CatGenie Litter Box: The Clean Fresh Smell Of Civilization’s Discontents
Ever since the Egyptians invented zero, curmudgeons have argued that technology creates as many problems as it solves, but I’ve never encountered a product that does exactlythat, until now. I’m talking about a litter box.
We all know there are plenty of products that cause more problems than they solve. As a professional technologian, my job is to sift through innovations to see which ones make for an improved life, and which ones are too troublesome for their own good.
CatGenie—pardon the pun—gives me pause.
After spending a month with it, I declare that it is the perfect zero-sum innovation. Every single advancement comes with drawbacks. While my wife and I no longer suffer from any of the problems associated with a traditional litter box, we are beset with an abundance of unanticipated others.
CatGenie is one of these SkyMall-type gadgets that bills itself as the “World’s Only Self-Flushing, Self-Washing Cat Box,” tossing in, for good measure, a weighty promise: “Never touch, smell, or buy cat litter again.” You install it easily by splicing the cold water line from underneath your toilet, running a waste tube up around the lip of the same toilet, and plugging the contraption into the wall. You pour in beads that resemble litter enough that cats get the idea, and you click in a replaceable cartridge of cleaning agent.
When the automatic cleaning cycle is engaged, a mechanical scooper removes the poo, and detergent-infused water floods the box and then drains, taking any trace of funk with it. The moistened beads are then blown dry, like Ron Burgundy’s hair, as a sweet floral scent fills the bathroom and any adjacent living quarters. The crap in the toilet is easily flushed away, as long as you remember to do it.
Compared to the alternative of sifting out chunks from a litter box and tying them off in environmentally uncool plastic bags, this is a beautiful promise. Because of the automatic setup, there’s no chance of getting punished by your cat for forgetting to clean a box frequently enough. Everything I described above happens exactly as billed. And even our dumb neurotic brother-and-sister act somehow figured out how to use it very early on. They weren’t even intimidated by the swirling Sarlacc pit that it becomes during cleaning. My key initial fear turned out to be totally baseless.
So why does the thing make me yearn for the days of the scoopable Arm & Hammer, even though PetNovations Ltd says there are 82,940 households already enjoying this contraption?
When I first watched the cleaning cycle, with my gadget-lover’s grin, I marveled at the swirling and churning and slooshing and clacking. I kept marveling for about 15 minutes, by which time my grin had soured, and I was looking at my watch. By minute 25 I stormed out of the bathroom in annoyance, came back at minute 35, shocked that the thing was still doing its business, and then returned again, sometime after it had stopped, roughly 40 minutes after it had begun. CatGenie recommends that for two cats, the process should run two to three times a day. That’s two solid hours of cleaning cycle.
The installation is stupid simple, but you need to be within 8 feet of both a power jack and a toilet (or laundry water line and drain). If you think that’s easy, stick your head in the bathroom—very few have power jacks anywhere near toilets, and I had to run my power cord up along the back of a sink. It’s not a hazard, but it looks like Wilson’s Amateur Home Improvement Show down there.
CatGenie is also massive. Its basin has about half the volume our cats are used to, but because of its wide surrounding lip and the tower of machinery, the system is probably 25% larger than a good-sized plastic litter box.
After a few days, we discovered an interesting characteristic of the non-toxic litter beads: They do not absorb odors. Right around 8:30 every morning, our big male cat, Wade, comes trotting up the stairs with a combination guilty/relieved look on his face, and soon after, we are engulfed in a sickening stink. Mind you, the cats’ depository is an entire floor away down the stairs in the guest bathroom. Scooping the offending dung into the toilet would defeat the purpose of owning a robotic litter box. (”Never touch litter again,” they promised.) My sole move is to, yep, run the damn machine.
Only the problem doesn’t go away instantly. In fact, it gets worse before it gets better.
As the detergent floods the basin containing Wade’s leavings, the whole thing becomes a savory poop stew. Even when we run the fan in the bathroom, the smell is unbearable for about 10 minutes, after which it disappears instantly, replaced by the machine’s pleasant perfume.
