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Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/18/2008 11:32:37 PM
Posts: 33,
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Forum Guru
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 7/31/2009 7:06:14 PM
Posts: 169,
Visits: 368
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| I personally don't like automatic litter boxes. I've found that they are more work than they are worth, but lots of cat owners love them! It is a good option if you can't clean the litterboxes often or if you have back problems because you just have to empty a basket--the box part is already clean. I've cat-sat some cats who have the littermaid. One of their cats would dig to the bottom of the box to pee, so when the grater came to clean it after he left, the pee litter just crumbled leaving an even dirtier box. The motor and grate need to be cleaned occasionally, which isn't a pleasant job. I've never seen a cat genie, but the whole concept of reuseable litter kind of disgusts me. It is nice how you don't really have to clean anything though! Another option you could think about would be to toilet train your cats. In the book "Good Owners, Great Cats" by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson, they go into detail on how to do this. You wouldn't have to buy anymore litter or an expensive automatic box--you just have to train yourself to leave the seat up!
Owned by: 3 Cats--Millie, Arnie, and Beatrix 7 Parrots--Lady, Daphne, Sydney, Penny, Orrin, Apple-Jack, and Rylee 2 Betta Fish--Swedish Fish and Li
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Senior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 6/19/2009 12:53:21 PM
Posts: 472,
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While an automatic litter box seems like a genius idea, it's really just a waste of money in my opinion. I've heard from a lot of people that their cats wont even use the litter box. So my advice is to just stick with a regular litter box. Try clumping litter and just scoop it every day. I know that you can buy special containers to put litter scoopings in that are resistant to smell. That may be a cheaper alternative.
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Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/18/2008 11:32:37 PM
Posts: 33,
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| Thanks for the feedback guys! I appreciate it very much. I have recently discovered the littermaid is a waste of money. I tried one out. It didn't even work for 3 days before it messed up. I was looking at these alternatives because 2 of the cats in the house live upstairs with my mom. One's hers, one is my sister's. My sister basically refuses to help with the litter box, and it's all left up to my mom. She is somewhat disabled and it's difficult on her! I help her when I can but cannot do it every day. If only I could beat..not really...my sister into helping out. Anyhow..lol one of the things for me personally is a good place to put the litter til I can take it to the dump. But recently I have seen containers that are just for that and are supposed to not smell. That may be what I do for myself. I will look into the toilet training thing as well. That would just be wonderful! Thanks again!! -Amanda
~*Amanda-AraBella's Mommy*~ ~*Aunt to Bocephus, Sister to Boots*~ Come visit Us!: Bella: http://www.catchannel.com/blog/viewbio.aspx?apid=69916 Bocephus:http://www.catchannel.com/blog/viewbio.aspx?apid=102039 Boots:http://www.catchannel.com/blog/viewbio.aspx?apid=104547 Bo, Amanda, Boots 
Bella and Amanda 
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Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/20/2008 8:00:02 PM
Posts: 26,
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Strange to me that so many people have issues with the Litter Maid. I have been using one for the past 8 years or so. Just got my second one this summer and never had a single problem. The old one only died because I decided to hose it out... not one of my best ideas. 
I love my Litter Maid. It does save me a lot on litter not to mention time and the fact that there is no cat box smell at all in my house. I have one cat so I only have to empty the little bin every few days. I have had as many as four cats in the house using the box and not had an issue. Had introduced the box to older cats as well as kittens without an issue. If anything I have found that they cats like to watch it clean and love having a much cleaner box than they'd have if I had to scoop for them every day.
I do really have to wonder why so many other people had problems with them. Wonder too if it is the choice of or amount of litter being used.
http://www.catchannel.com/blog/viewbio.aspx?apid=110347
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Senior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 1:16:27 PM
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| My sister had a Litter Maid, I thought it was a huge waste of money and after about a week she did too. She spent more time scraping kitty litter out of the rake and she had to scoop anyway because the rake always missed some (Yes, she used the proper amount of litter). Then there was disposing of the plastic container filled with poop - ick! and the container wasn't really big enough, so the lid never seemed to go back on properly and you could always smell used kitty litter. I scoop twice a day and visitors were amazed that they couldn't smell kitty litter even though, at that time, I had ten cats - all indoors. I guess it's just your own personal preference. Dealing with kitty litter comes with being a cat owner - my babies are worth the five minutes a day I spend scooping.
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Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/20/2008 8:00:02 PM
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What kind of litter was she using?
Seriously in 8 years of use you'd think I'd have experienced this as well. But I have nothing bad to report abut them.
I don't have good luck so I can'[t have gotten the only two good ones they ever made.
http://www.catchannel.com/blog/viewbio.aspx?apid=110347
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/18/2008 1:36:58 PM
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| We have been through 2 auto-mated litterboxes. We tried Littermaid and one other (I forget which brand). Both had their motors burned out within months of purchase. I love the idea of these but the technology just isn't there yet in my experience. I am curious to hear if Cat Genie is better though.
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/19/2008 8:41:17 AM
Posts: 6,
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| I dated a girl for a time that had two cats in a small apartment and was using the Litter-Robot. She had had it for over a hear and was very pleased with it. She even gave me a demonstration of how it worked, pretty clever actually. The downside to this model is that it's HUGE and sort of looks like the Death Star.... a Death Star full of cat poop. It's also a little pricey, around $330, which might be out of some people's range.
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/19/2008 8:41:17 AM
Posts: 6,
Visits: 9
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