Editor’s rating: 3.8 stars | Avg. rating online: 3.8 stars
The CatGenie is a self-flushing, self-washing cat box. This is an innovative concept in automatic cat litter boxes because it works as a “cat toilet” flushing the waste away, cleaning and drying the cat box and litter so it’s ready to be used over and over again. Washable litter is permanent; it does not have to be changed and it consists of granules that look like regular cat litter. With this system, you never have to touch or buy cat litter again. The CatGenie 120 features 3 different settings, and a child lock mode to prevent accidental starts. The unit works with a biodegradable and recyclable SaniSolution cartridge for cleansing and it holds enough SaniSolution for at least 120 washes.
Features of the CatGenie Automatic Litter Box
- Full automatic process of scooping, flushing waste away, and self-washing clean.
- Reusable litter-like washable granules for your cat to dig and cover
- Suitable for no more than 3 average-sized cats from 6 months of age.
- It requires hookup to a cold water line, wastewater drain, and electrical outlet
- Unit includes biodegradable SaniSolution cartridge and washable granules.
- Product Dimensions approx: 25.8 x 22.4 x 13.8 inches
- Litter bed area: 17″ across
- Weight approx: 25 lbs. (Includes Processing Unit, 11 lbs. Base Unit, 14 lbs)
- Power Requirements (North America): 120VAC, 60Hz (15A Fused)
- Power Requirements (Europe): 230VAC, 50Hz (8A Fused)
- Power Consumption: 20W (Cleaning Cycle-17Minutes) 1200W (Drying Cycle-17 Minutes)
- Requirements to Install: Coldwater line, wastewater drain, and electric outlet.
- Included supplies last approximately 3 months for one cat and about 2 months for 2 cats.
- The product is covered by a 90-day money-back guarantee and a 2-year warranty limited.
What comes in the package?
- The CatGenie litter box
- Utility or Laundry Room T-Adapter
- A bathroom or Powder Room T-Adapter
- SaniSolution Cartridge
- Washable Granules
Optional Accessories
The Sidewalls, to stop litter from falling, and the Cat Dome, to contain litter and male cats’ urine (note: not suitable for big cats over 15 lbs)
How To Hook Up The System?
The CatGenie is hooked up to a cold water line and to a waste-water drain such as a toilette or washer’s drain pipe and it is plugged into an electrical outlet. The unit includes everything you need to install the CatGenie. It comes with T-adapters to hook up the device whether to a laundry room or to the bathroom. The only tools needed are a wrench or a pair of pliers. Additional parts may be required with non-standard hookups.
Unpacking & Installing the CatGenie
How Does The CatGenie 120 Work?
When your cat does his business the urine drains away from the granules so basically only the waste gets flushed. The process starts with a GenieHand that scoops out the solid waste, this waste is deposited in a chamber located in the hopper while freshwater fills the box and this waste is turned into liquid by an impeller for safe and easy removal. This waste liquid is drained through the washer drain pipe (which connects directly to the sewer or septic tank) in case the installation is in the laundry room. If the waste liquid is dumped into the toilet, the CatGenies’s pipe hooks to the toilet’s rim. Once the waste and dirty water are drained away more spinning rinse cycles continue while SaniSolution disinfects everything. Finally, a hot-air blower fully dries the granules and box.
How Long Does A Full Cleaning Cycle Last?
This process takes 34 minutes in total, 17 minutes in the cleaning cycle, and 17 minutes in the drying cycle. The result is clean and disinfected litter box ready to be used again.
Watch How The CatGenie Works (video has been sped up)
Mode Settings
The CatGenie has 3 settings: “Cat Start” (or Cat Activation), “Auto Start”, and “Push Start”.
1. CAT START (cat activation)
It cleans the litter box 10 minutes after your cat has used it. Special eye sensors detect the cat when leaving the litter box so if the cat does not leave the litter area the cleaning cycle won’t start; it will only be activated once the cat leaves the unit. Also, if another cat needs to use the litter box right after his “buddy”, the unit resets and delays for another 10 minutes.
