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5 Responses to “CitiKitty Cat Toilet Training Kit”Speak Your Mind
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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!
Rating: 5 / 5
The product is fine, but the issue falls with the punching out of the rings. The instructions state to punch each out as your cat seems ready to move on to the next level, BUT if you went too fast and need to go back to the previous level, naturally you cannot replace the punchout! Also the package insert advises you may want to punch out a half-ring if your cat is slower to catch on. There are no perforations to do a half-ring. Anyway, since cats cannot talk, if you misjudge their rate of progress and punch out the plastic ring, you cannot go back. This product can serve as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive kitty toilet training rings of various sizes. Obviously with those, you are paying for more sturdiness and the ability to back up to the previous size/level ring if needed.
So, how did my cat do? She is age 9, and was only partially successful. It may work best with a kitten. My cat would urinate on CitiKitty fine, but would not defecate. She held it in all week and finally went just outside the bathroom door on the carpet. I cleaned and wanted to start again, but by day 3 I knew she would just go on the carpet again.
I have done a lot of internet research, and this is a common problem. (The competing product even has a forum with a post dedicated solely to this problem.) I am single and at work all day, so couldn’t monitor her toilet trips like I read that other pet owners have. Nor did I feel comfortable locking her in the bathroom as some did. Plus I felt so awful knowing she must be so uncomfortable not wanting to use CitiKitty enough to hold it in all week!
Bottom line, it’s not just the product. It’s your cat, and your dedication. This is an inexpensive alternative product if you want to try it out!
Rating: 3 / 5
I first purchased Kitty Whiz attracted to the lower price, well you know the old saying you get what you pay for. The Kitty Whiz seat stated it is NOT recommended for cats over 10lbs, it should say it’s not recommended for cats over 7lbs it was so flimsy it would not support the weight of my 9lbs cat. So I had to looked into a number of different books and training devices and found a number of artices on this product CitiKitty. 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.
Rating: 5 / 5
I read several reviews and had some mixed feelings before I purchased the CitiKitty trainer, but I decided to go ahead and give it a shot.
I started off by moving my litter box near the toilet and then elevating it slowly to toilet seat level. After they were well adjusted to jumping on the toilet and entering the litter box, I made the switch to the CitiKitty and removed the litter box from the house. I brought both cats in, set them on it, and gave them so much attention I thought they were going to pur themselves to death. They now love being on the toilet. I put them in the bathroom overnight for the first night only just to help them figure it out. I used the same litter I used to use (flushable) so they would know the smell. I woke up to find several presents buried in the CityKitty and again told them how good of a job they did and gave them more praise and affection. Since then I’ve been letting them prowl the house and we haven’t had a single accident, which is amazing considering how hard it was to train them to go in the litter box at first. I popped out half of the first ring and no one seemed to mind, so after a week I popped out the other half of the first ring and that is my current progress. There still haven’t been any accidents, so I plan on working on ring 2 by the middle of next week.
Strength of the Plastic:
I was somewhat skeptical of the people who said it seemed flimsy, and it turns out I was right. I tested the shear strength of the CitiKitty at several different points with multiple types of loading, and it never popped a perforation. I set 20 pound dumbbells across it, olympic style 10, 15, and 20 pound weights, and I put point loads on each of the perforated rings. As I mentioned before, not once did it fail in any position with up to 30 pounds on it. I then put a 10 pound weight and both of my cats on it, which is much more than overkill, and it again worked fine with no buckling, shearing, or bending. There was a slight depression as they moved (10 pound weight + both cats at the same time), but even your concrete floor exhibits this behavior when you walk across it, so it is negligible. Adding more than the max weight should be sufficient to see that even with the inner rings popped out, the support structure will continue to hold the weight of a single cat quite easily. Those of you who claim it is a “flimsy piece of junk” are wrong and are giving the product an inaccurate review.
Instructions:
I can see why some people are having trouble training their cats. The instructions, if you look at it from a high level conceptual angle, take dedication, persistence, and patience from the owner. The instructions are clearly meant to be adapted to each individual situation and are just a guideline, but people seem to be missing that point. Not every cat is going to accept the change immediately. I am currently training 2 cats on mine and one is definitely catching on faster than the other, but with affection, treats, praise, and persistence they are both getting the hang of it.
Overall:
I have high expectations for this product because I am willing to put in the time to make it a success. It isn’t magic – it takes work. Cats are smarter than a lot of people give them credit for, so if you want this to work, put in some of your own time and you will see results. If you buy the CitiKitty and expect to just change the litter at your leisure and spend no time helping the cats figure it out, you will more than likely be disappointed, but blaming the product for that is downright foolish.
Rating: 5 / 5
I have 2 cats and they are 8 months now. I started them on the citty kitty about 2 months prior and so far its great. I was fortunate to have already placed their litter boxes in the bathroom so drawing them from that to the toilet was easy. For my cats it seems they follow the litter. They also love to [...] on fresh litter especially after I cleaned and replaced it =-). I bought 2 training cats for the 2 toilets I have in my house and they use both of them well. Once I placed the kits on the toilets and poured fresh litter on it they were ready to use it. I am on the last 3 rings and am confident they will have no problems. It looks like now they are working their aim (into the actual toilet) and scraping as much litter in the hole.
The only thing I suggest is if your cat likes a clean litter ensure you clean the kit daily. My male cat got pist one time and pee’d in the corner of the bathroom. Thats the only time any of them made “mistakes”.
Punching holes can be a mess too. Suggest getting disposable gloves. Also sometimes your cat may miss or splatter or what have you. I bought a bunch of those cleaning wipes for the bathroom so that before anyone uses the toilet they can wipe off any excess litter or splashes and toss it in the toilet. Lastly learn your kitty’s bathroom routine. Last thing you need is both of you showing up at the bathroom ready to go!
Rating: 4 / 5