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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

161.0. "Potty training" by CAMLOT::DUGDALE () Tue Oct 22 1985 17:58

Has anyone out there trained a cat to use the toilet rather than a 
litter box?  I saw an ad and sent away for a "kit."  What came back was
weird plastic thing to put over the toilet seat with litter in until the
cat gets used to the idea.  Any chance it will work?  Goonies is 10 years
old but very young at heart and quite adaptive.  I moved recently and now
have a spare bathroom, but no good spot (if any spot could be considered 
good) for the litter.

Advise anyone?

Susan
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161.1ZEPPO::ROMBERGThu Oct 24 1985 15:3323
I tried with my two and my previous roomie tried with her one.  The experiences
we had are as follows:

	With mine, Becky got to be pretty good, as long as the plastic was
there - she never quite mastered the art of putting her back feet on the
seat along with her front feet.  As a result, every time she'd pee, she'd
get wet feet.  Joshua, on the other hand, never quite got used to the absence
of litter.  He'd rebel by going in my plants, on the carpet in my bedroom,
wherever he knew I would notice.  Josh is also one of those kitties who likes
to do some very extensive litter rearranging every time he goes.  The lack
of litter really annoyed him.                                             

	Rudy was one of those indoor/outdoor cats.  He hated the idea of
not being able to bury his piles, and couldn't cope with the sound of splashing
water.  

	We both tried while our cats were young - under one year. We both
kept trying for several months.  I wish you more luck with your kitty - it
sure would be nice to not have to carry bag after bag of kitty litter up
three flights of stairs......

Kathy

161.2RENOVO::SECURITYThu Oct 24 1985 19:1914
My neighbor tried the potty with her cat, and it didn't work all that well,
most cats really do need the litter, it's instinct for them to cover their
do-dos. Also he was afraid of the water and falling in, especially after it
happened once then he associated it with a very negative experience(falling
in the toilet.) PLus it means you must keep the toilet lid up all the time,
even when there's company over which can be a surprise for a guest when they
walk in the bathroom, especially if they've had anything to drink. Or if
you have personal items stored on or above the toilet, someone they always
seem to fall in.  So after hearing her experiences with toilet training, I
never ventured to try it. Plust I don't imagine you could do it with a small
kitten, there's no way to keep them from falling in, so by the time they are
large enough, I would think they would be set in their ways.
Well, if you try it, Good Luck!
                                   Denise
161.3OBIWAN::SHERRICKTue Nov 05 1985 10:0513
I tried the "kitty whiz" potty trainer too.  Everything was going great,
until I took the plastic form with the litter away.  My cat still tried to
use the toilet, but the first time she had to poop, the splash from the water
came up and hit her in the backside. It scared her so badly she fell halfway
into the toilet and then scampered out of the bathroom.  After that I couldn't
get her to go near the bathroom, let alone the toilet, for quite awhile.
Sounds like other people have had similar dissapointing, though humorous
experiences.  It's probably worth a try, I'd love to know if anyone has real
success with it.  Good Luck!


	Molly

161.4Send them to the neighborsCTOAVX::DUSZAKTue Oct 11 1988 16:477
    My father always said that when he was a kid they had a cat that
    went on the toilet.  We always thought he was kidding.
    
    My cat uses the neighbors litterbox in the summer.  They leave their
    breezeway open and he just helps himself.  They caught him in the
    act one day down in their basement.  They really are rascals.  I
    still laught when I think of it.