TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
One city kitty’s attempt at potty training
WHEN Upper West Siders Natasha Huang and JP Smith first saw the Citikitty Cat Toilet Training Kit in a SkyMall catalog, they knew they had to try it on their 1-yearold black-and-white tuxedo cat, Felix.
“Initially we thought it would be a great way to save space in our tiny bathroom,” says Huang. “Then we realized we’d be saving a bunch of money on litter, too.”
With a promise to transition felines from the litter box to the commode in just four to eight weeks, the $25 product is a plastic toilet seat with layers that’s meant to rest on your bowl. As your cat becomes more comfortable peeing in it, you peel away layers until a full hole is revealed and your cat goes straight into the toilet. You’re instructed to cover the device with flushable kitty litter so kitty feels at home on the can.
So with curious Felix in tow, Huang made the recommended preparations — securing the toilet seat in an upright position, storing treats near the toilet for convenient rewards and keeping litter and a scooper nearby for easy cleanup.
So did the training kit work for Felix? Read on to find out.
DAY 1:
The first part of training focuses on making cats comfortable with the new setup; per the instructions, owners must move their litter box into the bathroom, near the toilet, and fill it with flushable kitty litter.
Huang then embarked on Step 2, securing the seat on the toilet, filling it with flushable litter and placing Felix on top to get comfortable. A few hours later Huang found Felix perched atop the toilet, using the Citikitty without issue.
DAY 2:
JP removed the Citikitty in order to use the toilet himself, and placed it on the floor. Felix walked in and almost immediately started using it while it was on the ground — whoops! Note: Close the bathroom door when the Citikitty isn’t on the toilet!
DAY 3:
Bolstered by Felix’s speedy adaptation, Huang pops out Ring 1 on Day 3 — too early by Citikitty standards. Felix is intrigued, standing on the edge of the toilet bowl and playing with the water.
DAYS 4 & 5:
Huang notes that the Citikitty seems flimsy un-
Felix seems to be irritated and he knows he’s in the wrong by not peeing in the toilet.”
— Felix’s owner Natasha Huang
der Felix. Still, he’s using it. Once he’s done peeing, however, he digs at the litter and flings it all over the bathroom.
DAY 6:
A wrench is thrown into the plan: Huang and her boyfriend move to a new apartment. “I was terrified about how the move would affect Felix, and about transferring the Citikitty to a new bathroom,” she says.
Felix accepts the transition, though they find a stain on their bedding. Undeterred, they speed right ahead — and defy Citikitty’s instructions to remove one ring each week — by taking out yet another ring.
DAYS 7 TO 10:
Felix has mastered peeing in the Citikitty — for now — but still prefers to poop on the bath mat. There is one sign of progress, though: “Felix doesn’t seem to toss around the litter as much anymore.”
DAYS 11 TO 13:
Felix remains cautious around the shaky device. Huang does some DIY reinforcing and adds a layer of cardboard underneath the toilet.
DAY 14:
“Felix seems to be irritated with us,” reports Huang, “and he knows he’s in the wrong by not peeing in the toilet.”
Huang’s mother offers encouragement and reminds her to be patient, noting that she went through the same thing while trying to potty train her children.
“Note to self: No children soon,” says Huang.
DAY 15:
The once inspirational photographs of happy cats using the toilet in the Citikitty literature spark jealousy in Huang. “Are they supercats?” she wonders.
DAYS 16 TO 23:
Felix’s progress is hit-ormiss — his use of the Citikitty is inconsistent — and Huang doesn’t dare pop out more rings, in fear that Felix will abandon the device altogether. Nor does she follow the company’s recommendation that slowadapting cats should revert to previous steps to master the training.
“I really don’t want to go to work wondering if I’m going to come home to a surprise on my bed,” she says. “And I don’t mean flowers from my boyfriend.”
DAYS 25 TO 31:
Admitting defeat, Huang purchases a mess-free topentry litter box to see how Felix reacts to a new setup. He loves it.
“I’m grateful to have tried the Citikitty, and it has made me appreciate the fact that Felix will use a litter box properly,” she says. “Why did I try to fix something that didn’t need to be fixed?”