# Cat Genie, Litter Robot and other self cleaning litter boxes



## lawrence_elena (Nov 22, 2009)

Hi

Happy New Year everyone!

We would like to hear from anyone that has used or own the Cat Genie or the Litter Robot or in fact any other *self cleaning litter box*. We really want to explore the options outside of manual cleaning.

We understand there are pros and cons to self cleaning but we have decided we prefer self cleaning as the first choice. Both products mentioned above have plenty of reviews on Amazon but some reviews look dubious and other reviewers go as far as to mention that the reviews before theirs might be dubious or created by the companies that own the products.

So if anyone on here has had *real world experience with self cleaning litter boxes* please let us know.

We are due to receive two kittens in a few weeks and they will be our first kittens ever and we can't wait. Just trying to get everything in place.

Lawrence & Elena


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## impulce (Jan 9, 2009)

Bloody hell - i think id have war on my hands trying to get a cat into that 'Litter Robot' - and i cant blame them, looks like a torture device!

The Cat Genie looks a little more plausible, though still a very very strange concept..it only takes a minute or two a day to clean a cats litter tray :huh:


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## impulce (Jan 9, 2009)

Can you even get them in the UK? Are you from the UK? They only appear to be on amazon.com, and having read the first couple of reviews of the cat genie, they look horrific and appalling things. The various recounts of 'the smell of baking poo' and having to 'sift through poo liquid to unblock it' sound particularly pleasant.

If it is that you are squeamish about cleaning litter trays, i worry for your sanity with a kitten...they WILL take time to adjust to even a normal tray and WILL mess in various places before they understand. You might have to help clean their bottoms sometimes, you might have to scoop poo up and put it in the right place so they know where to go by the smell.

I would begin with a normal tray so the kittens at least stand a chance of understanding where they are meant to go...


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## monkadelic (Dec 28, 2009)

lol @ 'baking poo'

They look a good idea, and I'm sure their versions in five years time will be decent, but I'm not sure I'd want my cat's litter tray in my bathroom/toilet anyway.

Also, trays are really not so bad to clean.

Although I've always had cats around me, so maybe it's easy for me to say.


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

I think in theory they are a great idea. However, they look like more machine than tray with an OK size for kittens but I think a large adult cat would feel too confined. They like room to move around and dig.

I like the idea of the cat genie, but I would question their cons against more conventional boxes ie calling them an "open sewer" - nice!! not if regularly scooped and an appropriate litter is used and saying it negates the need for multiple litter trays. Surely thats a must in a multicat household. With a tray that big and more than one adult cat you would constantly be flushing, adding to the yearly cost of all the cleaning fluids and extra granules.

I wonder how much you get to be aware of litter tray contents as well. They are huge keys to some health issues and if automatically flushed or cleaned away you wouldn't be able to pick up on those. I notice the genie did not demo with actual "solids" or if they did, they were very peculiar looking ones. How would both cope with bouts of the runs ?


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

wow!! very weird!

seems a bit overly extravagent for me. Cleaning litter trays isn't much hassle and that is a lot of money for something i don't think is necessary.

Let us know how it goes if you do buy one though!!


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## fluffosaur (Dec 10, 2009)

I'm a bit squeamish about dealing with litter trays. Always have been and probably always will be! I looked into the self-cleaning ones but decided that it'd just be even more disgusting to clean out a litter tray like this if the cat gets the squits !!

I've found that cat tray liners (plastic, pets at home, 6 for £2.50), 2 sheets of newspaper and a sprinkling of cat litter is more than enough for my cat to do it's business and easy to clean away. I just pick up the edges of the plastic liner over the edges of the tray and dump it into the rubbish. Quick, easy, hygienic and clean. It would honestly never occur to me to "scoop" my cats litter. I don't wish to get that up close and personal with my kitty. 

For the 2nd tray I have in the house I use either newspaper or puppy pads with a sprinkling of litter. It seems to suit all the cats I've had here which don't have toileting issues to begin with.

