How To Toilet Train A Cat - Tara Devlin
There are so many great things about having pets. Cat owners get a special treat if they have the time and patience, they can rid their lives of litter and litter-boxes forever by training their cat to use the toilet.
That’s right. You can train your cat to use the toilet. I trained 2 – and not at the same time. When my older cat was around 5 years old, I brought a little kitten home to be his friend and had to start the process all over again – all without having my older cat revert to the litter box! THAT was quite a trick, but it worked. Basically, my older cat went through the training process twice.
Now when I go on vacation and need to leave my cats with my family or friends, I bring my cats to their homes and just show them the toilet and they are able to put it together that it’s their “litter box.” In other words, this skill translates to whatever toilet is available. The other thing I was worried about was when my cat had to spend a few days in the hospital, obviously the veterinarian would not give him a bathroom break for the human toilet but would require him to use a regular litter box. Well, no worries here because when I brought him back home, he went right back to using the human toilet. Frankly, the number one question people ask me all the time after I tell them that I have 2 toilet-trained cats is, "WOW! How did you do it?” Here are the easy step-by-step instructions.
Many people also ask, “what is a quick and easy way to toilet train my cat?” Let me be honest and straightforward… There is really no “quick” and “easy” way. They sell kits in the store that say, “toilet train your cat in 2 weeks!” That is a LIE! Toilet training a cat is absolutely worth it, but it requires patience and time. It took my smarter cat about 5 months to be fully trained, and it took my more intellectually challenged cat about 9 months. Again, please let me stress that once your cat is using the toilet, all the pain and inconvenience of the training process will be a distant memory. So let’s get started!
Step 1: Start with a regular litter box placed in the bathroom by the toilet. Give the cat a few days and then raise it up using a phone book.
A couple of days after that, you will have to raise it again so you may have to be creative with items to use in order to lift it up. In these photos, I used some small briefcases I had and then a milk crate. You can also use multiple phone books to lifted it higher – as long as it’s stable. Over time, your goal is to raise the litter box up until it is parallel to the toilet. The idea is to get the cat used to jumping up to relieve himself/herself.
That is our next step. Over time, your goal is to raise the litter box up until it is parallel to the toilet. The idea is to get the cat used to jumping up to relieve himself/herself.
Tip: Go slow. If your cat gets confused he or she may find a place in your home to "go" where they feel more secure. A couple of these accidents and it may be hard to break this bad habit so let the behavior of your pet dictate when to advance to the next step.... after a word from our sponsor....
Step 2: Move the litter box on top of the toilet and remove the phone books, boxes or crates.
After a couple of days of your pet jumping on top of the toilet to use the litter box, get your aluminum tray and flushable litter ready.
Step 3: Place the aluminum roasting pan with flushable litter in the toilet and close the seat over it. The seat lid holds the tray in place. Your cat is now using the toilet primarily as his or her litter box and getting comfortable with the whole experience.
Step 4: After a few days, cut a small hole in the middle of the pan. Your goal now is to increase the hole over time and expose more of the water. Don’t rush this step. As with all prior steps, take cues from your cat as to when is the right time to proceed.
Increase the hole over time. I used an xacto knife and, as I am smarter than a cat, increased the hole in barely perceptible increments in order to trick him! (about a quarter of an inch).
Tip: Don’t go too fast. The kits in the store claim that they can have your cat trained in 2 weeks! Baloney! Don’t waste your money! I purchased one when I originally started the training process and quickly discovered that the plastic they are made of are not strong enough to hold the weight of a kitten! My little one got spooked when he jumped on it because it cracked open and I quickly reverted back to the aluminum pan.
Step5: Eventually, there is no aluminum pan left! By this time, your cat should be well used to the water, the sound of the tinkle (etc.) and the whole toilet experience.
A funny thing happened with the first cat I toilet-trained. Although there was nothing left but an aluminum rim, when I removed it, my cat seemed confused and didn't know what to do. I just sprinkled a little flushable litter in the water, and a light bulb seemed to appear over his head and he proceeded to use the toilet. That was it! It has been smooth sailing ever since!
Tip: If you go too fast and your cat has an “accident” in an area of the house, it is extremely important that you eliminate the smell of urine otherwise your cat may think that they have found a new toilet!
This is a very hard habit to break so I recommend you purchase a formula specially designed to remove cat urine available at most pet supply stores.
Anyway.... back to business... The proof is in the pudding, as they say... I kept my eyes on the prize... and trained 2 cats with lots of patience, love (and a little cleaning solution when necessary!)
