For Cat Owners: More Litter Boxesby Jaime Egan | More from this Blogger 27 Apr 2006 10:00 PM You have read about the traditional type of litter box and the sifting litter box in the first part of this series. Here are some of the litter boxes considered to clean themselves. "Self-Cleaning" Litter Box I have no idea why they call it a self-cleaning litter box because you still have to clean it. This type of litter box is enclosed, almost like a little kitty house. When it comes time to clean the box, you simply toll it back and forth. It is shaped so that you can stop on each side as it rolls. The box is equipped with an internal sifter which separates the "clean" litter from the clumps of...well, you get the idea. Once you have finished rolling the box and it is upright, you simply pull out the tray that holds the refuse. Dump the tray's contents into the garbage, replace the tray, and your kitty's litter box is clean until next time. We had one of these when we first got our cats, but they ended up making too much of a mess with the litter upon exit. Those litter-catching mats didn't work for a box that shape and size. Automatic Litter Box I am sure that you have heard of the automatic litter boxes that rake the box once a cat has exited the box. These boxes have sensors that can tell when the cat enters and exits. After a certain amount of time after the cat's exit, a little rake goes through the litter and dumps the waste into a receptacle on the other end. When the receptacle is full, you just empty it and replace. Supposedly, the box will not start cleaning while the cat is in the box, but my sister's cats' veterinarian begs to differ. When she asked her about it, the vet told my sister NOT to use one because hers started cleaning while her cat was in the box and its tail got caught in the rake. Not fun for little kitty. On the other hand, my mother-in-law has one for her cat and has never had a problem. She loves it. I have discovered a new automatic litter box that is similar to the rolling "self-cleaning" box that I mentioned before. It is enclosed and has sensors that detect when your cat enters and exits. A few minutes after your cat exits, the globe part of the box (it's round) rolls itself, clumps are sifted and fall through waste ports into a drawer. To clean, all you have to do is empty the drawer. For more information about this automatic litter box, visit Litter-Robot. So, now you have the "scoop" on different cat litter boxes. If you try one and it doesn't work for you, try another. I have had many trial-and-error sessions with these boxes, and now I am back to the traditional box. Just make sure that whatever you use, it works for you AND your kitties. Extra note to readers: For some interesting information about cats and their litter box habits, please see Cats and Litter: An Odd Perspective and for more info about your favorite animals, visit our Pets blog. Learn more about Jaime Egan  Bio has been removed by administrator Relevantpets tags User Comments  Libby Pelham |
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