Help! Buying NewLitter Box. Have you used...?

catlady2cat

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Went shopping today and I can't decide which litter box I want to buy. Before I spend that much $$$ I wanted to get some opinions.

Have any of you used the covered litter box that you roll on it's side then put it upright. It has a tray on the side that you pull out and it supposedly holds the waste that you empty then put the tray back in it's slot.


Then there's the LitterMaid box that automatically rakes the box after the cat finishes it's business. The waste goes into a tray. I didn't know how often you had to replace the trays and they aren't cheap either. Tidy Cat has a similar box but it shows it using the crystals which I didn't really care for when they first came out. Littermaid has it's own scoopable litter and I didn't know if you had to use that brand of litter or if any scoopable litter would work. The litter I use now is Arm & Hammer scoopable The clerks at Petco & Petsmart were of no help. Can anyone clue me in? Heck, I'm not even sure I put this thread in the right forum!!

Thanks!!!!
 

juliejerks

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I think it really depends on the cat. Some are really picky about what they go in.
A lot of cats don't like covered litter boxes, so I, personally, wouldn't go with that. I've heard that the automated ones scare some of them off too.
I'm a pretty firm believer in having the most basic box possible, cats seem to have the least trouble with them.
If I WAS going to buy a fancier litter box, I would probably try out the Tidy Cats Breeze. It looks really cool, but I'd be afraid to buy it, and then have the cat hate it. It'd be a major waste of money.
 

missymotus

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In my opinion the best litter boxes are actually large plastic storage containers, I think the brand in the US is Rubbermaid.

The high sides stop litter being kicked out of the box, and they are large enough for cats of all sizes to fit into.
 

littleraven7726

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Originally Posted by missymotus

In my opinion the best litter boxes are actually large plastic storage containers, I think the brand in the US is Rubbermaid.

The high sides stop litter being kicked out of the box, and they are large enough for cats of all sizes to fit into.
I buy Sterilite tubs as they are bit less expensive. Usually $3-$4 for a tub. We tried several covered boxes, and they were harder to clean & lasted the same as a storage container.
 

laureen227

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i have 4 littermaid boxes. you can use any quality clumping litter in them. i have all 3 versions - basic, plus & elite. i like the basic one the best - seems to have less problems overall.
next time, tho, i'm seriously considering the litter-robot.
 
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catlady2cat

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My "kids" have no trouble with the covered litter boxes. I did use a Sterilite storage container a long time ago and fashioned my own covered box. I had to drill holes all around to be able to then cut out the entrance. I think the covered boxes I could find at the time weren't very big. NOW there all sorts of boxes. I agree the simplier the box the better but I've been looking at other options that may be easier for me to deal with in case my medical situation worsens. I do appreciate all the feedback I can get!
 
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catlady2cat

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Well, now I have another litterbox to research and consider! Hadn't heard about this one!!!
 

hwc

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Went shopping today and I can't decide which litter box I want to buy. Before I spend that much $$$ I wanted to get some opinions.

Have any of you used the covered litter box that you roll on it's side then put it upright. It has a tray on the side that you pull out and it supposedly holds the waste that you empty then put the tray back in it's slot.
Yes. I have two of Omega Paws Roll N' Clean litter boxes. The larger of the two sizes. It is an incredible product. Roll it over and all the clumps go in the pull out drawer. Roll it back and you've got clean litter. It works exactly as advertized. It is much, much less hassle than hand scooping every day. Read the hundreds of reviews on Amazon. I don't know if I've ever seen so many raves for a stinkin' cat litter box, but it is just a very clever product.

Disadvantages? It's physically large, the size of a large covered cat box plus an additional 10 inches or so of width for the extra compartment. It takes some real estate to roll it -- probably about four feet or so to the right of the box (althouth it is possible to "roll" it in place on a hard floor). It's hard to describe, but because the weight of the litter is always in the bottom as you roll it, it's very stable and actually wants to stay in one place as you "roll" it.

If you have your litter box in the basement or garage or somewhere like that, then the Omega Paws is an absolute no-brainer. If you are tight for space, then that might be the only thing that argues against it.
 

piikki

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I also have/had the larger Omega Paws box. I used it for about 2 months as intended, and after that I took the extras and top off, and just used the bottom part as a regular litter box (with the nuisance of the extra parts it has that always attract clumps).

So why did it not work for us?

I got tired of rolling it. We have the space but the operation took me more time than scooping. Except for first couple of days after changing litter the rolling would not remove all clumps. They'd stick to the bottom. I would anyway have to take the top off and scoop and then lock the top again - pain in the butt.

