Day 22: Making My Own Hole

Today I made my own hole in the CitiKitty. I was confident that Montee was ready to increase the size of his whole, but I was not confident that he was ready for the predetermined hole outlined in the CitiKitty (since last time at this step he decided to pee on the floor). So, what I did was try to cut out the hole a bit larger than the hole that was already there.

Since there were not a perforated guide for me to follow, it was bit difficult to get a smooth line, but definitely doable. Just make sure you have a sharp knife. I think this is what I will do from here on out, to make it an easier transition for Montee when we increase the size of the hole.

I am hoping this will not increase the length of training, but rather speed up the process because hopefully we wont have to go back any steps.

Day 21: Honeymoon Period

I live by the saying "No news is good news," and that is where Montee is at. He is going to the bathroom very well in the CitiKitty with the small opening. I am even starting to think that I might try to open up the whole a little bit more. However, last time I got cocky and cut a whole in the CitiKitty, pee ended up on my bathroom floor.

I think this weekend, I will try to make a bit larger whole. Wish me luck.

Day 20: Absoutely No Problem

Montee has adjusted to the much smaller hole, in the CitiKitty extra training insert, with no adjustment at all. I am no even sure that he knows there is a hole, which worries me because the next hole that is outlined in the CitiKitty is much larger.

Day 19: Success!

I believe this time around, it is going to go much more smoothly because the hole is half the size. I think this will be a much easier transition for Montee.

I woke up this morning and Montee had gone pee in the CitiKitty. I have not seen him interact with the CitiKitty while the new hole has been there, so I do not know if he has even noticed it (because it is so small). I hope the next step wont be a shock.

Day 18: Let's try this again

For the past 6 days, we went back a step on the CitiKitty toilet training seat by inserting the CitiKitty backup tray with no holes. Over the past 6 days there have be no mistakes on Montee's part. Montee doesn't have any trouble going potty in the CitiKitty when there are no openings. Over the past couple of days he has been going to the bathroom a lot more frequently, which leads me to believe that he is ready to move on to the next step.

The nice thing about the CitiKitty backup insert is that the first opening is half the size of the opening in the original CitiKitty toilet training seat. I am hoping because of this we won't have any mistakes of Montee peeing on the floor again. This being said, I wish that CitiKitty would of had a smaller first opening on the original CitiKitty toilet training seat, perhaps we would not have had to go back a step if this was the case.

So my suggestion for all you who are considering toilet training your cat with CitiKitty is--the first time you cut out the hole do not follow the guidelines that are suggested on the original training seat, cut out the hole to be HALF the size. I think this will help the cat transition much easier and you wont have any kitty potty mistakes.

Day 12: Backing Up

It is Day 12, and according to CitiKitty I should be ready to remove the second ring within a few days (they suggest to remove one ring per week). However, since Montee decided he didn't like the CitiKitty when there was a whole in the middle of it, we had to back up, which is frustrating.

Montee has been going to the bathroom just fine, since we used the extra CitiKitty training seat and removed any openings. I am going to leave him on this step for another week or so, then remove the smallest opening in the extra CitiKitty training seat, since this is smaller than the original whole that was made.

However, we are going to be facing a problem next week. We are having visitors stay at our apartment for  few days. We live in a 500 square foot one bedroom one bath apartment in Manhattan. I can't decide if I want to keep the CitiKitty up and functioning while they are here. The whole process is not very pretty and I have to constantly sweep the bathroom floor from all the littler that pushed out when Montee uses the CitiKitty.

This is such bad timing since we are toilet training. But I guess that is life, unplanned things happen and now I have to figure out how to handle it that will be the best for everyone/cat involved.

Responding to Amazon Reviews

So, as you know Montee decided to not use the CitiKitty training seat yesterday, a day after the first ring was removed. This might be a good thing as I was getting very cocky about how awesome my cat was and how easy it was to toilet train him.

However, I might have jinxed the whole experience when, yesterday at work, I went on Amazon.com and started reading all the low reviews on CitiKitty. I was curious to see the negative experiences people had with CitiKitty, since I was having such a great one.

Of course with a product such as this, one has to take a negative or positive review with a grain of salt. Every cat is different; thus, every experience with CitiKitty will be different. However, I did find that there were some common challenges that cat owners experienced as they tried to toilet train their cat with CitiKitty.

1. No Going Back 

"Once you take out a ring there is no going back. If your cat is not ready you are stuck or need to buy a new CitiKitty." 
-By gshoes on September 4, 2008

My Response: 

Note the date that this was written: 2008. This seemed to be a common complaint a few years ago; however, it seems that CitiKitty has responded to this problem by providing an extra CitiKitty Training Insert for free in the same box your CitiKitty comes in. 

