Cats, along with dogs, are some of the most popular pets in the world. People the world over have fallen head over heels in love with our feline friends and many keep cats at home. As a matter of fact, some people even keep more than one or two cats.

Cats may be terrific pets, but in at least one aspect they are somewhat less than desirable - in terms of the waste or litter that they produce. It is often said that cats that are fed cat food produce waste that is less smelly than cats that are fed mostly meat, fish, or leftovers. Whether that is true or not, the truth of the matter is that even cats that are fed cat food still do produce smelly waste, whether solid or liquid. In addition, there is a danger of toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that humans can get from coming into contact with the feces of cats that have recently been infected, and which can be very troublesome for those already sick with immune-system diseases or disorders. It is therefore advisable that owners stay as far away from cat feces and waste as they possibly can. A self cleaning cat box can work wonders in this department.

Some people simply put up with it and wear masks whenever they empty out their cats' litter boxes, or spray the areas where these boxes are located with Lysol or other such disinfectants. Others purchase cat litter with special properties; there are some available which clump together, for instance, coating the surface of cat feces and covering it completely so that it does not smell, and solidifying when it comes in contact with cat urine and thus having the same effect. However, there is little need to simply try to endure such methods. Many enterprising companies have come up with their own take on a self cleaning cat box, which can really help ease matters for cat owners.

There are several different brands of automate cat litter boxes available in the marketplace. Many make use of premium cat litter, and owners will have to load their automated litter boxes with new litter as necessary. However, the "dirty work" is all left to the machine. Many models even have ionic air cleaners that kick in before the cleaning initiates, to ensure that no smell escapes the machine. After the air is cleaned and sanitized, a rake-like mechanism sifts through the litter, detecting and removing clumps and moving them to a holding area, leaving only clean litter behind. A waste container opens up to receive the clumps and seals itself once the clumps are in place. The owner only has to dispose of this container after a week or so, or once it is full, and replace it with a fresh container.