Kittens are basically going to poop and pee everywhere though so I wouldn't go scaring them with a self-cleaning litter box straight away! I recommend you pick up some "simple solution" urine odour removing spray because you're going to need a LOT of it !!


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## loobs101 (Dec 5, 2008)

I don't think these are at all suitable for kittens. Even for adult cats, I'm not convinced that these are safe. 

I'd stick to a shallow litter tray to start them off with. I have a hooded litter tray and use world's best cat litter which is fab because you just scoop and flush it down the toilet.

Cleaning the litter tray is a pain, but cats give you so much joy they are totally worth it!


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## lawrence_elena (Nov 22, 2009)

impulce said:


> Bloody hell - i think id have war on my hands trying to get a cat into that 'Litter Robot' - and i cant blame them, looks like a torture device!
> 
> The Cat Genie looks a little more plausible, though still a very very strange concept..it only takes a minute or two a day to clean a cats litter tray :huh:


Lack of time is not the issue ;-)


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## lawrence_elena (Nov 22, 2009)

impulce said:


> Can you even get them in the UK? Are you from the UK? They only appear to be on amazon.com, and having read the first couple of reviews of the cat genie, they look horrific and appalling things. The various recounts of 'the smell of baking poo' and having to 'sift through poo liquid to unblock it' sound particularly pleasant.
> 
> If it is that you are squeamish about cleaning litter trays, i worry for your sanity with a kitten...they WILL take time to adjust to even a normal tray and WILL mess in various places before they understand. You might have to help clean their bottoms sometimes, you might have to scoop poo up and put it in the right place so they know where to go by the smell.
> 
> I would begin with a normal tray so the kittens at least stand a chance of understanding where they are meant to go...


They can be bought in the UK now but they are more expensive than the US counterparts and have to be purchased from the manufacturer.

We are under no illusion that we will have to clean up after our kittens. What we are trying to avoid is cleaning up after our kittens for the next 20 years :001_tt1:

Thanks for your advice as we are still undecided on which route to take.


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## lawrence_elena (Nov 22, 2009)

monkadelic said:


> lol @ 'baking poo'
> 
> They look a good idea, and I'm sure their versions in five years time will be decent, but I'm not sure I'd want my cat's litter tray in my bathroom/toilet anyway.
> 
> ...


You are lucky to not mind the mess so much! Can you do ours as well


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## lawrence_elena (Nov 22, 2009)

Saikou said:


> I think in theory they are a great idea. However, they look like more machine than tray with an OK size for kittens but I think a large adult cat would feel too confined. They like room to move around and dig.
> 
> I like the idea of the cat genie, but I would question their cons against more conventional boxes ie calling them an "open sewer" - nice!! not if regularly scooped and an appropriate litter is used and saying it negates the need for multiple litter trays. Surely thats a must in a multicat household. With a tray that big and more than one adult cat you would constantly be flushing, adding to the yearly cost of all the cleaning fluids and extra granules.
> 
> I wonder how much you get to be aware of litter tray contents as well. They are huge keys to some health issues and if automatically flushed or cleaned away you wouldn't be able to pick up on those. I notice the genie did not demo with actual "solids" or if they did, they were very peculiar looking ones. How would both cope with bouts of the runs ?


The boxes may be too small for larger cats and hence why we are asking for existing users to comment. The website and reviews seem to imply it is not a problem for bigger cats.

We live in a small flat and if we aim for multiple trays we fear our flat will just end up being one big litter tray so the cat genie or litter robot seemed ideal. We would like to have the cats use just the one if possible.

Some other site has commented on the cost of the cat genie in the long run and it is quite expensive so I think we may be scratching that of our list.

As for inspecting the excrement, as much as we don't want to, we appreciate it may help diagnose health issues so we are keeping that in mind as well.

I think the Cat Genie would cope with the runs better as it washes the bowl. But how does a normal litter box cope with runs? Do you have to clean it straight away?

Thanks Saikou.


