The Litterbox Chronicles: Scoop Free Litter Box Review

by | Monday | July 25, 2011 | 10 comments

As you know, Apollo has some marking issues that have made life rather, well, pungent. That is not a good thing.

On the bright side, by following veterinary behaviorist Dr. Yin’s advice to create a beautiful, austere, absolutely delightful potty palace for the cat I have been able to reduce a large amount of that behavior.

So now that we’re in a good place, I think you can understand why I was nervous to mix things up and try a new litter box, but in the name of technological advancement, we all must soldier on.

I’ve used the LitterMaid back when it first came out, but it was kind of a pain, messy and sticky and clumpy. The makers of the ScoopFree litter box sent me an Original Scoop Free box to test out, and lo and behold, automatic litter box technology has come a long way. And that is a good thing.

The major feature that sets this box apart is that it comes with a pre-filled disposable litter tray. So you lift the box, pop the litter cartridge under it, and in a few weeks’ time (up to a month for single cat usage, but less if you have more than one cat) you just pull the tray out, pop the cover on, and stick the whole tray in the trash.

Which is much easier than my standard setup, which involves me, a scoop, a repurposed diaper pail and no small amount of nose wrinkling.

Apollo is fine with it so far, which is good news for us. He’s happy because his box remains pristine, and I’m happy because someone else is doing most of the work. After a week of regular usage, the box is still nice and clean and odor-free.

Advantages:

  • No scooping required. There was an occasional little bit stuck to the rake, but it was very minimal.
  • Quiet. Apollo was happy to sit in the garage and observe the rake do its thing.
  • Convenient. I will scoop the litter daily since that is what it takes to keep the cat happy, but it’s very nice to have my robotic litter handmaid do it for me.
  • Comes in unscented version as well as the original scented version.

Disadvantages

  • Must use the crystal litter the box comes with. If you have a cat who refuses to use this kind of litter, it may take some time getting used to or just not work altogether.
  • Obtaining the trays- if they aren’t available at your pet store, you may have to buy them online. At $15 for a tray, the cost is pretty comparable to a bag of litter.
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We’ve had such success with the current litter regime (using Cat Attract litter, which I have never officially reviewed but has worked like a charm) that I’m a little leery of committing permanently to something new at the expense of our hard-won peace. But if I didn’t have that concern, I would be more than happy to let scientific advancements make life a little easier for me.

Anyone else have a strong opinion of the automated versus scoop it yourself box?

Filed: Daily Life, Health, Lifestyle, Reviews Tagged: , ,
  • Tabitha W

    I dont have an opinion other then I want one!!!! With three cats in the house this might just be my new fave thing!

  • http://www.wigglebums.com jo

    If you have room, and money is no object or you don’t mind purchasing refurbished, the Litter Robot is truly the way to go. No rakes to get clogged or scare the kitty with, no tray or crystals that your cat may not like or become allergic to. It works extremely well with World’s Best corn litter; all soiled litter is captured in a drawer you line with a “tall kitchen” sized trash bag that you remove and replace once a week. Plus some cats LOVE watching it do its job – one of ours would use his paw to stop the cycle, wait the 5 minutes for it to start again then hit the pad again, totally hilarious!
    http://www.litter-robot.com/

  • Sarah H

    You should check out http://www.catgenie.com you don’t have to scoop anything, it cleans “re-useable litter” and it flushes waste down your toilet.

  • http://community.instyledog.com/ Jess @InStyleDog

    I’ve been looking at them for two years (Gee, that’s just as long as I’ve had my cats …) but haven’t ever committed. Price is always scary since I’m never sure what I’m really getting into and I only trust one-line on-the-website reviews so much. So this definitely helps :) Even if I don’t get THIS one, it’s good to know litter technology is moving right along!

  • macula_densa

    I’m actually just trying out the cat genie myself for Isis. So far it’s gone OK, although I noticed this morning it seems to have stopped in the middle of its cleaning process last night and has a bunch of solution sitting in the box, so I’d say the jury is still out on this. If it goes wrong that quickly I’m not particularly excited about it.

  • Kristie

    Does this run on batteries, perchance? (We have two cats, three litterboxes… and only one that they’ll use. Looking for something self-cleaning that will work without a power outlet.)

  • Clio

    I have 2 of these and 2 DIY (5 cats!) I LOVE the scoopfree. The trays can be reused multiple times, I just use petsafe antibact spray to clean down between litter changes (get the 15 lb bags of crystals to refill). I have gained a lot of time in my week with the auto litter boxes :)
    Its plug in, 20 minute delay between poop and scoop and a sensor stops it running if a cat happens to be in it during the scoop run.

  • http://alyssalinnpalmer.com Alyssa

    I probably wouldn’t use these for my 3 cats, as one is pretty high-strung and nervous, and another might also get a bit freaked out. Also, I’ve tried switching them from clay-based litter to something more environmentally friendly and that went over like a ton of bricks. So none of these fancy crystals for me…

  • Roseofskye

    I would *love* to have one of these. The idea sounds awesome. But aside from cost, the possibility of the cat not liking the new set-up, reliability, etc. I’d have a couple of serious concerns:
    1. I’d worry about the size. I have a “large cat” (a shade under 20lb) and had to buy a bigger litter box after the first couple of weeks. He now uses a hooded one that’s 15″x 20″ inside. I don’t see how ScoopFree can seriously say their 14″x14″ box can accommodate “two large cats”. The Litter-Robot notes that cats over 15lbs might not feel comfortable in it. And while my large cat might fit ok in the CatGenie, I don’t think the CatGenie itself would actually fit in my bathroom. (I live in an apartment.)
    2. I’d worry about what kind of a mess my cat would make in such a high-tech litter box if he got an upset tummy and had diarrhea! Six months after we got him, my cat developed cystitis and needed to be put on a prescription diet, both to deal with crystals in his urine and low calorie to help with weight management. He didn’t take to the first prescription food we tried. Not only did his symptoms come back full force but he got diarrhea too. After multiple vet visits, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, pain killers and sub-cutaneous hydration, we are slowly weaning him onto a different low calorie prescription diet food and I’m a lot more conscious about monitoring the litter box. On the flip side, the health counter on the ScoopFree Ultra sounds appealing for exactly that reason. Our vet has warned me that in some cats this could be a chronic condition, particularly if we are not successful in reducing his weight. So while I’m not a fan of scooping, I see it as an opportunity to keep my eyes peeled for early signs that his symptoms are coming back.

    Also, Mr. Darcy hasn’t yet managed to master the high tech wizard gadgetry that is the cat flap on his ordinary litter box. A self cleaning one might just be too much for him.

  • http://www.hiddenexposures.com hidden exposures

    ooh, somehow missed this – have a strong opinion about it. i bought the scoop free litter box and am faithful to it only because…

    http://www.foreverlittertrays.com/ – forever litter trays!

    this guy took the scoop free box and decided there were things about it he didn’t like, such as the not-very-green buy and replace trays, the rake that poop sticks to, etc. i have bought his forever litter tray, the rake replacement, and also buy his litter and thanks to him have the perfect solution for a litter box. he has consistently blown me away in regards to his customer service – if you ever have any question, no matter how stupid, he gets back to you right away. he legitimately wants his customers to be happy with his products and it shows.

    i love having a cat but have never been good at scooping poop regularly. the scoop free box + the forever litter tray inventions means my cat gets a clean box, i get to be lazy, and i’m not dumping those scoop free trays all the time into the landfill. everyone wins! :)