Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have been using Littermaids since they first arrived in the 1980's If you loved your kitty, but had to travel out of town on business like I did, they were a great problem solver. There are TWO lines of Littermaids - the ELITE and CLASSIC. I prefer the Classic, since the Elite one I had broke - the rake is metal. If you have more than one cat, buy the Mega size. If you more than two cats, I suggest you buy two boxes or be prepared to empty the waste bins more often. Elites can have accessories like cover tents if you are into that thing. The originals were made in the USA and wore like iron. (Of course this is what put the original company into bankruptcy since there were no resales!) The new company that bought the bankrupt company now builds overseas, and they are not as durable. But following some simple rules will help them last 4-5 years. 1. LITTER Buy a good hard and FAST clumping litter. The cheapest and best I've found is Tidy Cats Odor Erasers Scoop For Multiple Cats 24/7 Performance Cat Litter. It has to clump FAST so that they are ready to go by the time the timer tells the rake to start scooping. You want HARD clumping so they don't shatter as they are coaxed to the waste bin. -Warning some "clumping" litters are too sticky and adhere to the rake and box bottom and can jam the rake and brake it. I had BAD experiences with Arm and Hammer in this regard which broke the Elite rake. 2, MONITOR THE FILL LINE Don't overfill or this makes the sensors unable to complete a cycle and it will back up and forth. This puts wear and tear on the motor. Likewise don't let the level get too low or there isn't a critical mass of litter to clump. If your cats are 'mound builders', occasionally you may have to give the box a simple shake to even out the level after it's done scooping. 3. WASTE BINS Here's a trick to save on buying waste bins so often: line them with disposable grocery bags. But first, take a second bin and cut off the top rim about a half inch all round. That way you are making the whole bin area stronger to support the plastic bag. There is a company called LazerArt (http://www.lazrartstore.com/BAG-it.html ) that makes a permanent replacement for the lids (which I found a PITA, to keep replacing anyway) and a frame that holds the bag open and in place, I found these to be worth it. Clean up was really quick: Flip the lid, pull up the handles on the bag. pull up, tie ends, and dispose. Eventually you'll get into the rhythm of it and it goes fast. 4. SMELL The above litter is the best I've found to lock out the urine smell without having to put up with the yucky perfumy ones. My cats are really good about covering up their solid business, too. If you have a lazy cat who doesn't you will smell it until it gets scooped. I have special needs kitties and so feed them NO GRAIN food - wet and dry. While it costs more, I have noticed that after two weeks their 'depositing' smelled very little. I also have a Lysol automatic air freshener ( set for the half hour cycle) in the room on a top shelf, just in case a guest goes to the loo where the box is. I think I have covered all my tricks to making your Littermaid the scooping wonder you want it to be. If I remember anything else, I'll post it here.