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Cat toilet training - help

Mertin
September 27th, 2010, 01:19 AM
Hello all this is my first time here .. looks like a great fourm!

here is the story.. been working on toilet training for webby (2 yr old domestic) since we live in a condo and she is an illigal resident so bringing in litter and taking it out to trash as well as the smell just wasn't working well.

we started training her in June and we have made it to the point of just her squatting on the seat and doing her business into the toilet water.
well some of it.. seems she will only urinate in the toilet and will only poop on the floor.. what are we missing here and how can this be tackled to correct it?

thanks

Love4himies
September 27th, 2010, 06:51 AM
What are you missing? That it is not natural for a cat to go to the bathroom the same as a human. Toilets are designed for humans, litter boxes for cats. Your cat can easily fall into the toilet and when their paws are wet, they may not be able to get out. Then you will have to turn to a litter box as your kitty may never use the toilet again due to the fear.

As for the kitty litter, how about purchasing the flushable kind (I have never used it so I can't comment on the quality or recommend brands)? As for bringing it up to your unit, have a plastic container in your car that you can put the bag/box in so nobody sees it.

14+kitties
September 27th, 2010, 08:48 AM
I wonder if anyone has watched a cats' stance while urinating/defecating. A cat (at least all of mine) while urinating will have it's bottom very close to the litter. A cat while defecating will use many different stances. None use the same stance as they do while urinating. If they squat (very few do) their legs are drawn further forward to facilitate the easier release of the waste. If they do a half stand their legs are very stiff. Quite a number of mine stand with their front paws on the side of their box while their back legs are fully extended. I watched one yesterday balance precariously on the edges of two boxes that are close together.
My point being I do not feel a cat should be using a toilet meant for an animal who sits to do their business. Pretty simple. Humans do not use different stances. We use one. With our butts planted firmly on the toilet.
As for her being an illegal - do you own or rent the condo? If you own how can anyone justify what you can have in your own home? I am sure if you check you will find a few other "illegals" around. If your cat is using the floor to do half of her business I can guarantee you over time that floor will start smelling. It won't matter what you use to clean it. It will smell.
There are many good litters out there that can be flushed. They are Shweat Scoop, a wheat based litter; Feline Pine, a pine based litter; and many others. Please do not use a clay based litter as that is not safe to flush. As Love4Himies said, you can bring in a bag of litter disguised as many different things. That's what shopping bags are made for. A litter box can be a storage box. In fact often storage boxes work much better than a litter box because of the increased size. It gives the cat the luxury of moving around in the box to find the "perfect spot". Oh yes, cats do that too.
What you are missing is that a toilet is not a comfortable place for a cat to do its' business. The best way to tackle it is to give in and buy a litter box. They can be kept meticulously clean and the evidence flushed so no odour escapes to give away your alien.

krdahmer
September 27th, 2010, 10:17 PM
I recommend what the ladies suggested and in my experience I've had the best 'no cat smell' results with the swwheat scoop litter, kind of just smells like bread....easy to explain away to nosy condo neighbours! ;) I have dreams of one day potty training the gang....but I know thats for me not for them, they prefer to bury their 'deposits'. If she's comfy with peein in the toilet, why not just let her have a box for pooping near the toilet....and I have flushed swwheat scoop and it does so just fine, breaks apart in water and disappears when flushed.

Mertin
September 28th, 2010, 12:44 AM
yes she has used a litter box and yes we have used diffrent flushable litters (a flush-able litter was what we used durring her training) and we used one during her training and she was pooping into the bowl of litter that was under the toilet seat.

I dont think your concerns are warranted with a 2 year old cat having issues getting out of a toilet bowl should she happen to fall in. she is able enough to get herself out.

is there anyone here that doesn't have a negative opinion on this? Beacuse I was asking for help training not for people to tell me this is wrong for a cat. there are many cats that have been trained to use a toilet and use it very well. there is no reason that anyone should not give it a shot .. its better hygienically for the cat, easier on the wallet and environment. Sorry to come off so strong here, im asking for help but the answers don't answer the question.

yes we do own but its in our strata bylaws (we agree is ridiculous). we are able to get litter up hell we've done it for the last 2 years.

Mertin
September 28th, 2010, 12:47 AM
If she's comfy with peein in the toilet, why not just let her have a box for pooping near the toilet....and I have flushed swwheat scoop and it does so just fine, breaks apart in water and disappears when flushed.

yea if we have to go back to litter box I hope she would do that but I have a feeling that won't happen.. would be nice though!

Love4himies
September 28th, 2010, 06:32 AM
yes she has used a litter box and yes we have used diffrent flushable litters (a flush-able litter was what we used durring her training) and we used one during her training and she was pooping into the bowl of litter that was under the toilet seat.

