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The art of feline toilet-training
You wake up late. In a groggy, hurried stumble you navigate your way toward the bathroom, wanting nothing more than to take a piss. But your desire to pee is quickly subverted when you see your cat, paws outstretched, going about its business as it straddle the porcelain seat of the toilet. Guess you'll have to wait in line.
The idea of a toilet-trained cat has been around for decades, but has only recently become mainstream. Training your cat to use the toilet is really just a series of gradual steps, and because cats respond well to behavior modification, it will just take your cat some time to acclimate itself to a new way of doing things.
By James Foley, Jayplay writer
The easiest way to toilet-train your cat is to buy a special seat to be fitted on top of the toilet. Several kinds of seats are available online or at pet stores for about $30. They all work on the same basic principle: teaching the cat to use a toilet as it would use a litter box through a series of graduated steps. It's basically a litter box retrofitted to cover the
Believe it or not, training your cat to use the john is a relatively simple task. All it takes is time, patience and a cat willing to put up with your deranged desires. After four to six weeks, you could have your cat weaned off the litter box and trained to use the toilet, eliminating all the smells and costs of the traditional feline restroom. Sounds like a good deal.
Say what?
toilet seat. Cats are gradually weaned from litter, eventually introducing the cat to the idea of going directly into the toilet. Your cat's cleverness and interest will determine how quickly you can pace the process.
Ryan Joy, Grand-
view freshman, was skeptical when his roommate came home with an oversized plastic contraption that looked like a combination of a life preserver and Hello Kitty. His roommate, David Ta, Wichita junior, says he was tired of the smell and constant need to change the litter box of their two cats. After doing research and talking to friends, Ta bought the device and began training the cats in their spare bathroom. "I was skeptical at first," Joy says, "But it worked. Once we established the litter box was in the bathroom it was no problem."
Useful resources
to let the cats recover - and to clean up the mess. Joy says his cats are still fascinated by the toilet, "It showed me how smart they are. They put two and two together and started using it."
- How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want by Warren Eckstein,
$12.95, www.warreneckstein.com
The two roommates met a major snag in their plan when their kitten, Hoshi, caught a lengthy spell of horrible diarrhea. "It got really messy, and confused the other cat," says Ta. They took a hiatus from the potty training endeavor
- CitiKitty toilet training kit, $29,
www.citikitty.com
Cats are creatures of habit, which is why they're so easy to train. Eckstein says the most important thing to remember when toilet training a cat is to use the same litter as before. When you begin the process, use the litter directly
- How to Toilet Train Your Cat: 21 Days to a Litter Free Home, by Paul Kunkel, $6.95
People assume cats just can't be trained, says Warren Eckstein, pet and animal editor of NBC's Today Show and author of the book How to Get Your Cat to do What You Want. This is not the case. He says cats are so smart that they've convinced the public they can't be trained.
But toilets are for people...
As long as you can keep your cat on a balanced diet, toilet-training your cat is a relatively mess-free and sanitary process. Rebecca Rescate, founder of CitiKitty Inc., says the toilet is a much more sanitary lavatory than a litter box. In a litter box, a cat paws around in its own excrement trying to cover up the smell. A toilet-trained cat need not try to hide its scent, as the water in the toilet eliminates the smell. It also eliminates dirty cat litter from being tracked through the house. A toilet-trained cat's feet are as clean as the floor of the apartment the cat lives in. Since her company started in early 2005, Rescate says she's sold a couple thousand of her toilet-training kits.
out of their old litter box. This is key to making the cat comfortable with the idea of using the john. Any age of cat can be trained, but Eckstein says the earlier the process is started, the easier it will be.
It's also important not to rush it, Eckstein says. Going too fast will confuse and disinterest the cat. Eckstein says that if the cat freaks out at the idea of toilet-training, it's best not to force it. That could just create a bigger problem. The last thing you want is a rebellious cat that refuses to use either the toilet or the litter box. Another potential hazard is falling in. Though cats have naturally excellent balance, there's always a chance of slippage. Eckstein says that a cat who falls in would be very traumatized and leery of the toilet.
If you can devote the time toward it, the benefits of having a toilet-trained cat can be quite nice. No more cleaning the litter box, no more smells, money saved on cat-litter and let's face it — a toilet-trained kitty is kind of cool.
Just be ready to share your magazines.