Cat toilet training might sound like something out of a cartoon but, as many owners are now realising, our feline friends have something of a knack for toileting the same way we do.
In many ways, this shouldn’t be surprising considering most cat’s natural tendencies towards clean elimination. With a little coaxing, even young kittens use litter trays instead of going wherever they fancy. The trouble is that these can soon become smelly, especially given that you should be feeding the best wet cat food on the market with pretty high meat content as standard. You can bet those poops be stinking!
Yet, when you train your cat to use the toilet, you can eliminate smells, along with the need to clean dirty litter. Instead, you’ll be able to flush the evidence and live a life of luxury alongside your feline.
If that sounds appealing to you, keep reading to consider the steps involved in the toilet training process.
Step 1: Get the right supplies
Cat toilet training success relies on your having the right supplies. Most notably, you’ll need a range of cat training seats to suit your needs. You may prefer to buy these separately or as part of a complete training kit to ease this process. You could even do a little research and create a toilet training tray from scratch. Either way, make sure you have these supplies to hand before you even thinking about starting this process.
Step 2: Transfer to the toilet
Transference from litter to toilet use should be gradual to at least give your cat some chance at understanding what’s going on. Your best bet at achieving this would be to gradually move a litter tray first into the bathroom, and then to elevated levels near the toilet until it’s resting on the toilet seat itself.
Step 3: Prepare for setbacks
Cats are intelligent, but toilets can be a lot to take in to start. For various reasons, setbacks such as a total regression of litter capabilities aren’t unheard of. As such, you should prepare for what to do if setbacks arise. Cleaning supplies and emergency litter trays certainly aren’t a bad idea.
Step 4: Eliminate tools altogether
Once your cat is using a toilet training seat with ease, it’s time to do away with those tools altogether. This can be nerve-wracking, especially if this is your first time kitty toilet training, but have faith. Cats are incredibly intelligent, and the chances are that they’ll adapt to free form toilet use with more ease than you’d ever imagine. If all goes well, spend the next few days phasing out litter boxes until your home is odor-free and still feline friendly!
Toilet training and cats may seem like a strange mix, but do you see how easy this can be? All you’ll need to do is flush after your feline (or train them to do that themselves if you dare), and you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of your efforts in no time!