup of litter on your way by if it needs it
and once a week i dump the feces into the trash bag every saturday when i empty the bathroom trash
ive seen reviews that complain about several problems… [...].
cost complaint – “you have to buy only the best most expensive litter”
solution – i buy fresh step scoopable litter, its possibly the best and one of the most expensive out there… but im not emptying the box weekly (about $5 a bag on a regular cat box)i but a economy bucket (something like 5 gallon equivelant)for like $25 bucks and it lasts me MONTHS… mind you i only have to add a scoop here and there $25 for 3-5 months vs $5-8 a week… you do the math. the better the litter… the better it works, you dont even get rake clumping with the best stuff
cost complaint – “you have to keep buying those expensive disposeable containers”
solution – those containers are similar to those gladware tupperware thingos that are reuseable and dishwasher safe (i wouldnt clean a litterpan in the dishwasher though).. meaning you can reuse them if you dont mind taking 20 seconds to dump and rinse one (nothing sticks to them if you use the good litter)
i also just stick a small trash bag to line the bin with when reinstalling it so all i do is remove the bag… notthe container
…. its called inginuity… (people need to either be smarter or richer i guess)
any other problems they complain about are simple negligance and misuse of the device
if the motor wears out you overfilled it… it has a fill line for a reason… any attempt to cut corners by over filling it is your own fault (the motor stops and backs up and retrys once if it finds the load too heavy… if it doesnt get it on the second try, it rests and flashes an error) to burn this motor out you must be beating it up… because it takes good precaution to avoid overstressing the motor.
cleaning the containers and maintaining it is only too much work if your too lazy to own a cat!
i spend 5 minutes a week … if even that much keeping it working. either your cat is worth it… or your not.. people expect this to to do everything for them.. it practically does, but hey… people who buy garbage disposeals need to clean em every now and then…. people with trash compacters have to still empty the bags…. its a machine to make things easier and more tolerable… not to replace resonsibility
the thing about the “poop flinging” confuses me the container lid opens away from the machine creating a wall so anything that does go “airborn” is blocked by the lid and dumped into the container…i have not to my knowledge experienced any form of this… i dont feel the motor moves the rake fast enough, nor does it have the power to “launch”… as i said any resistance it encounters sends the rake back to its starting position… i dont find any credibility to this complaint… but hey even if you found a small scoopable litter coated dry piece of cat feces on the bathroom floor “as far as 3 feet away” (highly doubted) it would take about 12 seconds to grab a piece of toilet paper and toss it back in the box and wet a napkin to wipe the tiny spot.
as i said anyone complaining of this wonderful machine has no business owning a cat. pet ownership does hold responsibilities, my cat is worth the $50 a year in litter and 5 minutes a week in maintainence.!!!!! and anyone not willing to do this is either ignorant or severely misguided.
We have two cats, and have had one of these since they first started showing up in stores. It works extremely well for several years, all you have to do is remember to add litter and take out the waste bin to empty it. The sifter needs to be cleaned from time to time, but it comes with a brush for doing that. Has saved us from a lot of gross housework, the cats like it because they never have to step over whats already in the box, and works well. I would recommend it to anyone with cats.
I gave 5 stars because i’ve had three Litter Maids over about 12-13 years and have always been very grateful not to have to clean the catbox–i was able to forget about it for at least a couple of weeks at a time, sometimes much more. I have only one small cat. You can’t beat not having to think about the catbox, it’s almost like not having one at all–compared to the old fashion litter box.
I first saw the Litter Maid in the LA Times Magazine around 1995, there was a full page ad, and you could pay in three installments, it was expensive, at least a couple hundred. Catbox scooping depressed me so i ordered one. Mine worked right out of the box.
it’s always tricky putting the right amount of litter in. If i put too much, it just keeps recycling and raking until i take some out. Following the instructions, i found that there would be too much litter and the machine would malfunction, but if i put it lower than the limit line, it would be fine.
I had some kind of technical problem in the beginning, i can’t remember what, and was pleased with their tech support, they took care of me, way back then.
After a few years, it stopped working and i gladly got another one. At some point, i began using Litter Pearls cat litter in it when that first came out. That was yet another technical advance for my situation. The Litter Pearls absorbed the urine so there was less stuff getting scooped into the box, and i was able to go even longer without being reminded of the litter box.
In the beginning, Litter Pearls was just regular little round pearls. Then, my pet store came out with “lite tracking litter pearls” which were not round. They made them irregular shaped and rough, to prevent tracking i guess. That new light tracking style did not agree with my Litter Maid. It was too granular and it jammed up the mechanism. My pet store stopped carrying the regular non-lite tracking kind of Litter Pearls, so i had to search for an alternative.
The combination of those little round litter balls and the Litter Maid did great things for my quality of life. I did not want to go backwards into using the old fashioned kind of litter. I was ready to buy the regular Litter Pearls from the company in another state, (i called around) if necessary, or on eBay, but i was able to find another brand that had the round balls in a local store, the brand is Litter Secret, i couldn’t find the product on the web though.
