After researching for over 50+ hours, we bring you unbiased and exclusive reviews of the LitterMaid Self Cleaning Litter Box for your kitty.
Cleaning cat litter daily is every feline parent’s nightmare. Especially, with the strong odor that comes from the box along with having to clean and collect the solid waste every day. Cleaning and scooping litter from the box is not everyone’s cup of tea. But what if, the litter box helps you clean your cat’s mess all by itself?
For which, we did a lot of research and discovered the automated LitterMaid Multi-Cat Self-Cleaning Litter Box. It features an extra-large litter storage basin which can hold up to 50% more litter making it suitable for multi-cat households. The dirty litter and solid waste get collected and deposited in a waste receptacle.
All you have to do is, replace the receptacles and change the litter as you wish. Managing your cats could not get simpler with the LitterMaid Self Cleaning Cat Litter Box. Hence, we decided to do a detailed review of the all-in-one automatic LM980 Mega Cat Litter Box.
LitterMaid Self-Cleaning Litter Box Review
The LitterMaid Automatic Self Cleaning Cat Litter Box is a very innovative mechanism to easily clean, scoop, and manage your cat’s litter box. The basin is large and powerful to easily accommodate multiple cats.
The box has high sided walls and comes with a paw cleaning ramp that keeps the litter from tracking and spreading throughout the house. The entire setup is battery operated or can be plugged in as well. The rake that comes with the box is automated and is responsible for scooping and removing the waste litter.
The scooped litter gets collected in the waste receptacle which has a repository for attaching carbon filters. The carbon filter helps in absorbing the dirty odor from clumped litter and solid waste so the box stays clean and fresh at all times.
You can empty and replace the receptacle once it is filled with dirty litter and waste while you can refill the litter in the box once the level has reduced. For best results, the box should be maintained every 7 days and demands a hassle-free, quick clean up. Each part is detachable for cleaning the box which makes it very easy to manage the entire system.
The LitterMaid Self Cleaning Litter Box also comes with a sleep timer and inbuilt sensors to determine when your cat is using the box and start the scooping process accordingly. This makes sure that the cleaning process happens only after your feline has used the litter box comfortably.
The assembly to the box can be slightly difficult for some people as there are too many parts to assemble. Even while cleaning the box in-depth, there are several parts that need to be detached and attached. Although the device comes with a warranty, the automated system may not be as durable.
There is a lot more than the LitterMaid Automatic Multi-Cat Litter Box has to offer. Our detailed description below will help you discover the unique and innovative features along with the pros and cons of the model.
Did you know what is the best self cleaning litteer box? Check out now!
LitterMaid Features
Here are a few highlights of the LM980 Mega Cat Litter Box which helps you manage your feline’s box easily:
- Multi-Cat Setup: The automated system is suitable for multiple cats more than 15 lbs and can accommodate more than two cats at a time.
- High-walled design: This makes sure that the litter is not spilled out of the box even if your cat digs in excessively into the litter.
- Automatic Scooping: The detachable rake works automatically which helps in scooping the litter and collecting the solid waste out of the box.
- Waste Receptacle: Waste is collected at a separate cabin that has the waste receptacle which can be emptied once in 7 days. There are 4 waste receptacles in one kit.
- Carbon Filter: The Carbon Filter helps in effective odor control and can be attached to the waste receptacle to curb strong poop and ammonia smells. There are 4 carbon filters in one kit.
- Low Maintenance: The LitterMaid requires no daily scooping and maintenance. The solid waste and the clumps get managed automatically. Use only hard clumping clay litter.
- Hassle-free assembly: With easy to set-up and simple parts, the assembly to the self-cleaning device is very easy.
Want to know the best clumping cat litter for multiple cats check out this article to know more.
What do you get with the LitterMaid Self Cleaning Litter Box?
The LM980 Mega Cat Litter Box comes with multiple accessories and attachments to easily collect waste litter and dirty scoops to make your life easier. The entire kit includes:
- 1 large basin
- 1 Scooper
- 1 Rake Cleaner
- 4 Waste Receptacles
- 4 Carbon Filters
- AC Adaptor
Design Of The LM980 Mega Cat Litter Box
The LitterMaid Self Cleaning Litter Box comes with various components and a unique design that makes litter cleaning an easy task. We give you a general overview of the design of the box.
