How to train a cat to use the toilet after using the litter box?
If the owner wants his cat to go not to the tray, but to the toilet, this is not a whim at all. This method of providing animals with their natural needs has a number of advantages:
- There will be no cat litter box in the house. For many, placing this element of a pet dowry is difficult, especially if the home is small. Firstly, cats like to go to the toilet in a secluded place; a corner is needed for the litter box. Secondly, cats do not go to the toilet where they eat. Thirdly, sometimes a cat potty spoils the aesthetics of the room. One cannot but agree that it is much more convenient if the animal goes to the toilet.
- There will be no need to waste time and money on buying litter for the tray. Despite the fact that the filler is relatively inexpensive (depending on the type, of course), you usually need a lot of it, and a lot of money goes out of the family budget. Cat on the toilet - savings for the family.
- If a cat relieves itself on the toilet, the house will not smell of its discharge, and there will be no traces of wet paws on the floor. Of course, provided that they immediately clean up after the fluffy one. But even if the cat’s “business” goes unnoticed for some time, the toilet is an isolated room with good ventilation.
If a cat goes to the toilet, it is convenient, economical and hygienic.
IMPORTANT: Only an adult healthy cat who uses a litter tray can be toilet trained. A small kitten may fall into the bowl of a plumbing fixture, choke or get injured. You need to wait until he grows up. An old cat with sore joints or an overweight animal is unlikely to jump on the toilet and, most likely, will make puddles and piles on the rug next to it. These nuances must be taken into account.
How to train a cat to use the litter box so that later it can go to the toilet is written in this article: link
They say that animals, like people, develop a habit within three weeks. Of course, all cats are individual, and some especially lazy ones need much more time to toilet train, up to 2 months. But experienced cat owners say that absolutely everyone can be taught to go to the toilet.
Preparing to teach an animal to relieve itself in the toilet consists of three stages and requires certain preparation from the owners:
- It is necessary to prepare the bathroom, remove everything unnecessary from there, and free up space near the toilet where the cat's potty will be temporarily located. If we are talking about a private house or a large apartment with several bathrooms, choose the one that is more accessible for the cat, for example, on the ground floor.
- You will also need some equipment: a potty that the cat usually goes into, a training tray (discussed below), litter that can be flushed down the drain, cardboard boxes or old newspapers that will lift the tray.
- Learn to keep the bathroom door open so that the cat can come in at any time.
- Learn to keep the toilet lid open. Guests at home will always have to be warned about this. If the owners have the habit of lowering the lid, they themselves will have to relearn. You need to remember: if the cat is accustomed to the toilet, its closed lid equals a puddle or pile in the corner.
- Stock up on detergents, because now you will have to wash and clean the toilet more often.
IMPORTANT: If you can’t buy a convenient training kit for training your pet to go on the toilet, you can make it yourself, or even do without it.
Only adult healthy cats who regularly use the litter box are trained to use the toilet.
When the bathroom is ready, the cat's litter box is moved into it. It is better to do this gradually, moving the tray closer and closer to the toilet so that the cat does not get confused and start “walking” anywhere. Afterwards the actual training begins:
- The first stage takes approximately two weeks. The tray is placed near the toilet. Cardboard or newspapers are placed under it. Every day they raise the tray higher and higher, so that eventually it is level with the toilet. The cat will get used to the fact that he will need to jump onto the tray, and then he will easily climb onto the toilet.
- If there is no special tray, a regular one with low sides is placed on the toilet lid. Leave it in this position for two days so that the cat gets used to jumping on the toilet every time he wants to go to the toilet.
- Remove the potty from the toilet. They monitor the animal’s behavior for several days, identifying whether it has developed the habit the owners need.
Stages of toilet training a cat.
IMPORTANT: If, when training a cat to go to the toilet on the toilet, he commits sins a couple of times, under no circumstances should you scold him for this. Such a way of relieving himself is unnatural for him, contrary to his instincts. The animal is under stress, you need to be patient and consistent.
Toilet training a cat: stage 1.
Toilet training a cat: stage 2.
If toilet training ends in failure, do not despair. Each cat has its own individual characteristics. They don't like confined spaces.
Others are shy, they instinctively bury their feces, and the option without litter is not for them. Still others find it uncomfortable to sit on the toilet lid because of their size, etc. When you get a pet, you need to think not only about your desires, but also about its comfort.
