How to train a cat to use a toilet

Although it may sound like something out of a movie, it is totally feasible to train a cat to use the restroom. Numerous cat owners have effectively transitioned from using a litter box to using the toilet, which has allowed them to save time and maintain a slightly cleaner home. You can teach your cat this useful trick as well, all it takes is a little perseverance and the correct approach.

Since cats are naturally clean creatures, potty training them can go smoothly if done gradually. The secret is to go step by step, making sure your cat is at ease and self-assured at every turn. It’s best to go slowly and steady as your cat may become stressed out if you rush the process.

We’ll walk you through the best ways to help your cat adjust to using the toilet in this guide, along with the supplies you’ll need, the procedures to follow, and how to resolve common problems. Your cat might eventually start using the toilet instead of the litter box, just like you!

Why and what kind of cats can be trained to use a toilet

It is possible to train almost any cat or cat to use a toilet. In this scenario, all that will be required to take care of them is to occasionally push the flush tank’s button.

Apart from the simplicity of keeping things clean, there are a few other advantages:

1. There is no need to monitor the constant availability of a certain supply of filler for the cat"s toilet. And, accordingly, the money spent on its purchase is saved.
2. The tray does not take up space and does not dangle underfoot. Wherever it stands (usually in the toilet or bathroom), it gets in the way and doesn"t look very attractive.
3. No time is wasted on cleaning. After all, cats, when burying their excrement, always scatter the filler, and sometimes they even try to play with it.
4. The room will not have a persistent characteristic cat smell.

Despite popular belief that members of the feline family are extremely difficult to train, most of them can be made to use the restroom with a little perseverance and work.

All that’s left to do is press the button on the tank once the pet has relieved themselves on the toilet, and everything will be clean.

Occasionally, you will encounter especially obstinate and irrational individuals who adamantly refuse to have any changes made to their lives. Since the pet might poop anywhere, it is best to leave things as they are in this situation.

What kind of cats can be taught to use the toilet

Regardless of how much you would like to teach your pet to use the restroom, some cats shouldn’t be exposed to this human invention:

• too large and sedentary animals are not so agile, they can fall and get injured;
• with pregnant and lactating cats, you should not experiment at all, they have no time for it now;
• a sick, weakened or simply too old animal is also unlikely to adequately perceive attempts to retrain it.

Kittens should be carefully trained to use the toilet from an early age.

Cats are the same in that they respond to innovations in the same way whether they are male or female. However, you must use caution when handling young kittens. Don’t train them before they are five or six months old. They might panic and fall into the bathroom. In the best scenario, they might do this; in the worst, they might drown.

This approach should also not be used if there are multiple pets in the home. Because they won’t be able to give each pet enough attention, owners who are rarely home will have to put up with cleaning the litter box.

The only animals that should be accustomed to using the toilet should be mature ones that have already used their own "pot."

Animals themselves will occasionally express interest in using human toilets, jumping on them and even attempting to use them for their intended purpose. Some people are pretty successful at this. However, independent endeavors don’t always succeed.

My sister owns an enormous cat. He could have easily climbed onto this plumbing fixture as a teenager. Even then, he tried to find a way to become accustomed to living on the edge and understood what kind of thing it was and how to deal with it. He fell into the water a few times, either because the seat was slick or because his paws were too short. He spared it for later. However, he ought to have exercised a bit more caution and given him some assistance. My sister is now sorry for it. The cat knows everything and is incredibly diligent. However, he now adamantly refuses to use the restroom.

How long will it take to train

Calm balanced cats, which do not react too violently to external stimuli, get used to the new place to correct their own needs for three weeks. There is even a special program scheduled by days. It is called standard. But with overly excitable and fearful animals you will have to tinker longer. The process can last up to eight weeks. But the main thing in this matter is patience. You should not force things, since all cats are very individual and behave differently. There is a chance of overdoing it, as a result of which your pet will become difficult to manage and cause a lot of inconvenience.

In three to five months, certain animals can be trained to use the restroom. Thus, exercise patience.

Video: the result you should strive for

Instructions for training a cat to use the toilet

Retraining a cat from a litter box to a toilet requires strict adherence to guidelines in order to be successful. The order in which the steps are performed is crucial.

A cat must be trained to use the potty in steps.

The pet must first be accustomed to the noise produced by the flush tank and introduced to the furniture if the tray was not previously in the toilet. To achieve this, just leave the bathroom door open at all times, and the cat will find its way there on its own due to persistent curiosity.

Once the animal has been lifted and placed atop the toilet lid, you can flush the tank a few times to help the cat become accustomed to strange noises.

Once the animal ceases exhibiting signs of fear (if any), you can move on to more forceful measures.

Moving the tray to the toilet

This step is only necessary if the tray is somewhere else—in the bathroom, for instance. It is necessary to relocate the cat potty to the restroom and set it up next to the toilet. It is advised to move the object by two to three centimeters each day, moving it slowly. If not, the animal might become confused and begin to urinate on the ground where the tray was. You can move on to the next step once the desired outcome is obtained and the cat starts to relieve itself in a new location.

Should move the toilet tray a few centimeters each day, gradually

By the end of this phase, the pet should routinely urinate in the tray and it should be close to the toilet.

The tray is in a new location, so the cat should use it on a regular basis.

Raising the tray to the height of the toilet

The tray must be raised to the level of the toilet seat in the following step. The cat will need to jump into its elevated toilet, so it should get used to this. However, you can’t act quickly because the animal won’t know what is expected of it.

Place cardboard boxes, old magazines, newspapers, and other items beneath the tray for ten to eleven days, raising it one or two centimeters at a time. You should give up for a few weeks and then start over if the pet won’t climb very high. It is crucial that the structure is stable and does not sway.

