What is the Best Automated Cat Litter System?

It is no surprise the automatic litter boxes have become hugely popular in the past decade. Cleaning out a cat litter box is always unpleasant, and knowing that there are now solutions to minimize the owner's need to to do this is a huge relief. However, most of these automated solutions don't come cheap - it isn't uncommon to spend $200 to $300 to get started with a system.

That's why I was eager to checkout the Pet Zone smart scoop automatic litter box. Priced just over $100 it is one of the cheapest automated litter systems available. I recently purchased one of these from Amazon.com and within a few days I was able to try out the system myself - and loved it!

Here is a picture of the Pet Zone litter box:

As you can see from the photo, the Pet Zone system comes with several accessories and is nice a compact. However, the standard unit is not covered, so if that is a concern you may want to purchase a more expensive covered system instead.

I found the set up to be super easy: plug it in, add litter and that is pretty much it!

After having this unit in my home for over a month, I can say there are some things I really love about the Pet Zone. To start, it is a very quite machine. My cats are not afraid to use it (a concern I had before purchasing the unit), and I haven't had a significant problem with the litter landing outside the box during use.

Although some reviewers claim they only need to change the litter every 7-10 days, I have found the four to five days is really the maximum for my (one cat) household. I imagine if you have two or more cats, you would need to change it much more frequently - perhaps every other day. At that point, it may not be worth paying $100+ for an automated litter box. But for one cat households, the Pet Zone is worth its weight in gold (or at least kitty litter)!

Designer Cat Trees

If you own a cat, you likely already know what a nuisance it can be to have your cats scratching at your carpet or furniture. This is why a lot of cat owners eventually purchase a cat tree for their cats to enjoy.

However, unfortunately most of the cat trees currently on the market are not very good looking and need to be hidden away because of this. Although I love to have a tree for my cat to scratch on, I wanted it to match the decorations in my pink themed living room. For this reason, I was pretty excited when I found a pink cat tree for my cat. What is more, it cost under $40! Here is a picture of the exact cat tree I bought:

The tree was made by a company called "BestPet" which I had never heard about before, but they seem to be a reliable company. I purchased this online through Amazon as well, and had to pay and additional $15 for shipping.

The Best Waterproof Cat Shelters

Now that winter months are here, it is time to think about how to help our kitty friends stay warm and dry. Particularly if you have a feral cat in your neighborhood that you care for, you might want to consider purchasing a waterproof outdoor cat house like the kitty tube for these cats to enjoy.

Here is an image of what one of these cat houses look like:

What I love about this model in particular (the Kitty Tube) is that it is made from recycled plastic bottles (milk and detergent bottles primarily). It is fully insulated, so it help keeps cat warm during the winter. But it will also stay cool during the hotter summer months, so it is really a year round solution.

The nicest option costs only about $100 and will help keep your cat friends cozy during the coldest winter months. To help feral cats stay comfortable, you might want to choose their feral option however, which you can add straw too and is a bit cheaper than the nicest model.

Unsurprisingly, these tubes also come with a great lifetime guarantee.

Another great option for an outdoor cat house is this one: http://weheartcats.com/product/cat-barn-outdoor-cat-house/

You can see a picture of it here:

It is called "The Cat Barn" and retails for about $130. It comes in cute red and green version.

Both of these great outdoor cat shelters can also be purchased from online retailers like Amazon.com.