Cat Genie Self-Flushing Litter Box

[Smiley14]

I'm chuckling even as I'm typing the title because it's just too funny, but has anyone seen the advertisements for this new litter box? It's being released sometime in August here in the US. And while I laugh every time I look at it, I'm also rather tempted to give it a try! It's expensive, but without having to buy litter or the refuge containers I buy for my current litter box, I think it would eventually be a good investment...assuming the thing actually works and lasts! But anyway, just wondering if anyone else has seen this and what they think about it. Thanks!

http://www.catgenie.com/

[glasslass]

I'm wondering what Puss-Puss would have thought if she wanted to use it and the granules weren't dry yet? I can just see her running to see what it's doing and then not wanting to have anything to do with it.

[LM1313]

LOL, the cat in the picture looks so inquisitive! I've never seen one of those, but it sure would be nice not to have to change litter.

[rainbow]

LOL...if you get tempted enough to buy one, let us know how you and your cat like it.

[chico2]

Shamrock,I was wondering that too,having 3 cats,how fast does it dry??
Also I have tried all kinds of litter and had to go back to the regular clumping stuff,would they go in this granular litter??But if this thing works,it's a great invention

[dtbmnec]

I guess if you have multiple cats they'd want you to have multiple cat genies...

Interesting concept but wouldn't that make cat owners just lazy? I mean if (god forbid) it broke down and all the owner's used is this I mean they'd have to go back to "manual labour" OMG!

And I mean sure its not fun to do this but isn't it part of cat ownership? I mean I get to clean the cat litter all by myself (the boyfriend is instead doing dishes cuz he hates cleaning litter) and it sure isn't fun buuuut....its part of my cats life right? I mean it might teach kids "responsibility" right? Having this thing wouldn't.

Megan

[Smiley14]

I haven't made up my mind about this thing yet, but I'll let you guys know if I do end up trying it!
Good question on the drying time on the granules; I hadn't even thought of that! According to the site, it cleans and then dries them 10 minutes after the cat leaves, but doesn't say how long the process takes. I only have one cat, so that wouldn't be a primary concern for me personally, but could definitely be an issue for someone with multiple cats.
I've gone through several types of litter boxes and kitty litter over the year, and my cat doesn't seem overly picky, so I think he would accept these new granules as well.
Dtbmnec, very true! That is rather a part of cat ownership! But I suppose it all depends on each person's needs and lifestyle. Being a single career professional working long hours and having no kids to teach the responsibility to right now, convenience is my biggest factor. Having scooped many a box over the years, I wear my cat cleaning duty like a badge of honor. But at this point in my life, spending those few extra minutes each day with my old and ailing kitty is much more important to me.
I haven't made up my mind yet..I'm debating betweeen this thing and another one I found called scoop-free, which is like the Litter Maid taken to the next step. However, the scoop-free is quite costly to maintain and this thing still makes me laugh every time I even look at it. If I'm laughing at it, I have no idea what my cat's reaction will be! But anyway, thank you all for your thoughts, I really appreciate it!

[jiorji]

oh i don't know if that's such a good idea ...it doesn't look like it cleans properly.

[glasslass]

I'm remembering how fastidious Puss-Puss was. She wouldn't use the litterbox unless it was clean. I would notice she had used it and immediately scoop. She would hear me and run in to use the cleaned box again. This contraption would be cleaning constantly! If she wasn't scared off by the mechanics.

[Smiley14]

You guys have raised up a lot of valid concerns that I didn't even think of! So I've decided to just stick with the more traditional litter box for now. I'm going to get the Scoop-Free or Litter Maid self-cleaning one, so it's more traditional, but still a little more automatic. Seems like a good compromise since this one is rather expensive to take a risk on something that may not work very well.
But anyway, just wanted to say thanks for all your thoughts and helping me make a decision!

Steph

[LianneCatherine]

I'm sure there have been improvements in the Litter Maid since I had one, but I remember it being more trouble than it was worth. It had just come out, and we were so excited about not having to clean out the box! The little rake would scoop the poo into a box that you could dump out, clean, and reuse. I guess the first question is...how much time am I really saving by not having to scoop?? I still have to go and throw away the poo, clean out the container and put it back.

Anyway, the rake would get all gunked up with clumpy litter that you constantly had to clean off for it to work properly. Then, the machine would break or the sensor would be off and it would either stop midway or keep cleaning and cleaning without stopping. A pain either way, and like I said, more trouble than it was worth.

Maybe this genie thing is better--if you try it, do let us know how it works! I'd love to rid myself of the scooping duty.

[Esaunders]

All I can say is this...

I LOVE my Litter Maid!!!!

[H.P.]

I don't think my Jo would go for this, it is too different. I tried a couple of years ago to potty train her to use the human toilet. She went along with the first few steps, but then it was "Mom, you have gone TOO FAR!!"

[Smiley14]

Well, I got my Scoop-Free litter box in the mail yesterday. Came in three big boxes! So I put it together today and put Billy inside it. He sniffed and pawed at the crystals and then calmly walked out. So we'll see what happens! He didn't seem disturbed or anything, so hopefully that's a good sign!
I'm also VERY curious to see if these crystals and self-cleaning actually last a whole 30 days like they're supposed to. It sure looks a lot neater than my old litter box, so hopefully it will perform nicely as well!

