List Price: $149.99 Our Price: $79.99 You Save: $70.00 (47%)

Product Description

Designed for extra-large cats or multiple-cat households, this litter box actually cleans itself, depositing waste into the disposable container, which seals away the waste and odors. When the container is full, just throw it away and replace with a fresh one (replacements sold separately). The litter box's infrared sensor detects waste deposits and rakes them away 10 minutes after the cat leaves the litter box. If the cat re-enters and leaves the litter box before the initial 10 minutes have elapsed, the timer will automatically reset and delay the beginning of the cleaning cycle for an additional 10 minutes. The unit's safety bar automatically stops the cleaning rake at the slightest touch, and its paw-cleaning ramp traps litter when the cat exits the box. The steel rake can be removed and the litter tray detaches for easy cleaning. Other highlights include an "on/off" switch and indicator light, a sleep timer for nighttime use, and a sensor-activated ionic air cleaner to minimize odors between cycles. Accessories include four easy-to-install carbon filters and four disposable, sealable, waste receptacles for a virtually odor-free environment. The unit's quiet motor uses a low-voltage AC adapter (included) or batteries (8 standard "AA" batteries, which are not included). The litter box measures 28 by 20 by 8-1/2 inches.

Customer Reviews:

• Too bad one is the lowest rating you can give it!
  I am on my third version of this product. It is horribly designed. The motor is underpowered, and it cannot deal with 2 cats. The litter level cannot be above the lowest fill line level because the motor can't move more litter than that. It is extremely poorly made. Unfortunately, I'm stuck using it because my cats refuse to use the automatic litter box that uses crystals, which is a much better system. Please save your money. If you have just one cat, it is at least livable, but with two cats, it sucks! The old version, without the removable rake, worked much, much, much better. And as for the air filter supposedly built in, I've never once seen it clear any odors....more info
• New littermaid a great waste of money, used to have the old type
  I previously had two of the old style littermaids, which weren't perfect but still much better than traditional litter boxes. I also got the littermaid cart (not by littermaid) which was expensive but very much worth it, no receptacle buying or touching, empty the trash can every 10 days for 2 cat household. Anyway, my old littermaids went on the fritz and were unrepairable and out of warranty, I had them for three or four years. New littermaid is defintely lighter material.
  a) clumps get stuck behind the rake so you must still scoop them out.
  b) as litter/clumps are scooped out, the litter falls to the side making a pile of litter for you to clean up. It's also a waste of litter.
  c) this new elite littermaid only worked (for me) with the 'littermaid' brand litter, which is a small bag at $11.99 a pop at my local Petsmart. It says it is a 1 month supply but I go through a bag in about 5 days, I have two medium sized tabbies but also this litter box is a big litter waster. Lots of unused litter is scooped out with the clumps along with litter falling out in a pile to clean up. This is very expensive!
  d) it is still noisy, a slight noise improvement but we can still hear the litterbox, located in our downstairs laundry room, hear it all the way upstairs in our bedroom.
  e) shame on me, I bought two thinking that they'd be great. A monumental waste of money. I am seriously considering chucking these or giving them away to goodwill (that would be badwill though!) and getting the old style again. My cats like the fresh step litter and it lasted longer in the old style littermaid and you get a whole lot more for $11.99.
  My advice, don't buy the new elite, buy the old style. It isn't perfect but it is an improvement, and use the fresh step litter with the old one. Only the littermaid litter worked for me with the elite....more info
• Great Product
  I was received this as a gift from my Aunt. She owns two cats, I have three hefty male cats.
  
  When I got it, I said "Problems" to myself. It was one of those moments that the voices are talking to you...lol. I have a job that deals with to much high tech stuff all the time, but I did not want to offend my Aunt with not using it.
  
  Everybody knows what a pain in the butt it is to change cat litter. Being a computer geek, I just thought to myself, "Ah, what another high tech thing to call tech support on".
  
  Well, I filled the unit up with Makall Mimi Litter and got rid of the old cat boxes and figured this was going to be a disaster.
  
  After a week of usage, it was flawless!!!! And one of my cats (Boots) d hop's into the unit, then hop's out and waits for the rakes to activate and watches it.
  
  This contraption does work, and has really saved me alot of time and money. And, it is a sense of enjoyment watching Boots go downstairs just to activate it.
  
  I was using the Makall Mini Litter which worked very well. I decided it is just a tad to expensive. I picked up a 14 box of Scoop Away, dumped the whole box in, and the rakes could not get through it. I took out half the stuff, and it works GREAT.
  
  Two tips....
  
  1. You do not have to buy the Receptacles. I just pull them out and dump out the contents into the garbage and put it back into the collector. Just wash your hands afterwards if you are inviting me over for dinner.
  
  2. The rake got stuck tonight when it was going back to the original start position. I pulled the rake out, sprayed a little WD-40 on the plastic contacts, good to go.
  
  3. Be carefull of cat amuzement.
  
  This product has made my life so much easier.
  
  I have seen so many complaints on this product, I just do not understand why? It's really strange. It really works well.
  