Active Mode vs Sleep Mode
When set in “Cat Start” (or Cat Activation) the CatGenie works based on two modes: Active Mode and Sleep Mode. Active Mode lasts 14 hours straight, where the unit will clean the cat’s waste automatically. For the other 10 hours, the machine is in “Sleep Mode”, which means it won’t clean the waste if the cat uses it. This feature allows you to sleep because eliminates the cleaning cycle’s noises at night. However, you can push a manual cleaning anytime you want during sleep mode. The next day when the system switches automatically to Active Mode again, it will clean the cat’s waste if there is any.
How is The SaniSolution Used When The Genie is on “Cat Start”
When set in on “Cat Start” the SaniSolution cartridge automatically switches from 120 washes to 240. This is because as the unit cleans and flushes the waste immediately, it needs less solution per wash. This “Cat Start” or Cat Activation setting is more suitable for one cat or two at the most. Having multiple cats means more cleaning cycles (34 minutes each cycle) so this could create problems if other cats want to use the machine while in the cleaning cycle. The unit running almost all day is something to take into consideration.
2. AUTO START
It gives you the option to run the CatGenie from 1 to 4 times a day, depending on the number of cats. When choosing a self cleaning litter box multiple cats you need to keep a balance between cleanliness and energy efficiency. That’s why this mode is suitable for multi-cat households. Auto Start means the cleaning cycle won’t start after a cat uses the litter box instead, the unit will run every 6, 8, 12, or 24 hours per day, depending on the number of cleaning cycles you program the device to run (4, 3, 2, or 1 per day).
How to Program The Catgenie on This Mode?
As the unit does not feature a digital timer, once programmed it will start automatically at the pre-set cleaning times, so you have to program the CatGenie at one of the times you actually want the machine to start a cleaning cycle. For example, if you want the CatGenie to clean 2 times a day and to start cleaning at 1 pm and then at 1 am, you have to program the Auto Setup at either 1 pm or 1 am. It is a good idea to observe the cats’ habits for optimal programming. On Auto Start setting the SaniSolution cartridge lasts for 120 washes.
3. PUSH START
Allows you to start a cleaning cycle anytime you want by only pushing the start button. This is a good complement to other setting options, for example during a Sleep Mode in Cat Start setting or between Auto Start cycles. This is a good option if your cat is sick and you want to check its eliminations. In this setting, the SaniSolution cartridge lasts for 120 washes.
Is The Catgenie 120 Easily Adopted By Cats?
Cats in general don’t switch easily to new systems and especially automatic systems with movements and noises. However, cats do have the ability to take to new automatic litter boxes if they are introduced properly. CatGenie includes a “Cat Acclimation Guide” that is important not to skip. It might take a long time for your cat to accept the litter box but a lot of patience and strategy needs to be applied to this. If you introduce the CatGenie to cats properly they seem to adopt it very well and use it consistently. Some cats might not accept the unit at all; every cat is unique and when it comes to felines nothing can be guaranteed. You may want to check my article how to make your cat to use a self cleaning litter box where you will find the top brands and learn how to make a good transition for your cat.
Cat Suitability
The CatGenie is recommended for cats and kittens over 6 months of age weighing between 5 lbs and 10 lbs. If you have a cat that is really picky about the litter, the granules may not be attractive to your cat. If you have a timid cat that doesn’t like much noises or movements, this machine may not be suitable.
CatGenie Supplies And Environment
The washable granules and maintenance cartridges have an additive that allows plastic-loving bacteria to degrade the plastics. The Cartridge Cases biodegrade in less than 10 years. If some washable granules go to a septic system they will biodegrade within 9 months, and two years in landfills.
Pros & Cons of CatGenie Self-Washing Cat Box
Here’s a list of the advantages and the disadvantages of the CatGenie so you can decide with better information:
PROS
- A fully automatic solution for scooping and disposing of the waste.
- Programmable automatic flushing keeps the unit clean and disinfects the area.
- Good for households with 1 or 2 cats.
- Easy to set up
- Good construction and quality.
- No contact with the litter.
- Hypoallergenic and environment-friendly litter.
- The unit works as advertised.
- Good for a trip as it takes care automatically of the litter box.
CONS
- It does not work well if your cat defecates soft feces that might stay on the device (the cleaning cycle might pulverize them causing a very bad smell).