However, me, having to use my CitiKitty Training Insert yesterday, was a bit weary to use it because what if I cut out some rings in the EXTRA seat and then I have run out of CitiKitty seats?! Would I have to buy another $29.99 CitiKitty Training kit? Luckily, the answer is no. I found out that CitiKitty also sells extra training seats for $5.99, so all hope is not lost.

2. Plastic is Flimsy

"this product is made of very flimsy plastic. I have an 8 yr old, 20+ pound cat. It held her ok until rings started to be removed - then it started to bow."

-By Jane on October 7, 2007

My Response:

As I stated in my first post and video, when I was opening the CitiKitty I was shocked at how thin and flimsy the product was and couldn't believe that I paid $29.99 plus shipping for it. It definitely is over priced, but I rationalized it by telling myself  "I am paying for the idea" not necessarily the materials. I know there are ways to toilet train your cat by using "household" materials, but that seems really messy and a lot of work. I was impressed at how nicely the CitiKitty fit on my toilet and how easily it is to take off and on (since we only have one bathroom). I do not think you could get this from putting a bowl of litter inside your toilet (as some people suggest). 

Now, concerning the weight issue. I have no experience with having a heavy cat, as my kitten probably only weights about 3 pounds. The plastic is thin and I would not be surprised if a 20+ pound cat stood on it, once many of the rings were removed, that it would bow. 

On CitiKitty.com under their FAQ section it states: 
Q. Is my cat too heavy to toilet train?
A. The CitiKitty Training Seat works for cats weighing over 25lbs; most cats weigh between 10-12lbs. If your cat can jump up on the toilet then they can be toilet trained.

Also, there are many positive reviews, such as this one below, that states that it DOES hold over 25 lbs. So it must just depend on your toilet or your cat. I am not quite sure!

"Most important -CitiKitty's training seat advertised it holds over 25 lbs which it does and the training guide and tips & tricks brochure are easy-to-follow and have good information. My cat has been litter free for over two months! Clearly the better product out there."
-By Christina Nadeau on April 5. 2006 

3. First Hole Blues 

"I followed the instructions precisely. It all worked great and we were excited. The cats were going on top of the toilet into the liter, up until the point where we punched out the first hole...Rather than attempting to use it, they would just hold everything in until they finally did their business else where."
- By  Daniel L Wells on June 12, 2011

My Response:

As of today this seems like this could happen to me, but I certainly hope it doesn't. This seems to be a common problem that is addressed in many of the reviews. However, in the extra CitiKitty training tray the first ring is much smaller than the ring in the tray that is placed on the toilet. I am hoping that by starting again with smaller opening that my cat will be able to adjust easier. We can only PRAY!

4. Limited Resources 

"I have e-mailed CitiKitty several times for suggestions and their only response was to check the FAQ's, which I told them I had already done with no success."
-By E. Cunningham on May 7, 2007

My Response: 

I have this complaint as well. When researching CitiKitty I didn't find many sources explaining the process in detail or offering suggestions, this is why I started this blog. Just recently, when Montee had his mishap of peeing on the floor, I went to the CitiKitty website hoping to find some suggestions or perhaps a forum with peoples suggestions of how they dealt with the same or similar issues...but there was absolutely nothing. The only suggestion I found from CitiKitty was in their "User Guide" that was included in the original shipment. Their suggestion is to use the extra tray and go back a step. I was hoping for a little more guidance. 

5. Multiple Cats 

"We have two cats and they both refuse to use this product for going #2. Instead, they have taken to doing their business on the new carpet and new couch. While other reviewers have been patient enough to wait it out past 2 months, we're not willing to deal with anymore of these accidents. It's really not designed for two cats since once one cat does their business, you have to be vigilant about cleaning it or the other cat won't use it."
-By Kumara on November 12, 2007

My Response: 

Training multiple cats to use CitiKitty does seem to be a common challenge. My friend also faced this challenge when he tried to train his two cats to use CitiKitty. One cat took to the process quite easily, as the other did not. It was not too long until both cats refused to use the CitiKitty.

However, once again it just depends on your cat. He is a review that states the opposite:
"When I first decided to toilet train my cats (I have 2), I was really dreading the process. I found the CitiKitty, and I can't tell you how easy it was to use. Just follow the instructions, punch out a new ring every couple of weeks, and your cats will be toilet trained in a couple months."

