A self-cleaning litter box (50) which provides various advantages over the prior art. In particular, in one embodiment, the self-cleaning litter box (50) is configured to use a cartridge (20) which may include a litter compartment (26) and a waste compartment (24). In another embodiment, the cartridge (20) may be non-compartmentalized. The cartridge (20) may be disposable, thus eliminating the need for the user to clean the litter tray and handle heavy litter containers. In other embodiments, the system includes a rake assembly (56) configured with a drive assembly (58) that is protected from contamination. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the self-cleaning litter box (50) is configured to be used with all types of litter including crystal type litter.
