The LitterWorks Cabinet: Product Review

The LitterWorks Cabinet takes the ease of using the LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box to a new level and leaves you wishing you'd thought of this ingenious product yourself. Not only does the LitterWorks Cabinet help the LitterMaid work at its optimum, the LitterWorks Cabinet is attractive, convenient, and even less work than the LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box.

Life Before the LitterWorks Cabinet - My Experience With the LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box

Before I purchased the LitterWorks Cabinet, the LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box had always worked well for my two cats. I have owned two LitterMaid's and found that my cats appreciated the cleanliness of the LitterMaid over waiting on me to come in from work each day and remember to, um, scoop for them.

In fact, maybe the LitterMaid worked a little too well. My only problem with it occurred when I waited too long to change the plastic pan. When I got lazy, the automatic rake on the LitterMaid couldn't work nearly as well; the litter got dirty much quicker and the rake would get stuck and continuously rake for several turns or until I came and rescued it. I know my cats were ready to turn me in to the kitty police; but seriously, who likes to change the cat box.

The LitterMaid plastic pans that need to be changed (usually once or twice a week - depending on the number of cats) were not exactly cheap and were sometimes difficult to find. It was while I was looking for a cheaper source for the plastic pans on Amazon.com that I read a review that mentioned the LitterWorks Cabinet system. With a cat in my lap and another by the keyboard, we all decided immediately to do some Internet investigating.

The LitterWorks Cabinet - Where to Find One

Thanks to the Amazon.com reviewer tip, finding the LitterWorks Cabinet on-line was as easy as typing in LitterWorks.com. The site clearly explains the LitterWorks Cabinet system with several videos that begin as soon as you enter the site. The LitterWorks Company sells automatic litter boxes, including the LitterMaid automatic system, in addition to the LitterWorks Cabinet. So if you don't have an automatic litter box, you can get one as well as the cabinet at the LitterWorks site. The LitterWorks Cabinet can also be found on Amazon.com.

The LitterWorks Cabinet - How It Works

The LitterWorks Cabinet is about 16 inches tall and 37 inches long. At 21 inches wide, it isn't much wider than the LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box. You will need to know which version of the LitterMaid cat box you own in order to purchase the correct LitterWorks Cabinet. Overall, it looks like a small coffee table with sliding doors for storage.

To put the LitterWorks Cabinet into operation, you set your LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box on top of the Cabinet and replace your plastic pan with the permanent heavy duty plastic pan. The new pan that comes with the LitterWorks Cabinet has a hole in the bottom of it. Don't panic - this is a good thing! From now on, your LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box will rake litter into the new pan and it will fall through the pan and down into a plastic bag. When the bag is full, you simply tie it off, start a new bag, and throw the old one away.

The new bags you will be using with the LitterWorks Cabinet are like one long continuous trash bag. You decide when the bag is "full" and cut and tie it off to start a new bag. Each bag should last much longer than one of the plastic liners you've been buying for the LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box. Depending on the number of cats you have, one bag may last as long as three weeks. I have two cats and I change the bag every 10 to 12 days. These special trash bags can be purchased from the LitterWorks Company.

The LitterWorks Cabinet - All the Pros and One or Two Cons

In addition to the freedom from scooping litter that you gain with the LitterWorks Cabinet, you also get a storage compartment for your cat litter, litter bags, and other cat accessories. The Cabinet is attractive, very sturdy, and gets the whole litter box up off the floor. It ships almost fully assembled and you can also decorate the LitterWorks Cabinet to fit your decor.

That's one of the cons, however. The LitterWorks Cabinet is made of 5/8" solid birch plywood and it is shipped unfinished. Although very nicely sanded and very smooth to the touch, the plywood is bare. You will want to stain or paint the LitterWorks Cabinet before you set it up. But that's easy to do. So tell the kitties there'll be just a little delay and let them choose a paint color.

You also might want to get your kitties acclimated to making a short jump up to their box by elevating their current cat box for a few weeks before ordering the LitterWorks Cabinet. My cats are real sweeties and aren't picky about anything, but one of them has had an adjustment period to make with the height difference. LitterWorks sells a set of steps as well as a box cover if you don't already have one. I believe they've thought of everything!

The LitterWorks Cabinet - Cost

The LitterWorks Cabinet isn't cheap. But if you've already made the investment in a LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box, then you're willing to go the extra mile for your cat's comfort, anyway. Cost for the LitterWorks Cabinet ranges from $99 to $117. Steps and cat box cover can be added for $39.99 each. One pack of the liner refills (continuous trash bags) cost $13.99 and will last much longer than the plastic trays that you would normally buy for $17 for the LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box.

The LitterWorks Cabinet - A Final Word

If you already have the LitterMaid Automatic Cat Box, you should seriously consider getting the LitterWorks Cabinet. It is definitely the best purchase I ever made for my kitties. Not only do I spend less time changing the liner refills, there is no odor and much less mess. The LitterMaid rake works much better and the litter in the box stays fresher much longer. The LitterWorks Cabinet is an investment, but one that will eventually pay for itself. In the meantime, I'm happier and the kitties are happier!