  ...more info
• SAVE YOUR MONEY !! Buy the Regular Littermaid Mega.
  Being rather Lazy.. so to speak, I enjoy anything that makes cleaning a Catbox easier, and to that end i have owned Littermaid automatic litter boxes for several years. My Littermaid Mega was on its last leg in regular use for 3 years when i saw the purchased it & was slightly upset that i had to put it together before use, however that was merely the beginning of my Nightmare. Enough of trying to be Graceful, FIRST- the Metal Rake System does NOT work unless the box is filled perfectly, which means after the cat goes in 1 time, all visits after that are an absolute disgusting mess in the box which isnt picked up by the rake but rather smeared and spread in the box. SECOND- the collection tray does not fit well and there is a nice collection of litter etc on the floor, nor does the lid for some reason fit tight enough which in some cases will detach and of course with the lid on the waste has nowhere to go but on top and all over. and Lastly I have always Purchased Premium Cat Litter.. and have tryed several, even the Crystals, THIS Litterbox is the Worst Waste of Money you can imagine ! In a Fit of Anger I Took it to the Trash Can and dropped it in after 5 months of use and Purchase a regular with the plastic rake system. i can tell you how happy im am that i chucked the in the Trash !Life is Easy again with a Regular Littermaid Mega. ;n)
  P.S. 1 star because at least u get to keep the plastic litter bins to use with the regular Mega you will buy....more info
• Avoid this product
  I owned one of the older littermaids for nearly 4 years and it worked well. Unfortunately, it finally broke down after 4.5 years and I had to buy a new one.
  
  Because my old one was so dependable, I thought I'd stick with the same brand. Bad mistake.
  
  I bought one of the new Elite Mega Littermaids and it did not even work work a full two days. It stopped working and has never regained its functionality. Now I have an expensive manual litter box that I have to go and clean all the time.
  
  Save yourself the time and money and get another product. Don't waste your hard earned cash on this....more info
• Not what I expected
  I had an old littermaid that served us well for many years. It died midswipe, and we knew it was time to get a new litterbox. I was intrigued to see they had updated the product, and added new features (the sleep timer, filters) and so I purchased it.
  There is some assembly required, and the side flaps that lift the tray cover are a bit tricky. I actually broke the piece trying to assemble it. I called littermaid, and they informed me that the replacement piece would be $20 plus shipping. I got very angry, because that particular piece is so cheap and poorly made. I spoke to a supervisor who had one shipped for free.
  I very carefully assembled it and got the thing running. It does not sweep litter as well as my old one. It is very irritating that we have to go back and scrape the box clean.
  It is quieter, yes. It is not as durably constructed as the former version.
  Had I realized my dissatisfaction AND the fact I could return it in the first 30 days, I would have done so.
  DO NOT buy this product unless you like being disappointed....more info
• Older versions were better, but it works fine
  I had my last Littermaid litterbox for 6 years and it worked great. I can't think of many times when it jammed up. I just got this LME9000 Elite Mega box and have already seen things I am not so happy about. The metal grate doesnt work as well as the plastic grate in the old box. There tabs that old the plastic lid in place do not secure the plastic lid very well. It is hard to secure the collection box under the tabs on the bottom of the box. Overall I kinda wish they had just left the box the way it was. Oh well. I am sure this will last me 5 years or so....more info
• Be Prepared For A Short Product Life
  While this product's rake uses metal tongs, the axles and wheels which guide it down tracks on either end are made of plastic. As a consequence, the wheels snap off the rake and you have yourself a very expensive standard scoop-it-yourself cat box.
  
  I suffered this same failure twice within a year or so of purchase and had to scold customer support before they'd send a warranty replacement the first time around -- They tried to blame their product's failure on my being overseas and seemed unimpressed with the fact that the power supply continued to work just fine, thank you.
  
  This was the second Littermaid automatic cat box I purchased (two separate models), and the first failed during the warranty period as well. In my defense, I thought the "upgrade" to the "Elite Mega" meant less of a chance of premature failure.
  
  Needless to say, this last Littermaid purchase was really my LAST Littermaid purchase.
  
  Caveat emptor....more info
• Work well when done right!
  I bought this to replace an 4 year old mega maid, at first I was not impressed. But I was using a different litter then I had been because the store was out, I switched back to Arm and Hammer after a week and it works just fine. Make sure the receptacle is pushed all the way down or the arm will catch it and miss the target. If you can track down an older model with the plastic rake, I would go that way first. But this works well, just make sure you have the right litter in the box....more info
• go with the basic unless you need the special features
  I wish I had seen more of these reviews before buying the elite after my last one died. I have used these machines for almost 10 years... they lasted for a good 3-5 years each before they just stopped working. the older models were quite sturdy although haed to be careful with amount of litter and the newer tines are easier to clean. however this one is quite flimsy and have to take apart to pull the recepticle in and out. the recepticles really don't fit well especially the flimsy replacements. may be looking at alternatives soon as bit of a hassle to use... ...more info
• Poor Engineering, Worse Performance
  It's hard to fathom how Littermaid could produce the LM900 & LM950, both terrific products, and follow them up with a piece of garbage like the Elite Mega. Our Elite jams daily, even when only half-filled with litter. If you fill it with litter to the "full" line, the rake can't even get through the clean litter. If one of our cats should actually use the box, forget about it!
  
  A few specifics:
  
  1) The drive motor is clearly not up to the task, and is very noisy.
  
  2) The controls are electronic, which means that the slightest AC power glitch will leave the unit powered off. This also clears the clock and any "downtime" you may have programmed in.
  
  3) There is no "cycle" button; the only way to get the unit to cycle is to power it off and on again (see point 2).
  
  4) The ionic air cleaner appears to be little more than a green LED. It certainly doesn't eliminate odors which, frankly, would not be a problem if the unit worked reliably.
  
