Cat owner warning: Automatic litter boxes that have killed cats.

[Gray2233]

I did a search on this but didn't find anything, I thought I'd give people a heads up:

These things are being sold on several online market places, and have unfortunately resulted in a number of cat deaths. Sometimes the designs or branding differs a little, but there's apparently multiple makes and models that can be dangerous for various reasons.

 

[Gray2233]

I think what's more worrying is that if they can harm/kill cats, they could potentially do the same to a young child.

Those motors are far more powerful than they should be.

 

[Gray2233]

Wont someone think of the children!!1111

I realise it seems hyperbolic on my end but there's a bit in that video where the guy lets his hand get trapped. It genuinely hurts him and he struggles to free himself, and that's a grown man.

A toddler that's unsupervised for a few minutes could easily pop their head in something like that from curiosity and be badly hurt or even killed, I have two nieces with toddlers of their own that absolutely wouldn't be able to break that grip level.

Those things could quite easily kill a young child as much as a cat and it's not my being over the top by any measure. I know the forum is largely populated by grumpy, sarcastic middle aged to old farts, but by that metric I'd like to think you know there's a lot of young mothers out there that barely know what time of day it is and many of you probably have grandkids.

GD, I get it.