As long as i had the little round ball litter, not the lite tracking kind, my Litter Maid performed consistently. The second one lasted several more years with never a mechanical problem. Long ago, i got the tent. I would always use a tent with the Litter Maid. For me, the less evidence of a litter box the better.
The Litter Maid rake did not clean easily and with my policy of not paying a lot of attention to the litter box, eventually the second Litter Maid got messy and the price had come way down on them, so i decided rather than clean it, i’d just get a new one. the motor was still working fine, there was no problem with it after several years. I just didn’t feel like cleaning it, was working lots of overtime and my job and felt i could afford a new one. I’ve had the third one for several more years, it has been very low maintenance, no mechanical problems, i just have cleaned it every few weeks, i’m not sure how often, maybe 2 weeks, maybe more, it seems long between times when i have to deal with it.
Recently it stopped working. The light was on but without warning, it wouldn’t become active, it just sat there.
I got a Litter Robot to replace it, because of the great reviews and decided i would try a change, since LItter Robot will let you return it for 60 days. I’m still evaluating the Litter Robot, but there are some things that so far, i like better about the Litter Maid, one is, i didnt’ have to regularly clean the Litter Maid, just take out the plastic containers, and then do a big cleaning once in a great while. I think i’m going to have to clean the Litter Robot more often.
The Litter Maid plastic containers were easier for me to switch out and replace than the plastic bags for the Litter Robot, less struggle, less time spent bending over the “dreaded area.” And more secure feeling because stiff plastic is thicker than a plastic bag.
Being inside the tent, the LItter Maid didn’t have anything directly exposed to open air, whereas the Robot sits there with its door open and litter sitting out there in contact with the rest of the world. Having said all of that, the LItter Robot is very cool. More ingenious than the LItter Maid. anyone could dream up the LItter Maid. It would take a special kind of mind to think up the Litter Robot. Watching it do its thing is something to behold, in terms of human engineering. I was very happy with the LItter Maid, my three worked reliably and flawlessly each one for many years. I didn’t have to deal with tech support. But again, i had only one small cat.
Oh, i almost forgot. My cat always liked to use only one side of the Litter Maid, so the waste would pile up on one end of the plastic container, causing it to fill up faster, only on that side, than it would if it had been distributed evenly. When it fills up and doesn’t close completely, that’s when i can smell it and i go into action to change the container, but i alway would find that half the container wasn’t used, it was empty on one side, full on the other. This never affected the mechanical performance of the Litter Maid itself.
At first I was skeptical. This seemed too good to be true. We have 2 cats and with our busy schedules have always had “slip ups” from the cats having a dirty litter box. Their favorite place was a pile of dirty clothes.
I have had the littermaid for about a month now and I can’t even tell you how wonderfully refreshing it is to not have to worry about the smell and cleaning the dreaded box!
I was concerned because one of my cats is extremely skittish. He jumps at his own shadow. But I followed the instructions and let him get used to it and I have had NO PROBLEMS!
Another concern I had was the stress on using Premium cat litter. The word “premium” made me nervous, I was afraid I was going to get the wrong kind. I just buy the Tidy Cats scoopable and I havent had any problems.
Yet another concern I had was my female cat never covered her waste, but since buying this product she has covered it every time and the Littermaid scoops it right up!
I just heard it go off! Another Success! A MUST HAVE for ANY cat owner!! I can not say enough about this product!! It is truly WONDERFULL!
This produckt works great. Works better on electric then with batteries, but i generally have no complaints. I have three cats and they adjusted immediatley. This product makes owning cats a lot less work.
By all means everybody has their own opinion. I kept saying…”it’s just so expensive!” However, if you think about it, by having a regular box (we had 2 min.) we were replacing the old boxes more often and it was a constant battle asking my husband to change it. Since I finally agreed to get this wonderful contraption, we have gotten our monies worth and then some and have purchased our second box for the upstairs too. With 3 cats using it, they are much happier as they have a clean box everytime they go to use it. Even if I goof and don’t clean the liner soon enough they still don’t mind climbing over it to use the box. I get a dirty look but not the pile on the floor. I am most definately pleased with our purchases and I am sure you will be too if you don’t enjoy cleaning the box several times a day.
I had bought the new LitterMaid with the metal rake & special “ionizer” thing, what a piece of junk! Rake arm got stuck, broke up pieces instead of dropping them in the tray.
So when I saw Amazon had the “old” style I had to buy 2 of them! What a great difference! I am happy, my cats are happy, & even my hubby is happy!
But after seeing, the NO MESS on her floor, the NO SMELL in her house or room where she keeps it, my husband wants to spend the money to get one. I have to say sometimes you get what you pay for, and if your cats are a life time deal, then think about all the clean up that goes along with it….it IS WORTH THE MONEY!
