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It’s no secret that I spoil my cat. She has an automatic feeding bowl, and water fountain, and more toys than any cat should ever have (she’s particularly fond of the whiffle-like practice golf balls you can pick up in the sporting goods department at your local discount department store). And like most cats around the world, she’s pretty particular about her litter box. If I fall behind in cleaning it out, she makes sure I know. So nearly as soon as she moved in, I began looking for another solution to the litter box problem.

There are a few different automatic litter boxes on the market. Littermaid is probably the most well known brand, since their products are available just about everywhere pet supplies are sold. Another, more expensive, though pretty well reviewed option is the Litter-Robot. They seem to have a very loyal customer base who regularly sing its praises.

The Litter Robot is a clever design, but it seems to me to be overpriced for what it is. Sure, I’ll pay $350 for a vacuum cleaner, but $300 for a cat litter box is a bit much. Littermaid’s prices are better, but the design just didn’t do it for me. There are just too many cracks and crevices for dust and whatnot to get into (the water fountain I bought for my cat has similar design deficiencies, but that’s a review for another time). Plus, you have to use a clumping litter, and the cat and I had already moved on to something much, much better.

And then there’s the Scoop Free Automatic Litter Box. Over the course of the last two years, I’ve experimented with different types of kitty litter, and about six months ago, despite its price, I settled on Fresh Step Crystals. The desiccant action is just plain smart when it comes to cat urine and it doesn’t hurt in turning cat turds into dried up little nuggets. Plus, the difference in the amount of dust when compared to clay type litter is big deal.

I’m not sure how or where I stumbled on the Scoop Free Automatic Litter Box, but I hemmed and hawed for a couple of weeks before finally placing an order. My major concern was the it was too small. None of the pictures I had seen made me entirely confident that my rotund little princess would manage to fit herself comfortably into the box. Eventually, I said what the hell and ordered a litter box and three replacement cartridges from Smarthome.com.

The design is deceptively simple and works like a freaking charm. The cartridge is thick walled cardboard box that holds the litter. The automatic cleaning mechanism slips over top of the cartridge. Once the cat does her business, the rake pushes the cat poo into a covered receptacle at the end of the cartridge and then returns to its ready position, lying in wait for more poo to rake up and hide. As to its size: my little fatty fits with room to spare.

The big selling point, according to Scoop Free, is that you can “leave it alone for up to 30 days!*” The little star directs you to some fine print that reads “Lasts up to 20-30 days with one cat and 10-15 days with two cats.” My experience so far, about seven weeks worth, is that I have to replace the cartridge every 21 days. The claim that you can leave it alone—so far—is totally accurate. Once you get it set up, other than looking in on it occasionally to make sure everything is in fine working order, I haven’t had to touch it except when replacing the cartridge.

At first the cat was a bit wary of the new poo eating machine. She had even taken to doing her solid business just in front of the litter box in order to be sure I was aware of her majesty’s displeasure. Then I moved it so she had no choice but to get into the box, and we haven’t had a single problem since. The motor is a bit loud and has become a point of curiosity for the cat. The litter box is stored in a closet, and the door to the closet has a hole in it for her to enter. When the litter box is disposing of the poo, the cat will sit with her head in the hole, watching it work.

To say I’m pleased with the purchase, would be an understatement. Yes, the cartridges are kind of expensive (about $15 a pop in quantity), but the crystal type litter is expensive by itself (and in my opinion, well worth it). It does its job perfectly so far. The design is as simple as it can be. It provides the cat with a clean place to do her thing, and allows me to ignore it for a few weeks at a time. It just plain works and works well.

If you have a cat and you’re in the market for such a device, I recommend the Scoop Free Automatic Litter Box whole heartedly. In my opinion, it’s the most reasonably priced and best option available. They manufacturer even offers a 90-day money back guarantee.