By D. Walter on June 13, 2008

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Whenever I consider buying a product I look at the reviews because I feel this is a good indicator of how good or bad a product actually is. After reading through tons of reviews on Amazon for CitiKitty I started to notice how for every negative review there is a positive review. So what is one to believe?

It is encouraging knowing that toilet training a cat can be done. Many of the complaints were not towards the CitiKitty product exactly (the number one complaint towards the product I would say is how thin the plastic is), but rather, that their cat was not taking to the actual toilet training process. So with this being said, I think the question is: Is toilet training for me and my cat, or for you and your cat(s)?

I really do hope that toilet training is for me and my cat. I want this to work so badly. So to give you and me hope I will end with a positive review, as I am not one who likes to dwell on the negatives:

I got a CitiKitty kit last fall as a bit of a skeptic... now I brag about my toilet-trained cat to strangers in the grocery line. The kit is very straight-forward and simple to use. It sits on the rim of your toilet underneath the seat. You fill it with about a quarter-inch of litter and gradually punch out the holes in the middle so your cat will start going in the water and weaning off of litter. (You do have to get flushable litter to use with it.) I took things super slow with my cat and it was only a couple months before we had eliminated litter completely! She sits on the toilet seat and goes right in the water without any problems whatsoever, all I ever have to do is flush. Everyone compares her to the cat in Meet The Parents. I can't even imagine how I used to live with smelly messy litter in my apartment!
-By Andrea Marcus on April 3, 2006

Day 10: Pee on the Floor

Tonight Montee made is first mistake and peed on the floor next to the CitiKitty. I couldn't believe it. He was doing so well and has already peed and pooped in the CitiKitty training seat with the first ring removed. I am not sure what happened, but I have used the extra training seat provided to go back a step so there is no whole.

So I guess we will try this again, with no ring removed, for a few days...and then try again.

Day 9: First Poop in Water

I cannot believe what is happening. It is almost too good to be true--Montee just made a perfect shot through the whole of the CitiKitty, so all I had to do to clean up after him was flush the toilet! This happened only a few hours after I removed the first ring in the CitiKitty training seat.

I know that this will probably get harder as time goes on and as I remove more and more rings, but if this is ANY indication of the future, I am beyond elated.

As I started this process, I was determined to have a toilet trained cat; yet, there was always doubt in the back of my mind wondering if this was actually going to be possible. Although it hasn't been a "breeze," it definitely hasn't been hard or a major burden. Now that I have seen him make a perfect shot into the toilet, my hopes have sky rocketed and I think that this might actually work!

Day 9: Removing the First Ring

Montee has been going to the bathroom in the CitiKitty toilet training seat for 9 days now. However, it was not a smooth process. I had to improvise by placing the tray on the floor, where his old litter box was located. After he was comfortable with going potty in the tray, I put it on the toilet; however, he still would not jump up onto the CitiKitty toilet training seat.

On Day 7, something clicked and he has been a pro at using the CitiKitty. Feeling very confident that we can move to the next step, today I removed the first ring.

The CitiKitty Manual States:
By gradually enlarging the opening in the training seat your cat will naturally begin to stand on the toilet seat for support. There is no need to adjust your cat's stance. your cat will also learn to use the toilet water for waste.

It has only been about 20 minutes since the removal of the first ring and Montee has already jumped on top of the CitiKitty several times and is VERY curious about the new opening. He is fascinated by the fact that when he sticks his paw down into the opening there is water. Hopefully, he will still recognize this as his bathroom and not a play station.

Day 7: Jumping Up on His Own

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!! Montee jumped up on the toilet, TWICE, and went to the bathroom all by himself (number 1 and number 2).

I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I approached the CitiKitty tray--POOP! I have never been so happy to see poop before. But what this poop symbolizes is a kitty-lifetime free of kitty litter, and that could make anyone shout for joy.

Then again, this morning, when I was getting ready in the bathroom, Montee just jumped right on up onto the CitiKitty, without any hesitation, and went pee pee.

Way to go Montee! Keep up the good work!

Day 6: CitiKitty Back on the Toilet

On Day 3 of using Citi Kitty, I had to put the toilet tray on the ground because Montee, refused to go to the bathroom and it was getting me worried. After 3 days of the tray on the ground I moved the CitiKitty back onto the toilet.

After I did this, I could see that Montee needed to go to the bathroom, but he was not jumping on top of the toilet. After a while, I placed him on top and he actually didn't jump off! Hooray. Right away he started scratching at his litter, preparing a nice little place for him to go potty.

Since this Day 6 video was taken, he has gone to the bathroom a few times, however, still is not jumping on top of the toilet by himself. I really hope he catches on soon.