  The bottom line: Littermaid makes a great product, this just isn't it. Check out their LM900 and LM950 boxes. Yes, they look like they were designed by the Soviets, but they have the advantage of actually working. We've just purchased an LitterMaid LM900 Mega Self-Cleaning Litter Box from Amazon--the Elite's on its way to the recycler....more info
• Don't Do It!
  I bought this litterbox in lieu of my old littermaid dying. My old littermaid worked great! I was pleased but it had been a few years and the motor was starting to die. I have between 2-3 cats using the litterbox, and I have two side by side. I'm a very busy person and I really appreciate using this device. Anyway, so I go out and buy the new one. I was very excited, but there were some problems right out of the box. Whereas everything assembled easily, the ramp to the box that the cats step on constantly falls off, it also does not seem to like sticking to the sleep timer, and it constantly reset. It is also HORRIBLY loud. Do NOT put this near your bedroom. It will keep you up all night.
  The biggest problem however was a month in of using the box, the rake got stuck. It wouldn't move from the dumping position just above the catch tray. It was not jammed, I fiddled with it, and making sure no litter had gotten built up. Nothing. It would act like it wanted to lower and I could find no reason for it not to. I returned it to the store I bought it from and even the store manager insisted I not exchange for a new one! He thinks the design is flawed as he himself had similar issues.
  If it works for you I'm glad, but my experience has been awful. Good luck.
  ...more info
• OTHER MODELS ARE SUPERIOR
  I have had complete satisfaction with other models I have purchased, but this one was ineffective in keeping the litter clean and the motor gave out in under 6 months of use. Prior models I have owned have lasted several years each and were well worth their price. This model was a complete let down....more info
• Littermate 9000
  I am disappointed in the product. I would not purchase again or recommend others to purchase. It does not do a good job of cleaning. When it is time to replace all litter once a month it is a bigger job than regular litter boxes. Now I have to purchase litter containers. It is messy and litter falls outside the container and the box....more info
• It's OK
  I had an earlier version of the Littermaid for about 10 years until a small plastic piece broke when I was moving. I bought this one as a replacement and I have to say that my old one worked better. The ionic cleaner doesn't seem to do much of anything. The charcoal filters just stick on to the plastic box, not really filtering much. This model does seem to be a bit worse about getting litter on the floor, which just means I have to take a broom to the floor around it more often.
  
  I'd still rather have this than do it by hand, for sure! But I miss my older model. If you are looking at buying, my recommendation would be to try a different model. Littermaid has done better on some of their others and this one has features that just SOUND cool, without being particularly useful....more info
• BAD DESIGN THAT PERFORMS POORLY There is a better Product!!!
  Please don't waste your money on this litterbox. I had the previous generation (900) and it worked pretty well for years. So I thought I would upgrade to the "Elite", and threw the old one out (it still worked), that was a MISTAKE. Rarely does the Elite perform as advertised. It does not fully clear the litter from the box. Clumps of liquid clog the machine. Notice the angle of the rake, pointing down and forward which means it digs into the clumps of litter/waste and gets stuck instead of scooping. Rarely does it leave a clean litter box, which defeats the whole point and adds to the smell. You will likely unclog it often.
  
  I upgraded to the "Litter Robot" and WOW, it does a superb job and leaves the litter absolutely PERFECT after each use, with virtually no smell (unless you have SuperNose). The price is worth it, keep this in mind, you will use much less litter (it doesn't scoop litter, just the waste) and you never have to buy any containers, it uses regular plastic grocery/shopping bags. Follow the directions in the book to get your cat converted from his/her existing litterbox. It took my cat 5-6 days but he did it. Your cat will silently thank you!
  
  Litter Robot link Litter Robot LRII Automatic Litter Box with Free Shipping plus 30-Day Guarantee and Free Returns...more info
• It worked for MY cats, anyway.
  I, too, was a bit apprehensive about purchasing this product after reading so many negative reviews, but I did anyway, hoping that I wasn't about to waste a ton of money - and I haven't. I bought this product about 9 months ago, and it is still doing a GREAT job !
  I have two 2 year-old cats, and the big 14-pounder is a big smelly mess when it comes to the litterbox. His bowel movements reek and overwhelm my entire apartment, and he is what I like to call a "litter flinger." After experimenting with several different kinds of boxes, I ended up with a top-entry box so I didn't have to vacuum cat litter every day. My smaller cat is neat and tidy, so she's easy. We switched to this product, and we ALL love the Littermaid system. It's easy and as odorless as a cat box can be.
  
  A few notes:
  - The litter. I never found the recommended Littermaid litter in stores (always sold out), so I used FreshStep or TidyCats Scoop. Both of these work well and smell great. A big 35lb tub will last a month or more.
  - The receptacles are a bit pricey for something you're just going to throw away - so I use them twice, three times, or more, if they're not too nasty. Saves a ton of money!
  - I clean my litter box once every two weeks - i.e. take out all the old nasty litter, wipe it down with a kitchen wipe and run it once so I can even get all the yucky litter from behind the motor. This seems to help with any residual odor and hopefully will maintain the life of the box. The kit came with a little brush, too, so you can get any dry litter out from the nooks and crannies.
  - With respect to my "litter flinger," I bought the Kitty Cabana, and it works great. There is little to no litter around the outside of the box.
  - Be careful when filling the box. There's a "fill line" - do not over or under-fill. I think a lot of people aren't satisfied with this product because of this.
  - There is a sleep cycle on this model, which I never use because I sleep through it - but my mom appreciated it when she came to visit!
  
  Problems I've had:
  - The carbon filters are useless. They fall into the litter receptacle and get all disgusting because the adhesive isn't that great. I didn't notice a difference one way or the other, so I stopped buying the carbon filters.
  - Sometimes the "comb" gets stuck. This has happened only once or twice to me - which really just means I need to clean the box because there's too much leftover nasty litter so it won't clump properly.
  - I have to take a vacuum cleaner to it every once in a while to get the litter out from between the box and the Cabana.
  - Most recent problem: the clumps of litter stick to the floor of the pan, sometimes meaning it doesn't get scooped properly. I then have to take the actual scoop and scrape the nasty clumps from the floor of the pan and throw them away myself, which is a pain ... the clumps break apart, and I'm left with a crumbly smelly mess of pieces that are too small to scoop. I checked the manual, and they recommend: "Spray litter tray surface with nonstick cooking spray or silicone spray and wipe with a soft, dry cloth. This will help to prevent waste clumps from adhering to the surface of the tray." - Must give this a try!
  