The cat needs a few days to become acclimated to jumping into the tray from a height.

Your pet cannot be reprimanded for misbehaving. You need to maintain complete composure when learning how to use the restroom.

Moving the tray to the toilet seat

For a couple of days, the toilet box is left at the maximum height, allowing the cat to make sure that everything is stable and secure. Then the tray is moved onto the toilet by about ¼. Nothing should wobble, otherwise the pet will get scared and will not jump in there anymore. Little by little, move the potty, after 3-4 days it is completely placed on the toilet. At the same time, the stack of magazines is gradually disassembled. At this stage, you can stop for a few days so that the animal develops a habit of the new place. If there was filler in the tray all this time, then its amount is reduced every day and then they stop pouring it altogether.

The cat litter box needs to be firmly attached to the toilet.

Some breeders acclimate their pets to not having filler at first, and then to using the toilet.

Refusal of the tray

In the training process, this is the most crucial moment. The tray is just taken out one day. Furthermore, it must be taken out of the pet’s scent-finding range. Initially, the cat will cry when it goes to the bathroom because it doesn’t know what to do. However, it typically processes information fast enough and settles onto the toilet’s edge.

It is sometimes advised to put a small amount of filler in a jar and use tape to secure it to a stick that is placed across the toilet. The animal will then settle down and relieve itself on this box by sitting on the edge, guided by a familiar scent.

The cat must comprehend what is expected of it at the end of training.

Occasionally, you may be able to temporarily confine the cat in the bathroom when you observe its confusion.

Another way is to remove the cat’s "potty" and return the toilet seat to its original position after moving it to the tray.

Video: how to train a cat to go to the toilet

Special devices-pads for accustoming a cat to the toilet

Some pet owners use the mesh insert from a litter box to help their pets adjust to new environments. They make holes all the way around it and use tape to secure it to the toilet seat. You can initially even pour some litter there.

A plastic mesh insert made from a cat potty can be made by you.

However, there’s no need to create anything—special toilet training tools for cats can be found in pet stores. Although they differ in appearance structurally, they all work on the same principle. These are just regular plastic cat potties that progressively transform into inserts.

Cat training is made easier with a plastic toilet insert.

The tray is placed on top of the toilet during the first stage, which proceeds exactly as previously mentioned. However, cats at this stage sometimes refuse to do their business properly and start shitting in other places, so there’s no need to remove it right away.

Every few days, a new hole is made in a special pad.

A small hole is first cut, and a specialized pad greatly speeds up the process of getting used to it. It gets slightly enlarged (cut out or broken out, depending on the model) about every six days. The cat gradually adjusts to the growing hole after realizing that it is not permitted to walk in the center. When the pet is at its largest and securely grips the toilet, the pad can be taken out entirely. You can acclimate small cats and even kittens with the help of such devices.

A cat can be trained to use the toilet much more easily by gradually enlarging the hole in the pad.

Reusable systems do exist; however, their designs differ slightly. They come with a set of plastic pads with adjustable holes that change in size as the animal adjusts.

Reusable plastic pads are switched out as the cat adjusts to its new self-voiding environment.

The most well-liked cat training products among consumers are the CitiKitty Cat Toilet Training Kit, Domakot, Unikot, Vaka, and Litter Kwitter.

You need to consider your pet’s weight as well as the product’s plastic thickness when purchasing pads. Such a device should be thicker and more massive the heavier the cat.

It is possible to train a cat to use a toilet with the correct method, patience, and consistency. Your cat can be trained to use a toilet while retaining its comfort level and innate behaviors by progressively switching from a litter box to a permanent toilet. The cat’s bathroom routine must be altered gradually; first, the litter box must be placed close to the toilet, then on top of it, and last, when the cat is comfortable using the toilet seat, removed. This method can prevent litter messes and make your space cleaner and more convenient for you and your cat, but it may take some time.

Useful tips

This is the outcome that was attained. Your pet uses the toilet to properly relieve itself. You now have two rules to abide by:

1. Keep the door of the toilet room constantly ajar so that the cat can get there at any time without hindrance. In some cases, you can cut a special cat hole in the door.
2. Never lower the toilet lid. The pet should always have the opportunity to go to the toilet when it needs to.

Always give your pet praise for doing the right thing. Cats have a great understanding of intonations that are supportive and loving.

Step	Description
1. Gradually move the litter box	Start by moving the litter box closer to the toilet over a few days until it"s next to it.
2. Raise the litter box	Place the litter box on books or boxes to slowly raise it to the height of the toilet.
3. Transition to the toilet	Once the box is at toilet level, move it onto the toilet seat and keep it there.
4. Use a training seat	Replace the litter box with a training seat designed for cats that fits over the toilet.
5. Gradually remove litter	Reduce the amount of litter in the training seat until the cat is comfortable using just the toilet.

Although teaching a cat to use a toilet may require patience and time, the process can have many advantages. Your house will look cleaner and you’ll spend less time cleaning litter boxes once your cat adjusts. Just keep in mind that every cat is unique and will develop at their own rate.

Begin slowly, adhere to the instructions step-by-step, and utilize positive reinforcement constantly. Don’t rush your cat if they are having difficulty at any point. Before continuing, take a step back and give them more time to settle in.

Lastly, even though potty training your cat might be convenient, it’s important to take into account their innate tendencies. It’s acceptable for certain cats to prefer using a litter box. Finding a solution that benefits both you and your feline companion is what really counts.

Video on the topic

Why you shouldn"t toilet train a cat / 10 reasons not to toilet train a cat

HOW TO TOILET TRAIN A CAT? – VERY EASY! From personal experience..

How to toilet train a cat. Complete guide

How to toilet train a cat