So... we're taking our time!

Hey all! Sorry I've been slacking with the updates. I'll get right into it!

Popes has been on the green stage for almost 2 months now. She had no issue with #1, but she has never liked going #2 on it. For a while she pooped in the bathtub (if we weren't home). And then a couple times next to the toilet as well. But in between those times, she'd go right on the toilet! 

She always does this "I have to poop!" routine where she runs around the apartment like crazy and meows. Then eventually she gets up on the toilet and scratches and does her business. Because of this inconsistency, we have been slow to change it up. The next "stage" is no litter at all! We're so close to the end, but we want to make sure that she is totally ready for that last step!

We've had a few weeks where she's been doing well... no accidents. I think it's getting close to that time. We're supposed to be using less litter so that when there's none, she won't really notice, but I think that's impossible. However, last night there was not too much litter and she used it without a fuss! A good sign. :) 

Part of me thinks, if she never moves on and "graduates" from the last stage, that would be ok with me. This is using a lot less litter than a traditional litter box, and there's no smell because we flush all the waste right away. It would be better if we had 2 bathrooms... but I haven't given up yet.. there's still hope that she'll eventually get comfortable with no litter at all! I'm still looking forward to it and we're so close! 

GREEN!

This morning I took the cardboard off the litter kwitter. We decided Popes should be ready to move on after 20 days, and we were right! She didn't even put up her 2 day fight like she usually does when we change it. I'm taking that as a good sign.
Here's what it looks like now:
Green stage

Feeling optimistic! :)
If any of you out there are thinking about trying this with your own cat, I highly recommend the cardboard method. It works wonders!!

We are totally nearing the end of this experience. Popes will be potty trained in no time! :)

We're trying to be more "green"

So we've started the green stage with cardboard. A little more gradual since the last time we tried the green stage there was an accident. (I'd like to add, that was the ONLY accident Popes has had) :)

Here's what it looks like! 

It looks an awful lot like the orange, no? Then how does Popes know something is different? Nothing gets past her! As usual, as soon as we switched it, she waited 2 days before using it. She finally did her business and we were happy! We are planning to leave this on for as long as she needs to feel comfortable. It was clear yesterday that she is still not comfortable with it. So we will be patient! 

 

Holidays are over!

After we tried the green stage of the litter kwitter, Popes went a day or 2 without going at all. She was running around like crazy and we could tell she needed to go, but she didn't know how to go on the green ring. She jumped up and scratched, and then jumped down and ran around. I sat in there with her to try to encourage her to use it, but then she ran out and pooped on the rug. It was so disappointing, we were all 3 sad about it! We couldn't yell at her or anything though because it wasn't her fault and we didn't want to traumatize her about pooping when she did the best she could. I quickly put the orange ring back on and she peed right away in the toilet. Lucky that she didn't pee anywhere else! That would be awful to clean... *sigh*


SO that was the first ever accident she had! I think she still has a great record. People on forums talked about their cats peeing in their beds and stuff. I'm thankful Popes has not done any of that. :)


Then we went out of town a LOT: Ottawa, Vegas, Ottawa again. When we went to Ottawa for Christmas, we brought Pepopo with and the litter kwitter as well! She used it just fine! We even forgot the litter we had been using, so we had to buy a different kind. I was worried she wouldn't use it because cats don't really like when you change their stuff. I was sitting in the kitchen and she was walking around meowing at me and then after a while I got up and she led me up the stairs to the bathroom (the whole time making sure that I was following) and then I sat in the bathroom with her and she peed! It was like she wanted me there to make sure that it was a "safe" place. From then on, she used it no problem whether we were home or not!


Now we've been getting caught up on life and we're back in a routine. This whole time, Popes has still been using the orange, getting very comfortable with it. Most the time, she pees right down the hole, which is kindof amazing to me. No smell and no need to scoop anything! It just reminds me that this will all be so worth it one day! :)


This weekend we will be doing the cardboard trick with the green ring like we did with the orange. Wish us luck!!