I kept telling myself that these problems are just growing pains, things to get accustomed to. CatGenie is not as messy as a litter box. There’s none of that residual ammonia smell that you can’t get rid of permanently, and for the most part, none of the crusty extras that come from overzealous (or just misguided) burying. The plastic beads manage to find their way all over the house, and I am embarrassed to confess, our 1.5-year-old kid manages to stick one in her mouth about every two weeks, but they are non-toxic plastic beads after all, and nothing that can’t be vacuumed up.
At least, I once told myself, there are no more plastic bags full of poop and urea headed out to some landfill. I read somewhere once that San Francisco had solved 90% of its trash problems, and that the remaining 10% was cat and dog poop in plastic bags. At least by switching to a bagless litter system like this, I’m being environmentally kosher, right?
Not in the least.
During every cleaning cycle, CatGenie runs a built-in hair dryer over all the beads for about 20 minutes. I plugged in my Kill-a-Watt meter and discovered this demanded a constant and alarming 1160 watts of electricity. For up to an hour per day, I am running the equivalent of four large plasma TVs, just so I don’t have to touch litter.
The costs start to mount. Besides the up-front $US300 and the daily running of water and electricity, the $US15 cartridge needs to be replaced every 60 cycles—that is, every 20 to 30 days. And the scatter-prone beads need to be replenished every three to six months, at $US24 per carton. Like an inkjet printer, the maintenance costs continue forever, making the notion of buying a $US7 box of Arm & Hammer every two weeks seem all the more reasonable.
Despite all these negatives, a great debate rages in my household: I would like to return to the olden ways of scoop and bag, and my wife says, “No.” Her argument, a good one, is that the bathroom has never stayed cleaner. Guests have to step around an awfully large contraption, but at least “it doesn’t feel like you’re walking into a barn.”
As Sigmund Freud once explained, moving from the wilderness to the towns didn’t solve humankind’s problems, it just swapped out the rustic difficulties for more urbane ones. His conclusion, though, was that while life still sucks, there’s a reason we don’t move back to caves. After experiencing a more civilized litter box, I can’t revert to scooping poop, but I impatiently await the next evolutionary leap in cat sanitation. [Product Page]
In brief:
After cleaning it’s amazingly fresh
Cats took to it almost from the start
Sounds like the TARDIS when it runs (could be a minus for some but not me)
Easy installation
Can run automatically up to four times per day
Empties into toilet that must be flushed
Non-toxic clean beads get all over house
Beads don’t kill odor
It’s huge and must be stationed near toilet and power plug
Self-cleaning cycle runs over 40 minutes, smelly at the start and hot at the end
Hot-air bead dryer demands 1160 watts of electricity for about 20 minutes
No way to stop cycle once it has started
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We have one of these and really like it. We do not have the pee/poo odor described. Our cats bury the poo and that keeps the stink from floating it seems. They don't tell you this in the ads but it needs to be completely dismantled and cleaned (in a large sink/tub or outside) every 6 months...this is disgusting since there is a certain amount of "pureed poo" that works its way into the various parts. What else, oh, if the beads are "wet" (say you haven't run it for a few days and there is a lot of pee) it will scoop a large portion of them and you have to dismantled it to get it working again.
OlympiaJay
1) SF recycles 70% of its waste, not 90. But I'm unsure if 10% of that is animal-produced.
2) I'd rather scoop if it didn't smell then have cables and wires and tubes running everywhere and have it still stink. Cat's STINK--hence the odor-trapping litter.
3) We have 2 cats. And a cat door. They do their thing outside and bury. WAAAAAY better than any catbox.
4) You can train cats to use the toilet.
Amen-Ra
God I hate those scheming cats...
@Alexandru Dragunoiu: It just starts back up when you plug it back in. There's no way to re-set it. So unplugging isn't so much "stopping" as "prolonging the inevitable."
Thanks for the review. I was curious about the CatGenie but it appears from your experiance it's more empty promises. The bad still outway the good.
Kurt Brown
My question - the toilet itself.. it's dirtyness...
Is that because of the CatGenie? Or just lack of established cleanliness beforehand.
Ew.
I thought about getting one, and then decided not to. 2 of my 3 cats are pretty skiddish, and I've heard that thing going before, it would terrify the poor things. I will stick to my scoop and bags.
