Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATE: Unfortunately I had to demote PetSafe ScoopFree from 4 stars to 1 star because I have discovered the litter box has a fatal design flaw. After 3 months the box stopped working and the digital panel would not light up. I took the box apart to diagnose and the interior was caked in urine. The litter box is not waterproof. I have a boy cat that sprays and even with the lid the unit is not protected. I contacted PetSafe (before disassembling in case of warranty) and they sent me a replacement no questions asked. But obviously when this next one shorts out I will not pursue another. You are free to read my original review below. I originally had high hopes, perhaps this will get fixed in future models or perhaps you will luck out and not have this issue. ORIGINAL: I went back and forth a dozen times before buying this. I wanted an automatic litter box but none of them had fantastic reviews. I have read all the negative comments on PetSafe and I would like to address them. 1. Poop sticks to the rake - The "Ultra" model allows you to adjust the rake time from 20 minutes after entry to 5 or 10 minutes. A lot of people rushed 5 minutes because they thought it was gross having the poop sit around. But 5 minutes is not enough time for the crystal to dehydrate the poop into hard little rocks that can be easily swooped away. Leave it on 20 minutes and most of the time there is no issue. If you are still concerned about occasional sticking, I sprayed the rake with Teflon spray and have had no issues. It is available on Amazon for $10: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D3G6IFE/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_15 2. The rake rusts - Once again, "Ultra" model owners are rushing to 5 minute cleaning time, causing the rake to come into contact with wet smushy poop. Wet causes rust. Leave the timer at 20 minutes. If you are still concerned about rust, the Teflon spray will help protect the rakes. 3. The box leaks urine and damages the floors - Yep I would strongly recommend purchasing the hard plastic forever tray. Yep it is expensive ($50) and it reduces some of the convenience because I have to rinse it out instead of trashing it. Its worth it. 4. The poop storage stinks - Concerned about the poop storage filling too quickly with 4 cats in the house, I immediately purchased the high-capacity stand and bagging system. Instead of storing the poop under the cover, it dumps into a trash bag. I have had no issues whatsoever with poop smell. The high-capacity stand is available on Amazon for $140 and it includes a special forever tray. So buy this or the forever tray, not both. https://www.amazon.com/Litter-Bagger%C2%AE-Scoopfree%C2%AE-Replaces-disposable-crystal/dp/B00AG0C066 5. The urine stinks - There were several negative reviews about urine sludge. I did notice a urine smell around day 10 so I decided to change the crystals and there was definite urine sludge. It took 10 days to develop urine sludge with 4 cats and the PetSafe, it takes 2 hours to develop urine sludge with 4 cats and a standard litter box. Take your pick. I will be purchasing a total of 3 PetSafe boxes once I can afford them and this will allow me to last 3x as long between cleanings. 6. The cats won't use the crystal - It took about 2 weeks for the cats to become accustomed to the crystal. I put the PetSafe next to their old litter box and refused to clean the old one. After 2 weeks, the old litter box was a biohazard in addition to 5 poop piles on the floor in front of it. It was disgusting. It forced the cats to use the crystal. Stay strong because 2 weeks can change your life. 7. The crystal tracks - I haven't had this problem but I have the high-capacity stand. The cats must contact the stand before contacting the floor, so there is no tracking on the floor. 8. The box is too small - The normal-sized cats are fine but the large cat is uncomfortable. I do wish the designer would increase size about 6" each direction. 9. The cat covers the sensor and the box won't self-clean - Can't help you there you just have a rebellious cat. In conclusion, I think PetSafe could release a new generation with some design fixes like non-stick/non-rust rakes, better boxes/trays, etc. But I would still recommend this box for multi-cat households. Rinsing out a plastic tray (with no poop) after 10 days is infinitely better than scooping poop twice daily and scrubbing boxes weekly. Perhaps its not worthwhile for a single-cat household but for multi-cat households this is a must.