I am sitting here perusing all of the reviews – and what a mixed bag, indeed !! I’m curious… before I dare venture out and spend money… has ANYONE tried the LM with the silica crystals? The poop (in a conventional box) is BONE dry when I scoop, and the urine is a moot point.
Therefore I wonder… if the silica dies the poop out and COMPLETELY absorbs the urine… you have no real clumps to worry either you OR the obviously fickle rake. AND for those expensive containers… hello… they really wouldn’t be soiled at all and can REALLY be reused.
Can someone, anyone at all help me? I, too have severe back problems and I’ve wondered (about 3,718 times) whether I should spring for this contraption and the reviews here are too mixed to decide – given the possible option of using the crystals. Could this be everyone’s “silver lining?”
PS: On the “off chance” my thoughts might be correct, I rate this a 5.
This product is amazing. I had the same one except it was a little bigger. I have two cats and they still use it everyday
It is a bit smaller, but the cats don’t notice and it doesn’t effect me if it doesn’t effect them! Great product and definitely a great buy! It has even come down in price from a few years ago!
I was given the Liter Maid as a gift and liked it so well that, when it wore out, I wanted to be assured that I get the same one again. My cat likes it and so do I.
We had a another littermaid box for 5 years before it’s moter died out. After looking at the options we decided to get another one. It’s the most hastle free box on the market. We like that we only have to take care of the box once a week at most. Going on vacation is easy since we don’t worry about that. It is expensive if you chose to use new waste trays each time you change the box but we just dump them and reuse it for at least a month. Sometimes our older box would get stuck while removing waste but if you make sure to clear the litter from the track on the side there isn’t a problem. It is noisey when it clears out the clumps. Despite any complaints we have with the product there isn’t another litter box that beats the easiness and cleanliness of this one.
My cat loves it, it takes responsibility away from me – I do not have to scoop EVERY DAY. I like it, he likes it. It’s worth the money if you can’t dedicate the time everyday. This does have to be cleaned (like every other litter box) periodically.
Owning a cat just doesn’t get any easier. If I forget to clean the box for a day, no problem; it has been raked into a receptacle for me. I just add litter every so often and empty the receptacle twice a week. I do dismantle and wash the base monthly. This litterbox frees me to leave for several days without guilt. If the caretaker misses a day, no problem. I highly recommend this for any household with a litterbox.
I prefer this automatic litter box over the others. I cant tell you how easy it to have and the upkeep cost is very low. You can also obtain a hard shell insert instead of using the disposable ones. I owned this product and ended up going back to this product!
Great product, the last one I purchased lasted about 7 years. I was happy to find a new one for 1/2 the price of the ones being sold at the pet store.
This is our second LM500. Our first one broke while we were on vacation (something my father did). We tried the new and improved model 5000 series and returned it (the rack would not back up all the way and with male cats they would go through the rack and thier mess was never disposed of). We tried a store brand model and returned it too – it was just awful. I searched the internet and found the LM500 model again and purchased it. One note is to make sure you use the litter they recommend (expensive but it works great with this litter box) or a fast clumping litter.
My previous Littermaid box was over 4 years old and finally quit (it’s used by 2 cats daily). After checking reviews on the newer Littermaid models, I decided to stay with the LM500 and I don’t regret it. The litter box size is a little smaller than the old box, but it works great (my cats each weigh about 7-3/4 lbs, they’re small cats, so the size difference wasn’t a major problem). I have no regrets getting this model again. Sometimes I have to scrape the kitty goo from the bottom of the box where it seeps and coagulates, but I had to do that with the old box too. When you change and clean the litter box section, wipe some baby oil on the bottom of the pan before you add new litter, it helps to lift the coagulated kitty goo more easily.
Was happy to find this earlier model of the LiterMaid Litter Box. The newer models do not do as good of a job as this earlier model. Very happy to have found it.
I’m taking one star off this product’s rating for two things: It’s fairly noisy (like a hairdryer for 30 seconds) when it cleans itself out…and the recepticels need to be changed every few days.
Other than that, it works really well. I live in an apartment and have a small bathroom which was made even smaller by a standard litterbox til I got this as a Christmas gift (thanks, Santa!). The Littermaid works well enough, and is clean-and-odor free enough, that I could put it in the corner of my kitchen, by the trashcan, which seriously makes better use of space in my apartment.
Again, the box works well. Once you (and your cat!) get used to the noise of it cleaning, you’ll notice that the air is genuinely fresher, that there’s no wet clay-and-ammonia smell like with old boxes. And the recepticles are well-designed for removal, disposal (I tend to use each one twice by dumping the contents into my trash), and replacement.
I was skeptical when I saw this in stores, and would not have bought it for myself most likely, but am really quite happy with the product.
When my pet-averse girlfriend moved in, a more aggressive approach to cat box maintenance was required. This product has made my life easier, and our relationship less prone to those occasional flare-ups. I have had it for 9 months, and have had no mechanical problems with it.