Moreover, now you can choose the trays for cats that you want, this article will help you choose the most convenient one: link
Wrong opinion
Experts say that it is necessary to accustom your pet to the toilet from infancy, because it is impossible to accustom an adult cat. They also say that a litter box trained kitten will not change its habit. This is incorrect for several reasons:
- for the first six months of a kitten’s life, you cannot accustom it to the toilet, because it will not be able to hold steady, it will get scared and will avoid this place;
- first, accustom the pet to the tray;
- Even an adult cat can be toilet trained.
Each animal has its own character, one is easy to train, the other, due to fear and apprehension, needs more time to get used to. The approach to each kitten should be individual, but the principle of training is no different. First, you need to teach your pet to masterfully use the litter box.
Toilet training system for cats. Set, simulator for accustoming a cat to the toilet
For the convenience of owners and animals, manufacturers of products for cats produce special systems for training cats to use the toilet on the toilet.
Their configurations may vary, but the principle remains the same: a device similar to an ordinary cat potty is gradually modified, turning into something similar to a toilet seat.
The most popular training systems due to their convenience are:
- Domakot
- Unicott
- Litter Kwitter
- CitiKitty Cat Toilet Training Kit
- VACA
Systems for toilet training a cat.
IMPORTANT: Such simulators cost a decent amount, 600 to 4000 rubles depending on the manufacturer.
Toilet training with the Litter Kwitter system.
Toilet training using this system in the early stages differs little from the one described above.
- A training tray with a solid bottom is filled with litter that the cat usually uses. The tray is placed near the toilet.
- Gradually raise the tray, leveling it in height with the toilet lid over the course of two weeks. At the same time, the filler is gradually changed to one that can be flushed down the toilet.
- Install the training system directly on the toilet. It still looks like a regular tray. When the cat confidently jumps on the toilet and goes to the potty, you need to replace the solid tray with a tray with a hole, if it is a Litter Kwitter system, go cut off the smallest ring in the center of the tray, if it is Domakot.
- After a couple of days, enlarge the hole in the center of the pan or replace the pan. Accordingly, pour less filler into the tray.
- Gradually increase the diameter of the hole in the tray to the diameter of the toilet bowl. Then you can remove the training tray completely. As a rule, training on the system after installing it on the toilet takes 10-14 days.
Toilet training with the DOMAKOT system.
The simplest simulator for training a cat to use the toilet is a plastic attachment with a small hole. It is installed on top of the bowl of the sanitary ware.
A simple simulator for training a cat to use the toilet.
The advantage of this type of design is that it is very ergonomic, so a small cat can use the toilet.
General rules
To prevent a cat's use of the toilet from turning into torture, one should understand that a cat is a rational creature and it is necessary to approach the process of education with this axiom. There are no stupid cats, only impatient owners.
Take the cat to the toilet in advance, pick it up, caress it and flush it. Talk to the animal and press the drain from time to time so that the scary sounds are associated with something pleasant.
Toilet training should not be forced. Affection, persuasion and even cunning are the main means in this process.
It should be noted that toilet training a small kitten works one hundred percent, but attempts to sit an adult cat on it may be unsuccessful. After all, a cat is an animal that does not like to change its habits.
DIY toilet seat for cats
In the absence of funds for a training tray, you can make a similar design from:
- aluminum pallet
- plastic plate
- cat potty mesh
Homemade toilet seat for a cat from a mesh tray.
- At the third stage of training, when the cat jumps to the height of the toilet, the specified device is attached to the toilet bowl or under its seat. Typically, strong masking tape is used for this.
- Just as when training using the system, first use the structure as a regular tray, pouring filler into it.
- They cut a hole in the center of the structure and gradually increase its diameter, bringing it to the diameter of the toilet bowl. Pour a smaller amount of filler into a tray with a hole.
- The structure is removed when the cat learns to walk into the hole without filler, holding onto the toilet seat with all its paws.
Let's start with the tray
It is necessary to accustom your baby to the tray from the first days after birth. Kittens have a peculiarity - they defecate immediately after eating. If you are patient and make sure that your baby goes to the toilet immediately after eating for several days in a row, then your pet will not have problems with the toilet in the future.
The cat must be handled carefully, without causing pain. When the kitten has eaten, carefully pick it up under the tummy and take it to the tray. If the kitten crawls out of the toilet without emptying itself, it is returned back. After completing toilet chores, the kitten is praised.
The toilet container is placed in a convenient place; sometimes the kitten itself will determine such a place, trying to empty itself there. Then the tray is gradually moved closer to the toilet room.
First, the cat is accustomed to the sound of water pouring out of the cistern. They do this gradually, drain the water with the door open so that the cat hears the noise from afar, then press the drain in front of the animal. While the water is roaring, they hold the cat in their arms, stroke it, say kind words, and show how the water flows.
