Since its introduction several years ago, owner reactions to the LitterMaid have widely varied. It's one of those products that you either love or you hate, and there are few in-betweens. Since I had seen so many negative comments elsewhere on the Net, I asked a trusted group, members of the About.com Cats Forum, what they thought of the LitterMaid. The resulting opinions are disclosed here in italics, with my own comments. inserted. My conclusion is on page two.
Clogged Rakes
LitterMaid revolutionized the cat litter box industry. For the first time, cat owners could dispense with regular daily scooping and disposal of litter box contents. LitterMaid operates with a sensor device along with a timer that activates the "scooping" process 10 minutes after a cat exits. Scooping is accomplished by a series of "rakes," which sort out clumps and send them to a disposable tray below, which slides out for emptying. LitterMaid recommends only fine-grained clumping litter, and sells its own brand, but some users have reported good results with other brands.
Maintenance requires occasionally cleaning the rakes, which can become clogged with clumps. It seems that clogged rakes are the basis for most of the complaints I've read.
- Since the first cat would trip the sensor countdown (the rake scoops about 10 minutes after the sensor is tripped) and then another cat might urinate in there when the countdown was nearing its end, the urine hadn't always formed into clumps. This could cause the rake to clog more than usual.
- [One cat] is a giant mess as he doesn't scratch over the waste and it constantly clogs the automatic arm so that you dig it out in between the combs.
The Plastic Bins are an Extra Cost Item
Some users complained about the costs of the plastic bins, which LitterMaid recommends replacing frequently.
The littermaid is good for a cat who will only go in a clean box. It still requires a lot of work, more so, than traditional litter boxes. I guess it does save a little money in buying litter but that extra money goes right to the plastic bins.
While others have found workable solutions to that expense:
- I line the litter bins with grocery store plastic bags, when the bin is full, I just remove the bag and start over. Save money on bins that way. I only have to dump and clean the whole unit every 2-3 weeks.
- I have been just dumping the contents of the bin into a bag, rinsing and reusing the plastic bins.
Litter Brand Makes a Difference
The type of litter used makes a large difference with the clogged rakes problem discussed above.
- SwheatScoop was disgusting in the LitterMaid and created a huge mess.
- I've only had problems with it sticking once. I have been using that new Nature's Miracle cat litter in it.
- You need to use a litter that really clumps well with it. I use Scoop Away.
- I've only had problems with it sticking once. I have been using that new Nature's Miracle cat litter in it.
Praise for LitterMaid
- I love it! I have to change the plastic bins about every 2 days.
- So far, I'm glad I bought it!
- I love my littermaid! I only have one (out of 6 boxes) but I think I will end up with many more :)
- It is not totally maintenance free but a great relief compared to the daily scooping. I change the litter once a month, take apart the box, clean it, coat it with silicon spray and we are good for one more month. I use FreshStep clumping litter.
- My sister-in-law who is physically disabled and is unable to stay stooped down to clean a litter box has a littermaid jumbo and she loves it. She only has to stoop down long enough to empty the bin which lifts right up. She has 3 cats now and she empties the bin every day.
- 7 cats, 2 humans, 4 littermaids. The new ones are quiet and much stronger. When one dies, I replace it. Cats love them. I love not having to haul huge bags around. And not having to stoop to scoop -- I'm arthritic in knees and arms.
- I have 2 littermaids for 3 cats and 2 kittens. Love them. They do make things alot easier.
Next > Some Complaints and the Bottom Line
