Story Time..
Late last summer I realized how tedious the cats' litter box mess had become and how expensive the "right kind" of litter was that pleased Orlando (a male who is fussy about EVERYTHING) and pleased my nose. So I needed options!
I purchased a Litter Kwitter, watched the DVD, and read many forum posts for advice before embarking on the journey of toilet-training 3 cats. I may have tried to tackle more than I should have with 2 two-yr-old cats (male and female siblings) and a rescued kitten! I was very unsure about the kitten training since I read many warnings about being old enough, big enough, etc.
I bought both the Litter Kwitter and the CitiKitty systems to compare along with a couple different types of flushable cat litter. EVERYONE should use flushable cat litter! Wow. Such a huge difference in ease of cleaning, lack of smell, and much happier cats.
Grindavik (the kitten, gray and black striped tabby) began using the Litter Kwitter immediately and meows to announce when he's done and wants it flushed! I honestly couldn't believe how easily he picked up on this training! He has been the model cat for training. Although there was this one time where he peed in the sink thanks to that learning term "transference". But that habit didn't continue after I ran water while he was peeing in the sink. lol All in all Grindi is the model student for toilet training and I should have done more extensive documentation on his progress! He'd make a great advertisement!
If only I'd been training just him alone...
The older two cats, Orlando (male, orange and white tabby) and Reno (female, black and white) were/are a different story. Not only did they have to adjust to an aggressive kitten but they had their litter moved and home environment completely changed by the invasion of Grindavik. Trying to train 3 at once was/is extremely frustrating especially when 1 is a star pupil, 1 boy who is moody about everything, and 1 girl who refuses to poop elevated off the ground unless I'm standing there. Cleaning the toilet training rings, especially the CitiKitty disk, was not that fun but still easier than a litter box and less waste! Note: Litter Kwitter is by far easier to clean and easier to change between steps than the CitiKitty system!! (One ring snapped off partially while cleaning so that made the CitiKitty even less stable for the more enthusiastic kitten usage).Over time Reno, Orlando, and Grindavik have learned to get along AND use the same toilet!
Eventually some of Orlando's picky nature subsided with the installation of an auto-flush system. He can be extremely spiteful if his environment isn't just the way he likes it. Reno still fusses about pooping especially in front of the boys but she will use the toilet properly if I'm watching over her. Brother and sister have slowly progressed to the second to last green ring of the Litter Kwitter system that Grindavik had been on for months. lol
But just when I thought I was nearing the end, the poo activities have since moved to the floor next to the toilet. Grindavik has even back-peddled thanks to the others' bad examples. UGH! But I'd rather clean up poop from a hardwood floor and take steps back than to spend the time, money, and effort on multiple litter boxes ever again!
I'm now purchasing a second Litter Kwitter for another bathroom to separate the cats for retraining the steps. The set-backs over the months can be discouraging but in the end totally worth it!! No really. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
The hardest part was to not blame myself for their little failures. I kept analyzing every possibility to stay ahead of their mistakes and to out-think them, but in reality I had to just let them learn. It's totally worth the effort to have 3 cats use a toilet that flushes automatically for them. No smelly litter box to clean, no nasty litter liners to remove, no smelly soiled cat feet, and best of all no more $ wasted on cat waste.
(Mother Nature has also also thanked me for the using of flushable litter versus loading up the landfills.)
Maybe eventually I will photograph or video record each of their "successes" but for now, I will spare my audience. But just you wait...
www.litterkwitter.com
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