Go to http://www.toilettrainacat.com to see video of my cats showing off their skills! Please contact me through my website if you have any questions. Best of luck!
That’s right. You can train your cat to use the toilet. I trained 2 – and not at the same time. When my older cat was around 5 years old, I brought a little kitten home to be his friend and had to start the process all over again – all without having my older cat revert to the litter box! THAT was quite a trick, but it worked. Basically, my older cat went through the training process twice.
Now when I go on vacation and need to leave my cats with my family or friends, I bring my cats to their homes and just show them the toilet and they are able to put it together that it’s their “litter box.” In other words, this skill translates to whatever toilet is available. The other thing I was worried about was when my cat had to spend a few days in the hospital, obviously the veterinarian would not give him a bathroom break for the human toilet but would require him to use a regular litter box. Well, no worries here because when I brought him back home, he went right back to using the human toilet. Frankly, the number one question people ask me all the time after I tell them that I have 2 toilet-trained cats is, "WOW! How did you do it?” Here are the easy step-by-step instructions.
Many people also ask, “what is a quick and easy way to toilet train my cat?” Let me be honest and straightforward… There is really no “quick” and “easy” way. They sell kits in the store that say, “toilet train your cat in 2 weeks!” That is a LIE! Toilet training a cat is absolutely worth it, but it requires patience and time. It took my smarter cat about 5 months to be fully trained, and it took my more intellectually challenged cat about 9 months. Again, please let me stress that once your cat is using the toilet, all the pain and inconvenience of the training process will be a distant memory. So let’s get started!
Step 1: Start with a regular litter box placed in the bathroom by the toilet. Give the cat a few days and then raise it up using a phone book.
A couple of days after that, you will have to raise it again so you may have to be creative with items to use in order to lift it up. In these photos, I used some small briefcases I had and then a milk crate. You can also use multiple phone books to lifted it higher – as long as it’s stable. Over time, your goal is to raise the litter box up until it is parallel to the toilet. The idea is to get the cat used to jumping up to relieve himself/herself.
That is our next step. Over time, your goal is to raise the litter box up until it is parallel to the toilet. The idea is to get the cat used to jumping up to relieve himself/herself.
Tip: Go slow. If your cat gets confused he or she may find a place in your home to "go" where they feel more secure. A couple of these accidents and it may be hard to break this bad habit so let the behavior of your pet dictate when to advance to the next step.... after a word from our sponsor....
Step 2: Move the litter box on top of the toilet and remove the phone books, boxes or crates.
After a couple of days of your pet jumping on top of the toilet to use the litter box, get your aluminum tray and flushable litter ready.
Step 3: Place the aluminum roasting pan with flushable litter in the toilet and close the seat over it. The seat lid holds the tray in place. Your cat is now using the toilet primarily as his or her litter box and getting comfortable with the whole experience.
Step 4: After a few days, cut a small hole in the middle of the pan. Your goal now is to increase the hole over time and expose more of the water. Don’t rush this step. As with all prior steps, take cues from your cat as to when is the right time to proceed.
Increase the hole over time. I used an xacto knife and, as I am smarter than a cat, increased the hole in barely perceptible increments in order to trick him! (about a quarter of an inch).
Tip: Don’t go too fast. The kits in the store claim that they can have your cat trained in 2 weeks! Baloney! Don’t waste your money! I purchased one when I originally started the training process and quickly discovered that the plastic they are made of are not strong enough to hold the weight of a kitten! My little one got spooked when he jumped on it because it cracked open and I quickly reverted back to the aluminum pan.
Step5: Eventually, there is no aluminum pan left! By this time, your cat should be well used to the water, the sound of the tinkle (etc.) and the whole toilet experience.
A funny thing happened with the first cat I toilet-trained. Although there was nothing left but an aluminum rim, when I removed it, my cat seemed confused and didn't know what to do. I just sprinkled a little flushable litter in the water, and a light bulb seemed to appear over his head and he proceeded to use the toilet. That was it! It has been smooth sailing ever since!
Tip: If you go too fast and your cat has an “accident” in an area of the house, it is extremely important that you eliminate the smell of urine otherwise your cat may think that they have found a new toilet!
This is a very hard habit to break so I recommend you purchase a formula specially designed to remove cat urine available at most pet supply stores.
Anyway.... back to business... The proof is in the pudding, as they say... I kept my eyes on the prize... and trained 2 cats with lots of patience, love (and a little cleaning solution when necessary!)
Go to http://www.toilettrainacat.com to see video of my cats showing off their skills! Please contact me through my website if you have any questions. Best of luck!