Self Cleaning Litter Box?

[westtexas]

How big is the entry? Tortilla is a massive cat, about 18 lbs.

The hole is pretty big. My boy is 13 lbs, but he is pretty lean. However, a much more rotund kitty could easily get through.

[smilingcat]

We use an extra large litter box with lids that snaps onto the bottom. Keeps the dog from being able to knock off the lid.

To keep the nosey dog from sticking his head into the box from the opening, the opening is facing the wall. And the box is placed far enough away from the wall such that our cats have no problem negotiating to enter and exit the box. But too small for our lab.

The oversized litterbox is way too heavy for the dog to push around, move it about. So he can't reposition to get into the litter box, he can't remove the top so he has given it up for a while. He is just hoping that we will forget and face the litterbox opening for an easy access. FAT CHANCE!!

Just make it impossible for the dog but still easy for the cat.

If you need more idea, please let me know. I'm sure we can find a reasonable solution without having to buy an automated litter box, child barrier etc.

Remember cats are more nimble than a dog. So this makes it easier to find a solution.

[channlluv]

How big are the dogs?

We use a baby gate, too, but mounted it about ten inches about the floor, so the cat goes under, but the labrador can't get in unless DD forgets to close the gate, which happens occasionally. The cat lives in her bedroom, so her food and litter are both in there, too. Otherwise the lab would eat both. And because they're both in the room where she sleeps, too, DD is motivated to keep the litter box clean.

Roxy

[Becky]

We use a gate hook at the top of the basement door. The hook is just long enough to hold the door open far enough for the cats to squeeze through. We've also done the baby gate thing that Roxy describes, and that works well. I'm not sure that either would work for you because your dogs are so small.

My kitties have disliked every self-cleaning and covered box that we've tried. Good old-fashioned flat pans for them!

What about a cat flap with a magnetic latch? The cat wears a fob on her collar, so only she can "unlock" the flap. The fobless dogs wouldn't be able to get through....

[Aggie_Ama]

Our critters:

Tortilla (the big burly Manx) - 18 lb
Heidi (the sneaky little Schnauzer) - 8 lb
Jens (the Schnauzer puppy) - 3 lb

We do have a problem that Heidi is actually more nimble than Tortilla! We call Heidi our little mountain goat, she is into everything, bouncing from place to place, she can jump but she has to have a clear landing so the baby gate keeps her in her "kennel". But the one with the latching door might work. Tortilla was not completely opposed to the lid on the box, she is extremely particular about her box being clean and tidy. And will only use Swheat Scoop. My animals are high maintenance!

[Atlas]

I don't have much of an idea, just a caution. The top open litter boxes are ok for smaller/younger cats. But I've heard they can be bad on the joints. Jumping up from a loose footing like litter can be hard on them, as well as the idea of jumping down into it and landing in poop. Additionally, the self cleaning boxes are pretty small litter boxes when you take all the electronic stuff into account. I hope you come up with a solution.

[westtexas]

The top open litter boxes are ok for smaller/younger cats. But I've heard they can be bad on the joints. Jumping up from a loose footing like litter can be hard on them, as well as the idea of jumping down into it and landing in poop.

I would like to kindly disagree with this. Firstly because the box isn't deep enough for them to have to jump in or out of the box - they can simply climb in/out. My kitty uses the part away from the entry hole to do his business and doesn't step in his own waste (which he buries anyway).

But secondly because physical activity helps keep muscles strong which actually helps reduce strain on joints and allows for continued activity even in the face of arthritis. It's why we recommend swimming so much for doggies with osteoarthritis in their hips due to hip dysplasia. When many pets get degenerative joint disease it's due to changes that were there since a young age that predisposed them to arthritis and not from repetitive motion injury (not that I think jumping in and out of a box qualifies as that in the least).

[GLC1968]

Our critters:

Tortilla (the big burly Manx) - 18 lb
Heidi (the sneaky little Schnauzer) - 8 lb
Jens (the Schnauzer puppy) - 3 lb

We do have a problem that Heidi is actually more nimble than Tortilla!

Wow, those are some tiny dogs! And here I was thinking that maybe your schnauzers were the larger version!

Maybe you could get some type of set up where the animal would need body weight to get into it? Then your cat could trigger it but the dogs couldn't...like a lever of some sort. Just thinking out loud here....