| Litter Robot LRII Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box |  | Brand: Litter-Robot
Category: Pet Products
Buy: $328.99 - $349.95 (On sale from $403.65)
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  218 reviews
ASIN: B000OQAOVA
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| Customer Reviews: Read 213 more reviews...
 Highly recommended! Best pet care investment I've ever made. October 6, 2008
I have owned the Litter Robot for about six months now (Oct. 2008). This is the first automated litterbox I've ever owned. I have two cats, both about 7 years old. One of my cats is very large -- not fat, exactly, but just a very big-boned cat. She had a hard time with our old covered litterbox because she could not sit upright inside it, and so her fur frequently became soiled near her tail.
One of my concerns about the Litter Robot was whether my large cat would fit comfortably inside the unit, and this has turned out not to be a problem at all. She has plenty of room to maneuver inside the Litter Robot.
Both of our cats adapted very quickly to the Litter Robot. In fact, there really was no training time at all. I simply added a little "old" litter to the top of the fresh litter in the new unit and then took away the old litterbox. Both cats immediately began using the Litter Robot with no problems. It took several weeks before they noticed the unit turn on and rotate, after which they spent several days "playing" with it, stepping inside and then running away to watch it cycle. During this time, they still used the box normally, also. Finally, they grew bored with the "game" and now ignore the Litter Robot's gyrations altogether.
I absolutely love being able to empty the box just once per week. Recently, we had to leave town suddenly for eight days, and it was nice not to have to rely on the housesitter to deal with the litterbox. Instead, I was able to put a fresh bag in just before we left and feel confident I could leave it unattended for a week.
Personally, I have not experienced any of the issues other owners have complained about. My cats never try to enter the box while it's cycling; we don't notice much odor at all from the unit (and, actually, the odor we have noticed is still FAR less than a conventional litterbox); and we don't notice that it's particularly noisy (though, granted, we have a large house and have the box located in a remote corner).
My lone "complaint," and the reason I give the unit 4 stars instead of 5, is that I notice the waste material mainly falls into the back of the collection drawer and frequently soils the edge of the liner. This makes it all but impossible to remove the bag without getting my hands dirty. And I haven't figured out how to make the bag overlap the edge of the drawer and still be secured by the rubber grommet. However, this is a very minor complaint!
All in all, I would recommend this product without hesitation to any cat owner who is tired of cleaning the litterbox. The Litter Robot performs flawlessly and has made my life much easier. I couldn't be more pleased with this investment. It's definitely the best pet care product I've ever purchased!
 Works well as long as you do your (small) part September 14, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I have only had two problems with mine (I've had it over a year).
One, sometimes the sensing mechanism doesn't sense the cats. Cause: I've let the litter get low, and the unit doesn't see enough weight to recognize the cat. Solution: Add litter to where it's supposed to be. The problem is either that, or the box has shifted so that a foot slipped off a piece of 1/16" board I put under it (to keep litter out of an air duct), causing pressure (weight sensing) to be uneven. My fault, since it doesn't shift in normal use; I probably slid it some when emptying it.
Two: Waste getting stuck in the exit hole and then either jamming the mechanism (which has a strain sensor to avoid hurting a cat) or tracking waste around the globe. Cause: The waste container is full. And more than just full - it's heaping up into the globe exit hole. Solution: Empty the box when it needs it. It only needs it once a week with my three cats.
Some people have commented that the bin is small. It holds a whole lot more than any other self-cleaning box (other than a self-flusher). I have three cats and the box will last a week easily.
Some people have reported that it stops working with lights flashing. They need to either call customer service or Read The Manual. It explains the codes and how to solve the problem (which is usually simple).
Some people have commented on the cats needing to step on the step to trigger the mechanism. This person probably didn't have the unit very long, because this is not the case. The mechanism senses weight anywhere. My cats trigger it by jumping on top (and the unit will not run until they get off, for obvious safety reasons). It is more sensitive to the step due to levering action - the sensor is in a foot on that end. My cats usually step in, but they jump out over the step; this scatters a little more litter than usual, but it's no big deal.
Some people commented on damage to property because their cats didn't use the box. These are probably also the type of people who toss their kids into the deep end of the pool to teach them how to swim. And they are the type of people who do not take suggestions, even from the manufacturer of the product. In short, you just need to give the cats time to adjust. Give the cats both types of boxes until they are using the new one. They will tend to come to like the new one better because it stays clean.
