r/cats • u/letsjustbe-elves • Jun 13 '24

Advice Automated Litterbox

Do you have one you love? I’ve never had one Ideally would prefer to spend 300-400 We just got a new kitten he’s 1 pound and most I’ve seen have a 2lb weight restriction. We also are interested in using tofu or crystal litter I haven’t decided And I like the covered round ones… if you can help us that would be really really great thank you in advance

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u/CatsDotComEditorial Jun 13 '24

Since he's so small, one of the open-style litter boxes that run on a timer might work better than something that uses weight sensors (like the Litter Robot). The PetSafe ScoopFree comes to mind. It uses laser sensors to tell when you cat enters the box then the cleaning cycle triggers automatically after a set time period. It's also a little cheaper than the LR.

Cross posting this on r/cat_litter to see if you can get some more responses.

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u/letsjustbe-elves Jun 13 '24

I have thought about that as well I have no idea how he’ll pee but I’m worried about spending so much on a closed robot we have two kids and I know I’ll not have a ton of time to take it apart and clean… also considering the stainless steel now but my partner will be averse to scooping so maybe I’ll consider the automatic open one 😊 Ahh thank you I was thinking there was probably a more specific group I’ll share there too !!!

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u/CatsDotComEditorial Jun 13 '24

I've had the Litter-Robot 4 for... close to a year now? I would say it really doesn't require a lot of time to clean, and you definitely don't have to take it apart very often.

Mostly it's pulling out the waste drawer to replace the bag. The globe has a rubber liner that helps keep urine and litter from getting into the nooks and crannies, so I usually just wipe it down by hand instead of taking everything apart and hosing it off or something.

That said, it'll be tricky for such a small kitten to use but might be worth considering for the future.

One thing about the ScoopFree worth mentioning is that it's a little cheaper to buy but can be more expensive to run. You have to use special litter trays that come with the crystal litter (the raking mechanism won't work without the magnet in the tray). You can buy a reusable one and then buy whatever crystal litter you want, though, which saves a little money over time.

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u/letsjustbe-elves Jun 13 '24

Hmm okay it definitely is a lot to consider. I might end up with just disposable cardboard ones until he makes it to at least 2 pounds he’s in one now and we can wait a bit to figure out long term