- The system might get clogged after some period of time (this does not happen always).
- In order to deep clean the unit you need to fully disassemble it and it takes time.
- Biodegradable litter does not cover up the cat feces and urine odor.
- Lots of tracking granules
- Loud and long cleaning cycles
Tips to use the CatGenie
- Make sure that you have a space large enough to locate the unit.
- Clean the unit with the Machine Maintenance Cartridge at least 4 times a year to keep the water sensor from buildup and the box from clogging.
- Customers prefer unscented SaniSolution instead of scent.
- If you have a kitten get the Dome to protect your cat from playing during the cleaning cycle.
- If your cat is a digger or if your feline sprays or urinates on sides it is a good investment to get the Dome and Sidewalls.
- Have always enough supplies to make sure the unit will always work. Without supplies, the unit does not work.
- Get a good mat to reduce some of the litter trackings.
Conclusion About The CatGenie
My final thoughts of when it is a good idea to get it for your cat(s), and when is not.
√ I recommend CatGenie in these cases:
- If you want a fully automatic cat litter box (no scooping, no disposing of waste)
- Households with 1 or 2 cats maximum
- If your cat defecates firm stools
- If you have enough space in your bathroom or laundry room
- Ideally to be installed in a basement bathroom or guest’s bathroom.
Get the CatGenie Self-Flushing Automatic Feeder on Amazon with free shipping by visiting this link.
x I would not recommend this cat box:
- To be used for more than adult 2 cats.
- Small houses or apartments.
- For cats that defecate very soft feces.
- A very playful kitten.
- For large breeds
- If you can’t clean & maintain the unit periodically (possible clogs if you don’t).
- If you don’t like noises (dry cycle spinning).
One thought I do have about this unit, well, people say you must keep supplied and this is a con. You would have to do that with any cat box anyway.
You are right Daniel and that is why I did not consider that point as a Con now and I mentioned it just on tips for a better use of this unit. All automatic litter boxes work with supplies. What I meant is that the CatGenie does not work if you don’t have the brand’s supplies so you never have to run out of them, this could be a con if you forget to have supplies as backup because you can only buy them online with a approx. 4 days shipping.
Thanks for your comment!
I never knew these handy cat tools existed. Not sure I’ll own a cat, but this information sure won’t hurt if I ever mull over the idea. :-)
I have a question……I have 6 cats in my home and was thinking of buying this product. I plan to purchase 2 or 3 units and I am more than willing to pay the cost for supplies to eliminate the back breaking scooping 3-4 times a day. You say you recommend for 1-2 cats households maximum…..does this apply per unit or in total? In other words, if I were to install 3 units for 6 cats, would that work? Also, can 2 units be hooked to the same bathroom with a splitter type device or is it strictly 1 unit per bathroom/laundry room? I really appreciate your honest review. Thanks so much.
Hello Mona, thank you for your question. This is a good automatic cat bathroom if you use it for one or two cats. I personally would not recommend you to setup 3 units in your house. What I could suggest you is trying a mixed solution for your 6 cats. For example, the Litter Robot for some cats and the Catgenie for the others.
Thanks for the question Mona and keep me posted about the solution you took.
I wouldn’t recommend the Litter Robot. Cat specialists suggest that rotating the smell/germs of feces around the entire unit is not the best solution. It just doesn’t make sense to spread the scent and nastiness all around.
This is a great review of the cat genie, which I am considering purchasing. I have 3 cats so might use a combination of the genie and one other litter option to at least lessen the scooping in my house!
Thanks for your feedback Samantha. I am happy you found the best solution for your cat!!
I Agree, some cats will stop using the rotating box all together due to urine and fecal stains and smell. Also find other places to dogo. I mean really would you want to be surrounded by all of that smell and stains every time you had to go?
where can i purchase this cat genie self cleaing litter box in South Africa?
I have searched and found what I want, but now to lay my hands on one is another issue!
Regards
Sandra
Hello Sandra, yes, you can purchase the CatGenie from Amazon UK or US and they will ship it to you. The CatGenie works with 230VAC, 50Hz (8A Fused) so there is not problem for you to use it in South Africa. I suggest you to buy it from Amazon UK. Here I leave you a link about international shipping. Good luck!
