How to Teach Cats to Use a Toilet? Doesn't that sound strange or difficult to someone who hasn't had pets for a long time? It is possible, but it will necessitate a significant amount of commitment on your part as the owner. The most important thing you'll need is patience and plenty of it.
Toilet training a cat is similar to toilet training a child. Before you begin, make sure you understand how to toilet train a cat in a litter box and have completed the process with your cat. After that, you can begin feline toilet training with your cat.
Depending on whether you want to train your cat to use the outdoor toilet or the indoor toilet, you can modify this training.
How to train your Cat to Use a Toilet |
Is Your Cat Ready for Toilet Training? Here are 5 Ways
- Your cat has already learned to use the litter box.
However, cats who are already trained to use the litter box can be retrained to use the toilet instead. Because cat potty training takes advantage of your cat's natural inclinations to bury their excrement to mask their scent from predators, it's a win-win situation. Your cat will learn to dispose of its waste in water rather than litter during the training procedure. Once your cat has made this shift, toilet training will be simple. Your cat has mastered the art of potty training!
- Your cat has a strong desire to please you.
Is it your cat's job to make you happy? Cats who are eager to please are the perfect candidates for toilet training, whether she left the occasional "present" on your doorway or offers a nice nuzzle while you're reading. She'll be pleased to oblige once she realizes how much you enjoy using the restroom!
- You've previously taught your cat to perform something.
Is your cat responsive when you call? Simple gestures like reacting to a spoken instruction, believe it or not, can help establish the framework for potty training. Toilet training will be a snap if your cat already understands how to "follow the leader."
- Your cat appears to be in good health.
This one may seem self-evident, but healthy cats have an easier job leaping onto their new throne. Illnesses like arthritis and urinary tract infections can make it difficult for them to learn to use the toilet, therefore sick cats should stay in the box.
- You are familiar with your pet.
Are you able to detect when your kitty pal is having a bad day? If you're like most pet owners, you're likely acutely aware of your cat's emotions. During the potty training process, this special link acts as a positive factor. How? Cats will communicate with you through body language if they are comfortable with a specific training stage. You and your partner can work together to achieve a leisurely training pace after you recognize these indications. When you operate as a team, you'll both be happy!
Step-by-step instructions for teaching your cat to use the toilet
The first order of business is to relocate the litter box to the toilet. If the litter box is a long distance from the bathroom, gradually bring it closer over several days. Move the box to the side of the toilet after you've arrived (WC). Raise the box gradually over a few days until it is at the same level as the toilet. Make sure the structure is sturdy so it doesn't topple over when your cat jumps on it.
Then try installing a toilet training seat on your regular toilet and filling it with a little bit of cat litter. Once your cat has been accustomed to this, cut a small hole in the center of the training seat and gradually widen it until it is completely open. After you've completed this, your cat should be used to using the toilet and you won't need the training seat anymore.
However, keep in mind that your cat will not be able to flush the toilet after using it, so you will have to do it for them. If feasible, establish a specific toilet for your kitty toilet training if you have more than one bathroom in your home.
It's a good idea to put a sign on the door that says 'feline toilet training in progress,' especially if you have youngsters or elderly relatives living with you, as they can be forgetful and use the allocated toilet without closing the lid. You don't want to make your cat confused, do you?
However, some experts say that toilet training cats is not natural and may be dangerous. This is because cats are naturally infected with toxoplasma, a parasite that can be caught by cats who 'do their business outside. Indeed, they believe that cats who have completed feline potty training should not be permitted outside, as this parasite can be picked up by the cat, brought inside, and transferred into your sewage system.
Having said that, there are a variety of advantages to cat toilet training.
To begin with, your home will smell fresher and cleaner because there will be no odor from litter boxes inside. Second, it is environmentally friendly because you will not have to dump or landfill the used litter trays. Finally, by not having to buy any more litter, you will save a small fortune.
So, while you won't need a lot of supplies or appliances to learn your cat to use the bathroom, you will need patience, patience, and more patience. However, your cat may express dissatisfaction or refusal to use the toilet when it is time to poo or defecate.