If you’re looking to completely eliminate the work associated with having a cat, you’ll have to get rid of your cat. This product is the next best option.
You do have to change the receptacle every few days. Then again, what’s the aternative – manually scoop daily?
I am VERY happy to have to simply remove and replace an inexpensive plastic container. Spend 30 seconds once a week scraping the box, and add replacement litter. Once a month it gets a thorough cleaning. With that simple maintenance, most people can’t even tell we have a cat in our New York apartment.
And it’s not all that hard to maintain the litter level. There is a convenient measuring line. I’m not sure why people complain about this. Incidentally, I have found that Scoop Away makes the best clumping litter for this product, and the medium-sized container size is perfect for this machine.
This machine is large enough for my 25 pound cat. It took him a couple of weeks to get used to the motor starting up 10 minutes after he left the box, but he is certainly now appreciative of having a consistently clean cat box.
I would recommend purchasing the companion littermaid ‘tent’. It eliminates 90% of the stray litter that makes its way on to the floor around cat boxes. You can’t beat that with a stick.
Three other members of my family have the product (based on my recommendation). None have had any mechanical problems. None of them would EVER consider going back to a normal cat box.
I’d like to note that the review I wrote below, I will not change, but I have this to add: The thing needs semi regular cleaning. I mean cleaning completely, with a new coat of scotch-guard on the pan surface and fresh litter refilled.
And that may not make a difference if you have a cat that aims for the plastic tines. And cleaning those is kinda nasty. I’ve noticed that a new version is out with metal tines. Maybe the manufacturer’s cat had good aim too.
Since writing the review below we got a cat with exceptional aim. He could jam up that thing in one session. We were cleaning it every day, and finally opted this year to get a plain old deep rectangular litter pan with scoopable litter and ditch the Litter Maid. Heck – we were in cleaning it everyday anyway due to our ‘artistic’ new cat.
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I have three cats, all indoor, and you can imagine I’ve tried about every kind of litter to come up with something workable for both me and the cats.
I’ve had a LitterMate (the larger size) for almost a year now and think this is the next best thing to sliced bread. we liked it so well, we’ve recently gotten the regular sized one as well since the cats were giving the one we had such a workout.
Pros:
Our dogs no longer go litter-diving for ’snacks’. The mechanism scares them and most of the contents are now hidden away in the plastic container.
The cats are only fascinated by the workings of the litterbox and had no problem adjusting. The oldest was 6, the youngest 5 months.
Scoopable litter + three cats previously meant 2-3 times a day scooping the litterbox. One LitterMate + three cats = 2-3 times a week tray dumping. The trays are easily reused, making them more economical.
The box itself has been dumped and cleaned every other month. The comb is held in place by two screws and is easily removed from the engine to be cleaned. I soak the bottom pan and comb in an antibacterial cleaner solution, and after it’s dry use Scotchguard on both.
The house I live in is small – there are few places to hide litterbox odor. This does it effectively.
One of our cats like to dig his way to China when he covers his stuff. I was worried that the scratches on the bottom of the pan would cause more sticking than normal, but a generous coating of Scotchguard keeps things moving along in spite of the battle scars in the LitterMaid.
Cons:
Yes – litter does escape underneath a little, but with the activities of three cats we were always vaccuming around the litter box anyway – no difference there.
The litter flinging problem happened once to me – every time afterwards I threw the garbage bag on top of the tray while I removed it, then just tipped it into the bag. Again, no biggie.
Tips:
Those lines in the litterbox aren’t kidding – don’t fill the box over the red line, or the motor will jam.
When they say Premium clumping litter, they mean it. The alternative is a constantly jammed motor.
Whenever you empty the tray, pass the scraper through the pan to make sure that nothing escaped the comb along the bottom. Those spots can build up and cause a jam too.
If stuff sticks too often to the comb or bottom, it usually means it’s time to dumb the entire box and clean and re-coat it with nonsitck spray. Not the non-stick spray used in cooking either.
We have 3 cats and I was very skeptical about this product at first, mainly because one is very skittish about everything. I got it for Christmas and set it up about two weeks later. At first I let the cats play in the empty unplugged in litter box to get acquainted with it.
The hardest part was filling it with the right volume of litter. If you have too much the machine will keep on running until its fixed. All the cats love using it, and when they hear the machine start going (which is quite noisy…a downfall) they run to watch it go. It facinates them everytime.
The waste recepticals can be emptied out a re-use about 3 times, after that it just gets a bit gross.
I have had a Litter Maid for about 7 years with my 2 big cats. I have a Himalayian and a Main Coon. I have not scopped litter in 7 years, its great. Don’t have to worry about it, I do have a few minor issues with it though and thats why I took a star away.
1. the plastic receptacle is way too small if you have 2 cats (I modified it)
2. the litter gets stuck in the rake sometimes (I use very good litter)
3. I am on my third one, the motor started to get weak on the first and the little eye went on the second. BUT I love it so much I bought a third! The motor getting weak is understandable.