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## lawrence_elena (Nov 22, 2009)

alisondalziel said:


> wow!! very weird!
> 
> seems a bit overly extravagent for me. Cleaning litter trays isn't much hassle and that is a lot of money for something i don't think is necessary.
> 
> Let us know how it goes if you do buy one though!!


most innovations in technology as always a bit extravagant 

i will be sure to let you all know how we get on


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## lawrence_elena (Nov 22, 2009)

fluffosaur said:


> I'm a bit squeamish about dealing with litter trays. Always have been and probably always will be! I looked into the self-cleaning ones but decided that it'd just be even more disgusting to clean out a litter tray like this if the cat gets the squits !!
> 
> I've found that cat tray liners (plastic, pets at home, 6 for £2.50), 2 sheets of newspaper and a sprinkling of cat litter is more than enough for my cat to do it's business and easy to clean away. I just pick up the edges of the plastic liner over the edges of the tray and dump it into the rubbish. Quick, easy, hygienic and clean. It would honestly never occur to me to "scoop" my cats litter. I don't wish to get that up close and personal with my kitty.
> 
> ...


Tia is beautiful!

Why did you decide against the self cleaning and why do you think a normal litter box would help if the _"cat gets the squits"_? We are new so it is not obvious. Maybe cleaning the robot is more complicated that emptying the litter from a tray and washing it. Is that what you mean?

Also, when you say sprinkle of litter, how much do you mean exactly. It seems like you have you litter boxes in places you don't frequent so having less litter and the smell may not be an issue. Please correct us if we are wrong


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## fluffosaur (Dec 10, 2009)

With my litter boxes I have one in the living room (because some previous cats used it, every cat after them wants to so I am trying to discourage them using the carpet & the tray is easier), one in the hallway and one in the spare bedroom upstairs. No excuses for being caught short ! The one in the living room is the most frequented but also in our busiest place. However, I'm able to whisk it away quickly and dump the contents before they start to smell too much. By just using newsaper and a small bit of litter it doesn't matter that I change each tray maybe once or twice a day, as soon after they use it as possible. I know some people sit and scoop their trays? That's pretty gross in my opinion!! I want as little to do with their toileting as possible and this is the easiest/quickest way I could possibly devise.

I decided against the self-cleaning because there is no guarantee kitty will use the thing to start with and then again, in case they have the squits ! When a cat has the squits it sticks to EVERYTHING. It is like GLUE. It hardens really fast but that doesn't stop the smell and once the smell has lingered there is no getting rid of it. For example:

LitterMaid Automatic Selfcleaning Litter Box LME5500 Cat Litter Trays And Accessories (All) for Sale

With this tray it has a "rake". If the cat produces something which is any less than rock solid you are going to get cat poop all over the rake, all over the tray and it's going to stick like nothing has stuck before. It'll be gross and you'll end up having to get up close and personal with it to get it off.

For this one:
Omega Paw Self Cleaning Litter Box Large Cat Litter Trays And Accessories (All) for Sale

You tip it to the side. Again, any less than rock solid (which in my experience very few cats manage to produce all the time!) and you're going to be scraping off kitty poop with a toothbrush.

Seriously - tray liners, newspaper and a bit of cat litter and daily tray changes for the whole thing. Easiest way I have found and guaranteed usage by all of the cats I foster.


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## loobs101 (Dec 5, 2008)

I live in a small flat too, and only have one litter tray. My two have shared a tray since they were kittens and it hasn't been a problem. 

I considered a self-cleaning tray at one point, purely because if they have done a poo I remove it straight away, but if I am out at work then it has to sit there until I get home and can get very smelly. I can live with that, but it is embarrassing if I happen to be arriving home with visitors.

I've read stories on the net about these things catching fire, and the thought of my cats getting hurt terrifies me. Also, there is the chance that the cats would refuse use it anyway (such fussy creatures) and it would end up being a huge waste of money.


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## Acacia86 (Dec 30, 2008)

I read about these a while ago, and while they sound great first off they do have problems.

