How to Toilet Train a Cat

It is many people’s hope that they will be able to train their cats to use the toilet when they need to relieve themselves. Not only does this save time and money, but it also eliminates the hassle of changing a dirty litter box every couple of days.

When you are looking to toilet-train your cat, you will need to understand a few things. First, you need to be able to commit to the progress yourself. Next, you need to be able to have patience and understanding. Toilet training for your cat is done in steps and you cannot rush any of these steps or you will have to start from square one.

Always keep in mind that you are trying to introduce something to the cat that is out of the “norm” of what they were programmed to do. In other words, you need to understand that this is a big change for a cat and they need support and any assistance you can give them.

What You Need to Do: Doing Your Part in Toilet Training Your Cat

Toilet training a cat takes time, yes, but it depends on the cat when asking how much time it will take. Each cat is different; and just like people, they have different learning curves. You will be able to gauge how quickly your cat will catch on by the first steps you take.

In order for your cat to be successful, you need to give them the right tools to succeed. This is why the first step belongs to the owner. This step would be to make the toilet available to the cat. Always make sure:

• You leave the seat down and lid up
• You leave the door open when not in use

How would you expect the cat to learn to use the toilet if they cannot even get to it? If you feel you will forget to leave the toilet that way, makes notes. You can put them on the mirror, toilet seat, back of the door and more. These will not only serve as reminders to you, they will also serve as reminders to your guests that use your restroom.

The First Steps for Your Cat

The first thing you need to do is place the litter box by one side of the toilet. Allow your cat to recognize it is there and begin using it. After this, allow about a week to pass so it becomes routine and normal for the litter box to be there. After that time, raise the  litter box  about an inch off the ground. You can do this with a phone book, newspaper stack or equivalent. Make sure you stay away from things that are slippery. You want to make sure the litter box is on a solid surface that has a good grip. You want your cat to feel safe and secure.

Let the cat continue to use the litter box. After a few days of rest, raise the litter box up another inch or so. Keep doing this until the litter box has reached where you need it to be. This desired height is where the bottom of the cat box meets the toilet seat. You will notice that as the box gets higher, your cat will have to jump into the litter box. They will actually probably jump onto the toilet seat first in order to get to the litter box.

When they get to the point of jumping on the toilet seat before the litter box, make sure the toilet has the seat down, but the lid up. This allows them to get used to maneuvering around on the toilet seat.

From there, you will need to measure the inside of the toilet bowl (at the widest part). Buy a mixing bowl that is metal. Reserve this bowl until it is time to use.

You will then move the cat litter box over the seat of the toilet. This allows the cat to understand that the place of relief has changed. You will then take away the phone books, or whichever stackable items you used, and wait a few days. Allow the position of the litter box to settle in.

After time has passed, remove the litter box and then place the metal bowl inside of the toilet. Make sure it fits snuggly so it does not lose its grip. After you have inserted the mixing bowl, you will need to put some litter in there. The best kind of litter is the kind you can flush down your toilet where it will not cause harm to pipes, etc. This is usually the granulated kind. Do not flush clay litter down a toilet. You will end up with a clog!

Catch Him in the Beginning

By this point, your cat will begin using the toilet. You will notice how long it will take to get your cat trained by noticing how many feet the cat is placing inside the bowl at first and how many actually stay on the lid. If there are two on the outside, that is a good start. Just lift the other two out. If you have four feet inside the bowl at first, start with just two feet out. When your cat masters that; move on to the next two. The position you want your cat to be in is front feet centered on the lid and the back two feet on either side of the toilet seat. You can aid this along by praise and treats.

The Last Steps to Success in Toilet Training Your Cat

After the squatting position is mastered, you can start eliminating litter. Once you have gotten down to a small size of litter, start filling it up with water just as you took the litter away. Remember, this should be done in steps; a little every other day.

When you have reached the point where the water is high enough (about a couple of inches in depth) you can remove the bowl. At this point, your cat is potty trained and ready to go!