Other than that this is a great invention! The problems are so minor that I am on my third one. The $89 is WELL WORTH the saved time and no scooping!
I strongly recommend this product!
I had this litter box for two years. I bought it when I was pregnant and my husband deployed to reduce my handling of the litter. It took some playing around with different types of litter to find the best that works for me. I use Tidy Cat Crystal Blend. I also sprayed the base with dry lubricant (you can find this at your local hardware store). I discovered this trick after six frustrating months of the rake sticking until I finally contacted customer service. Since I sprayed the bottom, I have not had any problems. This tip should come with the device. I would also recommend putting a carpet under the entire device. Litter is constantly being flung in the immediate area, but not nearly as badly as with my regular box. The carpet will help the litter from moving too far from the base. I have two cats and go on many week long trips because my husband is yet again deployed. The storage box is large enough to hold about 6 days worth of waste from two cats. I rarely throw out my plastic box. I dump the contents in a plastic bag and put the box right back, without cleaning. I gave up using the carbon filters. Sprinkling baking soda in the litter was much more cost efficient than those carbon filters. The motor is extremely loud. It took me a while to become accustomed to that, it used to wake me up at night and still scares any of my overnight visitors. My cats were fascinated by the noise for the first year. My motor finally burnt out after two years of use and I bought a new one to replace it, this time the elite model (the only thing Wal-mart had). I left on a trip and the rake got stuck in the first few days. The motor ran continuously for the remainder of my trip and now will not power the rake. Usually there is an automatic shut off, not sure why it didn’t kick off this time. If this hadn’t happened, it would most likely have lasted a lot longer. I definitely recommend this product. It’s not perfect but it’s vastly superior to scooping a litter box every night.
As the title suggests, the machine is quite sensitive, so follow the instructions. I bought one of the recommended brands for litter, but filled the bin about 1/2 inch over the “full” line. Because of this, the rake didn’t have enough power to do its job and couldn’t “push” the waste into the receptacle. Once the litter was reduced to the “full” line(or below the full line), it’s been working as it should. As some people have said, it’s quite noisy when working. Mine’s close to my bedroom and has woken me up a few times in the middle of the night. If you like easier clean up, use a plastic bag to line the receptacle – thanks to the person who offered this suggestion in his/her review!
I have three cats, one of which did not like sharing a litterbox and was starting to use the living room rug instead. After purchasing this product he has stopped using the living room completely. I strongly recommend a trip to the hardware store for a can of spray-on silicon lubricant, it makes a great difference in keeping the scooping teeth clean.
I am a big fan of the Littermaid boxes. So much so that I buy 3 a year.
First the good – this is a fantastic concept. It keeps the box clean so your cats will not get upset (as they sometimes do, followed by some act of revenge on their part) if the box is not clean to their liking. Since waste sits exposed for maybe 10 minutes tops, my house does not smell of cat. Cleanup is a snap (literally – snap out the cartridge and either empty it in the trash or throw it away).
BUT … these things break CONSTANTLY. Ask anyone who has bought one. Eventually, the cat will do its business too close to a side, and the combination of the (mandatory) clumping litter, the liquid, and the plastic, will be a little too much for the low-powered motor to push through. Over time this will go from the advertised auto-reverse (to try again), to clicking (when it fails to auto-reverse). Eventually, the box will just start banging over and over (not even trying to auto-reverse … just the gears skipping), until you must toss the unit. This happens to me after approximately 4-6 months. I can’t count the number of these boxes (all models) I have bought, but a low estimate would be 10. My stack of unused cartridges continues to grow, because I never get through the number of cartridges they supply, before the unit breaks.
So my advice is this … buy the product, but make sure you are getting a deal, and do NOT go top of the line. Spend only what you believe it is worth for 4-6 months.
First i wasn’t shure this could work an my cat love it (me too) Right now i dont have my cat and bought a dog (Schnauzer), so i didn’t want to throw away this litter tray. It takes me a few weeks and it works, So even if you have a puppy dog (small size) yo can give it a try.
Be carefull with the amount of litter you use, never too much, never too little. Once you have experience it never get stuck.
[Update as of April 2008: I just bought a replacement LM900 because mine finally gave up the ghost...I think the motor wore out. I'm still happy with the product, and look forward to receiving the new one!] Original review: I’ve been using this LitterMaid for about one year now and still love it as much as the day I first set it up. As long as I keep the correct level of litter and use good stuff, the machine works fine. I have 2 cats, and was concerned that the older one would be freaked out by a machine but he adapted just fine. I followed the manual’s suggestions to let him get used to it first before plugging it in, and that seemed to work fine. The younger cat has grown up with the machine, and he’s fine with it. I’ve seen him get in while the rake is running, which has freaked me out more than him because I thought he might get squished! With 2 cats, I have to change out the plastic waste bin about every 3rd day — but that’s WAY better than scooping every day. My only complaints — and they are insignificant — is that 1) I have to drive to PetsMart in a nearby city to buy waste containers, as Target is usually out of them and no other stores in my area carry them, and 2) the motor can be a bit annoying. I have the box in my utility room, down the hallway from the living room and guests will sometimes ask what the funny noise is…But those are hassles I’m willing to put up with. I agree with the other reviewers — use good quality litter and you don’t need a tent.