Also i wouldn't like to spend so much money on one only to find my cat refuses to use it!! Lol!!

I will stick to my normal tray! I clean my cats trays out every single time she will use them and therefore have no problems with smell etc etc


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## Isi (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm afraid I have no knowledge of the self-cleaning trays, but it sounds like you might be ideal candidates for training your kittens to use the Litter Kwitter
Litter Kwitter - The Original Cat Toilet Training Kit

This device trains them to use a human toilet, so no mess and no smells!

I haven't used it, but some friends down the road from us have successfully trained their cat to use it and I know there is someone on this board who has also succeeded (sorry, can't remember their user name :blush2: but a search should bring it up).

Personally I have no problems scooping and chucking their poo away twice a day - I even smell it and peer right up close to it to check it's as it should be! I realise I am probably very weird in doing this though


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## groundhogdaze (Nov 12, 2009)

Try the Litter Kwitter Toilet Training system, even comes with a training video:huh:


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## CatGenie (Nov 2, 2009)

Hi all,

Catgenie UK appreciates that the direct comparison of the US price to the UK price shows the UK unit at a higher cost. It should be noted that all items sold by mail order in the US do not have to include sales tax. In our case we would have to add 17.5% to the listed price. Add in a variety of other costs and many items in the UK are slightly higher than the same item in the US.

With regard to reviews of CatGenie it is worth highlighting that CatGenie UK has only ever sold the CatGenie 120. This is the new model released in July and has a number of improvements to enhance performance. These include a redesigned scoop to more effectively remove solids from the granules, a redesigned hopper that breaks down the solids for flushing that now includes a hair cutting ring (the main cause of blockages in the previous unit) and a scrubber wheel in the base that minimises the need for deep cleaning the unit. Any reviews pre July 2009 will be based on the earlier unit.

There have been a number of other enhancements based on customer feedback that has improved the reliability of the unit greatly. The wash cartridge now lasts for 120 washes, up from 60. One cartridge will last 4 months with one cat.

All CatGenie units bought from our website come with a no quibble 90 day money back guarantee as we appreciate potential customers may have concerns over how well the cat will take to it. We just ask you to clean the unit fully and pay for return shipping and we will issue a full refund. We have only had one return since Catgenie UK launched in July. It also has a 2 year warranty to give you peace of mind.

The CatGenie Tuxedo at £349.95 comes with enough supplies to last one cat a full year. No more buying and lugging cat litter home or putting out heavy rubbish bags.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have on CatGenie.

Richard, CatGenie UK
Mods - This is not a sales post - Just trying to answer some forum comments but feel free to edit to meet forum guidlines


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## CarrieBradshaw (Dec 19, 2010)

I was thinking about starting a thread about these to ask about any members' experiences (I have done plenty of reading on them generally already), but found this, rather than start a new one  I am not squeamish at all about trays and value checking the contents before I dispose of them (always very soon if I'm here, so their tray is nice for them - also, I understand you can switch off the automated programme if you want to keep an eye on things), but was just giving hi-tech trays a bit of thought because I leave the internal doors open, except the front room, so the kittens can come and go at night (they usually sleep with me, in their radiator bed or on the cat tree in the bedroom)...this does mean I can wake up feeling pretty 'bleurgh' if stinky air has come through - these kittens can even stink out through to the room they don't have regular use of! Through closed doors! (They don't usually go in the front room, because I wouldn't want them to run out into the street when I get home, but I don't really use that room as a living room anyway). Naturally I don't want to change the fact that the house is their home, in the way I'm used to letting a cat roam, but if their loo would clean itself when I'm asleep, it would save my sickened lungs


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## Kiwi (Nov 18, 2010)

I used those self-contained catsan rolls with extra litter poured on top. Very clean and extremely easy to change without touching anything - you just pull the drawstrings together to remove. You do still have to scoop it out regularly and I choose to wash the tray before re-laying a new roll but I doubt it's necessary. With several cats, I'm guessing that you wouldn't need to scoop, just change it once or twice a day. I doubt it's the cheapest option but if you're considering a Cat Genie, I imagine that money isn't your primary consideration.


