Potty Training a Cat to Use the Toilet Step by Step
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Do you think it's impossible to train your cat to use the toilet? Is this something you only see in films? Well we have good news for you: it's very possible, and all you need to do is train them to get them to use the toilet on a daily basis. It's not easy or quick, and you're not going to do it in a couple of days, but by following our guidelines you can make your cat the cleanest in your neighborhood.
Before starting, we need to make something crystal clear. It's much easier to get a trained cat to do this than it is with a "lazier" one. Read on to learn the steps for potty training a cat to use the toilet.
Place the litter box in the bathroom: The first thing you need to do is put the cat's litter box near the toilet. You need to get them used to going in the bathroom, so there is nothing better than putting their litter box there. There aren't usually any problems in this step. The cat will go to the bathroom to do their business without any problems, and won't need any more than a couple of days to get used to it.
Raise the height of the box: There is a difference in height between the litter box, which is at ground level, and the toilet. How do we solve it? Gradually training your cat to go up. One day you should place it on a book, another day on those Yellow Pages that nobody uses, and by doing this successively you'll get your cat used to jumping to roughly the same height as the toilet.
Make sure that the box is well placed on top of whatever you?ve put underneath, whether magazines, wood or any other material. A poor or unstable placement could cause the box to topple when the cat jumps up, causing your little friend to think ?I?m never jumping here again?. This would cause your cat to have many qualms when it comes to jumping up to the box.
Bring the box closer to the toilet: You have your box in the bathroom and at a similar height to the toilet. Now it's time to bring it closer to it. Bring it a little closer each day. There's no point in moving it directly from the other side of the room to immediately beside it. Remember that it is a gradual process, so every day you should move it a little bit more. Finally, with it now touching the toilet, what you need to do its to place it on top. Again, make sure that the box is stable - you won't want your cat to suffer any traumatic experiences with the toilet.
Reduce the amount of sand: The cat is now doing its business on top of the toilet, albeit in the litter box. You now need to get it out of the habit of using the sand and the litter box, so you progressively remove more and more sand. Reduce the quantity little by little until only a small layer remains, which is barely 2 cm (0.8 in) deep.
Replace the litter box with a washbowl or something similar: Now you need to change the cat's mind frame. It needs to stop doing its business in the box, and start doing it directly into the toilet. There are different options in order to do so, ranging from training boxes sold in specialist pet shops to a simple washbowl that you have lying around at home. This box can be created by placing a washbowl in the toilet and a resistant paper than can withstand the weight of the cat under the lid. In addition, you can put some sand in it so that the cat is given a light reminder of its litter box, making it draw the connection between the two.
Make a hole in the paper and take the bowl away: When your cat has been used to it for a couple of days and goes to the toilet in the washbowl and the paper, you can take it away and make a small hole in it so that they start doing their business directly into the water. This phase can be complicated, but you should do it calmly until the cat is able to do it in comfort. Once you notice that they are comfortable, start making the hole bigger and bigger until there is practically nothing left. As you make the hole bigger, you need to remove the sand that you've been placing on top of the paper. Your cat needs to get used to doing its business without sand, so you need to gradually start taking it away. By this stage you'll have already managed to get them to doing their business in the toilet, but there is one thing left to make this attitude a habit.
Pull the flush and reward your cat: Cats don't like defecating or urinating on top of their own urine. Moreover, it isn't hygienic to leave their business in the toilet because the smell is fairly strong. Therefore, you'll need to flush the toilet each time the cat uses the WC, both for your hygiene and for the cat's obsession. To reinforce this attitude, you should give your cat a prize each time they urinate or defecate in the toilet. This will make the cat thinkthey have done something well, and they will do the same next time in order to receive their reward. If you've made it this far...congratulations! You've mastered potty training a cat to use a toilet! Do you think it was difficult? Do you have another way of doing it? If you've got your cat to do it, let us know how you did it. And if you haven't managed it, we can help you reach this seventh step.
Try a Litter Kwitter
If all of the steps above have been followed and you still haven't managed potty training your cat, there is also another way. You can purchase a Litter Kwitter[1], a product you can purchase in specialized shops or online which is specifically designed to train your cat to do its business in the toilet.
This device has three disks which help train your cat to go to the toilet. These three disks are placed on the toilet. You will gradually get rid of each disk as the cat gets used to each of the stages, which are basically those described to you above, but with this specially-designed device.
If you want to read similar articles to Potty Training a Cat to Use the Toilet Step by Step, we recommend you visit our Advanced education category.
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