Toilet training your kitten is a great way to make the house cleaner, reduce the time it takes to clean, and save money. Yes, it will take some time, your willingness, and patience to teach your pet this practical skill. But, the result is well worth it.
How to train a cat to use the toilet, with the help of what devices and for how long it takes, we will tell in this article.
Why to toilettrain a cat
This useful skill has at least 3 positive aspects:
- Spending a little time today, tomorrow you will only save it. After all, now you don’t have to clean the litter box, wash it, go to the store for cat litter, etc.
- You will save not only precious time, but also money. After all, it only seems at first glance that the purchase and maintenance of the cat’s litter box does not cost a lot of money.
- The very process of learning and practice in the future will bring a lot of positive emotions and joy.
How much time do you need to train a cat to use the toilet
No one knows the exact amount of time it takes for your cat to learn to use the toilet. Cats, like people, are individual.
In the most difficult cases, this process takes no more than 1.5 months.
The speed of learning does not depend much on the age of the animal – both young kittens and elderly cats can be taught.
Cat toilet training tips
You will need some time and a few obligatory steps. Let’s look at each step in sequence.
1 step – Move the litter box to the toilet
Place the litter box in the bathroom where your toilet is located. If necessary, you don’t need to move the litter box every day, let the cat get used to the new location for 2-3 days.
And only then, when the cat is used to the current location, move the litter box onward. Your goal at this stage is for the litter box to be near the toilet, and for the cat to go exactly to the litter box.
Sometimes you can use a special attractant spray for best results. Do not forget to praise and encourage the cat for every successful step. Shouting and scolding are not allowed under any circumstances!
2 step – Raise the tray to toilet level
At this stage you need to raise the cat litter box to the level of the toilet seat. Stacks of books (magazines) or cardboard boxes are suitable for this. The optimal height to increase is about 2 inches a day.
Remember that all cats are different, be attentive to your cat to control the situation and not to make the animal uncomfortable. Be sure to keep the toilet lid open so that the cat gets used to it.
3 step – Insert the box into the toilet bowl
After the cat is comfortable at the right height, you need to sprinkle filler with its scent under the rim of the toilet bowl, you can spray special sprays to attract and, if possible, insert the litter box directly into the toilet bowl. Yes, it seems troublesome at first glance, but the results are worth it.
4 step – Replace the litter box with a habituation system
Replace the litter tray with a special system designed for toilet accustomment. They are very convenient and easy to use. Read about popular systems below.
5 step – Remove the system after the cat is adapted
When the cat passes all the stages of toilet training, remove the pads. Now the animal will be able to go to the toilet without the help of special devices.
Important!
If you put the litter box on the toilet or use a special system for training, watch where your cat’s paws are. The cat should hold on to the toilet seat and have all four paws on the toilet.
Cat Toilet Training Kits
In order to teach the cat to go to the toilet, the pet industry offers a set of pads.
Consider popular models:
- Litter Kwitter (Feed-Ex) is a Chinese system consisting of several plastic pads on the toilet bowl of different colors and hole diameters. The principle of operation – first the cat is accustomed to go to these plastic pads, which are placed near the toilet bowl. Then they are installed on the toilet bowl, gradually increasing the size of the hole in the overlays.
- Kitty’s Loo is a user friendly cat toilet training seat kit that trains even your heaviest of cats to use the toilet by using their own seat. Every product is sanitized and comes with a platform seat and a training bowl. It’s environmentally friendly and veterinarian approved.
Helpful cat potty training hints
- Do not close the bathroom door all the way. Or make a small door in it for the cat.
- Always keep the toilet lid open.
- Wipe the toilet seat regularly for hygiene purposes.
Many people are opposed to accustoming the cat to the toilet. They say that it is not inherent to the animal, that this way the owner cannot control the state of the urinary system in case of problems. The choice is always yours!
Owner’s story
Amanda: “I bought the special cat potty training kit in the online store. It’s a tray that looks like a litter box. You have to cut grooves in it. At first I just poured our cat litter into this tray and put it next to the toilet. The cat quickly understood what was wanted from him. After a week, I put this tray on the toilet. This phase was more difficult. The cat was tossing and couldn’t find where his toilet was. I had to help him and put him in the tray. He took about 10 days to get used to it. During this time I was with him.
When the cat got the hang of it, I began to cut out the circles in the tray. When the hole appeared, the cat took an interest in it. He began to stick his paw into it and sniff out what the toilet bowl smelled like. I did not rush the cat. I cut out the circles once a week. When the last one was cut, I didn’t take the tray off the toilet for another 3 days. I only took it out when the first time I saw the cat sit on the toilet by himself late at night”.
If you still have any questions on how to potty train a cat, please ask in the comment section.