Morgan Jane: The Coolest Cat on the Planet

jonahpwll

So, I walk into the downstairs bathroom a little while ago and I see Morgan Jane, one of my two eldest cats (7 years old) perched on the edge of the toilet, cat butt aimed down into the bowl, and the sound of urine hitting water. Yep, it really happened.

My. Cat. Used. The. Toilet.

Morgan Jane is officially the coolest cat on the planet.

Let's see if I can pull up a picture...





Morgan Jane is all black, Harriet is the turkish van (white).

They are from the same litter. Katie picked them up shortly after we started dating. They were tiny little furballs, just a couple weeks old. Ironically, they came from a farm in Kentucky not far from where we live now. These pictures are from a few years ago, when we moved back up to Chicago (from Champaign) and stayed in the Jefferson Park neighborhood for about six months until Katie got her library gig down here and we moved.
By the way, that quilt, Katie made it. The best birthday gift I've ever received in my life. I had no idea I wanted one. She quilted it in secret for five months (this is many years ago when we were in Chicago and living in the Anderson Park neigborhood), only working on it when I'd go to my bar job Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The material she used was from old clothes that I never threw out (just like a guy), but which I would never wear because it was torn and tattered and, most significantly, I associated with a very tough period in my life, so I'd never get caught dead in it. She turned that clothes from something unpleasant to a symbol of a new happy home. That was from like five years ago, and I still get all warm and soft inside when I look at it.
My wife rocks.
And so do my cats, all six of them.

BigD-Bluez

Six, eh? Been there, scooped that. We have gone done to lower levels in this decade than before - had a whole age cohort of 5 cats pass away in 2001, all 17 or 18, and it was just too much for us to go through again. We went down to 3 after that. These days only 2 fairly young 'uns. Cats rule ( relax, dog lovers, I like dogs too, but this just isn't the right time to get another) - apartment life and all.

pzeke

I would give anything if our moggies would use the toilet. We have three of the little angels: two black domestic shorthairs (one of whom looks just like your Morgan Jane) and a flame-point Siamese (a terror). All rescue kitties.

Any thoughts on how Morgan Jane came to do this?

jonahpwll

I don't quite remember what inspired it, boredom probably, but my wife got it in her head to teach our cats to use the toilet. She had this whole plan, based on her own imagination, life experiences, and a surprising wealth of information on the internet. I don't think she got very far in the process, but maybe she planted a seed that took time to bloom into the scene that greeted me this afternoon. That, and my cats are furry little geniuses.

jonahpwll

If I can get them to duplicate it, maybe get some video evidence, I'll be selling a training video a.s.a.p. Retail probably for $20, though we could probably get three times that much.

Speaking of cat training videos, I volunteer at the local Humane Society, and one of the catfood companies, I think it's Iams, gives us all types of free stuff... one of those things is a dvd training video to give to new adopters. There's one for dogs and one for cats. I like to joke that the cat dvd is a blank disc.

elwoodicious

If I could just train my cats to puke somewhere other than my shoes I'd be happy.

BigD-Bluez

I see a cat training DVD as a compilation of the things they teach you to do - for them, and gladly to boot.

Dr. Mutex

A girl I knew in college had cat that just started using the toilet one day. My brother's been trying the last couple years to teach his cats. He has the litter pan that goes in the toilet. The idea IIRC is you get them used to that litter box, then slowly reduce the amount of litter, then remove the pan. In a related pet plumbing story, a woman I worked with was late getting home to take her golden retriever outside. When she got home the dog was upset because he had to go before she got there. Turned out he had used the tub. She praised him for choosing the best possible place.

jackedUPjazz

and I thought this thread was gonna be about some old obscure blues dude

jonahpwll

Morgan Jane did it again last night.
I was brushing my teeth. She ran into the bathroom, hopped up onto the rim, took a leak into the toilet, then leaped up onto her perch about the shower and grabbed a seat.
She is the coolest cat ever. She's like a potty-trained batman.