More than just a fancy litter box, it's become a NECESSITY in our home.
Written: Aug 05 '05 (Updated Aug 05 '05)
Product Rating:
Pros: Does what it promises, and does it WELL. No more messy litterbox cleanup!
Cons: VERY LARGE litterbox, A little noisy, Relatively expensive.
The Bottom Line: Worth the money. If mine broke tomorrow (out of warranty) I would immediately replace it with a new one without giving it a 2nd thought.
I previously rated this company's website but now that the actual product is available for review, I am elaborating on that original review. Some of my own text has been cut & pasted from that prior review, which is located at: http://www.epinions.com/content_181430947460), in case you want more info about their website.
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ABOUT THE PRODUCT
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Background.
After my wife got pregnant, the litter box became my responsibility. I wanted to do anything possible to make the job easier, and I shopped for a litter box for some time before deciding to purchase the litter robot (hereinafter "LR"). I almost bought the raking-style litter box, but after reading different opinions on the various litter-box forums (check out www.Litterbox-Central.com), I became intrigued with (and settled on) the litter robot. At first, I posted a few questions of my own at the forum, and the company representative who apparently monitors that site (Lauren Ford) emailed me quick, friendly, and concise answers. Lots of happy customers emailed me, too!
Ultimately, I could not bring myself to spend $329 (and my wife thought I was crazy to even ask), so I decided to check out the refurbished models which at that time were about $50 less, I think. Lauren advised that the waiting list was several weeks, and then I found one (which is rare) for sale on eBay.
I purchased my unit (used, but like new) on eBay in January, 2004 for $200.
Out of the box.
I could not believe how large the box was. The thing is enormous. LR measures 27 1/2 inches high X 21 1/2 inches wide X 24 inches deep. The unit looks like a futuristic spacecraft for your kitty.
Our cats had no trouble getting used to it. We followed the instructions and kept it unplugged at first, and would manually turn it on after each use until the cats were accustomed to it. Within a couple days we were able to plug it in and let it do its job 100% of the time.
What it does and how it works.
Once your cat climbs into the litter box, a timer starts. Approximately 7 minutes later, the machine starts to roate. built into the globe is a screen that rotates around while gravity keeps the litter at the bottom, so that eventually the screen rakes through the litter. The litter is swept behind the globe and the waste is carried over the screen until the holes end up at the bottom where the waste is dropped into a pan at the bottom. The bottom, which is lined in rubber with a heavy weight in the middle, ends up on top where the weight bubbles the rubber section down, ensuring nothing sticks behind. The entire process, which you have to see to really understand, takes about a minute.
The pan at the bottom is lined with normal kitchen garbage bags (13 gallon size). We use no-frills bags, since the quality of the bag is not important - it's not holding any weight and nothing sharp will be in there, so they work well. The pan has 4 clips, one on each corner, to hold the bag in place and we've never had a problem with one coming loose.
Don't worry: if the cat comes back into the unit, it stops rotating for about 30 seconds just to make sure nobody gets hurt.
It works with any type of clumping litter. We buy the store-brand clumping litter and have not had a problem. The machine is so efficient that you'll notice you hardly go through any litter at all - we cut our litter purchases in half, literally.
Emptying.
Two medium size cats (12 and 14 pounds) required 2 bag changes per week. Our 14 pound cat recently died, and it appears as though we'll only be changing the bag once a week for now on. The process is quick and simple: open the drawer, remove bag, tie knot, install new bag, close drawer. Under a minute and you're done until the next session.
Filling with litter.
There's a "fill" button that rotates the machine so that the hole is at about 3 o'clock so you can pour litter right in. I normally don't bother and scoop clean litter directly into the unit without waiting to rotate to the fill position. Either way, it's not a hassle and only takes a few seconds to do.
Cleaning.
The machine is so simple to clean that it's almost unbelievable. It hardly even ever needs cleaning, too -- that's the nicest part. When it is time to clean, though, you remove the globe, which is big and bulky, but not too heavy. You can rinse it off with a garden hose and some soap, or in the really cold weather you can do it in the shower. I did that once, and it was a little messy, but it was too cold to do it outside with the hose, so I had little choice.
We end up with a little bit of litter around the front of the LR frequently, since our cats apparently like to kick some of the litter out. We keep a dustpan near it so that we can quickly and easily clean the area up. At first we tried keeping a small mat there, but that didn't work all that well.
NOISE.
This machine is not extremely noisy, but you will hear it in the middle of the night if you have it in the very next room. Ours is in the basement in the boiler room, so we can only hear it if we happen to be present during a cycle. If you are a light sleeper and have no choice but to have this in the same or a nearby room, you may want to give it some extra thought... but, don't forget they have a money-back guarantee!
Customer Service.
In October 2004, I started noticing problems with the unit. The unit would stay in the "dump" mode after cycling and sometimes the lights would start flashing for no reason. Unplugging the unit and re-plugging it would solve the problem, but still I knew it was a problem. The problems sounded like "circuit board" problems, according to Lauren Ford.
We love the unit so much that as soon as we noticed there was a problem, my wife told me I had permission to buy a new one if I had to - even at $329!
Before shopping for a new one, I emailed to find out how much it would cost to have them repair my unit, and I explained that I was the second owner (bought used in January 2004). Lauren Ford emailed me to say that the part would cost $54 (including shipping). She inquired further from whom I purchased the unit in case the 18-month warranty was still in effect. I could not remember the original owner's name, and I was definitely willing to pay the $54 - but she told me where to find the serial number so she could check further. Turns out my unit was still under warranty -- I had only a few weeks to spare, in fact.
Even though I mentioned in an earlier email that I really didn't mind spending the $54, Lauren still went out of her way to help me avoid spending anything. How many companies would do that? And, for a second owner! Obviously, they stand by their product and they're serious about it.
They sent me the circuit board and instructions a few days later and the instructions were easy to follow. I had to unscrew four screws, unplug and pop out a small circuit board, and then install the replacement. They even provided a return envelope so that I could send back the defective board. Voila.
We HIGHLY recommend this litter box and can hardly believe (1) it’s not for sale in every pet store and (2) nobody we ever talk to has heard of it. I have waited a long time to write this review and am glad to see the LR is finally listed on epinions!
The company makes an excellent product and truly stands behind it with their 30 money back guarantee and 18 month warranty, which is transferable!
If you can afford the machine, do not hesitate. If you cannot afford it, you should save up for it - you will not be disappointed.
The following SPECS & details, from manufacturer's website:
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Overall dimensions: 27 ½ in (H), 22 in (W) and 24 in (D).
Waste drawer: 10 ½ in (W), 13 in (L), 4 in (D).
Oval shaped entry opening for the cat: 8 ¾ in (H), 6 ½ in (W).
The litter bed area measures 14 inch across at maximum litter capacity.
There is 13 to 15 inches of head room for the cat inside the globe depending on the level of litter. The inside width is 20 inches across at the widest point, and depth is 15 inches front to back.
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