Questions for Omega Paw Users

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John A - 14 Aug 2006 21:23 GMT

Omega Paw litterbox users who post here seem almost universally happy
with them, which seems to be far from the case with the Littermaid
users.

I'm thinking of getting one of these but there's a couple of things
that concern me. First how easy are they to clean? I currently use a
standard covered litter tray and World's Best litter. I scoop several
times a day and change the litter and steam clean the box thoroughly
about every two weeks. I'm worried that the Omega Paw might make the
scooping easier at the expense of making a full clean more tiresome; it
looks as if there could be quite a lot to clean. Since I don't mind the
scooping too much, but I really hate the full cleaning this concerns
me.

Secondly, how much litter do I need to fill an Omega Paw? They look
quite big (I suspect I'd need the large version for two cats). Being
based in the UK, World's Best is really expensive, about the equivalent
of $60 for a 34lb bag. I don't want to find I'm putting 25+ bucks worth
of litter in the box every time I change it!

Thanks in advance
John, servant to Rhia and Amy.

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TaliesinSoft - 14 Aug 2006 21:55 GMT

> Omega Paw litterbox users who post here seem almost universally happy
> with them, which seems to be far from the case with the Littermaid users.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> could be quite a lot to clean. Since I don't mind the scooping too much,
> but I really hate the full cleaning this concerns me.

The Omega Paw is made of a plastic that seems to have a minimal ability to
develop Cling-Ons. In my experience the Omega Paw after a month of use shows
hardly any need for cleaning. When I do clean it I take the top off, throw
away the remaining litter, take the top and bottom outside, spray them with a
garden hose, let the parts dry, and then re-clamp them together.

> Secondly, how much litter do I need to fill an Omega Paw? They look quite
> big (I suspect I'd need the large version for two cats). Being based in
> the UK, World's Best is really expensive, about the equivalent of $60 for
> a 34lb bag. I don't want to find I'm putting 25+ bucks worth of litter in
> the box every time I change it!

A twenty one pound box of Arm and Hammer flushable litter costs me $10 and
lasts a month. This is with one large cat. My gut feeling is that with two
large cats the same box of litter would last somewhere between two and three
weeks.

> Thanks in advance John, servant to Rhia and Amy.

Jim, worshiper of Pebbles.

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James Leo Ryan ..... Austin, Texas ..... taliesinsoft@mac.com

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Ronnie - 14 Aug 2006 23:25 GMT

I have three cats. Did my first full clean (fully disassembled the
box) after using the box for about three weeks. The grate
where the liter sifts through was just a bit difficult to clean, no
big deal though, just blasted it with the garden hose. Box is
all plastic and dried very quickly in the sun, about 20 mins.
Did touch up dry with paper towels. The very thorough
cleaning I did took me about a hour, maybe less. I find it is best
to keep a shallow layer of liter in the box, maybe two inches deep.
Remember, you MUST used clumping liter. I buy Tidy Cat or
Exquisicat liter in a 35 lb pail. Had the Omega Box a month
now, and I am still using the same 35 lb pail of liter.

One con that I have found. Some clumps insist on sticking
to the corners of the box, and it is difficult to dislodge
them, even when I use the scooper. Then again, this was
true even when I used just a standard open liter box.

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Ronnie - 14 Aug 2006 23:30 GMT

Oh, like the other poster said. When I did a complete
clean, I tossed ALL the old liter.

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TaliesinSoft - 14 Aug 2006 23:33 GMT

> I have three cats. Did my first full clean (fully disassembled the box)
> after using the box for about three weeks. The grate where the liter
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Exquisicat liter in a 35 lb pail. Had the Omega Box a month now, and I am
> still using the same 35 lb pail of liter.

I'm surprised that cleaning the box took you an hour. I spend maybe ten
minutes at best. I use a hose to put a few inches of water in each half of
the box, then add some liquid detergent, and then scrub thoroughly with a
toilet brush. The baffle can easily be removed, making it easy to clean.
After cleaning with the brush I then dump out the soapy water and rinse the
parts with the spray hose. In the Austin, Texas sun the parts take perhaps
another ten minutes to completely dry.

> One con that I have found. Some clumps insist on sticking to the corners
> of the box, and it is difficult to dislodge them, even when I use the
> scooper. Then again, this was true even when I used just a standard open
> liter box.

I haven't had any problems with clumps sticking to the corners of the box. I
don't know whether that's a byproduct of the litter I use, Arm and Hammer
Flushable Litter.

