#litter robot

[egberts]

TW ANIMAL DEATH but this litter robot, one of the cheapest designs available on many websites, is incredibly dangerous and has killed several cats. if you have this robot or are looking to get one or even just know anyone with cats then this is seriously worth looking into because the deaths are quite horrific and preventable if you know better

[maxwellatoms]

wait hang on I saw mention of a catio in one post. you have a cat? can I see the cat? are cat pics on the table? I would like to see the cat. pretty please. thank you.

Please. This is a serious Tumblr.

And this is Loki. When my dog Rinjin was sick, my friend Claudine talked me into adopting this guy. He's a mischief maker and used to have little fur "horns" which gave him his name. He and Rinjin (the dog) bonded pretty quickly. I was, like, "Sheeeit. My dog's going to die and this poor kitty will be all alone."

So when my friend Bill called and told me he'd found a kitten in the wheel well of his car, I decided to keep little Freya here. Get my cat a cat, you know?

And then I ended up marrying my friend Claudine, and I ended up with Athena here...

...and her sister Artemis. They're both litter-mates with Loki. So now we have Brady Bunch madhouse of four cats.

Thankfully, they mostly get along. Mostly.

They're all over my Instagram, if you're into that sort of thing.

[the-adventures-of-dave]

Hi! I saw your Jackson Galaxy Litter Robot posts and was wondering what your concerns are or if you think there's a better model? I've been thinking about getting one for my disabled mother and her cats since cleaning the litter boxes has gotten more difficult for her and I'm out of state.

tldr; if the disability makes normal boxes too difficult then the Litter Robot 4 is probably your safest bet for automatic boxes, but consider the health, safety, and comfort of the cats as well as your own ability to maintain, fix, and clean the robot before purchasing.

Funny enough, one of Jackson Galaxy's own videos from a year ago is a good summary of why I'm not a fan.

Ultimately it boils down to this: despite what their designers say, automatic boxes are not built for cats. They're built for people.

When compared to a standard box it has more technical points of failure, is significantly more expensive, and does not align with anecdotal or research-proven cat box preferences (which is a large, clean, open-topped litter box). People choose automatic litter boxes because of their own comfort or convenience. Sometimes, like in the case of a disability, that will outweigh everything else.

Keep that in mind if you/your mom decide to purchase, because the cats might turn their nose up at it and you will need to do extra work to convince them to use it. Just because it's self scooping doesn't mean it's self cleaning either, and like all litter boxes it should be semi regularly cleaned with soap and water. There may also be technical failures and parts that need to be replaced. Consider if your mom is able to dismantle it to clean it or fix it with her disability.

If you do end up getting one, Whisker's Litter Robot 4 does seem like the best on the market in terms of safety. While I've seen reports of refusal to use, inappropriate elimination, and the LR4 being unhygienic, these are reports I've seen from all automatic boxes. What I haven't seen from the LR4 are any cases of crushing injuries or death, which I can't say about other automatic boxes.

If you're unsure about an automatic box, a sifting litter box may be the best of both worlds?

Below the cut are my list of concerns when it comes the automatic box:

They are not built for comfort:

Cats prefer large litter boxes, and automatic boxes are often too small for your average cat, and especially so for large breeds. The litter box should be at least 1.5x the length of your cat.

Cats prefer open litter boxes. Walls and a ceiling can trap in smells (how would you like to use an outhouse every day?) and it also makes it easier for other cats, dogs, or humans to ambush them. An open top gives them more sight lines and escape routes if needed.

The noise and motion of the litter box cycling is scary to some cats, pushing some to the point of refusing to use the box (or any box) again.

Some automatic boxes need specific litter. If you or your cat has a favourite litter you might have to switch.

You should have n+1 litter boxes for your household. This means you need to have more automatic litter boxes than you have cats. If I got the LR4 for my two cats, it would cost me a whopping $3000CAD.

They are not built for health:

Automatic boxes dump waste into a compartment after use. This makes it difficult to tell if your cat has health problems like blood in their waste, is eliminating less or more than usual, or has soft or hard stools. All of these are health indicators that may require veterinary intervention, and you will not be aware of it. You can more easily monitor your cat's health by scooping.

They are not built for safety:

As with any technology, there is a risk of safety features failing

Kittens and light cats may not trigger weight sensors

There are many pinch points, particularly in the rotating boxes that could result in injury

I have seen so many posts and videos about cats getting hurt or even killed by automatic boxes. This video covers a number of my safety concerns (it's made in good faith by a man who reviews automatic boxes).

They are convenient until they aren't:

Technology has more points of failure than a standard box. If your box has a broken part or can no longer connect to the app, you need to be prepared to fix or replace it.

Many are notoriously hard to clean, but can get unhygienic if not cleaned regularly (as with all litter boxes).

They take up space. They're often large and heavy, and don't tuck neatly into a corner or the bathroom like a standard box.

They're expensive. Some are cheap, but those come with an increased risk of injury.

I know I'm a biased source against them, so do your own research on the pros and cons and see what works best for you! I don't think it's worth it for me and my cats, but everyone's situation is different.

[mimi-and-luna]

I was wondering if I could convince the girls to use the litter robot, but it turns out a) yes b) except for one problem 😂

LUNA PLEASE STOP PUTTING YOUR HEAD IN THERE TO WATCH IT DUMP YOUR DOOTS

[walkawaytall]

I do despise the Internet of Things with my entire being.

Except the part of my being that agreed to outsource cleaning my floors and scooping the litter box to robots. That part of me is very okay with it.

[so-this-is-my-blog-i-guess]

Didn’t want to miss Caturday, so Happy Caturday!

I recently got a new water bowl for them, and I set it up for them this (late) afternoon. I think they like it. Smarty (left) and Daddy (right) at the bowl. Mama hanging back, and Batcat strolling in.

Years ago, I’d had a Litter Maid box for my Patrick. On the first day, he peed on the mechanism and shorted it out. So I’ve been hesitant to try a mechanized box. So I recently got a Litter Robot for them. For previously feral cats, they’re very picky about things. If the litter box has anything in it at all, multiple times of the day, Smarty will meow at me until I remove the mess. I just can’t spend the day following them in each litter box. Until this miracle box came, I’ve had three large covered boxes that I haven’t been able to keep up with. These guys will actually wait in line now for each to go and the box cycles. They never have to step through icky litter. Seriously a miraculous box.

Also, I have to vacuum in there. They have been shredding the original carpeted cat house (that’s about 20 years old), so there’s bits of carpet everywhere. I do have a vacuum but haven’t charged it yet. That will happen very soon.

[theoreocat]

Get $25 OFF a Litter Robot with our referral link!  http://share.litter-robot.com/VgjmL

[bo0fs]

No one said litter robots were this big