Dimensions
The measurements of the Littermaid Self Cleaning Box are as follows:
- Litter area: 16” x 14” (L x W)
- Size of box: 26” x 17” x 10” (L x W x H)
- Ramp area: 13 3/4” x 8” (W x H)
Design
The self-cleaning litter box by LitterMaid feature a high-walled design in order to prevent cats from kicking litter out of the box. It has an open-top that keeps it ventilated and the odor control carbon filters keep the box smelling fresh and ready for use always.
One end of the box has a ramp with a paw cleaning mat which prevents litter from sticking to your cat’s paws and stops litter from tracking. The inner bucket has a movable and detachable rake that allows the scooping of litter.
The other end has a compartment that stores the waste receptacle. The waste litter and solid scoops are collected in the waste receptacle which has a space for keeping replaceable carbon filter as well.
How does the LitterMaid Work?
In order to understand the working of the LM980 Mega Litter Box, we need to assemble the box in order to get started.
Here are the steps to assemble the parts and get started with the LitterMaid Self Cleaning Litter Box:
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Step 1: Prepare the Waste Receptacle
There are 4 receptacles that come with the entire kit of the box. Fit the receptacle underneath the compartment cover in the space given. The front edge should be under the 5 tabs, exactly on the front edge of the litter tray.
Attach the lid of the receptacle and fix it into the holes of the compartment cover. Secure the lid and the base of the receptacle thoroughly onto the compartment and its cover.
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Step 2: Place the Carbon Filter
There are 4 carbon filters that come with the entire kit. Remove the carbon filter which is enclosed in a plastic sleeve and remove the paper strip to expose the adhesive. Place the carbon filter in the diamond-shaped insert of the receptacle lid, right at the center.
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Step 3: Attach the Paw Cleaning Ramp
The ramp has to be attached to the front of the box. Snap the two notches into the attachment posts at the front top of the box and ensure that the ramp has fixed firmly in place.
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Step 4: Fill the Litter Tray
Make sure to use only hard clumping litter. The litter basin should be filled up to the minimum and maximum marked lines on either side of the box. You can use any type of clumping litter with the box. Use the scooper to distribute the litter evenly in the tray.
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Step 5: Plug In and Start
The kit comes with an AC adapter and the litter box also has an inbuilt battery. You can use the box with or without connecting it through the adapter. It also has an inbuilt sensor that gets blocked once your cat enters the box.
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Step 6: The Cleaning Cycle
Once your cat moves out of the box, the sensor is unblocked and the cleaning cycle is initiated. After initiation, the rake starts moving only after 10 minutes to ensure that your cat is no longer in the box.
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Step 7: The Cleaning Process
Once the rake has started after 10 minutes, it will move to and fro automatically to scoop the waste clumps and dump them into the waste receptacle.
Once the rake moves back, it smoothens the surface, making it ready for the next use. You can either switch it off then or wait for another cat to enter and block the sensor.
The receptacle and the carbon filter work together to collect the waste and curb the odor. These can be replaced as and when the time comes. The ideal recommended time is 7 days when used by 2 cats.
Littermaid Hacks
Here are some tips and tricks that you can implement in order to use the litter box efficiently:
- Make sure to not overfill the litter tray as this will create an obstacle for the automatic rake to move and it would require manual assistance. Keep the litter below the red line which reads minimum to ensure that the rake moves freely.
- If there is a power snap, the unit will shut down and restart only upon switching it on the back again.
- Make sure to keep the sensor away from water as it can affect the functionality of the box.
- Make sure to turn it off when you need silence as the unit can be loud.
- Keep litter mats around the box to keep the surrounding area of the box neat.
Are you interested in learning how you can make your own cat litter box at home check this diy litter box cabinet.
LitterMaid Self-Cleaning Litter Box | Is it Good?
After reviewing the automatic multi-cat self-cleaning litter box in detail, the question arises whether is it good and worth the hype.