Some people commented on the high price to return it if you don't like it. (Please don't exaggerate the cost - it's $25-$50, not "more than the unit") Yes, that's a problem. This was the cause of my hesitance. It's a large item. It costs a lot to ship. Guess what - all the other litter boxes on Amazon are the same way, and some are worse because you also have to ship supplies. If you don't like the unit, sell it on Craigslist to somebody local (so the buyer doesn't have to pay shipping either). I'd buy it from you as a second one. But if you give it a fair try, you, and your cats, will probably like it. Warranty support includes shipping.
Compared to others:
Pro: It does not use special disposal containers. You can use whatever bags you want. Even used grocery bags. The storage container is reasonably odor-tight, so keeping used litter in it for a week isn't a problem.
Pro: It has a built-in cover. Yes, it's part of the way the Litter Robot works, but many boxes charge extra for the cover. This reduces the amount of litter that gets scattered around.
Pro: It uses a jam-free problem-free technique exactly the same as some manual-rotation boxes. And it's also essentially the same as a box that has a strainer layer - it drops all the litter through a strainer grid then returns the litter to the basin. Almost EVERY other box uses tines in some way. Tines tend not to catch small pieces. Tines tend to get stuff stuck between them. Tines tend jam. Tines can bend and become dangerous. Worse, tines can stick briefly and fling waste products around the room at high speeds. The Litter Robot doesn't use tines. (As a note, the most popular tine-based box design, the one that has to rake through the box, needs a very strong motor; those boxes tend to burn out motors but they have a relatively short warranty.)
Con: It can't work with small kittens or very light cats. They need to be at least five pounds to weigh enough to be sensed. Or you can leave it turned off and treat it as a manually-switched powered litter box until they get bigger; it's a decent-size box on its own.
Con: It can't be used with very large cats. Cats over 15-20 pounds may have trouble turning around, though naturally-large cats tend to do better than overweight ones.
Con: It uses electricity. A small power transformer that plugs in nearby that doesn't pose any risk to the cats, but it means you need to have power available. I put the unit right next to the outlet with the extra cord tied up, so the cats aren't likely to unplug it. In the past 14 months, they have only unplugged it a couple of times. Though nothing is hurt by that - it just falls to being a regular covered litter box until it's plugged back in.
Neutral: It uses litter. Generic clumping litter, but it uses it. That's a cost. So? It's less cost than getting some special cleaning solution like the self-flushers use. In addition, they usually need replacement pellets anyway, and they're expensive. It also means litter may get scattered on the floor. Again, the others usually do the same, only with more expensive replacements.
(Note to those who think they have a short warranty - it's 18 months. A year and a half. Amazon just has a 30-day satisfaction warranty, but the full warranty is longer than anything comparable.)
Great litter box-worth the $$$$ September 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Overall, I think this is a great product. And if you're not having success with it, a call to customer service or reading through some of the hundreds of reviews here will solve your problem 99% of the time.
I ended up buying this directly from the manufacturer because I had reservations about my cats adapting. I have a 4 year old and a 9 year old, and surprisingly my older cat has taken to it quicker than the younger one-seems she would rather go in a clean litter box :)
Over all, the smell is significantly less, and it is significantly less work. For these 2 reasons alone, it is worth saving for.
I have had a few problems with the younger cat because she is fairly long and sometimes does 'miss' the box and ends up going on the step. And thanks to a suggestion from CS about hanging a cat toy, ball, whatever you choose hang from the roof just above the opening, that seems to get her in all they way.
I also was having a problem with both cats not using the step at all, and I was always having to manually cycle the dome. This too can be solved by simply adjusting the sensitivity underneath the step, you will find a knob you can turn. Follow the instructions and make it less sensitive and they will still activate the mechanism without using the step. Hope this helps and good luck to all of you!
worth every penny September 8, 2008
I was apprehensive at spending over $300 but after doing a lot of research, this self-cleaning cat box appeared to be the best one out there. I have had it for about a month and have loved it since it arrived. I have 5 cats and only need to empty the "poop drawer" every 2 to 3 days, but that beats scooping 2 cat boxes every day like I used to do. I opted for the black litter robot because I thought it looked less industrial. It takes up about the same amount of space as my standard litter box, just a little taller. I was surprised at how quiet it is. The litter robot is in my home office and is more quiet than my fax machine. I would recommend this to anyone who has cats and is tired of scooping!!
good kitty September 7, 2008
I bought the litter robot lr11 to make it easier on my wifes bad back cuz I do not do litter box"s at all!!!After getting it,My wife was thrilled on how great it is.Three happy cats also.I then went and purchase 3 more for family presents.Two daughters each 3 cats and a brother in bad health 1 cat.Everybody LOVES the robot.Little less noise in the middle of night and I would even be in LOVE. I told you I don"t do litter box"s John from Coral Springs
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