Automatic and self cleaning cat litter boxes are becoming increasingly popular. The Litter Maid is a well known brand that has mixed reviews. There's also the Cat Genie that washes the litter. After a thorough evaluation of features and trade-offs, we became convinced the Litter-Robot II is the best auto cat litter box available.

We purchased our first Litter-Robot II in June of 2007. Recently, we upgraded to the new version that has the odor control feature. This article

compares the features of three top automatic cat litter box brands and discusses our experience with the new Litter Robot II odor control feature.

The Litter Maid uses a rake to comb through the litter. The rake separates clumps from litter and deposits them into a special receptacle. Receptacle refills must be purchased separately. They are not very large and cost a lot. They are sold 12 in a box for about $19.99. For just one cat, they need to be changed every 5 days. That adds up to $120.00 per year. Over a typical 15 year cat life span, the cost is $1800. Many users have reported problems with the Litter Maid rake getting clogged. It needs to be cleaned often. The Litter Maid reduces the effort of scooping, but requires maintenance of the rake, a dirty, disgusting job, and costs $1800 over the life of one cat due its special receptacles.

The Cat Genie is an interesting concept. It uses special cat litter that is washable. The unit connects to plumbing in your home. After the cat

completes his business, water enters the litter area, the litter is washed and solid waste is pushed through a grinder before exiting the unit to the sewer. The cat gets his own toilet, literally. Now for the down side. Just like a toilet, the Cat Genie's grinding mechanism can clog. This is very disgusting to clean out. Another down side is the special litter. Surely a little is lost since the cat tracks it out little by little. What if it was no longer available? The Cat Genie would end up in the trash.

The Litter-Robot II has an ingenious design. A removable globe sits atop a base having a very large removable drawer. Inside the globe is a sturdy, heavy duty filter that sifts litter from waste as the globe rotates. A trap door rotates around until it reaches the bottom. The waste reliably falls through the trap door to the drawer below. A cat sensor detects the presence of the cat. There is a timer that does not start the globe rotating until 7 minutes after the cat is gone. This also allows the clumps to solidify, enabling extremely reliable performance. The cat sensor also detects if the cat comes back while the globe is rotating. The globe stops for 15 seconds.

There are only a few negative things that can be said about the Litter-Robot. These are publicly disclosed by the manufacturer, adding to the integrity of the product. One is that the Litter-Robot II is not recommended for tiny kittens or cats less than five pounds. Tiny kittens may not have the sense to get out if the globe starts while they are inside. The cat sensor may not detect a tiny kitten and the poor thing could get

hurt by the trap door. Second, it is not recommended for diabetic cats. Third, it is not recommended for cats larger than 15 lbs, although users having cats up to 20 lbs have reported successful Litter-Robot II adoption. However, Litter-Robot II comes with a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee, even if it is used by the cat. So it's definitely worth a try for large cats. Unused Litter-Robots purchased from Paradise Robotics by Chicago area residents may be returned within 60 days to Paradise Robotics. This avoids the return shipping cost, if it doesn't work out.

Before discussing the odor control features, let's discuss the other Litter-Robot benefits. The first benefit is the globe itself. The shape of the globe is ideal for minimizing the amount of litter the cat can kick out. The opening is just large enough for the cat to enter. The globe is lined with a thick rubber material and the screen is coated with the same material. The rubber material prevents and reduces odor absorption by the globe.

The second benefit is easy cleaning. The globe easily lifts off the base. We have found it rarely needs to be cleaned. The screen has never clogged. Once every few months we've found it necessary to empty the remaining litter and clean the globe. Since the globe has no electronics, this is easily done with a hose or in the bathtub. You could take it to a self car wash if

you live in an apartment. Similarly, the drawer is easily cleaned by a hose or in a laundry tub.

The third benefit is the Litter-Robot's sturdy construction. It is very solidly built and intended to last a long time. It may seem like it costs a lot, but if you consider that you are buying an appliance rather than a throw-away consumer product, the price is very reasonable. It's about the same cost as a dishwasher or washing machine and meant to last as long. The warranty is 18 months, 50% longer than standard 1 year appliance warranties.

Now for the odor control features. The first Litter-Robot II we purchased did not have odor control. Except when our cat just used it, the odor really wasn't that bad. It was noticeable only if you stood next to it or when the drawer was full. Then we upgraded to the new Litter-Robot II with odor control. What a difference! Now when standing next to it, the odor is not noticeable. The same is true when the drawer is full. The only time odor is noticeable is every few months when it to be cleaned.

The odor control features are two-fold. First there is a soft breathable ring that fills the space between the globe and the base. This traps odor inside without allowing odor to build up. Then there is a replaceable carbon filter at the front of the drawer. The drawer step has odor breathing holes to prevent odor build-up. Now the odor must travel through the carbon filter to exit the holes. The odors are effectively neutralized before exiting. The manufacturer recommends replacing carbon filters every 6-8 weeks, or when necessary. We haven't changed ours in five months and still don't feel it needs to be changed.

We give the Litter-Robot a five star review. In our opinion, it is the best self-cleaning cat litter box available. We have chosen not to add the other brands to our product line, simply because they do not measure up to the quality and performance of the Litter-Robot. Even though we could make more money selling receptacles and special litter for other brands, we have chosen to sacrifice these additional sales for happier customers. Our customers have told us we succeeded.