Posts tagged "CatLitterBox"

Cat Litter Myths

by Rose Martelli (Subscribe to Rose Martelli's posts): Nov 2nd 2009 5:00PM Filed Under: Cats

Cat in a litter box picture

jupiterimages

When considering life's great mysteries, many folks wouldn't include cat litter. But they'd be wrong. Misinformation -- or even total ignorance -- abounds when it comes to just what constitutes a clean, comfy, and problem-free litter box. "Quite simply, nobody has ever fully funded any sort of research to determine what litters are healthy for cats or preferable to cats," says Dusty Rainbolt, author of Kittens for Dummies. To help us do away with litter myths once and for all, we looked to three of our favorite feline experts: Rainbolt; Celia Kutcher, a Brooklyn-based holistic health counselor; and Animal Behaviorist Dr. Peter Borchelt.

1. Myth: A quality cat litter eliminates odor so well that you can go days without cleaning the litter box.

Fact: Litter boxes really should be cleaned out daily, regardless what kind of litter you use. Infrequent cleaning isn't fair to the cat, says Kutcher. It also limits your chances of finding your pet's perfect brand of litter. You could sacrifice other important factors, like the cat's comfort or the litter's digestibility, if you're overly concerned about odor control.

"You shouldn't have to use an odor-controlling product if you keep your box clean enough," Rainbolt seconds. "When it smells, clean it. Scoop once or twice a day, minimum."

2. Myth: Cats that are picky about their litter are just extra-finicky.

Fact: Felines are known for their fussy nature, but that probably isn't why your cat rejects one kind of litter over another. It could be their toe tufts. Persians, for example, have extra-sensitive ones. "When they pee, the litter might form clumps beneath their paws that then get stuck in there," explains Rainbolt. "You've got these painful mud clumps stuck to your pads, and your choice is peeing on the carpet or being in pain."

Kutcher recommends finding a pet-store owner or employee who really knows different breeds. "If they hand you a bag of litter without asking you 10 questions about your cat, they don't know what they're talking about."

3. Myth: You should scrub the litter box vigorously with your toughest household cleanser, like Pine Sol.

Fact: Pine scent is a cat repellent, so do not wash the box with Pine Sol. Rainbolt says all you need to do is rinse it well with warm water. Another trick: If you use a clumping litter, spray the bottom of the box with Pam before filling it. No more sticky litters!

Cat Product Review: CatGenie

by Rose Martelli (Subscribe to Rose Martelli's posts): Sep 1st 2009 5:00PM Filed Under: Cats, Pet Product Reviews, Photo Galleries

"Always wash your hands after using the potty." Photo: CatGenie.com

Ready for yet another newfangled gizmo that claims to take the manpower out of litter cleaning?

The CatGenie bills itself as "the world's only self-flushing, self-washing cat box." Hook it up to a water source, a power source and a drain, and the only time you'll ever touch it (or its smelly contents) again is to hit the cleaning cycle's start button. Poop is scooped into the CatGenie's tank, where it is liquefied before being banished down a drain. In fact, the CatGenie is so sci-fi futuristic, it doesn't use actual cat litter; instead, the machine comes with a box of plastic, non-toxic washable granules that simulate the feel of litter but need no replacement or freshening. Too good to be true, right? Read on...

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CatGenie: Good Idea that Needs Tweaking

We take this self-flushing, self-washing litter box for a test run. Find out what wishes this genie can grant.

Rose Martelli

CatGenie Litter Box Review

Genies come in bottles; the CatGenie comes in a huge, heavy box! Note its size compared to this large laundry basket. The bowl is actually wider than that of a regular toilet.

(Not that you'd try, but if you sat on the CatGenie, you'd fall in.)

Rose Martelli

We wanted to set up our CatGenie in the bedroom, but its cords and hoses (each about seven or eight feet long) wouldn't reach the closest water line, electrical outlet and drain system, which were all in our bathroom around the corner.

Rose Martelli

Sadly, CatGenie is not a great fit for an apartment bathroom. Above is what our 8-by-5 foot restroom looked like once this monster was ready to go. The top hose ran under the sink to the water line, and the power cord snaked behind the toilet and up the wall to the nearest outlet. The bottom hose ran to the toilet, up its side and under the seat, making it difficult to use the loo the CatGenie is housed in. Based on user comments I've read online, along with my own assessment, the CatGenie is best suited for a spare/guest bathroom or in a laundry room that has a floor drain.

Rose Martelli

Sadly, CatGenie is not for one bathroom apartments. Above is what our 8-by-5 foot W.C. looked like once this monster was ready to go. The top hose ran under the sink to the water line. The power cord snaked behind the toilet and up the wall to the nearest outlet -- have you ever noticed that most bathrooms don't have outlets by the baseboards? The bottom hose ran to the toilet, up its side and under the seat, so you can't really use the loo the CatGenie is housed in. Based on user comments I've read online, along with my own assessment, the CatGenie is best suited for a spare/guest bathroom or in a laundry room that has a floor drain.

Rose Martelli

The washable granules, like little tubular pellets, reminded me of ditalini, the type of pasta often found in minestrone and pasta e fagioli soups. I apologize if I just ruined your appetite or your love of Italian food.

Rose Martelli

Our inaugural, poop-free test run! The sifter/scooper lowers itself into the bowl. The basin rotates, moving granules through the sifter and catching poop along the way. It's kind of like that thing that sweeps away knocked-over bowling pins crossed with a Zamboni.

Rose Martelli

After dry sifting, water streams into the bowl much like it does in a toilet. Cleansing solution is automatically dispensed to wash the reusable granules.

While the CatGenie comes with a spare box of granules (and more can be ordered online), replacing them is meant to be a very rare occurrence since they are washed clean with each cycle and are supposed to remain within the CatGenie bowl.

Rose Martelli

Mayday! Mayday! It seemed to us this bowl was getting way too full. Suspicions were confirmed when the CatGenie temporarily stopped working and an error light and beeping ensued. We never figured out what was wrong; we just left it alone for a while, started it up again and it worked just fine. I'm sure glad there's a fail safe that stops this thing from overflowing.

Rose Martelli

Thanks to our flooding incident, many granules escaped over the lip of the bowl, down the CatGenie's waste chute, and ultimately in our toilet. It never happened quite so badly again, but we did see a few deserters with each subsequent cleaning. (Also, the granules track out of the bowl like most litters. Technology can only do so much.)

Beware, the next slide contains intimate photos of nature's waste.

Rose Martelli

When it comes to number two, the scooping/sifting process was quite successful; only one tiny piece of poop got left behind... until a previously-scooped ball of dookie shot back up the poop chute! It lodged itself under the scooper's robo-arm for quite some time before eventually falling back into the bowl.

Another item of note: In our toilet bowl, we found not only liquefied feces, but furballs. Since Rena had only set foot in the CatGenie once, we could only conclude that she's been ingesting and depositing her own fur all along. I must admit, I'm thankful for the inadvertent heads up. No wonder the CatGenie instructions strongly recommend that a CatGenie cat be an oft-brushed cat.

Rose Martelli