My cat was a little hesitant to use this litter box at first, but I'm so glad she warmed up to it! The rake mechanism works well and is pretty quiet - it hasn't scared my cat off yet! The smell isn't noticeable after a week of use and is comparable to the clay litter I was using before. I really like the peace of mind I get knowing that my cat always has a clean litter box. However, the refills seem pretty expensive and I wish that I could use any type of litter with the system. Also, the box itself has a massive footprint and it was hard to find a good spot for it in my small apartment.