Day 3: CitiKitty on the Ground

It has been 3 days since we have started CitiKitty and it definitely has not been easy, and we had to adapt the CitiKitty training method.

On Day 2 Montee did not go to the bathroom at all. We could tell he needed to go by him continuously entering the bathroom (where his litter box used to be), trying to go potty in different parts of the house, and pawing at the litter in CitiKitty but refusing to actually jump up onto it. I would pick him up and put him on top of the CitiKitty, but he would just jump off.

By Day 3 I was getting nervous because he hadn't gone to the bathroom and he was acting very irritated. I decided to put the CitiKitty tray next to the toilet on the ground, where his litter box used to be. It may be a step back, but maybe he just needs to get used to the CitiKitty tray for a few days.

Finally, a few hours after we did this, we had success: Montee went to the bathroom (Number 1 and Number 2) in the CitiKitty on the ground with no help from me at all.

So it seems that we will keep the CitiKitty on the ground for a few days until he gets totally comfortable with using CitiKitty as his new litter box. I am actually surprised that the CitiKitty manual did not suggest doing this in the first place. It seems like a logical transition.

Day 1: Montee's First Use of the CitiKitty

After a few hours of having the CitiKitty set up, we could tell that Montee needed to go to the bathroom. He kept going next to the toilet, where his litter box used to be. He kept spazing out running all over the apartment because he didn't know what to do. Poor guy.

At this point, my husband, wanted to give in and just bring out the litter box. However, I really hate litter and would love to have a kitty be toilet trained so we can be litter free. I want to give this process a valiant effort.

I kept placing him on top of the CitiKitty trying to help him out, but he would just jump right off. After about 45 minutes of this, Montee finally gave in and did his business on the CitiKitty. Way to go Montee!

Step 5: Fill CitiKitty with Litter and Cat

We are ready to start the CitiKitty training process!

I have now removed his old litter box from the bathroom, so we are fully dedicated to the CitiKitty. Now all we can do is wait and see what happens.

Step 4: Putting CitiKitty on the Toilet

Definitely not the prettiest process. I definitely wont be having people come over for a while.

Step 3: Preparing Your Bathroom + First Fail

The CitiKitty Training Guide suggests these steps in preparing your bathroom before training your cat:

1. Secure your toilet lid with a piece of adhesive tape to ensure your cat will always have access to the toilet and a guest won't close the lid accidentally.

2. Place a "Cat toilet training in progress" sign in your bathroom so guests know you are toilet training your cat.

3. Store cat treats in close proximity to the toilet so you can immediately reward your cat after he or she uses the toilet.

4. Keep a small trash can, kitty litter and scoop nearby (but out of your cat's reach) for easy and quick cleaning of the training seat.

5. Remove area rugs from your bathroom so you can easily keep the bathroom clean and neat while the training is in progress. You can return the rugs when the training is complete.

6. Close the doors to the nearby rooms in your home, including spare bedrooms or basement. This enables you to stay close by your cat's side and see how he or she is adapting to the training.

The steps definitely are not difficult, but I think they forgot one:

7. Keep your cat away during this process as he/she might jump in the toilet!
(watch the video and you'll see what I am talking about)

We had our first fail: Montee not knowing the toilet lid was up, and him jumping right in the water. Poor guy.

Step 2: Before Using CitiKitty

There are few steps to accomplish weeks prior to using CitiKitty. We were lucky in that we had heard about and wanted to use CitiKitty before we even got our cat.

Here are actions that the CitiKitty company suggests should be taken before you start trying to use the CitiKitty product:

1. Cat should be at least 3 months old
2. Move cat's litter box into the bathroom close to the toilet
3. Fill your cat's litter box with flushable kitty litter

Once your cat meets and is comfortable with the above, your cat should be ready to use CitiKitty.

Since day one of having our cat (about a month and half ago) we have had the litter box in the bathroom, right next to the toilet, and have been using flushable litter. We have been waiting until Monee was "of age" to start using CitiKitty. We had a few holidays that we knew were going to cause us to be away from home, so we waiting until we were ready as well. So now Montee is 3 1/2 months old and he and we are ready to start the CitiKitty process.

Step 1: Open CitiKitty

I was very excited to receive my CitiKitty and to start this journey of being litter free. I was a little disappointed by the quality of the product. I don't know what I was expecting, but the plastic is so thin and feels really cheap. Thinking about it now, I guess it has to be this way because you have to cut out sections of it, but my initial reaction was:

"I paid $29.99 for this!?"

It definitely could be cheaper.