I have used three of these pans ever since they first came out, and I recently added a fourth one. I am extremely busy and I have arthritis. Both of these problems make it difficult for me to keep manual kitty boxes clean. The LitterMaid is not without problems, but it is still much better than manual pans. Out of the four pans I have, the electric eye on only one of the pans has stopped working. This means I must turn the switch off and on again for the rake to work. The other pans work as intended. Ten minutes after the cat exits the pan, the rake automatically lifts the used litter into a plastic recepticle; the top closes, and the rake goes back into its housing, ready for another visit from my two cats. My cats fill up the recepticles on three of the pans in about a week. I am careful not to let the recepticles get too full, so they don’t become difficult to detach from the pan, as I don’t like kitty litter flying into my face and mouth. I was pleased to see that my cats used these pans without any misgivings the very first day I set them up. It is true that if I overfill the pans with litter, the rake doesn’t work properly, but all I do is use a scooper to deposit the used litter into the container until the pan is less full. The only downside is that my cats have become so fussy about always having clean litter, that when I turn the rakes off (for whatever reason) and the kitty litter gets dirty, my cats sometimes convey their displeasure by defecating outside the pan. I am not as pleased with the quality control on my most recent pan purchase–the ramp wasn’t quite the right length and was therefore difficult to attach to the pan. Also, when the rake gets stuck, it just keeps trying–unlike my old pans where the rake goes back into its housing after a few unsuccessful attempts to rake the litter. I have read a number of bad reviews of this product, and I do question whether quality control has gone down recently. However, I think cat owners who eagerly return this pan (the minute some little aspect of it doesn’t work perfectly)are perhaps a bit too fussy, or they have a lot of time on their hands (and a masochistic streak), so they don’t mind sifting through kitty litter for the smelly “treasures” their cats have buried.
I own one cat and she’s not all there, so I thought this box would help. My roommate made me get it. I love the fact that I don’t have to touch the litter. It’s in my bedroom, so I turn it off at night since it has a very loud motor. A lot of time though the urine clumps get stuck in the rake and I have to get them out myself, so we are back to the old way of doing things. I know it’s not the litter, because I tried two of the 4 they recommend. I can’t find the Littermaid litter in the store, otherwise I would try it. I found to fix the urine problem, I turn it off until it has time to absorb into the litter and then turn it back, I haven’t had a problem since. Nobody knows I have a cat since the odor control of this box is wonderful!!!! That’s my favorite part about it. I love this litterbox, even though it’s not perfect. I wouldn’t go back to the old method of cleaning by hand. Hope this helps.
This is my second automated litter box from Litter maid. The first one I had for 6 years with 2 cats. Pulley on the automatic rake finally quit working but the motor still ran! I hope this one lasts as long. I hear the older models work better. This one is more convenient as the tray comes off for cleaning. But it is lighter in weight and seems a little cheaper made.
I love the littermaid! My cat seems to like it too! She sits and watches it work. The only problem I encountered was the automatic comb came off the tracks a few times, but I put it back on and it was fine. I haven’t had a problem since. I would suggest looking at it every once in a while though, to make sure there’s enough litter and no clumps stuck in the comb. Otherwise I LOVE IT and MY CAT LOVES IT!!!
I love this litter box! I bought mine about 2 years ago and it has been excellent!! The only complaint I have is that the sensor somehow broke, so we just turn the switch off and back on each day so that it will scoop.
Warning – do not buy the new model of the electric litter box! My parents bought one, for multiple cats, and the scooping mechanism gets stuck and flings the cat’s “stuff” out of the box.
I highly recommend this product to anyone who is tired of cleaning litterboxes. I can just fill up the litter and forget about it. But don’t throw out your old scoop, sometimes the clumps get stuck on the sifter. It says to use Premium Litter, but most of the ones on the list are commonly used brands anyway. I use Fresh Step. The waste recepticles are great, they are plastic containers that hold the litter inside, it says to change them everyday, but they are too expensive for me to do that. You can reuse them by dumping out the waste and cleaning them out, but this can get yucky, so what I do is I let them fill up to capacity and then throw the whole container away. I have one cat so this takes about a week, and it doesn’t smell any more doing it this way. So instead I use one recepticle a week, so a refill box lasts me three months. So every Friday, which is trash day here, I remove the recepticle, throw it out and replace it with a new one. Then I add more litter up to the Full Line. I have been doing this for a while, and this system works for me. So no more smelly boxes, no more kitty walking through dirty litter, and no more scooping. It’s a miracle. I waited until it was on sale in Target, since I am not rich. I got it for around $$$. It was expensive for me but it was definitely worth the money. I leave it plugged in (don’t use batteries unless its only as a backup, they will waste pretty quickly), and I don’t have to even think about the litter until Friday when I add litter and change the recepticle. I am happier, my cat is happier. Its healthier for my family and my cat. I think this is the best product I have ever bought, even if it was a little expensive. The motor is pretty loud, but the new models have quieter motors and there is an on/off switch so you can switch it off at night, when you turn it back on it starts cleaning again at once. I don’t have to worry about this since my cat uses it in the garage, so I never hear it. It is definitely worth the money though.