No questions, but rather comments. I bought two units for my four cats. Aside from a bit of an issue with 3 out of the 4 cats using the Cat Genie which we finally resolved, everything works great! I’m currently using the manual cleaning mode, but will experiment with the cat activation this weekend and see how that goes. If there is any issue with two units running at the same time causing problems with my cats, then I’ll just run scheduled cleanings and stagger them. A great product and much cheaper than constantly buying litter for 4 cats. I stocked up in the beginning with a sale offer which has me supplied with 6 spare cartridges, then I purchased more litter and a maintenance cartridge. While it comes with a high initial expense, the overall cheaper operation and not dealing with cleaning litter boxes makes it totally worth it!
Hi Dave! I am happy your experience with the CatGenie has been good. Please let me know how the “cat activation mode” worked. Have a great weekend!
Hi .
I am interested in this catgenie system and accessories , as well as extra supplies . Are they available in south Australia , Australia . As i am aware that they can be brought on line at amazon .
Many thanx .
Gary
Hello Gary, I am not sure if they ship to Australia. You may want to contact the directly and ask, I am sure they will find a solution for you.
I have three adult cats, do you think it’s possible for me to use one genie box? I don’t mind the supplies since I spend $40.00 a month on cat litter. I just don’t know if I want to invest $500.00 for flushing cat litter boxes.
If using the CatGenie for 3 cats you need to consider if your cats will be willing to use a unit with feces or urine from the other cat because inevitable at some point one of them will want to go within 10 minutes after the other cat is done with its business. That’s one thing. The other factor is the electricity bill and noise from the spinning cycle several times a day. The other option is setting the unit to spin every certain hours, the minimum is 6 hours which means the machine will have waste up to 6 hours waiting for the automatic flush. That’s why I recomend CatGenie for 2 cats as maximum.
I am going to try this with 4 cats. Also look into cartridge genius ot allows you the abitlity to use a cartidge over and over. So i am just going to hook up a bottle of simple green and see what happens. But i might end up gettinf another one. If it goes well
Hi Shawn, Did you get a CatGenie unit in the end and manage to reuse a cartridge with Simple Green? :)
this was a wonderful purchase i had three cats using one system the only issue i ran into 7 years ago was they were long haired cats they caused a lot of clogging i don`t know if the newer modules have been improved but i am looking to get another one may be two for since i have collected a few more cats lol
We have two cats and are seriously considering getting a Cat Genie. I noticed that under Cons, it says “Biodegradable litter does not cover up the cat feces and urine odor”. Does that mean the litter box smell will still be there despite the pellets being washed?
Hope to hear from you, thanks!
Hi Daniela, that means this pellet is not the type that cover up the smell of cat waste as other litters in the market. Because of this, the smell is a little stronger when the feces are sitting on the box waiting for the machine to wash the pellets. Obviously this smell is gone once the machine washes the pellets. Thanks for your question.
More of my personal take than anything else, I highly suggest the cat genie for cats with specific respiratory needs, as it’s completely dust free; something virtually no other litter system can boast. It’s very good for immune compromised cats and owners, and pregnant women, or virtually anyone else who can’t clean litter boxes. A few bothersome details, the cat genie is prone to very smelly malfunctions if not kept clean or maintained properly, and the small rubber ball in the hopper isn’t sold as a replacement part. If you lose it, you have to replace it with a similar rubber ball bought separately. Cat genie customer service is superb, and will assist you with everything from programming the unit, to cleaning or repairs. We recently returned the computer unit of our cat genie due to a malfunction, and was given a brand-new one free of charge. The unit is heavy, and can be cumbersome to clean if it needs to be manually disassembled, but I absolutely adore it.
Power consumption high. Cartridge replacement, and noisy. Still get smells
Stop wasting your money and stop buying kitty litter as it still stinks and is not biodegradable. There is an answer. We have 20 cats. No smell and no entire box cleaning. Just remove the clumps
Once a day. How? Layer mash. Yea, chicken food. Also known as layer crumbles. And are biodegradable. Ours goes into the mulch pile.
