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
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