My cat is already scared of anything that is automatic or makes a loud noise. Even if the vacuum cleaner is turned off and resting against a wall somewhere in the house, she won’t go near that room until it’s gone. And when it is gone she still makes sure it’s not hiding somewhere, waiting to pounce. I couldn’t imagine what she would think of the Litter Robot – a new self-cleaning, self-sifting litter box that bears a striking resemblance to R2-D2.
One thing about owning cats is that their litter boxes can stink to high heaven. It’s one of the main reasons I wish my cat would learn to use the toilet. I can’t stand that nightmarish ammonia smell that wafts through the whole house after a fresh use of the box. Sure, cats are house broken, but it’s designated to a single box. A lot of veterinarians recommend that you get two litter boxes in your house, but that seems to be verging on obsessive.
The Litter Robot has a sensor and can detect when your cat just made a fresh deposit and automatically sifts the sand and drops the refuse in a box. After a few days you simply pick up the plastic bag and throw it away. Seems pretty easy.
There are a couple of real questions you should be asking yourself. Do I have the space for such an exaggerated oversized contraption in my house? And, am I willing to take the risk of scaring my cat out of being housebroken?
The whole idea seems perfect for people who go away a lot on business and don’t want to have the hassle of hiring someone to come watch your cat. Especially if your cat is an indoor cat and the person you hired has a habit of leaving the door open or holding favors over your head.
The Litter-Robot definitely isn’t cheap at a whopping 340 bucks. Sure, you could easily grab a non self-cleaning litter option for a couple of dollars at the good ol’ corner store. But, then you’d have to ask yourself — what would I pay to spend less time with my face down in the place where my cat takes a dump?
The solution isn’t better poop receptacles, the solution is not having something that poops In your house. This is over engineered solution to a simple problem… No more cats.