So, if by now you have made a decision to toilet train your precious baby kitten, let me tell you how I did it. I considered teaching my kitty to use the human toilet as an actual Psychology 105 project that would have the advantage of decreasing one of my least desired chores. You must consider a few things prior to attempting to train Fluffy or Felix. How curious is your cat? How curious is your cat about the toilet? How much time are you willing to invest in training? The cat's intelligence is not necessary, since we are talking about conditioning a response to modify behavior.
What is your kitten/cats curiosity level? We know they are nosy about everything as it is! A good candidate is a kitten that is often jumping upon and walking around the toilet rim or playing in the water in the toilet bowl. Granted, the younger the kitten the easier it is to potty train, not only because they are younger, but also because they are smaller, weigh less, and are less likely to fall in the toilet, which is a possibility that should not be ignored. The trainer liners are helpful, but are a very lightweight plastic. I would not suggest attempting to train a 7 year-old, 15-pound cat!
Training a kitten is going to be time consuming. You must decide if you are willing to spend time watching your kitty and setting him/her on the toilet. Great, if you are ready, this is how you begin.
Place a cat trainer liner under the toilet seat. The actual training kit can be purchased at PetsMart or just about any pet shop for a reasonable price. Then place a small amount of flushable cat litter in the liner. Put your kitty on the toilet. He/she will play with the litter first, but that’s OK. Once your kitty has used the litter, clean it and then cut a small hole in the liner. Your kitty will gradually get used to the sound of the tinkling into the toilet. Treats like Pounce or something similar are good to have on hand as rewards when your kitty uses the potty. Weekly, add a little less litter as you increase the size of the hole in the liner.
After your kitty has "graduated" to this point, you should invest in a toddler type training seat. This can be purchased for under $15.00 at your local Wal-Mart or Target. There is a variety of colors to choose from; my cat, Baby, has never complained about his teal colored "potty seat." A toddler-training seat offers more surface space and is safer since the kitty has more room and less chance of falling into the toilet. You may still need to place a few granules of litter on the edge of the toddler seat for a couple weeks since cats have a strong need to scratch something when they potty. Another thing you can add to the toddler seat is to tape a portion of a plastic garbage bag to the seat. The plastic will comfort your kitty's need to hear noise as he scratches prior to using the potty.
Toilet training your cat to use the toilet is a slow process. I have never taught my cat, Baby, to flush, but considering I don't have to scoop out a litter box, I am not complaining about having to flush for him. For that matter, it's easier to convince a kid to flush the toilet for the cat than to clean out the litter pan. Yes, it takes time and effort, but I certainly feel the effort is worth the reward. I haven't used a litter box for Baby since he was four months old. I have been a cat owner for over thirty years, and it is a nice change to not have to empty a litter pan every two to three days. The decision to use kitty litter and which type to use is yours. Or you can train him or her to use the human toilet. It is not only a novel idea, but eliminates a disgusting chore.
Author's Note:I have been owned by cats all my life. I have had cats for over 30 years. Currently I am a nursing student and single mom of a 10 year old daughter. I have one cat, Baby and a German Shepherd puppy, Valentine. Baby was dumped at my office almost five years ago when he was only four weeks old. He is a Siamese cross and spoiled rotten.
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Disclaimer: This guest article reflects the opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of Franny Syufy or About, Inc.
Suggested Reading:
"How to Toilet Train Your Cat: 21 Days to a Litter-Free Home," by Paul Kunkel