  All in all, I LOVE this product. I would recommend it to anyone, as long as they understand that yes, it does require some maintenance... but at $125 a pop, I'm okay with maintaining it so I get my money's worth! It's clean, odorless, and easy. My cats love it, too!
  
  ...As an added bonus, the box it came in stood as a great toy for a few weeks. :]...more info
• DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY
  I rate this item 1 star because there are no lower ratings that I can use. Read some of the other 1 star reviews for details of the problems with this machine. I have used two LitterMaid cat boxes for the past seven years and absolutely LOVE them. But one finally bit the dust and I ordered this new Elite Mega model as a replacement. I know, I know.... I read the reviews but just could not believe the product was as bad as they said since my original boxes were so great. Well, this piece of junk lived up (or down) to even the worst review! After suffering with it for a few months, I finally purchased a new machine; the older LitterMaid model Mega LM-900 and threw this new model machine in the trash. The LM-900 is a FAR superior machine and I am now quite happy with my decision. Suffice to say; DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY on this product! Buy one of the older LitterMaid models... you'll be happy you did!...more info
• Send Me the money!
  If you insist on throwing away money, why not send it to a worthy cause - Me! The only truth in the descriptionof this cat box is the phrase "just throw it out". Six Hundred litter boxes on Amazon and this is the number eight box purchased. Is everyone Insane?! If I had read these reviews before shelling out list price at a pet shop for this, I could have bought a couple scoop pans and a decent camera to make a video of proper scooping technique.
  
  Do yourself a favor, Believe us! This cat box IS REALLY REALLY JUNK!
  
  Here is a good alternative:
  Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box, Large, Green and Beige
  
  I know, I know, it's not automatic but it is sort of fun - for folk with cats anyway - and it does the job, so to speak. We bought one of these after we made do for a while with two cheapo boxes after we threw out the auto (three cat family). The only issues I've found with this box are that the top will come loose if you use the edges of the opening to move it around - a Bad Thing when part way through a roll - and you can dump a lot of usable litter into the extraction container if you roll it too fast. Has to be one of the most ingenious products I've seen in a long time.
  
  The litter recommended in the reviews of this box - World's Best Cat Litter 00628 Extra Strength 34lb - works well in this and regular boxes. I have some doubts about how long it really lasts, but when you can get it delivered to your door free and for less than you can buy it elsewhere, a couple days one way or the other is no big deal. Strangely, this litter is also offered "Used and New From ...". "Used" cat litter, excuse me!...more info
• Horrible Product
  I was originally excited to purchase the Litter Maid. However, my excitement turned to frustration and anger mere minutes after I unboxed the litter box. The first time it scooped the cat droppings out fine. After that all the machine would do is run constantly. I finally had to unplug the litter box, remove almost all of the litter and try again. Still the machine would not work. I finally after 1 week of owning it, threw it in the garbage. I WILL NEVER buy another automated litter box from this company....more info
• An epic failure of a design, probably made by folks that don't even own cats
  I just got done cleaning the unit we have for our cat. In order to do so, I had to come in more direct contact with soiled litter than a conventional box.
  
  The waste is to be pushed into a flimsy plastic bin. These bins do not fit properly, leaving gaps where litter is pushed into (resulting in large quantities of sand underneath the machine). But they are held tight enough that removing them requires getting your hands dirty and may even cause some sand to be flung into your face as you unsnap the bin from the framework of the box.
  
  I have come to the conclusion that the producers of this machine do not own cats. The design problems are easily remedied if they noticed how bad it works now. If they owned cats and tried the machine in their homes, they would have to fix them since the machine - as it is - does not work properly.
  
  The machinery successfully cleans the box about 50% of the time. The rest of the time, litterballs will be stuck in the tines, balls will get caught in the lid to the bin so it doesn't close completely, and other bits of detritus remain in the litter pan.
  
  The machine is also very loud. So loud that one of our two cats avoided the machine entirely for a month. In fact, that's where it works best. It frightens 50% of cats so you have to clean it less.
  
  I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS UNIT TO ANYONE....more info
• Cheaply made, "cool" features, earlier models are better
  I recently purchased this product from Petco to replace an earlier model that I had for four years that finally died on me. I loved the earlier model.
  
  As soon as I opened this new model, I could tell that the entire thing was much more flimsy than my previous one. The plastic is thinner throughout, and the top part (the part with the motor and rake) does not latch onto the bottom basin that holds the litter as the old model did.
  
  This model does come with a built in "ionic air cleaner" that does little more than turn on a green light every time one of my cats uses it and makes a sound like static, which makes me worry that it will electricute them if their fur ever gets caught in it.
  
  As with other reviews, I, too, have noticed an increase in the amount of litter that my cats kick onto the floor around the box, but I also notice that underneath the box (under where the waste box connects to the litter box) there is always a pile of cat litter.
  
  Besides that, when I dump the clumps out of the waste box (I reuse the waste boxes a couple times because of the cost of the boxes), I notice that there is a lot of unclumped litter that is being raked into my waste box, essentially being wasted by this model.
  
  I never had any of these problems with the previous models, and I would have purchased the older model when my old one died, except that my local Petco only carries this model.
  
