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Customer Reviews:- Old School is the Best School
The new technology can't hold a candle to the original. I was so glad to find this model and am once again cleaning twice a week instead of twice a day! LOVE IT!!...more info - Didn't work from the get-go
I opened the box. Did the minimal assembly AND read the instructions. The auto-scooper kept on running and running and running. It says it was supposed to go through 1 cycle (maybe 1 or 2 passes?) but it didn't stop. I unplugged it and plugged it back in. Same thing. I added more/less kitty litter, same thing. So I returned it. I will order another Littermaid box and hope that the new one doesn't have the same problems....more info - This is my 4th littermaid
As I said this is my 4th box. So that tells you they don't last very long. But once you start using you can't stop because it's so easy. I only have one cat and the box normally lasts about 1 1/2 years. So just know that going in. Hoping this one lasts longer as its' a new style ...more info - Don't waste your time or money
We had a Litter Maid cat box several years ago and we loved it. They have "improved" their product and ruined it in my opinion. The rake gets clogged and litter sticks all over the place and in the tracks no matter what level of litter you use. We tried every type of litter available, including the ridiculously expensive litter that Litter Maid sells. We spent more time cleaning this worthless litter box than we would have in scooping out regular litter. We contacted the manufacturer, but they won't stand behind their product and we could not return it to the store because we did not have the original box, although we did have the receipt. After a couple of months we threw it out in the garbage. I won't waste my money on any other product Liter Maid sells. Save yourself this frustration and find another brand. I would not have given this item even one star, but one star is the lowest rating....more info - Littermaid Litter Box LM900
I previously owned the Littermaid Litter Box LM900. It worked great and made cleaning litter easier. I had it for several years. I have 2 cats.
It stopped working after giving me good servive,and I went without it for a couple of years.
I finally bought another and I wished I hadn't wait so long to replace it.
It makes a more sanitary environment for my cats and for cleaning also.
...more info - Just another mess
This is not a solution but an expensive messy alternative to a cheap messy litter box. All cats, esp. older ones, have days when their poop is messy and the rake on this machine gets covered with the stuff. Cleaning the rake is worse than dumping any every day litter box. If the box itself needs to be cleaned, it is heavy and hard to handle. If a cat has bad aim, there are no sides (as in covered litter boxes) to keep it from scattering, spraying or missing the box. The custom litter and liners are much more expensive and have to be bought from only certain dealers. Also, if a cat has problems (as in older cats) with their urine being strong smelling, it does nothing to help that situation as only clumps are scooped into the bag. Nothing about cleaning cat litter is fun but cleaning a covered type litter box regularly is a easier, less expensive and less steps than this device. I see it as a gadget for gadget people not a solution for the cat litter disposal issue. ...more info - LitterMaid LM900 Mega Self-Cleaning Litter Box
This particular litter box is working okay. The previous one we had of the same make worked marvelous. The rake is really strong and works really well, but you have to make sure that the litter is always at the fill level. If not, the waste gets stuck to the box. ...more info - Would buy again....but not perfect
Having 3 female cats and not home all the time, I am a big believer in the LitterMaid LM 900. I have purchased many LiterMaids over the years and find the LM900 works the best; in fact I am getting ready to purchase my 3rd. I have bought the newer LiterMaid models, but they just don't work that well. My last LM900 has lasted about 3 years. Recently, it just does not have the power to get over the hump to get the waste into the receptacle, or it catches and "things" go flying everywhere. Overall it is worth the cost of having to replace the LM900 every so many years, especially if you have fussy girls like mine that like a clean box. ...more info - A nightmare to clean!
This item works fine until it gets crudded up with dried on poop and litter. It's a nightmare to clean, and my box went dead after 6 months. I wrote to the company TWICE and got no response at all! I would advise against buying this product. It takes less time to rake out a litter box 1-2 times a day, than to clean the mess that this box creates! And yes, I did use the recommended litter -- it made no difference!!
...more info - Works great!
I purchased this product after reviewing all the LitterMaid self cleaning boxes. I read that the newer models have too many problems. This one has been working just fine. I have two cats. I do need to empty the receptacle every few day. I didn't want something where I had to be constantly purchasing supplies for but there a very few like that that are big enough for two cats, one of which is a very big boy! But, like others have said, I line one of the waste receptacles with a Walmart bag then just pick up the bag and take it out to the trash. Then reuse the receptacle. I had no problem adjusting my cats to this new box. One of my cats would howl every time she used it but it only lasted a day. Then she became so friendly like she hasn't been in months. I think she was happy to always have a clean litter box! Definitely worth the money!...more info - AWESOME!