I am not a cat person, but I thought you could teach a cat to use the toilet directly (not sure of the process but it involves putting the litter box on of the toilet.)
ps. Dogs are better than cats.
van_line
"No way to stop cycle once it has started"
Unplug it?! Nice pussycat btw.
Alexandru Dragunoiu
We use the ScoopFree system and it's been pretty good. A combination of simple rake to sweep the solids into a simple covered area and cat crystals that are pretty good at absorbing odor and moisture. You have to stir the crystals every day or so to avoid clumping and with one normal cat it lasts about 3 weeks. Rather than replace the entire 'cartridge' (box with crystals) I just empty the box and put in new crystals. (They don't recommend it but it's worked just fine.) After about six months I have to get a new cartridge+crystals, no big.
This contraption you describe sounds like an ecological nightmare.
We just picked up the Omega Paw litter box. The one where you roll it onto the its side and the litter is sifted away from the icky stuff, which then lands in a compartment that takes 2 seconds to clean. Absolutely the best cat investment we've made.
alterboy
Do you feed your cats wet food or canned food? if so that is the reason for the ungodly smell. My cats only eat dry food and we have no odor problems.
rofl at TARDIS sound
Chris Van Der Vecht
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
I’m frankly impressed by anyone who can quote Freud in an article about a cat poop machine.
why dont you just get some bio degradable kitty litter and put it on your garden? I do that but most of the time my cat prefers to just use outside for her business
Why use bags with a regular manual tray? Scoop the poop, chuck it in the toilet, and flush!
Pretty much the same comment as Oosh – except, use recycled paper litter. Scoop and flush. Also perhaps an enclosed litter tray with a door – it keeps the smell down and also stops the cat emptying the entire tray onto the bathroom floor as one of my cats seems to do!
@badhatharry: You and SteveDave ruined my appetite.
@WarOperationPlanResponse_GitEmSteveDave: Actually, what that look means is "What is that? You got food? Is food for me? Never mind. I'll just get up on the table later and eat it."
badhatharry
@michaelwiggins: Au contraire, mon frere.
badhatharry
@tok3ninja; is strapped to a rocket for the 4th: Wow. And you're angry.
R.O.A.C.H. needs to blow up the Moon! (w/ lazers!)
@TonyRockyHorror: It is also high in dust content, AND wheat is a great place for mold and spores to grow... Because they like damp environments. Which in turn gives you a cat with asthma.
No thanks!
@TonyRockyHorror: i recommend SwheatScoop as well... I have 2 cats that share a large litter box. I clean it once a day, right into the toilet. No plastic bags or poop in my trash. It does pretty well on odors too.
For years I used an automatic scooping litterbox like this one, when it broke I went out right away and got another. It wasn't perfect, but it was very good.
[www.petsmart.com]
Actually "I" didn't use the litterbox, my cats did.
Jake712
@Act Now and get a 4th Celebrity Death Free!: Lite: Thanks. ...still...laughing...ouch
GlennA
If it hasn't been posted on the last three pages, cat owners should all get this:
[www.omegapaw.com]
You roll it onto its back, pull out the poop drawer, and throw another scoop of litter in. We have two ENORMOUS cats, we do this once a day, and it is AWESOME!
dylanwho
"...my job is to sift through..."
eh? poor phrasing in an article about cat litter
qbxk
Had the Cat Genie for 4 months. Initially the machine got stuck during the cleaning cylce which caused some very unpleasant odor. It somehow stopped doing that and has worked perfectly for the past 3 months.
The review is good and fair, but I don't fully agree with some of the cons.
1. Beads don't kill odor.
At least with our cats this is a non-issue since the soiled beads don't leave the Cat Genie.
2. It's huge and must be stationed near toilet and power plug.
What do you expect? Unlike a regular cat box it contains a motor, heater, and turning mechanism.
3. Self-cleaning cycle runs over 40 minutes, smelly at the start and hot at the end.
Yeah. Let's hope the cats can hold it for those 40mins.
4. Hot-air bead dryer demands 1160 watts of electricity for about 20 minutes
Hard to say whether the energy used by the cat genie or the problems caused by plastic bags & cat litter are worse. In any case you can add that as a con to practically any gadget you review.
