Anyone use a self cleaning litter tray - or can recommend any others?

[NicoAndTheNiners]

Currently have 2 outdoor cats. They poo outside and the dog eats it. So I don't have to worry about it!

About to get a new cat and this one will strictly be an indoors cat so having to think about litter trays for the first time ever. With the complication of a dog who will eat any poo given half a chance.

Even though part of me thinks letting the dog eat a third lot of poo might save me the problem I do think I ought to minimise the poo which she eats.

I could put the litter tray in the bathroom behind a stairgate so the dog can't get it but if I can get a tray which the dog can't get it's head into, ie with a cover that would be better.

I've seen an awesome looking self cleaning one. The disposable trays look expensive at about £12 each. Blurb says they last a month, some reviews say 4 weeks, others say 5 days! If it lasts 3-4 weeks I'd happily pay, but I don't want to go down that route if they only last a few days.

here

Added problem is I have no idea if my 2 outdoor cats are likely to start using the tray which obviously will decrease the amount of time a tray will last.

Then there's this which is more of a manual one. Looks like the dog wouldn't be able to get her head in it. But is it a pain having to tip the tray around?

Anyone used either of these or got any other suggestions?

Not tried a self cleaning. But I had a Petmate top entry tray. It was brilliant. I had doubts about my particularly thick Persians getting the hang of it, but they got it straight away. Unfortunately my slightly more intelligent new Persian doesn't get it, so I had to get rid of it. I've got a Modkat flip as it's the only one big enough to contain the amount Cheddar produces! Does the job but I do t particularly like it

A top entry box would certainly stop the dog from accessing anything.

With a normal, "manual" cat litter tray do you just take the clumps out if you use clumping litter? What is the odour control like?

The thing I really liked about the first one I linked to is that it's meant to be very good for odour control. But I have no idea who good scented litter is at masking it. Would you normally have to scoop every day?

I use intersand classic. A 15kg bag lasts about a month. It's really good for controlling smells. (Having issues with cheddar not burying her poo) but once buried it gets rid of the smell quickly.

@doxxed where did you get the plastic tray from? I've only seen the disposal ones. Do you use ordinary litter? A clumping one?

That's great, thanks.

We have a madly expensive Litter Robot. I don’t know if you can buy it in the UK but it’s brilliant, all you do is pull out the tray when the app tells you it’s full and replace the liner which for 1 cat is about once a week. You have to use clumping litter, we buy cheap stuff. I could never go back to scooping! The one you linked to looks like great value, I wouldn’t hesitate to get it.

I have seen the robots but they're nearly £500, which is about £1000 dollars!