How I lived without this spectacular device I do not know. I use more litter; however, the fact that an electronic hand instead of my hand is doing the scoping thrills me. I love my cats...Snuggy is wearing pearls as I type (I make jewelry) but I am over the poo box, now my hands make her jewels instead of, well you know...
Bottom line, IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY!...more info - long time owner
I have owned my box for about 5 years now. I have one cat, she is about 10 now. She took to the box instantly. Before, she would get mad at me and pee on my clothes. I used to use the Tidy Cat Crystals before. She had no problem with them, but I was lazy! Before that, covered box and scooping litter. Again, I am ashamed to say I was lazy. My cat tolerates a lot of laziness from me. LOL.
Let me tell you my opinion on cats. You know how for most of us we like to go to the bathroom and see a clean toilet, and probably never sit on a used toilet (especially one used by someone else) and we flush it first or find a clean one. Well cats like clean toilets too!! The cleaner the better, because as many of us cat owners know...a cat will find a way to make their displeasure known. My cat decided that peeing on the wall dead in my face might be a clue....she's not even a finicky cat either.
The good about the box....
My box has been very durable and I have had no problems at all. I think just last week I was stupid enough to overfill it and got scared because it was raking back and forth LOL, I don't know what I was thinking! My cat has no problems with it at all.
The bad about the box....
Litter everywhere. I had the tent and that helped for keeping litter off the floor, otherwise you will have a big clump that forms underneath. Also my cat thinks it's cute to go in 11 minute intervals!! LOL. It is noisy too. The tent was nice but did build up that ammonia smell, plus the sticks holding it up break.
Overall since I am lazy, I love it more than I hate it. I am very lazy and do barely any maintenance on it and it is still doing its thing. I use Tidy Cat and Powder in the tray and it really is not stinky! I'm glad I got it and so is my cat and so are my clothes and my walls. My carpets, maybe not so much....
...more info - Love it!
I did my research, and was nervous buying into one of the Littermaid automatic boxes with so many mixed reviews. But with a 15 lb cat, a full time job and kiddos to care for, I decided to take a chance and buy the older 900 mega after reading they were more sturdy than the newer models. One month of regular use, and I love it!
Don't be fooled, you still have to maintain the box by emptying the waste tray every 3 or so days as it will smell. But knowing that my cat can reliably have a clean box to step into every time without constant maintanence - what a relief! It's worked exactly as it's supposed to every time - no complaints. One word of caution, be careful of the litter level, as that seems to be the #1 problem for the system. Found that out the second day when I misjudged the refill amount. You can hear the motor straining as it piles up over the rake; empty it by a cup or two and your back on track.
My 3 YO cat was hesitant to use it the first 48 hrs, and took to "holding it" for as long as possible since I'd taken the old-fashioned box straight-away. But I gently encouraged him by placing him in the box every 4 hrs or so, and after using it twice, he's taken to it with no further anxiety. He's never had an accident.
I took another reviewer's suggestion and lined my trays with plastic grocery bags cut to size, so there's minimal cost for refills.
No complaints, no regrets. I feel I got exactly what had been promised from the many positive reviews. Again, I can only vouch for the LM900 Mega model, but I'd definitely buy another should this one give up after a couple of years' use. ...more info - Littermaid Mega review
This is a great product and I highly recommend for multiple cats. The last unit I had (same exact unit) for 8 years and still ran okay by the time I had to retire it. There is little care needed: just need to keep the tracks clean (use the brush included) and clean the rakes from time to time. This unit runs a lot quieter than the newer "more improved" models. I highly recommend using with the tent to keep all the litter contained. Great item!...more info - RIDICULOUSLY DIFFICULT TO ASSEMBLE
And I was stupid enough to buy TWO of them. Tried to email company & that was next to impossible.
I bought one Mega and two Elites. I would just as soon frisbee the two Elites down the street, they were so ridiculously hard to assemble. And who on earth ever heard of requiring ASSEMBLY for a freakin a cat box???
The Mega popped right out of the box and was ready for operation immediately. The ELITES, however, required ASSEMBLY. I spent 45 minutes tonight, a Saturday night, assembling these #&@&@##$~!~ things. UNCALLED for. And WAY too expensive for the TIME and TROUBLE they have cost. Would that I'd just bought three MEGAS....more info - Great
I bought this over a month ago and I have been loving it ever since....more info - Quick and easy and hassle-free
The Littermaid we knew about. The ease of getting this one from Amazon - with a single competitive price that included shipping - is what made this purchase decision a no-brainer.