5. No way to stop cycle once it has started
Press pause or unplug it. In any case you REALLY don't want to stop it in mid-way (see poop-stew).
Philip Foeckler
@badhatharry: That guy has no broken ankle, he's just a lazy nerd.
michaelwiggins
@Amen-Ra: Too bad the cats in my neighbourhood can't bury their poo in grass, at least in my yard they just leave it on the top, always in a great liquid state...
@bytepusher:
Get the Scarecrow!
[www.contech-inc.com]
@thebigbad: Sterilized manure. Keyword being sterilized. No toxoplasma or other intestinal bacteria that just shouldn't be in a vegetable garden.
@badhatharry: As a master Caninologist, I can translate that look as, "Get that camera out of my face, or I WILL remember this and let that guy in the door and not bark".
First off, hook it up to the hot water line. Check the forums about catGenie. I think the safe temperature is below 140F.
Life will be much better when you don't have to worry about the poop slurry. Second, if you have the room for it, get a litter mat, which will catch the majority of those damn pellets. Third, look into the available hack of the cartridge and refill from the bottom. Lastly consider doing a little plumbing. I plugged mine into the toilets vent pipe. Not exactly code, but it works.
TrevEB
I've given up on all these auto mechanisms and odor control things, I've found that they are just gimmicks. I tried the litter robot and it scared the heck out of one of my cats.
The best box I've found is the Clevercat, which is what I'm using now. However, I just found this one and I'm gonna be all over it once it starts shipping, finally someone actually thought about how the box looks!!!
modkat.com
autobott
@AreWeThereYeti: Let's see your cat help elevate your ankle when you break it.
badhatharry
@Stubborn Ass Hat STOLE his AVATAR: She's broken you in. You're fucked sorry to say..
tok3ninja; is strapped to a rocket for the 4th
@WarOperationPlanResponse_GitEmSteveDave: ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHH...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(That was very unpleasant)
Anyone considering buying an automatic litter box should check out this site first for reviews and discussions of all the types and brands.
[www.litterbox-central.com]
tlb
@bombastinator:
I have been using Clevercat for years and it's great, but so ugly! I just found this one, can't wait to get it!
www.modkat.com
autobott
@van_line: You'd think so, but then you're in the bathroom, and they barge right in:
@CoolRiver45: Hence, the cycle has stopped.
@AreWeThereYeti:
"I ate ur kitteh"
@Shamoononon, Vampire Grater: And after you do that then you can get rid of the machine.
CoolRiver45
@TonyRockyHorror:
I use that brand also and it is the best. This CatGenie box is far too small for my Bengal, he wouldn't fit in it at all.
@OMG! Ponies!: Dawwwwwwwwww, kittens! :3
Have you tried Breeze ([www.breezeforcats.com]) by Tidy Cats?
It's a manual process and requires about $10/month for replacement "pellets" and "pee pads", but there's minimal odor and no litter trails around the house (not to mention litter crumbs all over the bathroom floor).
@timec33: NICE!!! did you train them young? I'm thinking of training mine, but hear that training them as adults is next to impossible.
@OMG! Ponies!: To counter Wilson's review I give you the best Amazon product review ever! It just happens to be about the Cat Genie...
[www.amazon.com]
1,015 of 1,052 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars An expensive way to smell poo, September 18, 2007
By N A "Cat Lover"
Cat Genie takes the small unpleasantness of daily cleaning the litter and it saves it up and releases that unpleasantness as one big unscheduled, unpleasant inconvenience every week or two. Advanced monitors will ensure that the device failure will occur during the workday, as you prepare for your important meeting with your prospective client. Nothing like cleaning out wet cat poo in your nicest suit. Or, you may be pleasantly awoken in the middle of the night by the repeating three beeps of "there's poo and hair in the hopper." You will become more familiar with your cat's feces every day as the cat genie gently fills your home with the aroma of baking excrement. Plus, you get to pay over $300 for technology that was "designed" and built for less than $2. The "processor" unit was designed in 1967 and allows all the functionality of the most advanced microchip devices of its era. It has both on and off modes. (Note: off mode available only while unplugged.)
