Customer Rating:  
Summary: Litter Maid Litter box
Comment: I am very pleased with this litter box.This is the same as my original litter box which lasted several years. Don't make the same mistake and purchase the LitterMaid Elite, first. I was never happy with that one and repurchased the lower priced litter box again.
Customer Rating:
Summary: There's something better...
Comment: I have actually had two of these machines. The first one I used for about a year before the motor burned out. I had tried other mechanized pooper scoopers and this one did a barely acceptable job. It always clogged with large 'loads,' and the rakes would get clogged with my cat's excrement. The second one I bought was actually the latest model and it did an even worse job. I spent more time cleaning up 'after' the box than I ever did with an old-fashioned litter box. Then in frustration, I went to the message boards and found salvation: The Litter Robot (Litter Robot LRII Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box, Black).
What a difference a scooper makes! It never clogs, there's never any after-pooping clean-up, and I can use small trash bags instead of the more expensive catchers they recommend. With a large cat, the Robot will fill up after about 1 or 2 weeks. It has a big area to store the poop, it's out of the way, and it doesn't smell! How this thing works exactly is ingenious, and worth the price tag (yes, it's up there). But for sheer simplicity and not having to deal with clogged and dirty boxes, I would gladly pay more. Well, maybe not that much more!
My friends tell me it looks like an MRI machine, and I can't disagree. The Robot's footprint is the same as the litter maid, except it has more height. It looks nice, works great, and my cat took to it immediately. It has built-in sensors that tell it when the cat is done, and if the cat goes near it during it's rotation, it shuts off for 10 minutes until it detects that it's safe to resume. Amazing! I'm sure you can find it cheaper elsewhere (Hint to Amazon to make the price more competitive), but with shipping charges it may be a wash. Of course you can go to the pet store and buy one (just call ahead to be sure they have it in stock).
That's it. Toss the Maid out on her ear and get a Robot. You get all the cleaning without any of the pain.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Garbage
Comment: When this litter box is working properly it doesn't save you time, it just defers maintenance. When it is not working properly it just makes a mess.
The machine only lets you put in a shallow amount of litter or it will clog as the tines rake through it. This means you have to really watch the litter level. If it is too high the machine jams and the motor runs back and forth over and over again trying to push against a pile of litter. The trouble is, with such a shallow amount of litter [1] if your cat is in the habit of using the same place in the box everytime the litter gets REALLY shallow, and [2] even with a full load of litter, the litter does not clump when your cat has a large pee. The pee soaks to the bottom and sticks, and the litter stays slightly gummy, and sticks to the tines of the rake, and the machine jams. Yes I used premium litter. To make matters worse, my cat liked to pee right on the edge of the litter by the tines where the floor of the box ramps up and there is nearly no litter. instant mess.
If your cat's stool is soft that day, and/or your cat does not properly cover it, the poo smears and sticks all over the rake and it jams. And it is horrible to clean. I have has cat feces jammed way up under the tines on the side where the motor is.
After a while I just unplugged the litterbox and used it as a regular litterbox with a convenient container to place the poo so that it didn't stink and I would only have to make the trip out to the dumpster every week or so instead of every day. That worked fairly well, but my cat still tracked gravel everywhere so I just replaced it with a Booda Dome. Dome, Cleanstep Cat Box, Titanium
Customer Rating:
Summary: LitterMaid Disappointment
Comment: We have had an identical product for years, but with 3 cats decided we needed another. Within 5 days of receipt, the newer one malfunctioned and was returned for replacement. The replacement appears to be working OK, although it seems to wait a long time to cycle.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great!
Comment: 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!
|
