This is a nice extra to have if you have cats, but not all cats will use this item.  My mother-in-law actually purchased it for her 2 cats and had it for a couple of weeks and her cats just did not like it at all.  She passed it along to us, our 2 cats at the time used it without any problems.  We have since gotten a kitten and she uses it as well.  I recommend getting the cover that you can put over it, makes it not look quite so ugly.  It is NOISY!  If you put it somewhere in your home that is far enough from bedrooms at night it's not so much an issue, but beware that if you are a lighter sleeper and have it nearby you will hear it in the middle of the night.  It waits about 10 minutes after the cats use it to turn on and scoop their mess.  It also won't go on if the cat is back in it at the time.  The little containers that the mess is scooped into are pricey, we reuse them several times instead of changing them each time we empty (which is daily).  This saves quite a bit of money.