Actually, the real reason for the high cost of the device is to cover the costs of all the customer support that they must provide and to cover the costs of all of the returned units. The question is not IF, but WHEN you will find yourself hunched over your cat's feces floating in a pool of fetid water, picking small plastic pellets out of the opaque, pungent water with your fingers so that you can get the device put back together.
And your cats will thank you by depositing their love bundles beside the machine that's half filled with water and beeping away forlornly if you happen to be away when it fails.
We have three cats, they had no trouble adjusting to the machine over about a week. The small plastic pellets getting everywhere in the house is not really any big deal. Roomba takes care of most of them well. We've now had the machine for three months. We received a replacement base last week for a leaky drain hose. We've called their customer service line enough times that we now know the "secret" diagnostic techniques of their experts. We don't know if we're going to keep it or return it. If we keep it, we're definitely going to install an exhaust fan in the laundry room, and set it to a timer to go when the unit is on. For some reason there are little bits of poo that fall between the tines of the hopper, and they get slow baked every time the unit dries itself. The stench is really outstanding. It's hard to describe. I'm a doctor, and I've rarely ever smelled anything so bad.
My recommendation is to wait for the next generation cat sanitation solution. That device will need to be a complete redesign to solve the myriad of problems with this unfortunate device. To say something positive, the customer support line is manned by kind, well-meaning kids who really do feel badly that you're having a hard time with your mechanical poo soup maker.
If you do buy this device, get some thick rubber gloves and a couple of towels that you won't use for anything else.
@bytepusher: SAME HERE, the "auto" boxes don't work, they just get clogged and make a huse smelly mess that is harder to clean than just scopoping. We have our box in a very small hall closet and prop it open only a few inches and use Jonny Cat litter bags and we only have to scoop a coupld times a day and it's very clean. We bought a large "under the bed" container with a lid and cut the lids center out to keep litter from flinging out, but enough room for the cats too. It works very nice. litter is HORRENDOUS on a vaccum cleaner!! this helps to keep it from being tracked out of the box when it's stuck in paws and fur etc.
I was in the market for a self cleaning litter box about 7 months ago. I read all the reviews on what was out there and decided that they were just not worth the money. I ended up going with the Omega paw. It's not automatic but I can clean the litter in about 30 seconds.
You roll the litter box, the litter sifts into a storage area and the waste ends up in a catch bin.
Empty the bin into a garbage bag, roll the box back to its original position and your done.
I thought about going with the organic litter so I could just dump it into the toilet. But I read mixed reviews about doing this also. And since I have a septic system nobody would care if it stopped working except me. And the last thing I want to do is chuck out a ton of cash because I didn't want to spend $4 a month on small trash bags.
CaptCaveman
They used to say "Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your doorstep." The modern evolution of that is to build a better litter box. As of yet, it appears, this has still not happened.
HDC
@schpeen: and this is the WIFE's job how??? I'm a man, don't get me wrong, but does the wife HAVE to be the one to clean the toilet? My wife and I share all chores etc. It's fair ;-)
@bytepusher: actually, while being a nusiance, cat litter an "poo" is a GREAT fertilizer/compost but I see your point too when you go to kneel down to pick and weed etc. could be messy to kneel in or step on etc.
@OMG! Ponies!: What a nice pussy.
@Shamoononon, Vampire Grater: I don't even know any more.
*cries*
@van_line: Yep, but it's MUCH easier to do when they are kittens, usually you put a small amout of saran wrap and litter inside that over the toilet and you slowly keep doing thet and then one day once the cat is used to it, you can pull the saran "method" away and the cat will just become used to "going there" and will straddle the toilte like anyone else. I know a person who did this and it was really funny, yet amazing to see too. I wished my cats were trained that way, SO much easier, cheaper, cleaner, no smell etc. especially when you leave town for a few days, you don't need a "sitter" to check on them, clean the box etc. Just leave them plenty of clean water and food.
@ryan1524: Ha ha. Sounds like my stupid dog. Every time I try something new, I end up with a huge crap brownie on the carpet.
@92BuickLeSabre: Who are you?
@bytepusher: What do you think fertilizer is?
thebigbad
@92BuickLeSabre: Which is back again..whatever.