Hi Edward, thanks for sharing your experience as an owner of multiple cats.
I bought 2 unit of Catgenie 120 online for 3 cats and used it for over 2 years with the experiences as stated below.
con of catgenie:
1. supplies such as washable granular and solution are expensive.
2. The solution box with chip built-in for counting the usage and is not refillable – environmental unfriendly . (I have a few dozen of plastic solution box to be disposed)
3. Cleaning time too long: appx 30 minute and noisy.
4. As if the system clogged, you got to spend around an hour to do the clearing and re-assemble as if you could do it by yourself (finger crossed).
5. Ignorance to oversea users, I encountered the problem to order the supplies from the company and was rejected.
And luckly, I found another (Litter robot) which is much easy to operate and maintain, and the catgenie were discarded.
Hello Sam. Effectively, the CatGenie has those Cons you mentioned. I mention them on my review. I must point out that the cartridge cases biodegrade in less than 10 years, the plastic has a bacteria that helps to do it. The granules biodegrade in 9 months in water and less than 2 years in a landfill.
Regarding the Litter Robot you are right, it’s a better solution in my opinion, although the waste needs to be disposed unlike the CatGenie that self-flushes the waste. I am really happy with the Litter Robot and I actually made a in-depth review of it on my website. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hello I’m new to CatGenie. I only want it to scoop and I don’t fully understand the instructions on how to set it up. I watched a video showing the “cat” only light scoops and does not clean after every use (my unit will not do the “cat only” button). Please help me understand each feature. I currently have it set on “4” and “cat” – what is this setting?
Hello Jennie, I assume you have followed the instructions of pressing and releasing the Auto setup button until the “CAT” lights up and then firmly press and hold the Auto Setup button for 4 seconds to then release. You will know the Catgenie processed the programming if you hear 3 beeps and the “CAT” LED flashes. Maybe what you are missing is the fact that you need to program this in the morning, because CAT Activation mode has 10 hr sleep and 14 hrs operating. The 10-hr sleep is meant to make the unit not operative during night time. But as the CatGenie doesn’t have digital timer you need to program the unit when you want it to start operating. So if you want the unit to automatically start auto cleaning in the morning you need to program it in the morning. Hope that helps!
I’ve had the Cat Genie for about five months now, and I don’t think it’s big enough for certain cat breeds.
I have a Savannah cat. He kneels down to urinate (the urine goes in without a problem), but when he deficates the feces drops over the bowl onto the floor.
He usually uses the Cat Genie when I’m at work. If I am home and I see him heading for his toilet I run in and try to get him to move into the bowl a little more, and to get him to kneel down a bit so the feces drops into the bowl.
I really am frustrated with this routine. I didn’t buy the Cat Genie to be used as a urinal. I just wanted to warm others that this machine is not meant for certain cat breeds.
Hi Thomas, thanks for sharing your experience with Cat Genie. Effectively, as I state on my review this automatic litter box is not suitable for bigger cats. I am sorry to hear about your experience not being good, maybe you want to check the Litter Robot as a better option for your feline friend. Personally is the litter box I use for my cat. Hope that helps!
My Cat Genie is 7 years old and the bowl had teeth chipped off and wouldn’t rotate properly. I called to order a new bowl and they refused to sell it to me because it was an old unit and they couldn’t guarantee it would continue to work. I insisted I didn’t want a guarantee just a bowl. They wanted me to buy a new complete unit. I couldn’t afford that. The customer service manager was very rude. Now I have a working unit that I can no longer use. Won’t buy anything from them again.
Thanks for your comment Carla, I am sorry you had a bad experience with the CatGenie. Was your CatGenie 120 model or older?
Hi, I’ve had my catgenie for all almost 7 years, while I love it, my biggest problem is the cartridges are expensive and the chip reader does not allow the full cartridge to be used til it’s empty! I have multiple cartridges that aren’t even half used at $30 a piece it’s a huge waste! I have an older model so I don’t know if the news have this issue fixed.
Thanks Cristina for your comment, this will help more readers to know about the “cons” of this automatic litter box. I appreciate it. Do you have the CatGenie 60 or the 120?