Auto Cleaning Cat Pans - Your Recommendations?

Hey guys, want to get some input here from you all.

I've got 4 cats here at home, all are indoor cats, 3 males and a female, all fixed.

Right now I have 2 giant cat pans that I change each week. However I've been thinking about investing in a couple of automatic cat pans (the ones that rake out their poo after they've gone).

These are on the expensive side of course, and looking around on the internet for reviews, I'm not really seeing any consistencies on recommendations on which one to invest in.

Any advice and experience with these out there?

a reply to: eriktheawful

When you go to toilett, do you do flushing only every week? Do cleaning your cat box every day. It is one minute, really.

a reply to: eriktheawful

Teach this to your cat.



OK. Still needs a little work.

a reply to: eriktheawful

No experience with the automatic ones, but I would imagine there would be problems with residue sticking to the parts because if a sensor triggers immediately after the cat does it's business and before the clay has a chance to dry it out, then you are going to have a coating everywhere.

As mentioned by another member here, cleaning the litter boxes every day is the best remedy, and using baking soda helps too.

I once had two cats in the house, we had two pans that we used, that was too much for us, so we decided to get an electric one.
It works REALLY good, or, ours did anyway, that is, until you realize how hard it is to clean them.
If you think about it, these things have teeth, or rather, a comb, that is used to 'scrape' the bottom of the pan, you have to clean that off, and it sounds easy, but it wasn't.
The 'residue' is dried very hard to those teeth, it's not just time consuming, it's actually worse than cleaning a regular litter pan.

The motor eventually went south and when it came time to replace it, we decided that we wanted to go back to the old way of just a litter pan.

Now though, I have seen that they have a system that is two pans, one is a normal 'pan', the other is a sifter with holes, all you do is raise it up and the litter falls to the bottom pan, a LOT less 'stuff' to deal with. At least in my mind I think this is the way to go, I don't have any cats now, but that is how I'd go about it.

I just saw one only yesterday somewhere online, I am sure that Amazon has them if you were interested.

Have had rescue cats for 40+ years-yes, I am old. Presently have 6 and trying find homes for 3.

Believe I have tried most of the automatic cleaner types. They have all eventually not worked well or broken. Some of my cats refused to use them because the noise scared them off so used a combintion of scoop and automatic.

After much trial and error I am back to 3-4 manual scoop litter boxes that are cleaned at least daily and sometimes more as needed.

It's a journey for sure. For the love of cats. And all living things.

This thread is a clear reminder why I won't let the Missus get a cat.

I like cats, I really do, but I prefer them when they're someone else's responsibility.

I suppose they're a bit like children, in that regard.

Lol

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
This thread is a clear reminder why I won't let the Missus get a cat.

I like cats, I really do, but I prefer them when they're someone else's responsibility.

I suppose they're a bit like children, in that regard.

Lol

I have found with both children and cats, that the joys outweigh the effort involved.

a reply to: eriktheawful



I have 6 cats, and would love an automatic litter cleaner. I think if you have more than two cats It would be too much for the auto cleaner to work properly for long. The clumping litter you use, would gunk up. So I use clumping litter and clean my cat boxes daily, usually twice a day.

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
This thread is a clear reminder why I won't let the Missus get a cat.

I like cats, I really do, but I prefer them when they're someone else's responsibility.

I suppose they're a bit like children, in that regard.

Lol

Yep.

I didn't let my kids crap in a box and leave it lying around the house; sure as hell ain't gonna let a four-leg do it.

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
This thread is a clear reminder why I won't let the Missus get a cat.

I like cats, I really do, but I prefer them when they're someone else's responsibility.

I suppose they're a bit like children, in that regard.

Lol

Yep.

I didn't let my kids crap in a box and leave it lying around the house; sure as hell ain't gonna let a four-leg do it.

Really? Didn't you potty train your children?

a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity

When you get to my age group cats are our children.
I would prefer to scoop out a litter pan than walk a
dog everyday.

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
This thread is a clear reminder why I won't let the Missus get a cat.

I like cats, I really do, but I prefer them when they're someone else's responsibility.

I suppose they're a bit like children, in that regard.

Lol

Yep.

I didn't let my kids crap in a box and leave it lying around the house; sure as hell ain't gonna let a four-leg do it.

Really? Didn't you potty train your children?

Sent them out to the outhouse, let the little beggars figure it out themselves.

Much like we did with the cats.

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
This thread is a clear reminder why I won't let the Missus get a cat.

I like cats, I really do, but I prefer them when they're someone else's responsibility.

I suppose they're a bit like children, in that regard.

Lol

Yep.

I didn't let my kids crap in a box and leave it lying around the house; sure as hell ain't gonna let a four-leg do it.

Really? Didn't you potty train your children?

Sent them out to the outhouse, let the little beggars figure it out themselves.

Much like we did with the cats.

Can't do that here because of frigid temperatures. And how much work is involved to move the outhouse, dig a new one, and bury what was there; lots of work I imagine.

For the love of cats!

a reply to: mamabeth

My 30 something children have not produced any grand kids hence my cats.

Love them all, but, ##### I want grand kids!

a reply to: Justso

I do understand,I have been a grandma for nearly 22 years now.
Maybe one of these days you will get some grandchildren.

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
This thread is a clear reminder why I won't let the Missus get a cat.

I like cats, I really do, but I prefer them when they're someone else's responsibility.

I suppose they're a bit like children, in that regard.

Lol

Yep.

I didn't let my kids crap in a box and leave it lying around the house; sure as hell ain't gonna let a four-leg do it.

Really? Didn't you potty train your children?

Sent them out to the outhouse, let the little beggars figure it out themselves.

Much like we did with the cats.

Can't do that here because of frigid temperatures. And how much work is involved to move the outhouse, dig a new one, and bury what was there; lots of work I imagine.

Dig it deep enough, don't put anything in it beside natural biological waste, dump plenty of yeast in it as soon as it thaws; you'd be surprised at how long it'll last.

As for the cold, just be quick about your business. And have a pot de chambre in the house for the ladies and the little ones.

I had a friend from South Africa told me that her grandfather was absolutely appalled when he first heard of indoor toilets. He couldn't wrap his head around the idea of people doing that inside the house!
:

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
This thread is a clear reminder why I won't let the Missus get a cat.

I like cats, I really do, but I prefer them when they're someone else's responsibility.

I suppose they're a bit like children, in that regard.

Lol

Yep.

I didn't let my kids crap in a box and leave it lying around the house; sure as hell ain't gonna let a four-leg do it.

Really? Didn't you potty train your children?

Sent them out to the outhouse, let the little beggars figure it out themselves.

Much like we did with the cats.

Can't do that here because of frigid temperatures. And how much work is involved to move the outhouse, dig a new one, and bury what was there; lots of work I imagine.

Dig it deep enough, don't put anything in it beside natural biological waste, dump plenty of year in it as soon as it thaws; you'd be surprised at hotel long it'll last.

As for the cold, just be quick about your business. And have a pot de chambre in the house for the ladies and the little ones.

I had a friend from South Africa told me that her grandfather was absolutely appalled when he first heard of indoor toilets. He couldn't wrap his head around the idea of people doing that inside the house!

Well the queens and kings did it indoors back in the days of knights and damsels in distress. Although it did drop down through a cavity to the ground where the pee-ons cleaned it up.

a reply to: InTheLight

But them royalty folks were a fairly weird bunch!

(I think this is what they call "thread drift.")
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