Is it really this easy?

[VioletFae]

Vivi has been home for exactly 3 weeks tonight, and I am no longer scooping litter. She is going in the toilet!

I read a lot about toilet training cats before Vivi arrived, and was completely prepared for this to go miserably wrong. (Citikitty says 4-8 weeks or something, I was already accepting it could take up to a year).

We are using the Citikitty system ($30), and Vivi has been very interested in this whole process from the beginning. I started by putting an oval drip pan ($1) into a cardboard box (free) with flushable litter ($4) when she came home. After a couple days, I put the citikitty in the cardboard box for about 2 days (in the bathroom near the toilet), then moved it to the toilet another 2 days later. I've removed 2 rings over the next two weeks, and she is now positioning herself over the hole to potty! A miracle, I know!!! Every time I would go in the bathroom to scoop, she'd run to investigate and hang over the toilet as I flushed down the dirty litter. Now when I go in there to clean up or check things out, she hops on the toilet, gets in position and pees.. like 'look at me momma!". I think she's proud of herself, and I am too!

I'm honestly waiting for something to go terribly wrong, b/c I'm still convinced it can't be this easy, lol.

The prices above are nothing in comparison to the litter I have purchased for my cats throughout the years. It would be amazing to be litter free!

So, why didn't anyone tell me Savannahs are super smart?

 

[Kristin]

Yay Vivi!! I would toilet train Zeddie if I didn't have my dsh...he can't even jump on the toilet
My sister attempted to toilet train her dsh and ended up with poop in the sink

 

[WitchyWoman]

Sounds as though Vivi is exceptional on the SV intelligence scale. What a good girl! However, if she becomes overly fixated on watching the swirly water when the toilet is flushed, she might just train you to flush on command. It appears that she's taken the first steps already

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Best of luck with that continuing. I fully believe that Vivi could be trained quickly, we found years ago that our first two Savannahs took to it quickly, but our domestic shorthair didn't and went on a bit of a strike... and then we got a third Savannah that saw an open toilet bowl as a wading pool and that was the end of it for our household.

 

[VioletFae]

Yes! I've heard it can be trouble if you teach a cat to flush and they find it amusing.. $300 water bill! I'm interested in the automatic flushers, and think this will be the best option.

Luckily, she's not very interested in the water.. yet!

I'm super nervous about bringing home our Cheetoh kitten in mid-November, but hopefully Vivi can show him the ropes!

 

[VioletFae]

Brigitte, did you train your 2 SVs at the same time?

 

[Rafiki]

I tried it with my previous doll-faced Himy's. The girl did great. The boy however.... We were at the stage where there is only a tiny bit of litter left and within days of removing it all together when Mr. Clumsy fell in. He got thoroughly soaked and the remaining kitty litter fell onto and stuck to his wet head. When he managed to extricate himself from the toilet, he ran directly to the bedroom where my husband was sleeping and promptly pee'd all over him. For some reason, my husband does not want to repeat this experiment.....!

 

[Rafiki]

And did I mention how very jeolous I am.....?!

 

[Becki]

Can I send you my 2 year old people baby?

 

[VioletFae]

Lol! I know, my son (now 4) was sooo much harder to potty train than this!