I blame it on my insanity then.
(Either way, I'm never referring to my star again. Every time I do it changes.)
@Wilson Rothman: You could throw it out the window. Run it over with a ROV.
@Wilson Rothman: I blame it on the loss of my star.
My wife and i just adopted a new cat last year and I considered the Cat Genie but after much research I went with the Litter Robot. [www.litter-robot.com]
This thing rocks. It's not noisy, messy, or require a water supply. Sure, it was expensive, but my cat always uses it, unlike my last cat that would refuse to use a standard litter box if there was even one clump in it and instead would pee or poop on the floor right next to it (RIP you little fuck). I fill this thing with regular clumping litter and I can leave her alone for more than a week without issue.
Best ridiculously expensive investment I ever made.
BigDogues
I have the cat genie too. After 3 other types of auto cleaning litterboxes, I'd have to say this is the best. It does have it's issues, but it's WAY better then any of the others I've tried.
I would say this though, if I have limited time to do "cat" things, I'd much rather spend time petting the brat or playing fetch with it(cat used to actually retrieve, now it just chases, kills, then looks at me like"hey stupid, come get this thing and throw it again"..), then cleaning her shit/piss.
I have had 2 issues with it where parts broke on the unit, one was the main control head(has all the tech in it), the other was an arm with a gear on it. The companies support people were great and sent the stuff out very quickly and with very little hassle.
lol thats awesome
Or you could, you know train your cat to go in the toilet. They have lots of kits out there to do it.
I also highly recommend the Omega Paw Self-Cleaning litter box. [www.amazon.com] You roll it to separate the clumps from the litter and then they can be disposed of. Very easy!
saya
I tried to teach my cat how to use the toilet. He lost his potty training completely after that and started using the kitchen floor and my bed. FML.
ryan1524
@OMG! Ponies!: Thank you for not using "lolcat" grammar.
tok3ninja; is strapped to a rocket for the 4th
@92BuickLeSabre: I'm pretty sure "dumb brother-and-sister-act" refers to the cats, not him and his wife. ;)
msatlas
@92BuickLeSabre: Sorry to burst your bubble, but that'd be the cats I was referring to. You do realize humans don't use this thing, right LeSabre?
Can we get something like this for dogs?
Just three words and you can solve all of your cat litter problems once and for all: Tyler Hayes Weinman.
PrimaveraQuincy
MAYANS INVENTED THE ZERO!!!
joserqc
We use flushable litter in our spare bathroom and an automatic kitty maid in another room. All it does is scoop and place in a plastic receptacle using clumping litter.
That thing you demo'd is crazy. -=0
Turael
A good alternative to regular litter that actually is environmentally friendly is flushable litter. I switched to flushable littler a few months ago and will never go back to regular litter. You still have to scoop the clumps and poo, but you scoop them right in to your toilet and just flush.
The one that I use is the World's Best Cat Litter (the name of the product, and a good description too), which is made from corn. It does a great job at holding in the pee odor, but the poo odor is a little worse than regular litter, since there is no artificial fragrance. But hey I'll take that over the "poop stew" smell.
And one of the best things about is the lack of dust. There's no cloud of litter dust when pouring litter in to the box! My weird cat would actually eat regular litter right out of the box every once in a while, but amazingly she hasn't even tried this litter, even though it is actually edible.
But I did notice a warning on the bag of litter, that says that the state of California does not recommend using it. Not sure what that means really, if it's safe everywhere else, I don't know why you couldn't use it in CA.
Swheat is another one that I've seen made from wheat.
valenshek
Just buy a Litter Robot and be done with it. Best purchase I ever made. litterrobot.com
Rick Roberts
I highly recommend the product "The best cat litter in the world." Only available at a few supermarkets like the A&P here. It's fully flushable. Since getting it, I have not had to deal with bags. As long as I scoop the litter and flush it regularly, absolutely no smell. I put it right in the box, and the litter absorbs all the liquid. When flushing, it just breaks down into powder. As far as I'm concerned, a godsend - until I teach my cat to use the toilet.
UltmanCytisorus
So um...I'm still stuck on the part where you referred to your wife as your sister.