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## CarrieBradshaw (Dec 19, 2010)

Thanks Kiwi, but that's exactly what I use already, although I got a pack just to try out and will return to the usual loose Catsan afterwards - as I said, it's not about disliking scooping at all, my cats are my babies and I'm not sqeamish about anything to do with them  There are just times such as while I'm asleep or when I return home, perhaps with guests, when it would be nicer for both myself and the cats. Money's very much a consideration - I'm an at risk NHS worker! - but the maths on the high-tech methods can be very much about the initial outlay. As I say, I was just giving them some further thought and wondered about other people's experiences on this forum...


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## lisajjl1 (Jun 23, 2010)

I saw one of these at the Supreme show -not sure which model but it was fully up and working on demonstration.

I noticed the noise aspect...obviously makes noises a normal tray doesnt when its in its cleaning mode!

I use woodbase and a covered tray - years of trying out everything going has led me to believe you cant keep it too simple....as long as my cats have somewhere clean and safe to go I'm happy to tip the waste litter in a bag and provide the hot water and labour as required.


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## CarrieBradshaw (Dec 19, 2010)

Again, I'm anything but a lazy cat owner  Anyway, seeing them in operation at a show sounds cool. This is just about thinking them over - I have two great hooded trays for them at the moment. I'd love to go to a big show and see things in person, but it's ages til the Supreme now. Quite randomly, I went to Crufts last year - I'm not a dog person at all, but I thought it would be an interesting day, which it was - the shopping area was so vast!! Just when I thought we'd seen everything, we went down some steps and there was more! There were a few cat things, but I'd love to go to something with more. I've had a look in the shows for to see if anything is coming up (pets or cat specific, but I suppose that is more for showing cats than working yourself up into a shopping frenzy  ).


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## evilerthanskeletor (Jan 6, 2015)

Bought a litter robot 2 bubble unit and started using it three days ago using Sainsbury's clumping litter. Summary: Success! 

I have two cats, one is a medium sized short fur cat (Monkey) and the other is a large-ish long haired cat (Cat). 

Previously, I attempted the Litter Kwitter Toilet Training Aid but had Monkey staging a protest at the amber stage (with cardboard aid), preferring to wee in the kwitter but do the big ones in the bath tub. (It was funny for a while.)

I then reverted back to the old hooded litter box and a month later, decided to purchase the Litter Robot 2 Bubble Unit which actually had a larger opening than their shared hooded litter box.


Once assembling it and plugging it into the shaving unit, I put it right where their old hooded litter box used to be. The two of them were curious (and very scared) when I ran the motor.

Once it was set up, I switched it off and slowly carried them to it, patting them and encouraging them to check it out. Monkey hopped in cautiously, but Cat was still on guard.

I went to bed expecting a bathtub protest, but woke up to twelve perfect clumps. I then switched it on to clear it manually and allowed the cats to hang around and watch. Monkey sat right in front of it, mesmerized by it all. Cat not so impressed. She is the more emotional one.

So for the first week I am going to leave the auto-clean switched off and manually run it before and after work. But it's been 3 days and so far so good!

The poo bin can hold about 3-4 days worth of "jobs". :thumbsup:

I'd say try and transition your cat/s to a hooded tray that has a similar opening size and width as the LR2 Bubble Unit first, that definitely helps!

But I give this 4.5/5 stars for a cat gadget!


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## Danwiz (Dec 20, 2016)

Apologies for dragging up an antiquated thread, has anyone here got the litter robot 3? I've been reading a few reviews and they all seem to say it's the best auto litter tray by miles but it costs a ton! Is it really worth the money?

Thanks!


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

I've got one and rate it very highly, as do my cats! Previously they would both use the tray a max of 2 times a day on full days, once if they could help it. I'm a clean freak, so trays were always spotless. I counted the other day, and one of them used the tray 6 times! No UTI, no straining to go, none of that. Just more frequent use.


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