The size was totally inadequate for bigger cats. After the grill is attached the actual usable size is only half of the box size. Kitties were poking half their body out of the box trying to get their business done. There was very little usable area after somebody left a big bomb in because it was not good to fill the box to brim to create a lot of depth (would lead to rolling difficulties, and litter would spill out of doorway when rolling).

If one ever did the cleaning a little late, rolling would have to be performed more than once because tray would overfill. Ok, not so bad but if you have bigger cats with bigger clumps, the clumps would wedge and fall out of the tray or not fit out of the exit hole, so again you’d need to remove the top (anyway).

So basically I found that the extra work required most of the days was not worth the benefit of having it nice some of the days when everything worked smoothly. Size-wise I would have needed like 2 boxes/cat to make it pleasant for boys. Did not work for us. Boys don't mind covered but basic big boxes it is.
 
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catlady2cat

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Thanks again for all the info. I went shopping again and took a longer look at the box you roll. My space is limited and I noticed the actual space the cat has once inside. I'm still debating about the Litter Maid type of box but it sure seems that the cost of replacement trays would really add up. If only I had cats that do their business using the toilet. I had a friend who had a cat that would use the toilet. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes!
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by catlady2cat

I'm still debating about the Litter Maid type of box but it sure seems that the cost of replacement trays would really add up.
well, i haven't bought any in years. i line them w/4 gallon garbage bags, & only replace the containers when they start breaking.
 
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catlady2cat

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What a great idea lining the tray with trash bags I'm thankful for all the tips. Do you use the LitterMaid scoopable cat litter or will any good brand of scoopable work? In one of the earlier responses someone mentioned they use a brand other than the Littermaid litter. The LitterMaid cat litter isn't cheap either. I use Arm & Hammer brand and prefer it over the others. I guess my second choice would be Tidy Cat. I tried the scoopable pearl beads when it first came out but didn't care for it and the cats didn't either.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by catlady2cat

What a great idea lining the tray with trash bags I'm thankful for all the tips. Do you use the LitterMaid scoopable cat litter or will any good brand of scoopable work? In one of the earlier responses someone mentioned they use a brand other than the Littermaid litter. The LitterMaid cat litter isn't cheap either. I use Arm & Hammer brand and prefer it over the others. I guess my second choice would be Tidy Cat. I tried the scoopable pearl beads when it first came out but didn't care for it and the cats didn't either.
i use a variety - my preference is ScoopAway unscented, but it's sometimes difficult to find. right now, i have a mixture of ScoopAway [scented
], Petsmart's brand unscented, & CatAttract [because we've had a couple of inappropriate eliminations recently
]. i've also used World's Best Cat Litter. all of them worked w/the litterbox - i just prefer the performance of the clay clumping litters.
 

meowers

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Mine have one huge plastic basic highsided (very important) box, and a smaller one just in case.

I switched to WBCL and we all love it
 

MoochNNoodles

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I have the littermaid box and I don't replace the trays untill they really need it. We just dump the tray out. My cousin has the box you roll and she loves it. Oh, and I use the TidyCat scoopable litter.
 

hwc

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I've now been using the Omega Paws Roll n Clean litter boxes for over a month. I just dumped and changed the litter in the first one after about five weeks. It was actually still OK, but over time with scoopable litter, you do start accumlating some tiny clumps that a scoop or the roll n clean action won't remove. I'll change the other one in a week or so. I'm trying to get on a change one one at the first of the month, the other on the 15th schedule. Actually, if I can ever get the cats to use the two boxes equally, I can probably change them every six weeks. They hold a LOT of litter (up to 20 pounds, three inches deep).

The Omega Paws is so fantastic. My two kitties use one about 2/3rds of the time and the other about one third. I roll the heavy use box once a day, although it has gone a day and a half when I've forgotten to do it before bed. No problem. Everything just comes out in the pull-out drawer.

I've got one that likes to pee right down the side, so the clumps shape to the curve of the bottom of the box. No problem. With it rolled a quarter way over, just give the bottom a good thump and it all comes free.

Now, if I could just get both boxes down in the cellar. I had to move one back upstairs after I caught one kitty doing her business outside the box. Now, of course, they prefer the upstairs box...although they are both using the cellar box, too.
 

punkygirl0101

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We have a littermaid, tried using it with a bunch of cats and it didn't work, really only works for 1-2 cats (Its the mega one too). So I use it for my kitty Paris who lives upstairs by herself, well with me in my bedroom, but not with any other cats). and then we have covered boxes for the office/hallway. And then we also use large (the long, under the bed) rubbermaid storage bins for areas where most of the cats go.
 

althekitty

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I just get the biggest litter tray that I can find! I had all the gadgets spent all the dosh and realised that all the little lad wanted was two litter boxes that were the extra extra large size so he can move around and some litter that I change in the morning after work and before i go to bed!! Doesn't break the bank either!!!
 
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