How To Start Your Cat Toilet Training

potty train

You've heard stories and seen pictures of kitties using toilets. That may have prompted you to take a second look at the process of cat toilet training. Handling and changing a smelly litter box and hoisting large bags of expensive litter in and out of your car is no fun for anyone. If the thought of banishing the cat box and litter forever is appealing to you, then read on about how to potty train your kitty. In as little as 3 or 4 weeks to 3 or 4 months of potty training, you can say goodbye to scooping.

To start potty training your kitty, go slowly. The transition from litter box to toilet should be accomplished in a series of stages. If at any time he has a setback and uses a rug instead of the potty, then you may be going too quickly. Just back up a stage or two and try again.

To start cat toilet training, move your cat's current litter box from wherever it is to one side of the toilet. Make sure he knows where it is and that he has used it in the new location for a few days or a week. Next, stack newspapers, a phone book or anything that will add height under the litter box to raise it a few inches at a time. Continue this process until the bottom of the litter box is level with the top of the toilet seat.

Now, move the litter box over so that it is sitting directly over the toilet seat. Let your cat adjust to this for a few days. The next step in potty learning is a big one. Take away the box entirely.

Toilet training for cats is big business and many companies sell "kitty potty training" kits or a toilet training system online and at pet retailers, or you can purchase a metal mixing bowl or aluminum roasting pan for this next step. Place either container (measure the inside of the rim to make sure your bowl or pan is big enough) inside the toilet bowl and lower the seat. Fill it with a few inches of scoop-able litter. You may need to tape it in place to prevent it from sliding around.

Begin reducing the litter in the container every few days. Go as fast as your cat will feel comfortable with. Make sure to flush the waste immediately to minimize both the smell and the possibility that your cat tries to cover it up and ends up tracking unpleasantness into the rest of the house.

By now, you should be down to a teaspoonful of litter in the bottom of the container. Start adding a little bit of water to the container. Increase the water level every few days. Remember that if your kitty isn't adjusting well, back up a step and try again more slowly.

Once the water in the bowl or pan is a couple of inches deep and your cat is comfortable with everything, take the container away, leaving the bare toilet. The task of potty training is now complete.

Of course each pet is different, so the time it takes to accomplish cat toilet training will vary. Remember, if your kitty is hesitant at any stage of training, then just go back a step or two. Don't worry about it because it is amazing how well cats take to toilet training. Slow down and go back a bit. Be patient, adhere to these potty training tips and you will be rewarded.