WE use SwheatScoop. It's wheat-based, totally organic, clumps really well, and it's completely flushable. And it's better for cats to boot. Normal kitty litter is clay based, and as they kick around in it, it kicks up clay dust, which they breathe in, which can cause lung problems for them when they get older.
And it's only about a buck more than regular litter.
TonyRockyHorror
Yea I researched this this contraption and a few other 'robotic' cat litter boxes and ultimately they introduce more problems than they solve I've decided after reading literally hundreds of reviews/testimonials discussing the pro's & con's. Incidentally those cartridges are expensive *COULD be easily refilled, but doh guess what - much like OEM ink cartridges there's a little built in sensor chip that once it thinks it's empty it will refuse to use it no matter how full it is in actuality. So for now I say nice try but there's nothing worth the cost at the present to replace the ol scooper shovel. I would never go back to not using a plastic draw string pan liners though, even though if you jab a hole in them that kind of sucks still that risk is worth the reward of being able to easily empty the whole thing out when that time comes.
NeomaLubnub
i looked at this thing for a while as a solution to a litter box. i have a small apt with a bathroom that attaches to my bedroom. after seeing several reviews like this i decided to try and teach my cat to use the toilet. i even found an infrared automatic toilet handle. you can buy a kit on amazon for about 30 bucks, and if your cat has any intelligence at all you wont ever have to touch litter again.
timec33
actualy you can put it in the laundry room as well and run it down the discharge hose that your washer empties itself into and hook it into the water line of the same machine to get the cleaning water there is generaly a power plug nearby and overall it works fairly well. I have three cats and the catgenie runs 4 times a day. if you have a litter colection pad outside the genie it solves the problem nicely. you can pick one up for a buck fifty at walmart. overall my impression has been favorable. the smell is a down side but that was fixd with a auto dispensing plug in that goes off around the same time as the catgenie. now if they would just incorperate those features into the machine as a stock item it would be well worth it. as is it is more of a fire and forget thing that you only have to take care of every month or so.
dgreer61285
A few years ago we tried a LitterMaid with our DSH, it was a horror-show she was a voluminous urinator and inside of a week the entire thing was completely caked in solidified clumping litter, it was like concrete.
bytepusher
@bombastinator: ignore that link it was supposedto to go to a picture of a top entry litrter box but it somehow switched to to an order form.
bombastinator
Dita here:
I think I still perfer pooping in a box. Big Ponies is nice enough and doesn't punish me cuz I'm cute and stuffs. So I dont punish him with poop. Im not gonna make him buy me this.
Maxie here:
I agree with my stupid sister. Shes dumb and doesn't know anything and isnt as cute as me but shes rite because pooping in boxes is betterer.
I do not think the Egyptians invented the Zero!...
Zero was invented by a Hindu mathematician Aryabhatta in India
sfokevin
@Amen-Ra:
That's just great, it's your sort that means that I have to inspect my vegetable garden for cat crap before I can do any work, so now I have to clean my own indoor cat's litter box and all the crap from the indoor/outdoor disease bags "owned" by my inconsiderate neighbours.
bytepusher
I wonder if the bead problem can be solved by combining it with a top entry litterbox. Which is to say put a box over the whole thing with a hole in the top. Might help withthe smell some too. It will make it even bigger and louder of course.
[clevercatinnovations.com]
bombastinator
@van_line: Dogs are better than cats in the same way that slaves are better than friends: only true for owners with a certain type of personality. Dog people want something that will love them regardless of how unlovable they are, cat people are willing to have to put out some effort to be lovable.
There, see, two can play that troll game.
AreWeThereYeti
Your toliet is dirty!! NASTY!! No wonder your wife likes this obviously she dosent like to clean anything.
schpeen
@Amen-Ra: That SF waste stat I quoted was an off-the-cuff hazy memory more to convey the gist, which is valid. It's certainly not something you should cite in sales presentations or legal arguments.
"poop stew" made me laugh out loud
SonaliHamlegs
This is one of those things that proves to the observing space aliens that we are the slaves to our feline masters...
klaybc
Or you could do like my neighbor and let your kitty shit in my sandbox.
@+ Watch video
Scotland