Just like every other box, the LitterMaid also has its own advantages and disadvantages. We have listed a few for you to make your choice simpler.
- Automatic rake that helps in scooping and collecting waste
- Detachable rake for ease of cleaning
- 10 minute standby time before the cleaning cycle begins to make sure that the cat is not inside the box
- Paw cleaning mat helps prevent litter tracking
- Roomy and spacious litter box for multiple cats
- Waste receptacle for collecting dirty clumped litter and odor
- Carbon filter to eliminate dirty smells
- Hassle-free cleaning and maintenance
- If the litter is too dirty and hard to clump, the waste gets jammed in the rake making it difficult to move
- Does not work with other natural, non-clumping types of litter
- The device is pretty loud while cleaning
- The waste receptacles need to be replaced and purchased separately every time
- The system is not very durable and the sensors are not water-resistant
Many cat owners are in doubt that does each cat need a litter box? If you want to know the answer dive into the article & know the complete information step by step.
Ratings
After researching and asking users about the product, these are our ratings for LitterMaid on a scale of 5:
- Size: 5/5
- Odor Control: 4/5
- Litter Tracking: 4/5
- Self-Cleaning: 4/5
- Ease of Use: 3/5
- Durability: 2/5
- Price: 3/5
- Suitable for Multi-cat households: 4/5
LitterMaid Self-Cleaning Litter
The LitterMaid Automatic Self Cleaning Cat Litter Box is a very innovative mechanism to easily clean, scoop, and manage your cat’s litter box. The basin is large and powerful to easily accommodate multiple cats.
Product Brand: LitterMaid
Product In-Stock: InStock
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FAQs
How to get your cat used to LitterMaid?
Place the LitterMaid besides your cat’s old litter box. Let the old box remain dirty while the LitterMaid will always remain clean automatically.
If your cat is shy, do not start the button immediately. Once she sees that her old litter box is dirty, she will directly jump to the LitterMaid. Remove the old box then once she starts using LitterMaid permanently.
How to clean LitterMaid Automatic Litter Box?
While the box manages to clean the dirty litter and solid wastes automatically, you will have to clean the box manually at least once in a week. Start by detaching the rake and the paw cleaning mat and clean them with warm water and soap.
Make sure that the sensor does not come in contact with water. Else you can clean the box with a sponge or wet cloth while avoiding the sensitive areas of the box.
Is LitterMaid safe for kittens?
No! It is not advisable to use the LitterMaid Self Cleaning Litter Box for small kittens below 6 months of age or below 15lbs. If at all you may want to, see that it remains unplugged and scoop the waste manually until your kitty grows up.
What is the voltage and ampere of the LitterMaid adapter?
The LitterMaid electrical adapter is a 120 volt AC with 1 Amp rating which is mentioned on the insides of your adapter.
Where to buy LitterMaid Self Cleaning litter box?
The LitterMaid self-cleaning Litter Box is available online on Amazon, Chewy, Walmart, or Petco and may also be available at any local pet store.
Final Verdict
LitterMaid Self Cleaning Litter Box is an all-in-one cleaning system that manages your cat’s litter box. All you have to do is replace the waste receptacles and the carbon filters for odor control without coming in contact with dirty and clumped litter.
Replace the litter once in a week and you and your pets are good to go! The LitterMaid Self Cleaning Litter Box ensures that your kitty’s box remains fresh and pleasant at all times.
It makes your job easy but runs you out of budget if you are not willing to spend much on your cat’s litter box maintenance. The waste receptacles need to be purchased separately every now and then.
The box is not suitable for kittens and cats below 15 lbs. You need to constantly monitor when the cleaning process is on to make sure that the rake is not stuck into large amounts of litter.
Therefore, the LitterMaid is definitely a great deal for those who do not want to bear the burdens of scooping cat litter. However, the durability and self-cleaning automatic mechanism may only surpass a few days.
References
- How Do Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes Work? — PetMD
- Is a Self-Cleaning Litter Box Really Less Work?— PetMD
- Controlling Cat Litter Box Odor— PetWebMD