  I paid a lot of money for this litter box, and I feel like I am being repaid by Littermaid with a lower quality product that wastes my money by making me buy litter more often and wastes my time by making me clean up the mess that is made by the product that is supposed to do it for me....more info
• Very Poor Quality
  I have had 3 Littermaid litter boxes. This model is the worst by far. One week and the motor was dead. Plus the receptacle goes under a few tabs that allows litter to fall underneath. They need to scrap this model. Another note is that the sleep timer isnt very adjustable because it automatically shuts the box off for 9 hours. Youre better off with your own timer you can get at the drug store for a few dollars....more info
• doit yourself
  I just to have a litter maid, old one and it was great. I did the work and we practically abuse as we have four (4) cats. I sometimes overfill the tank but it did the job. Finally it quit on us and base on past experience I bought the new state of the art model. WEll, what a piece of garbage. The quality of the box is way inferior to the previous model and guess what it does not scoop. The motor is under power and it stop constantly. Cannot push the material away and keeps on stopping. I'm basically force to scoop the material myself and look at the machine. I could save the $$$ and just buy a plastic box and scoopable sand. Really they destroyed a good product. ...more info
• Worked poorly for five months, then broke
  I bought this litterbox for $150 at the beginning of the year. Despite using premium cat litter AND FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS, THANK YOU, the rake would constantly get stuck. Also, my cats would sometimes pee on the cover where it would flow on to the floor. And, those disposable litter containers cost about a buck each. Today, the machine broke, and I am not going to bother calling the manufacturer because I don't want the darned thing repaired; it's going to the landfill.
  
  Two different friends of mine have a LitterMaid, and are quite pleased with the product -- I bought this one because of that. The difference is that I bought the "Elite Mega," while they have earlier versions. The rake on the Elite Mega is exposed all the time, where theirs goes into a slot, and I think that the older ones are just better engineered and less cheaply made. So, if you want an automated litterbox, avoid this particular model. The others might be okay, and I just may try one of them (besides, I've got about $50 worth of disposable litter containers).
  
  I did call customer service once, and the woman on the other end was rude and useless, so no points there, either.
  
  Good Luck!
  Dorene...more info
• Avoid at all costs
  My wife and I purchased one littermaid Elites with ionic air from Target to help with our two older cats. We had the first for about two weeks and were satisfied so we purchased another for our younger cats.
  
  The littermaid is flawed on so many levels. The gears and the track that the gears ride on are made of cheap plastic and pop out of place, causing the track to run crooked and therefore not settle in the off position, leaving the machine to run back and forth until turned off.
  
  This is also not a clean solution as the advertise. The will are far too low and the cats end up scattering litter everywhere. The suggested level of litter is too deep to allow the machine to work properly and yet too low for cats to feel comfortable using it, especially when you adjust the level so that the machine works. This low level of litter causes even more mess. Not to mention the mess associated with the disposal bin. I have come into contact with far more cat feces using this product than with years of old fashioned boxes. It furthermore wastes a great deal of very expensive litter in its cleaning process.
  
  This is a cheap, poorly made product with a high price tag that should be pulled from the market. ...more info
• A real P.O.S.
  Like several others, I "upgraded" to the Elite Mega from an older model. Big mistake. It worked well after I got the litter level just right. However, after a couple months, the outer edges of the rake rollers broke off rendering the unit no better than a plastic tub and a hand scoop. The company did replace one rake but after another couple months, the studs holding the rollers broke off and I gave up. If I can find an old model I may go back to this company's product but I won't buy any more of their new stuff....more info
• Horrible Product
  I wish I could give NO STARS for this!!! I have to say that I have been a LOYAL customer of LitterMaid for almost 10 years and I just bought the LitterMaid Elite and I can not stand it. To begin with, you can not move the litter box without the top coming off. There are no latches to lock the top and bottom. It is MUCH louder than the older models and it does not clean at all. I still have to go up and scoop the litterbox every day. All the rake does is push the litter around and the poop gets stuck behind the rake. I guess that the only bonus is that the rake comes off so you can clean all the yucky litter out. The way the receptacles fit, all the litter falls out and I have it put together properly. I am so disappointed with this new model. I will be returning it and purchasing an older model. This product is terrible. If you want a good litter box, get the older models of the LitterMaid....more info
• Waste of money
  This product is awful! Don't waste your money. It stopped working the second day I owned it. I spend more time cleaning out this litter box than I do the old fashioned kind....more info
• 150 dollars to waste
  This thing has not worked once. Something called "elite" and "advanced" should work at least sometimes. We paid full price for ours at local pet shop with unfriendly return policy. We are stuck with an overpriced plastic container with permanently blinking failure light....more info
• This thing is alright, BUT....
  This litter box is alright, but if you dont have the tent/cabana that goes over the sides and top, litter gets EVERYWHERE. plus if you dont have something to set the litter box on top of, litter and small pieces of cat poop and pee will get underneath it, HOPE you dont have it on carpet in that case..PLUS if you cant handle the smell of cleaning a normal litter box, dont wait more than 3 days to clean this one, because rather than the smell being in the air, it is all contained in one box, so if you wait too long to change it, beware of the smell...i'm not too impressed with this product, its more of a hassle than anything..it is also VERY large, my bathroom is not big enough for my cat and myself to use the same bathroom....more info
• I'VE HAD 6 IN 3 YRS!
  Every single one I've purchased eventully will not stop raking. I've contacted the company several times ( horrible customer service ) and they tell me how to reset it, but inevitably that doesn't work after awhile. Like so many of the other reviewers, I feel like they don't care that their product gets worse with each "improvement." We need a sturdy, easy to empty machine!...more info
• Very Bad Design
  Litter Maid's auto litter box is terrible. I wrote about the Scoop Free at the bottom. I used the Litter Maid for a month to give it a fair chance. There are gaps on the side of the litter box, close to the disposal cartridge and litter just falls through on to your floor each time the rake pushes the litter towards the disposal cartridge. The worse thing is the part where the tray that holds the litter meets the part that holds the disposal cartridge. When the rake pushes the poop up and out of the litter into the cartridge it leaves (over time) "streaks" on the plastic because the poop is drug across the plastic in to the cartridge. A lot of the time when the rake pushes poop/clumps to the disposal cartridge it hits this edge and the poop/clumps get pushed in to the rake instead of going over the edge in to the disposal cartridge. Then they usually stay stuck in the rake until you knock them loose. Sometimes the poop stops at the edge, the rake goes over it and then the poop ends up behind the rake when it goes back to its starting point. Sometimes the clumps break up and you're left with bits of stinky litter in the box instead of the disposal cartridge. This is why it stinks so much after a week.
  