Oh, yes, don’t buy the Privacy Tent for it, it is greatly overpriced and cheaply made, my cat broke it by sitting on it, she’s an average sized cat, (11 pounds), the litter box is worth the money but not the tent.
I broke my wrist last December and a friend was coming every day to clean the litter box. I said hey, let me find a cheap version of the Littermaid so that you only have to come twice a week. I have two cats.
I picked this one for its size, price and because I read that the older models were better and this seemed to be the oldest model available.
I hope mine lasts longer than some. It does take a little work. It is not perfect. I do scoop up a few odds and ends by hand every day and I do have a dust buster handy.
I originally used Scoop Away and it was very gummy and stuck to the bottom. I switched to Worlds Best Regular Strength (which is the same as Littermaid, but cheaper). Yes it is costly, but I get mine at a discount pet store and you just don’t use all that much of it, so it lasts a long time. It makes a major difference.
You have to be sure not to fill it above the second red line or it might go bonkers. Is that so difficult?
Occasionally I spray the rake, glides and bottom with Pam (since I am sensitive to the smell of silicone).
I use the small brush that came with it to clean out the nooks and crannies where litter gets stuck (not in the box part, but the sides and other surrounding areas.
Twice a week I empty the receptacle. I do not use the lids. I applied clear packing tape to both sides of the holes. I found the lids and the filters were useless.
I put the dirty, full receptacle into a large plastic bag with handles and tie it up and dump it into the garbage can.
It really is not so difficult if you accept the fact that you have to do a small amount of work to keep it running right and clean, such as manually removing stuff that is caught in the rake or scooping up a large clump that the rake just keeps kicking back out into the litterbox. Just use the scoop from time to time and put the residue into the receptacle. It isn’t a big deal compared to cleaning a whole litterbox everyday.
I have had this litter box for 6 weeks and it’s great!!! No more scooping every day! Even with two cats, I still only have to clean it every 3 days or so. Yes, it’s a bit messy with a bit of litter on the floor, but so was my old conventional box. After reading other reviews, I use a plastic grocery bag in the tray so I don’t have to dispose of it every time. It’s great and worth the money.
My daughter brought home two kitties last year. They are over six months old now. In the last couple of months, she got a full time job while being a full time college student. As you may imagine, the manual litter box was the main topic when my daughter and I got together. She didn’t have time to clean it, and I didn’t think I should since the kitties were her responsibility. However, I love the kitties and I notice they were not happy with the situation of their manual litter box. If you didn’t clean it daily, they would scratch the liner paper on the top surface of the box pretending that they were actually moving clean litter. Enough was Enough. I purchased the Littermaid Litter Box from Walmart for $84, which was the last one in the store. First I was skeptical about purchasing it because I saw that the recepticals were $14 for twelve, not realizing that I could reuse the ones that came with the litter box. It has been two weeks. I love the litter box and the kitties are very happy. Since the litter is always clean, they love to scratch within the clean litter. However, you have to do some minor work yourself, but it doesn’t come close to having to clean a manual litter box. Every two days, my daughter or I would dump the full receptacle in a grocery bag and throw it in the garbash. Beforehand, we would use the scooper to lift any waste that has stuck to the bottom of the litter box and the rake and push it towards the front. We would then cut the machine off and on and allow the rake to push the access litter to a receptable. We would then use a scooper to remove any small pieces of waste and finally we would add some addtional litter. All in all, this sounds like work, but it is really not. It is about five minutes of labor. This machine saves money on buying litter because when we had the manual litter box, we would end up throwing away all the litter in the box because it was too soiled because we just couldn’t scoop litter every day. Because the Littermaid box does most of the work for you, we don’t have to throw away costly litter. We are just adding about two cups every couple of days. If you want to have happy kitties, better relationships with those within your household, and save money on costly litter, then the LitterMaid litter box is a great investment. My only concern is that Socks, now eight months old, is ten pounds and gaining, which means I may have to purchase the mega box when she is older. I wish I had purchased the mega box instead of the regular box to avoid spending money later.
My two cats named Teenie and Lentie adore this product. Whenever I bring them to the kennel, they claw at their Littermaid and mew as if they wanted me to bring it with them. I built a platform for the Littermaid so that they would feel like princesses when doing their BIZNESS, if you know what I mean. The cleanup is great and I will be sure to get one of these for all the cats I know! MEOW!!!!
