Day 39: Nightmare...starting all over.

One advice for all you thinking about toilet training your cat: MAKE SURE TO NOT SCHEDULE A TRIP! This was a major fail on our part. We had a unscheduled vacation that came up last minute. We had a friend come over one a day for an hour, and attempted to keep the CitiKitty toilet seat on while we were away. I really didn't want to start the training all over, so I told my friend if everything goes well keep up the training. During the week, my friend told me everything was going well and Montee had gone in the CitiKitty every single time. I was excited.

However, the day we got home we entered a very poop stenched apartment. Apparently, sometime between my friends visit and us getting home Montee just about had it and decided to poop on the bathroom floor and go pee on our rug several times. While we were cleaning everything up, he went pee and poop on the floor again. There was no saving our rug so we tossed it, and were forced to go back to the litter box and start the process completely over.

Now I am faced with a dilemma--We have a trip scheduled for the beginning of November, so do I attempt to start the training process all over again, hoping he is completely trained by then? Or do I wait until after the holiday's and start the training process in January, when I know we will not be leaving for a few months?

It seems the hardest part about toilet training your cat is that life happens.

Day 28: Leaving on an unexpected vacation

Tomorrow we leave on a 7 day vacation that was planned last minute. We do have a friend that is going to be coming by daily for an hour, so we are going to try to keep up with the CitiKitty toilet training while we are gone. However, we are not sure if Montee will continue to use the CitiKitty if it is not clean out immediately after being soiled.

Another problem that I am really concerned about is because CitiKitty does not have enough litter to allow a cat to actually cover his poop, Montee tends to accidently step in it. Since we wont be home to clean his feet off or immediate remove him from the CitiKitty after he has done his business, I am worried that he is going to get poop everywhere.

Our catsitter is aware of these possible problems, and is told that if Montee decides not to use the CitiKitty or if poop is being tracked around our apartment, to bring out the littler box.

Of course this will be a BIG step backwards, but life happens, and we will deal with it.

Day 27: 1 1/2 Holes Opened

I may be on cloud nine but I decided to open up the hole in the CitiKitty just a tad. I am not confident that Montee could handle the opening in the predetermined hole #2, but he has been doing so well, I wanted to try out 1 1/2 holes.

Day 27: I heard the tinkle and plops!

This morning Montee did a poop and a pee, at two different times, using the CitiKitty. I say "using" the CitiKitty, instead of "in" the CitiKitty because he made two prefect shots right through the hole! HOLE IN ONE! All I had to do was flush the toilet.

The fact that he made a perfect shot means he is learning good CitiKitty position, with his two paws on the toilet seat and the others in the CitiKitty.

It made me giggle when I heard his little tickle in the toilet. I hope I hear this a lot more. 

Day 25: First hole...once again.

Today I removed the CitiKitty extra training seat off the CitiKitty, leaving the original hole I created on Day 9. I think since we eased into this step, by starting with a much smaller hole and then gradually making it larger, will help Montee not have a mistake again.

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.

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!