  I got the Scoop Free by Fresh Step and it's wonderful. My cat had a hard time with the new crystal litter and looked at it funny for 6 weeks. He peed in the floor once and my husband's gym bag once. He just didn't like the new litter. The Ultra unit has a counter which counts each time he uses the box. I would check it when I came home from work and when I got up in the morning to see if he'd used it. If he hadn't, I'd pick him up and put him in front of it over and over until he used it. I also used a motion sensor camera that I hooked up to my laptop so I could see what time he used it. This litter is harder and smells different than the clay he's used to. I learned to sprinkle the clay litter on top every few days until he was completely used to the crystal stuff. The clay litter won't damage anything and the only problem with it is it gets stuck in the rake. Now he's used to the litter and uses the box with no problem. The reason I feel this unit works so much better is because the rake pushes everything in a straight line instead of up and over like the Litter Maid. The litter doesn't clump so nothing gets stuck in the rake. The crystals also do a great job of absorbing the smell of urine. There's no smell from the box when I walk in the room. I do have a sofa beside it and I can smell it a little if I sit on the end right beside it. It's my 2nd TV room so I'm only in there when my husband is using the other TV so I can easily sit on the end that's further away from the box.
  ...more info
• noisy, poorly functional
  I have had Littermaid electric litterboxes for 8 years now (I have 4 cats,) one, still an original and still functioning. This one, however, is the worst. It is incredibly noisy, the metal tines don't pick up the litter, leaving little clumps everywhere, and the clumps end up behind the tines frequently. It also gets stuck on relatively small lumps. It also doesn't turn itself back on in the case of a power outage. (Found that out one smelly day.) Save money, buy the older model- mega- plastic tines and quieter!...more info
• litterbox maybe better in newer models
  so I had left a bad review not that long ago about this litterbox, but I have to say I contacted customer service for littermaid and after some haggling they sent me a new box for 10 dollars, I know some people had complianed about paying 10 dollars for something covered under warranty but it is still cheaper than buying a new one. And I have to say this new one seems to work alot better, I was amazed!!! The last one was total crap clogging all the time, i was doing more scooping than the freaking litterbox was!! But this new one seems to be getting the job done. No complaints!!! I did spray pam in the bottom of the pan and on the rake, seems to help as well, sounds crazy but helps with the clumps sticking to the bottom which seemed to be a part of the jamming. So so far so good, if you have a chance to get the newer model (don't know how you would know) I would recommend it, seems to have a stronger motor in it then the older one, mine was about a yr. ...more info
• Some Good, some Bad!
  This is probably one of the better of the Elite Models, though the rake still does not redistribute the litter enough on the return trip.
  Most recently, it appears as if my power supply has failed. I hope the company is open to replacement!
  ...more info
• We LOVE this litter box
  I don't know what the other reviewers are doing to their litter boxes, but I have had this item for 5 months now and have not had a single problem with it.
  This is one of the best purchases (next to the petmate freshflow water bowl) that I have made for my cat.
  
  I have never had a problem with the rake or the amount of litter in the pan. yes some of the litter does end up under the receptacle... but a quick swipe with the vaccuum hose takes care of that, it's not a huge deal.. and it's not a HUGE amount that is under there..
  
  My cat is also much happier with having her litter taken out of the box soon after she uses it.
  
  I give this FIVE STARS!...more info
• Don't buy this litter box! Save yourself $140.
  I bought this litter box a few months ago thinking it would take care of the smell and mess from my two cats. NOPE! Frankly, I'm disapointed in littermaid for making such a piece of junk. Here are a few of the major flaws this litter box has:
  1. The hood doesn't fit the box... even though the packaging said it does.
  2. If your cat likes to bury it's waste (which mine does), the rake WILL NOT pick it up and despose of it in the waste container. It gets stuck and ends up moving back and forth several times making such a racket, in the end it goes back to the starting position and wil not move until you reset the litter box.
  3. The Ionic air thingy doesn't do anything, I think it's just a green light bulb. Can you say CON?
  4. The waste container does not close tightly, flies can get it and make more flies (and once you have one fly you have many, and I never had a fly problem before), it also allows the waste smell out into the air! YUCK!!!
  5. IT's HUGE!!! It's NOISY!!! It wakes my son if it goes off at night!!!
  
  So in the end I threw it away and bought a booda box with a ramp. Lets see how well that one works. Onward with the battle against cat waste!
  GOOD LUCK...more info
• Works Great-Follow the instructions!
  I have read the negative reviews and was concerned that I wasted my money. I did not, initially, use premium clumping litter but Petco litter. Ended up with too big of clumps. Tried Fresh Step premium litter and worked perfect. Also, I initially put the waste pan on wrong and had a huge problem of litter dumping on the floor. Put it on the correct way and NO waste falls onto the floor. Follow the instruction manual and you will not have the issues that I read about. Great product if you use it as instructed....more info
• littermaid is great
  i love this product...it saves time and smell...not sure why you would want to turn the sleep mode on, but the machine itself is great...more info
• Really bad product.
  The LME9000 is cheaply made, underpowered and the metal rake constantly gets stuck no matter how much litter is in the box. The LME9000 Elite Mega is NOT a good product.
  