Finally a gadget that really does work!
After having my first cat for two weeks I tired very quickly of changing the litter box. I paid $100 for this product and it has worked quite well. It has has been reliable and cost effective. Make sure you do use good clumping litter and the practice of putting a cheap piece of carpet and maybe dustbuster nearby are good ideas for small litter spillage. The plastic containers arent cheap but are reusable. I like the suggestion of a small garbage bag as a liner. I will try that. I also like the suggestion of spraying a thin layer of silicone at the bottom to ease with material that might stick to the bottom or the rake itself. I also suggest putting small amount of baking soda in the litter and the plastic receptacle itself (Easily scraped off)Small fecal pieces can escape the raking process, but the rake reliably gets everything else I would give this product a rating of B+ or A-. Its not always 100% perfect but after four years, I couldnt imagine having a cat without it.
Wow! Having two cats in the house, I was burdened down with cleaning out two litter boxes. . . what a hassle! A friend of mine bought the littermaid and insisted that I should buy one as well. I was hesitant. I thought it was just a gimick, but after the first 3 days of not having to deal with the mess and the smell, I was sold! The littermaid scoops up the clumps and deposits them into the plastic container, which then seals itself. Very cool! The only negative thing is that you have make sure that you have just the right amount of litter and that the rocks are small enough, otherwise the scooper will get stuck. I’d def. recommend this to any other busy kitty-parent!
I have owned one of these before and it lasted for about 4 years and 3 cats. This works so well. My only complaint is that when I bought this one is that the rake continued to go and would never stop. At first it was just that it would rake the litter four times in a row then stop but after a day or two it just wouldn’t stop at all. There was nothing in the way to make it continue and the litter level was were it was suppose to be. I thought well, alright I’ll reduce the litter level a little more and eventually I tried without anything in it and the machine kept running. So I had a defective machine. I have yet to put the new one in the cats room but I am hoping that it will work properly. When it does it is FANTASTIC!!!
….I have had cats for years and they have always used the great outdoors for their litter box. I hate cleaning a litter box. Then my male tabby came home twice with broken legs (running from coyotes, I think). He had to be kept inside after that, so welcome to the catbox world. I tried every variation of cat box available. I still hated reaching in every other day and fishy out all his little gifts. I finally broke down and purchased the Littermaid. I could not be happier. The cat likes it, he did like to stare at the motor and rake running for about a week but then he grew tired of it. I pretty much forget about it with one cat. I can go a couple of weeks before it has to be emptied (I just pour the contents into a plastic bag and reuse the container). I did add a cabana so that it would keep any extra smell in (and the dogs out), and an air freshener nearby. No problems with the motor and I have had this unit for months. I do use the littermaid litter. It’s seems a little pricy but it works the best in the unit and I dont seem to buy any more litter then before. This was a great investment, I do enjoy spending less time cleaning the catbox. I recommend it to anyone with one cat…….
First 1 lasted 3 plus years before dropping dead. I love this thing most because it quickly stores away the cat’s deposits before they become something akin to the Devil’s incense. If your cat has a small canine buddy, or you have a little one learning to crawl, I also highly recommend the Evenflo Plastic Mesh Security Gate so your cat’s “business” remains personal.
I tell you what, I’ve never experienced joy like that of my cat, Tiddley Widdles, until the day I bought him the LM500. This thing is the bees knees ! You just put him in it and watch with wonder as he does his business in it. Then when he’s done it’s just ten minutes wait(I timed it with my watch and it is exactly ten) till the mechanism starts up. The noise it makes is similar to what you would imagine the noise of a rat raking gravel in a shoe box lid to be.
Like a flash the feline excretions are whiskered away
into a small container. I then remove this from the device and throw it out the window. Easy as that. I’d recommend it to anyone who owns a cat and has 90 dollars to spend on the little creature.
Ah here comes little Tiddley now, I think he wants me to empty the LM500 for him so he can have another go !
The cats will love this box. all my cat wants to do is crap all day now. I’ve ran out of ex-lax, and all the bread is gone. it may not look that cool, but a giant spoiler and some flames painted on the side may change that.
This is my third unit (functioning) in 5 years. I have two cats and have no trouble with it keeping clean. This unit is working as it should. It has now been over a year with no problems at all. My first one worked for about 1 1/2 years before the wire got caught on the wheels and broke the wire and the wheel. The motor went on my last one, after about 2 years of use. I replaced it 3 times, in a 2 weeks period, before I finally got a unit that didn’t either make a loud racket or get stuck in a repeat back and forth sweep. I am very happy with these when they are working, it is just getting one that does work.
Have had our LM500 for about 5 years with no major problems. Yes some cleanup exists with the rake but we have managed well without too much trouble and feel it has done a good job for us. We are in the process of purchasing our second unit. Kent Jobes – Shady Cove, OR
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