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James Leo Ryan ..... Austin, Texas ..... taliesinsoft@mac.com

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Beth - 15 Aug 2006 01:10 GMT

>> I have three cats. Did my first full clean (fully disassembled the box)
>> after using the box for about three weeks. The grate where the liter
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> don't know whether that's a byproduct of the litter I use, Arm and Hammer
> Flushable Litter.

I tell you, if you don't like cleaning the box, then sifting liners are the
way to go! I hate to scoop and clean the whole box out. Yes, I have to buy
a new box of a set of 10 sifting liners about once a month (about $2 at
Meijer), but I don't have to mess with any of that. I do clean the litter
box itself every couple months but the litter itself has not touched the
actual box. I absolutely love the liners and my friend who cat sits for
several of her friends said that it is the best box to clean out of all of
the people that she's cleaned. I know this isn't about the Omega, but you
sound like me in that you don't like to clean out the whole box and I
thought you might like the suggestion.

Beth

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TaliesinSoft - 15 Aug 2006 01:55 GMT

> I tell you, if you don't like cleaning the box, then sifting liners are the
> way to go! I hate to scoop and clean the whole box out. Yes, I have to buy
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> the people that she's cleaned. I know this isn't about the Omega, but you
> sound like me in that you don't like to clean out the whole box and I thought

> you might like the suggestion.

I'm always open to suggestion. As things now stand I spend at most a minute
or two a day keeping the Omega Paw clean. That savings alone is enough to pay
for the Omega Paw in a few months. There is the expense of the litter but not
of the bags, and because the Omega Paw causes the clumps to end up in a
scoop, the clumps can easily be dumped into the trash, or in my case since
I'm using flushable litter, into the toilet. The Omega Paw is an enclosed
litter box which doesn't need to be opened to be emptied, just rolled over
and back. Because it is closed one doesn't have to view the litter and such
and the cat enjoys privacy while relieving itself. And, as I've mentioned in
other postings, I give the Omega Paw a good cleaning after several weeks of
use and that cleaning only takes a few minutes. But, to be fair, if such as
the Omega Paw weren't available I'd probably use the bag system you use.

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James Leo Ryan ..... Austin, Texas ..... taliesinsoft@mac.com

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Beth - 15 Aug 2006 02:16 GMT

>> I tell you, if you don't like cleaning the box, then sifting liners are
>> the
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
> as
> the Omega Paw weren't available I'd probably use the bag system you use.

I love the bags! I actually have a dome enclosed box too. I just abhor the
idea of rolling the box around and things just rolling around in there. It
just seems gross to me :) I know it shouldn't after having a cat for 2
years, but I just hate the thought of it. I like the bags because of how
clean the whole process is.

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TaliesinSoft - 15 Aug 2006 03:14 GMT

[commenting on the Omega Paw litter box]

> I love the bags! I actually have a dome enclosed box too. I just abhor
> the idea of rolling the box around and things just rolling around in
> there. It just seems gross to me :) I know it shouldn't after having a
> cat for 2 years, but I just hate the thought of it. I like the bags
> because of how clean the whole process is.

Well, I will admit that there is a bumpety-bumpety kind of sound as the Omega
Paw is rolled over and back, but one soon hears that sound as a sort of
seranade as the distasteful effluvia of the cat's visit to the box is dealt
with. I'm not which is "cleaner", walking to the toilet with a scoop full of
excrement or walking to the trash with a bag full of the same. i think it all
boils down to what one becomes accustomed.

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James Leo Ryan ..... Austin, Texas ..... taliesinsoft@mac.com

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John A - 17 Aug 2006 23:00 GMT

Thanks to all those who responded to my questions on the Omega Paw. It
sounds sufficiently encouraging that I'll probably get one and give it
a try.

James, oh for the Austin, Texas sun to dry this in 10 minutes. Not so
much fun in a good old UK drizzle! Combine this with a hosepipe ban due
to a supposed water shortage!

I haven't heard of the sifting liners. This sounds like an interesting
idea. Does anyone know if these are avaialble in the UK?

Finally, if anyone in the UK knows of a really good litter that's
cheaper than World's Best I'd be pleased to know about it. I'm paying
32 UKP for a 32lb bag of WB. I've tried various other litters, but I've
not found anything that I, or, more importantly, the cats,, like half
as much.

John, servant to Rhia and Amy.

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