[Smiley14]

Originally Posted by LianneCatherine

I'm sure there have been improvements in the Litter Maid since I had one, but I remember it being more trouble than it was worth. It had just come out, and we were so excited about not having to clean out the box! The little rake would scoop the poo into a box that you could dump out, clean, and reuse. I guess the first question is...how much time am I really saving by not having to scoop?? I still have to go and throw away the poo, clean out the container and put it back.

Anyway, the rake would get all gunked up with clumpy litter that you constantly had to clean off for it to work properly. Then, the machine would break or the sensor would be off and it would either stop midway or keep cleaning and cleaning without stopping. A pain either way, and like I said, more trouble than it was worth.

Maybe this genie thing is better--if you try it, do let us know how it works! I'd love to rid myself of the scooping duty.

This is why I decided not to go with the litter maid. My sister had one that did the same thing. So I'm trying the Scoop-Free one. It looks similar, but uses those litter crystals instead that shrink and dry instead of clump, so supposedly the rake won't get clogged. I hope not, otherwise this thing was wayyyy overpriced!

[YzGuy]

I know this thread is somewhat old, but i decided to leave a reply on the CatGenie string from last July.
My wife and I searched high and low for something for our 5 year old cat in the 'self cleaning' catagory. We found the catgenie website and watched the video. I doubt we would have purchased it if it hadn't had a 2 year guarantee.
We recieved the CG in about 6 weeks and put it to use in our laundry room. We were also hoping that our cat would get used to the different looking litter box. We followed the suggestions on the website and it worked.
About 2 weeks into the "experiment" the 'litter' wasn't getting completely dry so our cat would track litter out of the box. I watched a full cycle of the cleaning and thought there was something wrong. I called CatGenie and they sent a new BRAIN and a return address for the defective part. It arrived in 2 days and now I am VERY please with the results. My wife doesn't scoop crap and i don't have to change litter.

[Prin]

That's cool. Good to know that they have good customer service.

[heidiho]

I like the old fashioned kitty litter box and scooper,but awhile ago i posted about the Fresh step Crystals kitty litter,i would never use anything else,i love it,and it doesnt look bad either,drys really good to me also......

[Smiley14]

Originally Posted by YzGuy

I know this thread is somewhat old, but i decided to leave a reply on the CatGenie string from last July.
My wife and I searched high and low for something for our 5 year old cat in the 'self cleaning' catagory. We found the catgenie website and watched the video. I doubt we would have purchased it if it hadn't had a 2 year guarantee.
We recieved the CG in about 6 weeks and put it to use in our laundry room. We were also hoping that our cat would get used to the different looking litter box. We followed the suggestions on the website and it worked.
About 2 weeks into the "experiment" the 'litter' wasn't getting completely dry so our cat would track litter out of the box. I watched a full cycle of the cleaning and thought there was something wrong. I called CatGenie and they sent a new BRAIN and a return address for the defective part. It arrived in 2 days and now I am VERY please with the results. My wife doesn't scoop crap and i don't have to change litter.

That is good feedback, thank you! I'm not to thrilled with my Scoop Free litter box that I selected back in July and sometimes wish I had given this one a try instead. My cat is ailing and doesn't have much longer to live, so I'm not going to worry about it now. But if I do get another kitty in the future, I may give this thing a try yet! I just didn't have a very convenient place to hook it up and I did not want it in my bathroom. Sorry, that grosses me out for some reason, LOL! Which leaves me with the laundry room for water hook-up and there's not a lot of space in there.

For those wondering about the Scoop free, it's similar to the Litter Maid, except that it uses crystals instead. I do love the crystals, but the overall system isn't as convenient as advertised. I would say it lasts about 10 days, not the 30 days as advertised. So while nice to only have to clean the box once every 10 days, the price to purchase and maintain is not worth it. The box was $300 and the crystals that come in the special container needed are a good $40 a month to maintain. Next time, I'll just get a normal box and use the crystals or perhaps give the Cat Genie a try.

Right now, I'm enjoying every day left with my cat and will decide if I want another cat or a second dog later when the time comes. I can't introduce a third animal into the house right now as it would stress Billy out too much. He's terrified of other cats and dogs. Took him a good year to adjust to Petey! Anyway, now I'm rambling.

[CAM]

YzGuy,

Are you still happy with your cat genie? Do you have any problems with your cats raising up and eliminating over the edge?

[krdahmer]

anyone have $1800... seriously I'll need 6!!!

What a great idea, I saw that the other night when I was watchin laaaate night tv. I like that it saves on the environment a bit... I throw about 20-30 lbs. of used litter out every week (the clumps, cause although the Swheat is flushable our toilets don't have enough pressure). And man would I love to skip the major clean out every other month! Maybe I can talk hubby into trying just one.

[ancientgirl]

This looks like a good idea, but I'm not convinced. My two kitties need LOTS of room. This looks like it doesn't give your cat enough roaming and getting comfy space. I'd seen this a while back, and you still have to buy the granules for it, just like you'd have to buy the litter. Then you have to install the thing to your toilet, which I'd be afraid I'd muck something up and flood the place. Not to mention the price tag!

