- LitterMaid boxes require you to purchase litter separately, and the type of litter may have an impact on how well the unit functions. It needs to be clumping litter--which hardens around urine into a movable chunk--with sufficiently fine grains for the LitterMaid rake to sift easily. Neither organic litter with larger grains nor litter which doesn't clump will work with the LitterMaid (you'll get urine puddled in the bottom of the pan). In addition, the amount of litter needs to be just right--reaching the designated indicators on the sides of the pan. If there's too much litter, the rake won't be able to move; it there's too little, then clumps of urine will likely become stuck in the bottom of the pan. (In such cases, remove all of the litter, then wash the pan thoroughly with water and detergent and allow it to dry completely before putting more litter in it.) Check the levels to make sure you have the proper amount of litter to let the LitterMaid do its job.
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If the LitterMaid isn't operating at all, it may have a number of causes. The first is simple lack of power: either because it isn't plugged into the wall properly or because the batteries have run dead. Check the battery compartment and replace any spent batteries with fresh ones, then double-check the LitterMaid's connection to the nearby wall outlet. Switch the LitterMaid off and then on again when you're done. (If it's receiving power, it should run through a single raking cycle, which means you're good to go.)
You should also check the LitterMaid's power light. If it's off, it's not receiving power and won't work. If it's blinking rapidly, the batteries are low and need to be replaced. If the light is blinking slowly, then there is no problem with the power. Instead, the rake is unable to sift through the litter safely (usually because there's a particularly big chunk of cat waste in the pan). Remove the obstruction, clean the teeth on the rake, empty the plastic box containing the litter, then turn the LitterMaid off and on again and let it run through its cycle. The problem should then be fixed.
