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.