They Went...Where??

"Okay, who pooped in my shower?!"

That exclamation has now been added to my list of "Things I Never Thought I'd Say". This first week of toilet training hasn't gone as smoothly as I hoped it would.

I moved into my new apartment on December 11, and I thought it would be a good idea to start the Litter Kwitter system when I moved. New environment, new toilet system. Seems logical. During my first night at the new apartment, I put the new litter system on the floor in the bathroom as instructed. This trains your cat to go to the room that the bathroom is in to do their business. JC and Zoey's litter box was in the bathroom at my old apartment, so I considered skipping this introductory step and moving straight to putting the tray on the toilet. I'm now glad I didn't, because I'm having problems already.

First, my cats could smell exactly where the old tenants kept their cats' litter box in the living room. I know this because when I toured the apartment, the old tenants were still living there and I saw it. Sure enough, my cats investigated that corner first, and all I could do was show them their new litter box and pray that they didn't just go where the old box had been. I set up the new box in the bathroom, using a wheat-based flushable litter called Swheat Scoop, then confined JC and Zoey in that one room so they would know where they were supposed to go.

My cats are yowlers, so that didn't last long. I even stayed in there with them for about an hour, neglecting my unpacking, so that they wouldn't be scared, but I had to let them out after a while so my neighbors wouldn't hate me my first night there.

Nothing happened the first night, but in the morning I noticed that one of the cats had used the litter box. I'm assuming it was Zoey, because she's a bit more adaptable to change. The first few days, things seemed to be going well. There was litter all over the bathroom floor, but my cats are used to pellets, so I assumed they were just readjusting to litter and having fun digging in it. Although I never saw either of the cats actually using the tray, there was always something in it in the morning, and I've been much more diligent about cleaning it than I was their old litter box because it's much smaller. I put a towel underneath the tray for added stability on the tile floor, and one cat (probably JC) had a bit go onto the towel when he went. Again, I think that's mostly because they're used to a much larger box.

Four days into our training, I decided to put the tray on top of the toilet. I placed both cats on it several times, and gave them treats for positive reinforcement. I am trying to introduce new phases on Thursdays, because that's my day off and I'd like to be there to supervise. Things seemed to be going fine, until Friday morning...

"Okay, who pooped in my shower?!"

I can't say for sure who it was, but I kind of think it was JC. I went to step into the shower, and thankfully I looked before I stepped. I took that as a sign to move the tray back to the floor for further training. This morning (Saturday) there was another "present" in the shower. Honestly, I can't be too mad, because outside of the litter box and toilet, the shower is really the next best place to go. At least they're not pooping under my bed or in my shoes - but I definitely don't want them to make a habit out of going there.

I filled the bathtub with a few inches of water, and went to Google for answers. Many resources suggested that cats can act out when they are stressed and subjected to too many changes. New home, new litter box, new litter... I guess that's a lot to take in at one time. As I was reading online, I heard *splash! thrash thrash zoom* and Zoey came darting out of the bathroom. I don't suppose she'll be jumping into the tub again to explore (or poop) anytime soon.

Since I realized that maybe I'd introduced too many things at once, I not only moved the tray back onto the floor of the bathroom, I also added some of their old Breeze pellets to the Swheat Scoop. By just adding the pellets, JC and Zoey seem more comfortable with the tray already. I think I'll keep adding the pellets in, in smaller amounts, until they are completely comfortable with regular litter again. Most people who want to toilet train their cats won't have to take as long with this first step since most cats are already used to regular litter, but since my cats aren't I need to take my time. You really can't rush them, otherwise you might just find a present in your tub... or worse.

Becoming Domesticat-ed

I love my cats, but I hate their litter box. I think 98% of indoor cat owners would agree with that sentiment. The other 2% have dogs that eat what's left in the litter box, so they feel the same way but with different reasons.

Litter boxes smell. Bad. Along with the smell, every time a cat hops in the box, it's stepping in its own mess. When the cat comes out, it tracks litter and poo particles all over the house: on the dining room table, on kitchen counters, on your pillow.

I was tolerating my cats' litter box by keeping it out of sight. The less I saw it, the easier it was to avoid thinking about how disgusting it is. Toilet training kits for cats had piqued my interest, but I didn't give it much thought until I was about to move into a new apartment. In my previous apartments, there had always been a decent spot to hide the litter box: a closet in the office, a crawlspace in the bathroom. In my new apartment, however, there was not.

I refuse to have a litter box in my bedroom. The kitchen is not an option for obvious sanitation issues. If I don't like being around the litter box, my guests probably won't, either - there goes the living room. That leaves the bathroom, but my new bathroom is too small for my cats' large Breeze litter box.

Toilet training my cats suddenly became a valid option.

After doing some online research, I purchased the Litter Kwitter kit, as well as the extra training trays because I have two cats. The extra trays make the transition phases a little more gradual. I decided to start our training as soon as I moved into the new apartment, hoping that since my cats would already be familiarizing themselves with a new environment, they would be able to accept a new bathroom arrangement easier.

I am not sponsored by Litter Kwitter; I simply wished when I was doing my research that there were more in-depth personal experiences about other peoples' triumphs and fall backs while toilet training their cats. Hopefully, I can provide that to others.

Wish me, JC, and Zoey luck in our attempt to quit litter! One step at a time, we'll become "domesticat-ed".