Cats are extremely intelligent, which means you can teach them many tricks. For instance, they can learn how to do high five, play the piano, or even jump through a hoop.
Where you can teach your feline many things, it only seems logical to teach them how to use the toilet (and flush it). After all, it can save you a lot of chores and the gross feeling of tidying up a litter box.
However, that doesn’t mean you can do it easily. In case of any setback or accidents, it’s hard to force your pet to eliminate in the toilet.
Therefore, it’s crucial to take baby steps in order to pull it off in the shortest time possible. More importantly, it would be best if you let your kitty decide when it’s ready for the next step. Otherwise, prepare yourself for one of the most exhaustive challenges of your life.
There are many ways to toilet-train your cat. This guide will show you how to train your cat to use the toilet the easier way and more effectively and cleanly, too.
Baby Steps to Toilet Train Your Kitty
- Put the litterbox into a bathroom
- Raise the height of a litter box
- Move the box nearer to the toilet seat
- Buy a toilet training seat
- Put the litterbox on the toilet seat
- Replace the litterbox with the training seat
- Make a new hole in the training seat every week
- Remove the tray
- Flush the toilet after use
Now, let’s discuss these steps in detail.
Baby Step 1: Put the Litterbox into a Bathroom
First thing first, choose a bathroom in your house that your cat can easily access. Then, put your kitty’s litterbox near the toilet.
Cats usually take some time to adjust to new places and change their habits. So, if your kitty doesn’t like the new spot, it will find another place in your house where it feels comfortable. Once it starts going there to pee, it’ll be ten times harder for you to break this habit.
Therefore, letting your cat decide when it feels comfortable using a little box next to the toilet is your best bet. Once it likes the new place, keep a litterbox there for a week or two or until your kitty gets used to it before moving to the next step. Remember, patience is key to training your cat.
Baby Step 2: Raise the Height of a Litter Box
Start elevating the litter box over time and removing a little litter from the box. You can place it over a stack of newspapers, cardboard boxes, phone books, or anything solid so that the box doesn’t budge when your feline jumps in.
Then, keep adding more to the foundation every 2-3 days to gradually raise the box until both the toilet and the litter box are at the same height.
Baby Step 3: Move the Box Nearer to the Toilet Seat
Every time you elevate the box, you should also move it about 3 -4 inches nearer to the toilet seat until you can put it directly over the toilet seat.
Baby Step 4: Buy a Cat Toilet Training
A toilet training seat is a device filled with litter and is placed over a toilet bowl. Its purpose is to mimic the toilet seat so that it’s easier for your cat to use the actual toilet seat when the time comes.
You can get these training seats from any pet store for $30-$50 or make it home. Here’s the step-by-step process laid out for you.
- Lift your toilet seat and cover the whole seat with wax paper.
- Put litter on the wax paper.
- Tape a disposable, shallow aluminum pan that’s big enough to cover the toilet bowl and add around 1 inch of the cat’s litter.
Baby Step 5: Put the Litterbox on the Toilet Seat
Now it’s time for your cat to use the training seat. Leave it there for 3-4 days and see if your cat is comfortable eliminating there. Vets recommend rewarding them with treats at this stage, as cats are all about positive reinforcement. Offering them treats helps them in return to toilet seats for urinating.
Baby Step 6: Replace the Litterbox with the Training Seat
Once your cat is okay with using the litter box placed on a toilet seat, it’s time to replace it with a training seat. You can install the training seat following the manufacturer’s instructions. Then, fill 1-2 inches of flushable litter.
Note: While you train your cat, you should use a different restroom or remove the training tray when you want to use it yourself.
Baby Step 7: Make a New Hole in the Training Seat Every Week
First, you should give your pet a few days to adjust to the training tray without making any holes in it. Later on, cut 3-4 inches in diameter in the wax paper or aluminum pan right in the center.
Now, keep cutting more and increase the hole’s size until there’s no wax cover. Plus, it would help if you also continued to reduce the amount of litter over time.
Do this for 2-3 weeks or longer if your cat throws any tantrums.
Baby Step 8: Remove the Tray
By this time, your cat should feel comfortable using the toilet seat. So, the final step is to remove the training seat.
Baby Step 9: Flush the Toilet After Use
Ta-da! Now your cat is eliminating straight into the toilet seat. Mission accomplished! So, flush the toilet after every use.
You can also teach your feline to flush it. However, you should proceed with caution as it can slip while trying to flush. Besides, cats like to play with water, which means you should expect a surge in your water bills if they start doing it for fun the whole day long.
Pros And Cons of Toilet Training Your Feline
As effective as this training may be, it’s not for every cat, and some vets highly discourage it. That said, you should consider the pros and cons of toilet training your cat before you take the plunge.
Pros
- It’s economical in the long run.
- A toilet-trained cat is a low maintenance.
- It’s a cleaner and mess-free alternative to litter training your kitty.
- You no longer have to tidy up a litter box daily or even clean it every week.
Cons
- You cannot check your cat’s poo for any symptoms of a disease, particularly in the urine.
- If your cat exhibits skittish or wary behavior, they may feel uncomfortable using a toilet seat.
- Older cats are more likely to have trouble using the slick surface of a toilet seat. If they ever slip into the toilet, they’re likely not to use it anymore.
- Cats like to urinate in a sand-like litter, where they can easily bury their feces. Going against their nature to learn a new habit can be stressful for them.
- They might throw tantrums before fully adapting to the posture required to use the toilet.
- Kittens can easily fall into the toilet and may have a hard time climbing out.
- It’s not fun sharing your toilet seat with an animal.
Alternatives of Toilet Training
If toilet training is a no-no for you at this point in time and you still want to be hands-off with your cat’s bathroom routine, you can still use other ways to avoid all the mess that tags along a traditional litter box.
Self-Cleaning Litter Box
The first thing you should consider is a self-cleaning litter box. It helps reduce the frequency of scooping and cleaning a litter box. These boxes automatically clean the pan of cat’s urine and poo. All you have to do is throw away the collected waste once a week.
Purchase Odor-free Litter
If your cat’s litterbox stinks, consider buying a scented and odor-free litter. Testing a dust-free litter that keeps your cat’s waste contained is another good option.
A word of caution: Cats are usually picky about the kind of litter they want to use. So, try different litters until your feline is happy with one.
Hide a Litter Box in Plain Sight
If the sole reason for toilet training your cat is your kitty’s litterbox being an eyesore, consider hiding it in plain sight. You can put it in a cabinet and install a small door in it so your cat can access it easily. You can also buy a litter box disguised as furniture, like a table end or a vase.
In a Nutshell
Toilet training isn’t necessarily difficult and takes around 6 weeks, provided that no accidents occur in the meantime. However, in case of any setbacks or your cat simply shows reluctance to change, it can take even longer. If you pressure your pet into toilet training where it feels uncomfortable, it will find another spot to eliminate where it feels safe. And it’s going to be extremely hard to break that bad habit. So, be patient and always take baby steps towards your end goal.