Cutline Speaks

From the Tech Toybox of Erin: ScoopFree Automatic Litter Box

posted by Erin on April 13, 2009

ScoopFree is a self-cleaning litter box that uses disposable litter trays. Available in pet stores and online, the Original ScoopFree litter box retails at $139.99 and the Ultra retails at $179.00. For more information, click here.  

First, I have to admit that never in a million years did I think I would be writing any sort of review about a litter box. But, lo and behold, this thing is amazing. It ranks right up there with my favorite gadgets... and that says a lot. When I originally adopted my cat, Charlie, I picked up the LitterMaid Elite automatic litter box and while that worked for a while, I read a review about the ScoopFree litter box and decided to give it a try. That was also at a time when I was trying to streamline expenses and after doing the math, despite the initial small investment, I realized that ScoopFree is not only extraordinarily convenient and easy to use but it's also significantly less expensive in terms of maintenance. Now, on to the good -- and perhaps not so good -- stuff. 

Chic: The marketing speak is all true: you can leave the box completely unattended and not even check it for weeks at a time! Amazing really. And it couldn't be easier to clean up -- you just pull the top up, remove the old litter tray, slide in the new one, close the top, and you're good to go for a couple of weeks. I have one cat and I change the tray every two to three weeks. I love the hood as it does a great job of keeping the odors in the box (note, it costs a little extra but it is definitely worth it). It's also relatively inexpensive, which is definitely a plus in this economy. The tray refills are roughly $20 if you purchase them one at a time but ScoopFree also offers a delivery service that brings the price down to about $15 each when you order six at a time. 

Eek!: Without the hood, the smell tends to be a bit stronger but with the hood -- and an air freshener in the area -- nobody seems to know where the litter box is except for Charlie. One of the things that I don't like is that, because it works so well, I sometimes lose track of time and can't remember when I changed it last. I've remedied that by making a note in my calendar. My only other complaint is that Charlie seems to track the crystals out more with this litter than with other varieties. I picked up a mat by ScoopFree to help but it's not a great solution. So, I keep a little Dirt Devil handheld vacuum handy and that definitely does the trick! 

Rating: On the sliding rubber duck scale, the ScoopFree is definitely a five!

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