If you have a cat, you may think a modern self-cleaning litter box is the way to go. However, one popular design is not – it has been linked to more than a few cat deaths. The box was initially sold under the brand name Amztoy, but similar designs are sold under dozens of names across Amazon, Wayfair, and other outlets. Philip Bloom, who runs the “One Man Five Cats” webcast, bought one of these litter boxes to test it out himself, and it didn’t take him long to spot a fatal flaw. The unit has an inner box that, when in operation, mechanically rotates to loosen the litter inside. But as the box rotates, the inner box entry hole gets cut off by the outer box. Imagine an elevator with the doors open, suddenly moving to another floor – the opening works like a guillotine. The mechanism is strong enough to catch and crush a cat trying to escape while the unit is in motion. Many cat owners have contacted Bloom with stories of trapped and strangled and crushed kitties.
* Amztoy Litter Boxes, a division of DogCo.
* “Amztoy – One way or another, you won’t have to clean litter anymore.”
* Do the cats get eight chances before the ninth one gets them?
* I think the tables are finally starting to turn in the Cats vs. Humans War.
* We have a litter box of death, but it’s just a regular plastic tub. Our cat just has digestive issues.