I'm sticking with my littermaid.

[CyberKitten]

I too hope this works - but 4 cats, I might need a few of them, lol I don't use clumping litter so that might work - still - it seems to not give the cat much room and one of mine likes to dig and dig and she needs her room! I'll wait till they iron out the bugs and the beta version is over, lol

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by Smiley14

You guys have raised up a lot of valid concerns that I didn't even think of! So I've decided to just stick with the more traditional litter box for now. I'm going to get the Scoop-Free or Litter Maid self-cleaning one, so it's more traditional, but still a little more automatic. Seems like a good compromise since this one is rather expensive to take a risk on something that may not work very well.
But anyway, just wanted to say thanks for all your thoughts and helping me make a decision!

Steph

I currently use the litter maid, 500 model which I think is the least expensive one. But I'm thinking of going with one of the larger versions, mainly because my kittens are growing and they both need room now, so a bigger one might be in my future LOL. It's like they're taking a tour of the litter box when they go in there.

I'm pretty happy with it. For the most part it takes the clumps and solids into the receptacle. But it still leaves little bits and pieces in the litter, which is no big deal, I usually go in and sift through those and toss them in the receptacle. I've taken to keeping my trash bags from the market and using them as liners, which helps keep the cost of new receptacles down.

I'm gone all day, and I don't like the thought of having them using litter while it's got clumps and stuff in there. With this I know whenever they go in, its free of most of that and their poop is raked.

One thing I did notice about this cat genie which I thought about after I saw some of the videos, is it does look like it would be more sanitary for your cat. I like the thought of my cats not going back to a dirty box throughout the day and night. Because even though we/or a machine scoops out their waste, its always dirty and unsanitary for them, unless you clean the box and put in new litter every time they use it. This seems to at least wash the crystals and the box so that you know its always clean. I want the litter box to be sanitary more for them than for me. Hell, I wash my hands whenever I have anything to do with litter, they don't have that option. They are always walking in a box that's been used at some point, then they go off and groom themselves which includes their little paws.

I'm actually contemplating this now when I move to my new place. I just need to see if I can get the money for it, since its quite expensive.

[jwvaincourt]

I purchased the Cat Genie Jan 8 and received it Jan 11. I absolutely love it as does my husband ( I scooped the litter, he disposed of it). I followed the instructions to aclimate my two grown cats. It took about three days before I felt I could take away the old litter. It has been great ever since. The sani-solution that comes with the orginal order has an ordor to it when the Genie is cleaning only. It is a nice odor, but I prefer the odorless. It did get a clog once, but I followed the trouble shooting instructions and it has been working ever since. You can never smell the urine as it goes into the bottom in the sani-solution. The poo only smells for a short few minutes. Probably no more than if we go to the bathroom. I run my Genie twice a day. While aclimating my cats, I kept record of when they used the litter and set my clean times accordingly. Now when it runs, my cats run over and sit and watch it work. I like the 2 year guarantee and the 90 day trial. If it lasts for a long time past the 2 years, it is well worth it.

[Smiley14]

Oh, that is good to know, thank you!!! I still eye this one quite a bit and wonder about it. I don't like the one I ended up getting back when I posted this thread, but I'm sticking with it for now as my cat is very old. I don't want to stress him out. But for my next cat, I think I'll go this route as well and train them on it from the start!

[scardonne87]

I love this cat box, though the setup was a little difficult due to the outdated bathroom, I had to buy a new nozzle for the bathroom to hook up the water supply to the cat genie. Regarless of the trouble i spent setting it up I think its great. My 4 cats took to it the first day. They love watching it clean. The sanitizer solution has the nicest smell to it kinda like baby powder. I read alot of bad reviews and alot of good reviews. Im assuming the bad reviews were from the older verision of the catgenie which they have improved. The Catgenie is a little bit loud if you have it in the master bathroom. It's only loud when it drains everything out which happens about 3-4 times during the cleaning cycle. I dont have mine setup up on an automatic cylce due to me having 4 cats I have to clean it more often so it doesnt malfunction (cause it is an expensive piece of equipment) You also have to think that if you have it in your bathroom the waste is going into your toilet so you must flush everytime you clean it (WARNING: keep the toilet lid down when u flush you will not want to get a wiff of that nastiness lol) I would highly recommend this to anyone with cats. Its really big so even the biggest cat can find comfort using it. You can also set this up in the laundry room if you have one though you have to share the waste tube from the washer. I dont like that idea too much only because the tube for the litter box has to be hung from the top so the waste might stay on the tube of the washer which may cause a smell but I have no clue thats just my theory. Another thing about this is that now my cats wont urinate in the sink or poo next to the cat box anymore because it will always be clean. My cats dont like going in the cat box when its even a slight bit dirty. This has been my experience with the CatGenie. I hope you enjoy yours if you plan on getting one, it is by far the best investment I have ever made, way better than the autoscooping cat box which was garbage (didnt even scoop things from the bottom).

Rate it: 2 thumbs up!!