Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We have had 7 cats over the past decade (not all at once thank heavens!) and thats a lot of scooping. Right now we only have one cat, but he is incredibly sensitive to a dirty litterbox. It's gotten to the point he wants it absolutely clean every time he needs to use it, which is an impossible task. He'll actually sit outside the box and meow until someone takes care of it! We've been considering an easier method for some time to get the job done. So, we purchased the Scoopfree litterbox two weeks ago after reading numerous reviews of the different automatic litterboxes on the market. This one seemed to make the most sense because it does not use clumping litter, which I've read often sticks to the rake device and liquids pass down to the bottom of the litter, never fully drying/clumping. I had never used crystals, but after reading how they absorb liquids and odors I was willing to give it a test drive. We paid $99 after price searching the web. The device arrives in a HUGE box, but in reality seems to be the size of a large litter pan. Setup was quick and easy. We placed the Scoopfree in the same spot as the old litterbox, removing that one out of the house. This was a bold step since our cat hadn't used crystals and I was afraid he might be confused. He did notice the difference and inspected it completely, but has proceeded to use the device with no problems. He's a large cat (about 16lbs - and not overweight) and fits the box. The motor isn't loud - we can't hear it from another room in our house. The raking cycle doesn't take long, only about a minute. The crystals are working terrific, absorbing the liquids and odors just as indicated. Another bonus is the freedom from the litter dust that gets scattered and tracked. I've only seen a few crystals kicked out in two weeks, so that's saved on additional sweeping around the box. A few days ago the kitty blocked the optical sensor with a pile of crystals from his insane covering, so the rake didn't scoop automatically. This was solved by pressing the button to manually scoop. Since then we give the box a quick look once a day to make sure it's clean and working. The cardboard cartridge is holding up, although I have heard that some cats dig to the point of scratching the bottom, which may cause a leak or tear. Ours doesn't have that problem, but before we placed the cartridge we covered it with a garbage bag for added protection. We then put it under the Scoopfree as directed and filled it with crystals. This hasn't impaired the device from functioning and I think will lead to an extended cartridge life (which is a benefit since we are on a budget). Two factors to consider with this device are that the hood and refill cartridges are sold separately. The cartridges are a little on the expensive side depending on where you can find them ranging from $12 to $17. A cartridge is determined to last one month for one cat. Overall we are really happy with the Scoopfree. It does have a 90 day money back guarantee and a 1 year warranty. It has been super easy to use and has already saved quite a bit of time in terms of scooping and cleaning. Our cat is really happy and no more meowing at the box, which is a great relief to us. We would definitely recommend it to everyone.