  I purchased this item after my Littermaid LM900 died after two years of excellent service. I thought that the LME9000 would be an upgrade, I was wrong. My first LME9000 lasted 3 months and just stopped working. I called customer service and they sent me another (after I mailed in the motherboard and $10 for shipping). Here it is seven months later and the second one died. I called customer service and they are sending me the old LM900 version as a replacement....more info
• Horrible!
  Do NOT buy this one! It simply does not work. The motor is too weak - it struggles upon the tiniest of clumps. It often does not make it across. I end up just having to scoop myself anyway. I had the original Littermaid version that was much, much better. That one had a stronger motor and lasted a couple of years. This one is totally different. I am planning on trashing this one and buying a different brand next time. Too bad considering we spent almost $200 for something that was made cheaply....more info
• It has always been junk and always will be junk...
  I had my first Littermaid back in 2000. It was terrible! One of my cats consistently peed on the refuse bin, and it was a smelly, nasty mess to remove it when cleaning. I ditched it after about 6 months, when he managed to short out the battery compartment (which used to be powerful enough to run the unit).
  
  I thought to myself that after 9 years, surely they'd made some improvements. Since the cat in question is now an outdoor cat, I bought it for my other cat. I thought surely the unit could handle *one* cat. Here are the problems:
  
  1.) The cleaning rake comes down and touches the litter A FULL THREE INCHES before the back of the box, allowing the cat to pee BEHIND THEM. This clumps between the rake tines, and causes clumbing behind it, where it just goos up instead of getting raked. In my opinion, it would take little effort to design the rake to rise above the litter and rest against the back of the box. I've tried discouraging the cat by turning the box. He doesn't cooperate.
  
  2.) Cats always go along the sides, not in the middle. This area gets all gooey and jams. Also, when it rakes the clumps it doesn't lift them at all: they drag the litter along with them. The refuse tray is filled up with clean litter and the thing jams. A waste of good litter.
  
  3.) I've tried EVERY litter on the market, including swheat, except for the corn (I'm allergic to corn). They all make a gluey mess along the sides of the box that won't clump hard enough before scooping. Maybe this is because the unit scoops too soon, not letting it have the time to clump? Whatever the theory, the litter just isn't sold that will work with this unit.
  
  4.) URG! THE MESS! Alright, so those are the messes inside. I'm almost willing to scoop and reset the box when it jams (once a day) but there are gaps in the unit that allows litter to spill down onto the floor (see the right hand side, where that refuse container meets the box side). This is okay if it's clean litter, but nine times out of ten, it's urine clumps. The litter also spills down underneath the refuse bin.
  
  5.)The lids to the disposible refuse containers fall off no matter how carefully I hook them. Those little carbon filters fall off the lids... into the litter bin where they're covered with used litter.
  
  I expected a few problems, since I didn't get the most expensive unit but COME ON! Just because I didn't pay for the pimped-out bells-and-whistles version doesn't mean they can't address these problems on all of their units. Do they just keep adding fancy gizmos without addressing the issues that make this a piece of junk rather than a piece of machinery? 9 years is enough. The problems are worse than they were when I bought my first unit (I remember it jamming but don't remember the problems with behind-the-rake clumping or spilling used litter all over the floor in marble-sized clumps).
  
  I've had this unit for about 2 months now. It stinks (literally) and my cat is shooting daggers at me. It's got to go.
  
  DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!...more info
• Couldn't Pay Me Enough
  That about sums it up. Couldn't pay me enough to ever buy this model again. Constant having to reset because it couldn't clear debris. Too much litter, too little litter, cat sneezed in litter box, you name it, this unit malfunctioned. To top it all off, less then 30 days of use, it dies, forcing me to order another working unit and paying for expidited shipping so my cat isnt without a litter box. Now I got to find a box to ship it back in, after all who keeps the boxes after you set up the thing?
  
  I have to rate it by star, amazon.com listen up, you need to over ride that. Given a choice, I would give it a negative 3 stars....more info
• LitterMaid Review
  This is my 3rd, but I'm not real happy with it. The ionic cleaner does not work and it's almost impossible to keep litter from getting underneath the box, meaning there's more clean up time for me. The concept is good and I really liked the 1st two (especially the larger sized one!), but this one is driving me nuts. I really don't know what I'm missing by the ionic cleaner not working as it wasn't on the other models, but I am not happy about the cleaning. I'm pretty sure it's because the plastic boxes just don't fit properly....more info
• Horrible
  The last one of these I had died in under a year. The replacement died in less than a month. I'm getting tired of being on hold with their customer service, I'm looking at other options....more info
• Poor quality - Nothing like my previous Litter Maid
  I owned the previous LM700 Litter Maid model, one they weren't selling anymore at my local pet stores. When the old unit finally wore out after 3 years, I did not hesitate to purchase this updated model, which the clerk assured me would be easier to clean/maintain than the old model. On that point, the sales clerk was correct: I did find it easier to handle than the old model, as it comes apart fairly easily and cleaning off the surfaces isn't tough. As a previous reviewer mentioned, however, you must keep the litter at a certain level for it to work well. Generally speaking, it worked fairly well, but it did get jammed more frequently than the previous unit and failed to empty as much waste into the bin as the previous unit. Keeping enough litter in became a chore that wasn't as big an issue for the old unit. If this were the end of the story, I could give this product maybe 2.5-3.0 stars for mediocrity.
  
  As other reviewers have noted, however, the issue is not only the mediocre performance: The cheap components simple are not up to the task for the long run. We take reasonably good care of our automatic cat litter boxes, so I figured I would get 3 years or so of use out of this unit. About one year in, it died a loud, grinding death when the plastic components snapped off without warning, leaving the rake to grind back and forth ineffectively. The very pieces that broke off are noted in the pics already posted here by others. I am disappointed in both the performance and the quality of this unit, particularly after my good experience with the first Litter Maid product. I strongly suggest avoiding this model. It's poorly made and, unfortunately, just not up to the standards of my old Litter Maid box. For mediocrity that lasted just over one year, with only one cat, I can only give this model 1.5 stars. I suggest you look elsewhere for a reliable, well-designed automatic litter box....more info
• Good product, poor design, poor customer service
  Worked alright at first. Very convenient for people who are not home all day. The receptacle is fairly small, and with two cats, I was changing it more often than I'd imagine. The piece all together is much larger than I imagined as well.
  
