First things first: I was a bit reluctant to try the CatGenie because of the mixed reviews of the first model. If I make a large purchase (anything over 50 bucks), I'm researching the HELL out of it first. Usually I check reviews from Amazon, Yahoo Shopping, Consumer Search, epinions, you name it. I live by this method - in the (almost) decade that I have been using the internet to aid in my product searches, I have not yet made a purchase that I regret. This goes triple for the CatGenie 120. They don't sell the older model anymore, which I think is good; I might have been tempted to save a few bucks, but I'm glad that I didn't. The 120 has given me no problems at all.
A little background: I have 3 adult cats (two female, one male, all "fixed") and a smallish house (2 bedrooms - one I use as an office - and one bath), and not a ton of space, which means that the cat box 'thing' was always an issue. If I wasn't extra diligent in cleaning the cat boxes (three of them) at least once, but more often, twice a day, you knew it the minute that you opened the door. Short of getting rid of my cats, I didn't know what to do. I bought a litter maid, the cats hated it, and the clumps would get stuck in the rake. Switched to crystals, which did a good job at desiccating the poop, but it irritated my cat's paws. I didn't mind the pine pellets, but ended up with sawdust all over, and in particular between the boards of my hardwood floors, which I could never fully clean out, no matter how much I vacuumed. Considered the litter Robot, but you still have to use clumping litter, and if I'm dropping over 300 bucks for something, I don't like that I have to stick to my $45-month-for-litter habit, AND the litter still can get tracked, AND you still have to use plastic bags (environment, anyone?) AND not all the reviews were all that favorable. Enter the CatGenie. The price was somewhat steep, yes, but here is where my super internet sleuthing skills came in handy: you never have to purchase litter - it uses washable, recycled granules that are sanitized by the unit every time you run it, it costs less than the robot, and it hooks up to your water line, so you don't have to dispose of anything. You have the option to set it to run on a timer, do it manually (push a button and walk away), or set it to be cat-activated. I do mine manually, because with 3 cats, I like to be sure that none of the kitties is kept from using the box because it's in clean mode. But it's nice that the options are there. You can either hook it up to the toilet, or do what I did - hook it up to your laundry line. It comes with a T-shaped adaptor that makes this really easy. I don't have a basement, I have a laundry closet with a sink, so the waste just gets flushed out with the dirty laundry water. I have had my CatGenie 120 since July, and haven't had to purchase litter since, so my upfront costs are definitely evening out. It will have paid for itself in a few more months.
Here are my pros and cons:
PROS: no more litter (permanent granules)
it sanitizes, so I'm not worried about the cats spreading germs
no scooping
no plastic bags or waste removal - everything is liquified by the unit and flushed into the sewer
my cats took to it right away, and they dig in the granules just like they did with regular litter
VERY easy to set up
big enough to accommodate cat; not so bit as to take up too much room
CONS: the price upfront seemed a bit scary (but, as I mentioned, I haven't been shoveling out cash for litter)
not ultra-silent, but since I have it set to manual, it doesn't go off when I'm not expecting it.
you have to purchase refills of the sani-solution, but it's pretty economical, and each cartridge lasts for 2-3 months, depending on how often you run the unit.
BOTTOM LINE: this is the best cat box out there. It's self-cleaning, super efficient, and clean. Definitely worth the money, and I recommend it.