It was as easy as hitting the button; the box arrived when they said it would, and the Littermaid works like a charm, as our three cats would testify if they weren't busy shedding fur on the upholstery....more info - Defective, AGAIN
I've bought two LitterMaid automatic litter boxes, the last one being the "Mega" model. Neither worked. The first one raked endlessly despite following all the poorly-written instructions. This last one simply doesn't rake at all unless you turn it off and on, and even then it doesn't always cycle. Useless. The company's customer service department is always "unavailable", closed, or so busy they leave you on hold for 30+ minutes and never respond to messages. ...more info - Works as described, but ...
While the litter box does work as advertised, there is one small problem. The lid for the disposable tray does not want to close - almost every time we check the box, the lid is standing at least partially open. It doesn't affect the working of the box and, since the box is not in an area of the house that is open, it's not offensive. However, for the price, I'd expect the lid to close. I've been using various Littermaid boxes for the past 6 years or so and the first model is still the best, as far as I'm concerned....more info - Works great!
I have had this for over a year and I have to say it works wonderfully. I think some of the bad reviews have to do with people over filling the thing with litter.
My wife was a huge skeptic and she is now totally sold! I clean the little tray once a week and I have no mess for the most part. The tray looks like a Japanese garden :-)
I did have to clean the sensors on the sides a couple of times in the last year. This is super easy to do but I had to figure it out....more info - Very Disappointing!
Do not purchase the Littermaid Mega! I had previously owned two Littermaid litter boxes that had lasted 3-4 years each. This model is so very disappointing.
-Motor is too weak to move large clumps
-The rake doesn't reach the bottom resulting in broken clumps and build up
-The rake doesn't get close enough to the waste receptacle making smaller clumps fall back in the box and get pushed back behind the rake
I purchased the "Mega" model when our last Littermaid went out because we have 2 cats now and thought that the bigger size would be better. I wish I would have just bought the original model instead. As mentioned earlier this model has major problems that make it more work than just having a normal $5 litter pan that you scoop every day. If you are thinking of buying the "Mega" model I wouldn't. I am so disgusted that I have wasted over $100 on this product....more info - Don't waste your money
I might as well have a plain old litter box for my cat. More times than none I have to manually scoop the waste from this unit. It seems that the motor is not strong enough to properly push the waste to the pan. With the litter box filled to the proper level with premium clumping litter the unit doesn't work. When the cat uses it then covers up her mess, she scoops the litter into a pile that the motor can't get through. I have tried to vary the amount of litter in the box but there have been very few times that the system has worked properly. Once you get to the minimum level the motor has a hard time scraping the urine clumps from the bottom of the unit. I thought it may have been a defective unit and exchanged it for a new one with no improvement. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY....more info - it's the 5th or 6th
My Littermaids take a beating. Tripped over, kicked and basically bad things happen to something in a back hallway. Never had one that died on its own. The one that is in a safe place has only been replaced once in a decade. Obviously, I'd buy again when this last is beaten to death....more info - I'm happy
I have 2 cats and I've owned quite a few of different models of littermaid. This one is good but you have to make sure you put just enough litter in it. Too much causes it to jam and too little makes your cats unhappy or waste sticks to the bottom. I learned that the litter level has to be closer to the lower limit for it to not jam. You also have to totally empty the litter every other month or so and clean it up which is a pain. Overall, the product is good and is better than the older models....more info - Much better than the new LitterMaid "Elite"
About 10 years ago I bought a LitterMaid, and it worked wonderfully. We recently did some remodeling on our house and I decided it was time to get a new litter box. I bought one of the new LitterMaid Elite thinking they had made some improvements over the years and it was probably a much better litter box. What a piece of junk! The metal rake would just smear the used litter across the bottom of the box, the litter would spill through between the box and the used litter tray. I hated it. After a week I went online to see if I could find one of the "old" litter boxes, and I did. The plastic rake works so much better than the metal one, the litter doesn't spill through and the used litter actually goes into the receptacle instead of smearing across the bottom of the litter box. Sometimes the original is the best....more info - The best of the LitterMaid models
This model of the LitterMaid self-cleaning litter box works perfectly! I wouldn't trade it for gold. This is the third LitterMaid I've owned. The first one I bought years ago and it worked well. I loved it! When it finally wore out, I bought an LitterMaid Elite Mega (LME9000). It was a newer model and should be much better, right? Wrong--it was horrible! It worked sometimes when we first got it, but it jamed very often. After a few months, it was no better than a plain litterbox. I had to scoop it by hand every day because it couldn't push the clumps into the recepticle. I began searching for a replacement when I found this model (LM900 Mega). It was like the first one I had! I ordered it and it has worked perfectly for the past 3 months. It has not jamed once!! Buy it. You'll love love love it. It never jams and I never have to scoop it. Do not buy the LME9000 Elite Mega...more info - Wonderful addition to any multi-cat home!