  It has recently stopped functioning. I called customer service, which was a nightmare, and it is still not working. When you call, there is an insane wait. The lady I spoke to was understanding and helpful.
  ...more info
• Truly awful
  Failed-- catastrophically. Rake jammed at an angle and stopped while I was on vacation-- bad enough-- but didn't just quit. It continued to grind away, making a horrible clacking racket, while my poor cat fled in terror to do his business elsewhere. I will never use a Littermaid product again....more info
• Junk - dont buy!
  I have had about 7 of these. They last about 2 months, then I call the customer service line and get it changed under the year warranty which each unit comes with. I have done this continuously for about 3 years. You just have to mail a check for $10 to cover shipping.
  
  They are cheaply made and the rake doesnt really work. The usual problem is that the rake gets stuck and the wheel on the side snaps. So it just keeps going and going. The rake only gets the large chunks. The small ones are left behind, so I still have to rake by hand on an almost daily basis. It is also very noisy.
  
  I've been told the Cat Genie is good, but it is big, expensive and you need room in the bathroom by the toilet to put it....more info
• A $&!% Box !
  This automated monstrosity is just about as valuable as the stuff it's supposed to scoop away. After a severe back problem flared up I purchased one to avoid potential injury from more years of bending and scooping.
  
  In short order I found myself bending and scooping. This LitterMaid advertises itself as effective for multi-cat households, but after using it for several months I've decided that that claim is true only if the other cats are constipated or suffering UTIs.
  
  The LitterMaid is a great concept but has several problems:
  
  (1) It works when it wants to work: Although the supposedly clever sensor system is supposed to activate the mechanism ten minutes after your cat has departed, it often doesn't. Sometimes it works spontaneously, whether the cat's stopped by or not. Cleaning the electric eye makes no appreciable difference to whether it works. Ditto the ionizer, which should be called an "ironyizer". The irony is that it seems to have no effect at all on the surrounding miasma of eau de chat.
  
  (2) It sounds like an earth-moving machine: Which is, I suppose, what it is, but given the fact that it moves clumps of litter and stuff a grand distance of about twenty inches, it shouldn't have to sound like a backhoe busting up concrete. Which leads us to
  
  (3) The motor isn't strong enough: The instructions say to use "premium clumping litter" but the rake, with its long, thin tines, frequently has trouble pushing the often mudlike clumped litter toward the receptacle. There's a very slight upgrade that needs to be climbed as the rake reaches the receptacle. The motor is frequently not up to it. If the thing has to sound like a bulldozer, it should work like one, too.
  
  (4) The "Reset" feature frequently doesn't (Part One): The instructions say that if the scooper can't push it's rakings along, it will stop, return to point A, and retry the task five times before shutting off to spare the motor excess strain. Unfortunately, the scooper often gets stuck mid-scoop and grinds away fruitlessly trying to push the stuff along. It's a sign of mechanical dedication for sure, but it reduces the motor's lifespan by large fractions each time. If it does by chance reset, there's an even chance it will retry the task ten or fifteen times. The only solution at that point is to turn it off before the motor shorts out, potentially cooking your cat and burning your house down in the process.
  
  (5) The "Reset" feature frequently doesn't (Part Two): Woe betide the machine when there's anything---a clump, a bump, or an overly large air molecule---trapped behind the scooper as it goes to its home base. If it can't get all the way back to Point A, the thing sets up a rapid, loud, clack-clack-clack-ing that sounds like a Lewis Submachine Gun and makes it necessary for the cat owner to run to his own litterbox as a result of a fright-flight reaction to the noise. Especially at three AM.
  
  (6) It hates litter: Use too little, the LitterMaid goes on strike. Use too much, the LitterMaid goes on strike. Use just enough, and the LitterMaid might work properly half the time. The LitterMaid seems to work best when the pan has no litter in it, which pretty much defeats the purpose it was designed for. Now if the LitterMaid only came with her own mop . . .
  
  (7) The litter receptacles are expensive: The gifts the cat leaves are supposed to be pushed into a bin at the back of the machine. The bins are made of thin, bendable plastic. A carton of six bins will have you saying farewell to your friend Andy. Fortunately, they can be reused several times (as long as your cat doesn't have a tummyache). Unfortunately, the bins and the machine don't always make a snug fit, so particles of dirty litter can drop between the two not-quite adjoining edges, leaving you to clean up the mess under the machine.
  
  (8) It makes YOU the biggest LitterMaid of all: Cleaning the thing is a pain in the arse. Between the unplugging, the litter dumping, the disassembly, the cleaning, the reassembly, and the litter filling, you'll spend more time with the LitterMaid than your cat will.
  
  Like I said at the outset, the mechanical litterbox is a great concept, and it should/would work if the design team at LitterMaid spent more time raking in the poolah, and less time raking in the moolah. Nobody should have to babysit a litterbox, especially one designed to be left alone, and especially at this price. A plain old plastic litter pan, kept clean, is still your best bet. ...more info
• a real lemon
  My original LitterMaid I got some years ago was a far better product. Although it was noisier, the motor was stronger & it hardly ever stopped working. This model stops all the time, and if I fill it past the first "fill" line, not even to the maximum, it still stops all the time. I use premium litter and have followed all the directions. When I emailed the company to complain about it, they emailed me a form letter telling me all the things I need to do to get it to work (which I already do). They couldn't have cared less. I have three cats & started using the first model to save myself time, which it did. I am considering just trashing this one & getting a regular litter box, since I am always cleaning this one by hand anyway. DON'T BUY IT!!...more info