Review of the Omega Paws Self-Cleaning Litter Box

Self-cleaning litter boxes seem like a cat owners dream. I purchased the Omega Paws self-cleaning litter box for $30.00 at my local Petco. It promised a simple way of rolling the box on its side to clean without the traditional scooping. I've had the litter box for months now. Does the box live up to its advertising? In my experience, it does not.

Omega Paws Self-Cleaning Litter Box Set-up
It was really easy to set the box up. Just snap the grating into the bottom and sides of the box, snap the lid on and add the waste collecting tray and it's ready. It works with any clumping cat litter. I used the Scoop Away brand in the litter box.

Problems with How the Omega Paws Self-Cleaning Litter Box Works
By rolling the box over on its side, the clumps of dirty litter go up and over the grating and collect in the tray. The tray slides out and the litter can then be thrown away. It does not collect all the clumps of litter. Every time I cleaned the box, I still needed to scoop about half of the clumps out myself. Another problem is some of the clumps would get stuck in the grating. It's a huge mess and then the grating needs to be cleaned. The grating is supposed to let the unused litter collect for when the box is rolled back into its regular position. It can not do this if clumps are getting stuck. The grating also does not stop large amounts of unused litter from going into the dirty litter tray. The Omega Paws Self-Cleaning Litter Box still requires the same amount of effort, if not more, then a regular litter box.

Omega Paws Self-Cleaning Litter Box Design Problems
It is cleverly designed, I admit. I just wish it functioned as it should. The clasps to hold the top and bottom together are flimsy and do not stay closed. Even if you check to make sure they are closed, the clasps seem to slide open while rolling the box over. This results in litter spilling all over the floor. Another problem is the size of the grating and tray. I purchased a large box and the inside is extremely small when the grating and tray are installed.

How I use the Omega Paws Self-Cleaning Litter Box Now
I did not throw away the box and buy a different one. I simply took out the grating and tray. Now it functions as a regular litter box. The inside is roomier for my cats. There is also less litter to sweep off the floor. I'm happy with the litter box now, but wary of trying "self-cleaning" boxes in the future.

Sources:

Personal Experience