My wife and I received this about 3 weeks ago. It works great! What was once a daily chore is now an every 3-4 day chore, and that's just to change the trash bag out. It does get stuck every once in a while, but if you simply walk in and rake a little yourself, it will finish the job. Our cats only took about 2 hours to get used to it. Other people complained that it is noisy, but it doesn't bother my wife or I. The only "weird" thing with it is that our younger cat loves it so much, you sometimes can find her sleeping in it!...more info - My Cat Won't Poo without This!
My cat has been using a litter maid for several years. I have two cats and my persian has been using it since he was a baby. He just doesnt like stepping in poo to go poo! The sensor works within usually a minute after he steps out of it and scoops it into its own container. VERY happy with this product, dont know what I would do without it!!!...more info - Stinks....in more ways than one!
I am going to start this off by saying I have tried many many cat litter products. I have two large cats- a male and a female and zero time to clean the box out. I have probably spent well over $1,000 trying to find the right prouct. This one is the worst. I have had a littermaid before and it was ok. It wasn't great by any means but it was ok. This one does not work. I purchased a new littermaid after having the Litter Robot, which was great but way too big for my condo. I then went back to the traditional box which I cannot stand. I thought I would try the littermaid again.
The rake pushes all of the waste to the end of the box but then lifts up too high and doesnt push anything in, that is if it gets to the end of the box. You have to really measure the amount of litter that you are putting in. A tablespoon too much and the thing wont push through. The motor sounds like it is going to fail at any moment. I travel a lot for work and need something that is going to help eliminate the waste from the box so my cats are comfortable. This is not the right product. In the 10 days I have had this new box it has gotten stuck about 15 times. It is harder to clean when there is a problem because all of the litter clumps on the rake. It is gross! I would not recommend this to someone who is looking to reduce the time needed to clean the box. I would however think it is ok if you still want to scoop the litter box each time your cat uses it!...more info - Never going back to the old box again
I have owned this product for about 10 years now. I have had no "real" problems with it. Yes, I sometimes have to do a little care like using the scoop to scrape moist litter clumps from the rake, but that is just a small sacrifice for the convenience that this product offers. I found that when there are frequent "sticking" problems, if I remove the rake, give it a good wash and dry, then spray with a little Pam Spray, it goes back to working like a charm. I also use the Pam spray in the box pan after I wash it (only about every 3 months).
I am actually purchasing another one of these, as a naughty human child brought the current one to its end. I have little doubt that had the box not come to an early demise, it would have lasted many more years. I am keeping the old rake and pan... that way, I will always have a clean, dry set to switch to when it is time to do a good cleaning. (I may even do a good cleaning more often since I will have the spares, and won't feel like I have to rush because kitty may need to go.)
I live in a very small apartment, and there is NO SMELL at all. I have no need for the little "charcoal sachets" that are sold to help eliminate oder. When kitty has left a stool in the box, there is a small oder when it happens (of course) but once it is scooped into the receptacle, the air is perfectly fresh.
Just remember, this is a MACHINE... it does not ELIMINATE litter box care, but rather makes it MINIMAL. I will never go back to the old box again....more info - Never buy LitterMaid-shoddy, poorly designed product,
I bought the LitterMaid Mega Elite approximately five months ago. I had to switch out THREE different boxes until one finally worked OK. PetCo was great about swapping them out. However, every day, I had to scoop out poops myself and the poop often ends up on the floor. However, it worked reasonably well until a few days ago when I found two little plastic parts mixed in with the litter. Apparently, something had broken off the rake and the back end to the unit was rising up while the rake would only scrape about half way clean. I was determined to buy a different brand and simply junk this one. However, I was at Wal-Mart and we were very pressed for time and the only unit available was the smaller LitterMaid unit, so I went ahead and bought it thinking that maybe a smaller unit would not have so much trouble raking. (Apparently, LitterMaid uses the same sized receptacle for ALL their units, regardless of whether they are rated for one cat or multiple cats.)
