ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box
We tried two different automated litter boxes before trying this one, and were honestly ready to give up on any automated box ever working. The two previous ones we tried were AWFUL. When we decided to give this ScoopFree one a shot.
We have two cats right now and one of them is 18 pounds, so rather large. We were just not happy with the litter box situation and wanted something that pretty much self maintained. I have to say after two months we are SO happy with this unit! It is head and shoulders above anything else we've tried.
First, it is a GREAT size. Even large cats can fit easily into here and not feel cramped. We have the cover unit for this and the cat fits in there fine. It's plug-in so yes you need it near an outlet or at least have an extension cord :)
The tines move across smoothly, taking in any poops. The pee just gets absorbed by the crystals and really it doesn't smell at all. We have this in our kitchen bathroom and it's no problem at all. I am very impressed. You just clean out the receptacle occasionally for the poop, and then every week or two give the crystals a swirl. We've never had any problems with the tines clogging, which was a real issue with previous machines. I really think the crystals are the answer here.
The only real downside with this unit is that they want you to buy THEIR replacement crystal / cardboard box combination every month or so to replace it all. That can get really expensive. There is a cheap solution! Take a regular lacquer spray like you find at Michael's and spray the cardboard box with it a few times. That puts a nice seal on the box itself. Hardly any liquid gets that far anyway - it's all caught by the crystals - but it's good to have that extra layer of protection. Then buy regular cat crystals at the store. We've been doing that and it's been working perfectly! So that's a super cheap solution to your litter replacement. Email me if you have any questions about how this works.
Other than that, I really love this unit. Quiet, odor-free, easy, perfect.
Buy a ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box from Amazon.com
Hood Notes
If you are buying the hood separately for your ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box, it is super easy to install, and it is great. We have an 18 pound cat and he easily fits inside even with the lid on. The lid helps to keep everything all organized and under control. Litter in, odor in, perfect. I definitely suggest having the hood if you have this unit - and I love this unit!
Buy a ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box from Amazon.com
| We adore our ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box - our only point of contention is buying these refills. Yes, the refills work fine. We love the whole concept of this system, the crystals are awesome at absorbing the odor, the tines never clump. However, it is pricey to buy in essence a cardboard box with some crystals in it for this much money. So we experimented and found a solution.
Instead, we take their cardboard box and spray it with a regular spray lacquer like you find at any Michael's store - a few coats. That makes it waterproof. Then we buy standard crystals at a WalMart. We get a ton of uses out of it, and just wash the box itself out every few weeks. We have two cats - one an 18 pounder, so rather large. He doesn't have any issues at all with this. I'll note that he doesn't have his front claws, but our smaller cat (8 pounds or so) is fully clawed and hasn't had any issues with this either. No "claws through the cardboard" or anything. I imagine if you had some sort of tear-happy kitty you could reinforce the bottom with a sheet of plexiglass very easily, which would be quite washable and durable too. For us, however, that wasn't necessary. Yes we might have to buy one of these every number of months to get a fresh, clean box to start with, but other than that you can certainly "create your own" without having to buy their units. I'm not sure how to rate the unit then. I'll give it a 5/5 because it is an awesome idea and you should get one or two to start with. However, keep in mind that you don't need to keep buying them if you don't want to - it's just as easy to make your own once you understand how they work. Buy a ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box Refill from Amazon.com |
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