Anyhow, I set up the new one, put in the batteries and plugged it in. Everything seemed fine and it was much quieter than the larger one. About an hour or so later, however, I went back and the light wasn't on! The entire unit had died. I called LitterMaid in the morning and they said they would send me a new unit (they didn't hesitate, so apparently this business of the units dying immediately isn't news to them). They also agreed to send me a new rake for the old unit. They were aware of this problem, too -- the plastic wheels on the rake break off! I must say that both times I have called LitterMaid, I have been put on hold and have had do deal with EXTREMELY RUDE AND OBNOXIOUS tech help. They aren't very good at explaining issues and they get angry easily and mouth off at the customer. I have a master's degree, so following reasonable instructions is something I am good at. I wish this company would go out of business. Their products are horrible. I have friends who had the older versions and were very happy. It's obvious that they have skimped on quality with their later designs, using cheap plastic whenever possible. I use the best, most expensive cat litter and I don't overfill.
I was late to work twice on account of having to call LitterMaid. I've had to bend over and pick up tons of poop off the floor, let alone the constant scraping of poop on a daily basis that is required to keep the unit working. When I vacuum, my cleaner stinks of cat poop now since it spilled onto the floor so many times. LitterMaid's design is flawed in so many ways, it's hard to enumerate, but the most basic flaw is that the unit should not be designed to work with clumping litter. Clumping litter sticks to the bottom of the unit and never quite comes up.
My suggestion is to buy the Scoop Free litter box instead. (See link below.) It uses a different philosophy: crystals instead of clumping litter. I have had this unit now since my fiasco with LitterMaid. I have never once had to scrape poop off the rake or the bottom of the unit. It works splendidly!
ScoopFree LB1 Self-Cleaning Litter Box...more info - better than scooping hourly by hand
I've had around 6 of these LMs over the years, and it's always a scramble to get one cheap when the old one dies. I have 6 indoor cats, and 6 litter boxes, but the Litter Maid is by far the most used box. We only use Scoop Away litter, forget the Tidy cat junk. I have to empty the container every day or two, and I re-use the trays till they snap apart; my main gripe is the small capacity for the used litter/poop, especially when the clumps congregate on one side or the other of the container. I've looked at all the other types, and found them lacking in one way or another. These will last several years even with the kind of abuse they get here. I will caution you NOT to get the mechanism part wet (like hose it out) it will rust, best to use a cat-safe spray cleaner and an old toothbrush to get the congealed litter out of the tracks. And don't overfill the box, it will trap litter behind the rake and go nuts trying to get back to the "home" position. Skip the "new" elite version, I hear they are flimsy, go for the LM900 Mega. One word about BIG cats--they may not stand facing the rear far enough back, and will evacuate at least partly on the lid/tray area. This is less of a problem with the mega size....more info - A money saving tip
I've used these for about ten years and I keep a spare on hand because it is just a machine and it will eventually wear out, although I've never had one fail. The receptacles are expensive and difficult to clean, but there's a way to keep things clean and a receptacle can last a year or more. Just purchase a box or roll of 3 or 4 Quart trash bags. Try both to see which suits you best. Then simply put the bag in the receptacle, fold the sides and ends down and put the receptacle in the machine. When the receptacle is full just take out the receptacle, remove the bag with its contents, tie the top in a knot to contain the odor, and put it in the trash. The receptacle remains perfectly clean and can be used until it falls apart. This method has probably saved me many hundreds of dollars over the years and takes all the mess and cleaning out of the process. ...more info - Not for more than one cat!
This is the first review I have ever done (I am the daughter-in-law of the women with this account). I bought two of these and I had four fully-grown cats. It worked (with lots of loving) for a little less than a year. They have both died. I cleaned the unit out all the time. The plastic inserts that you must buy are expensive. If you have a cat that likes to fling litter - litter gets everywhere. I think it is a nice idea if you have a well behaved cat - perhaps up to two. But this was not a good investment with four cats. Even though I cleaned them out every day - they would like one more than the other. It was too much for the boxes. They are both now in the dumpster. I have bought three inexpensive large cat boxes with lids (I now have three cats). I am hoping they will be a success. ...more info - Love it...will never go back
I absolutely love this product! I will never go back to the 'regular' cat boxes EVER!
Littermaid has wonderful customer service too...I admit I had one break on me and even though it wasn't new, I think a couple years old, I called them just to see what they'd do. They sent a brand new one...and again...admittedly that one broke too. (I think that was a coincidence, this one broke within a week) They not only sent another replacement for that but upgraded it to the Mega for the trouble!...more info
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