I dont think your concerns are warranted with a 2 year old cat having issues getting out of a toilet bowl should she happen to fall in. she is able enough to get herself out.

is there anyone here that doesn't have a negative opinion on this? Beacuse I was asking for help training not for people to tell me this is wrong for a cat. there are many cats that have been trained to use a toilet and use it very well. there is no reason that anyone should not give it a shot .. its better hygienically for the cat, easier on the wallet and environment. Sorry to come off so strong here, im asking for help but the answers don't answer the question.

yes we do own but its in our strata bylaws (we agree is ridiculous). we are able to get litter up hell we've done it for the last 2 years.

I don't know of anybody on this forum that has their cat using the toilet, we offered other suggestions to help you out.

As for falling in the toilet, they go into a panic because they can't get a grip on the basin, it is so easy for them to pull a muscle or ligament, making it very painful for them to use the toilet when they have to pee again. This can result in them holding in their pee and crystals/stones to form. Even if they don't injure themselves it could cause a fear of the toilet.

14+kitties
September 28th, 2010, 08:38 AM
Ooohhh, so her being an illegal, which is what I originally thought you were concerned about, really isn't that big of a deal. You just want a cat who uses a human toilet. I gotcha' now. :thumbs up

I just did a google search to see if I could find any toilet training forums so you could get the help you need from like minded individuals. Thing is I could not find one that hadn't been shut down. :shrug:

Here's lots of other sites though. Maybe one of them can help.

http://www.karawynn.net/mishacat/toilet.html

http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-toilet.htm

http://www.wikihow.com/Toilet-Train-Your-Cat

http://www.google.ca/search?q=training+your+cat+to+use+the+toilet&hl=en&rlz=1C1GPCK_enCA348CA349&prmd=v&source=univ&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=ne6hTOK2O5Ldnge7meCIBA&sa=X&oi=video_result_

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-toilet-train-cat-49008/

http://www.mingusmingusmingus.com/Mingus/cat_training.html

http://www.birdbrainpress.com/

http://www.ehow.com/how_2111074_train-cat-use-toilet.html

In particular, if your cats' health is important to you, you should really read the following.........
Please take note it is written by a vet.

http://cattraining.com/toilet_training.htm

Mertin
September 30th, 2010, 12:27 AM
thank you for the links... during my research before I started this I did see most of those.

the last link was a good read but not much I had not already thought about. My toilet is too hard for the cat to flush so I can still monitor her. she also comes with us on weekends to the cabin and uses a litter box there so she will always remember how to use one.

ya its too bad no forums are around for this because the general practice for teaching is what I have been doing, she just for some reason wont do the full last step.

thank you for the links

Love4himies
September 30th, 2010, 06:32 AM
she just for some reason wont do the full last step.



Ummmm, do you think because it isn't natural for her? Perhaps scares her? Perhaps she is too uncomfortable.

Koteburo
October 2nd, 2010, 09:52 AM
Well in regards of litter odour I use a very effective powder with scent and baking soda from Arm and hammer. You'll find it in the litter shelves at the grocery store.
I see where you come from. You don't want to be noticed by litter and be able to keep your kitty cat without any problems.
I've never tried toilet training but yes, what people say here it's true, they can fall inside.
My parents had a small cat she naturally used to go to the toilet to pee. No one ever taught her or even tried to toilet train her at all. One of those curious cases.
Anyways I've seen products that offer to help you to toilet train your cat (I've never tried them) I remember one called "Litter Kwitter" I think. Who knows, if you really need her to go in the toilet perhaps you could give this a try.

14+kitties
October 2nd, 2010, 10:06 AM
I would imagine that is the system that was in place Koteburo. The OP did mention that the cat used the toilet for defecating as long as the bowl was in place under the lid. :shrug: I would think that would send a message loud and clear. Kitty is just not interested in doing her business where she can not bury it.
Possibly looking under cat tricks - toilet training will give the OP more choices.

Koteburo
October 8th, 2010, 04:44 PM
Oh 14+ I missed that part :p
I wonder if kitty cat made any progress in toilet training :cool:

Raiee2010
December 28th, 2010, 12:05 AM
hello , we also have a illegal kitten , but we use clumping litter with scents in it for the smell and i raly smell it longs you clean it everyday and as for throwing it out we usually put it in a grocery bag, and just cary it out as we would with any other garbage , our green bins here take the kitty litter.. but if yours dont then just place it in the garbage, it shouldnt be a big deal, and as for a cat using the toilet never seen that before because a cat dosent squat they kinda just hover with there legs out front and pee... i dont think i would attempt this with my kitten because they could easily fall in and wouldnt beable to get out and if you are not home this could be fatal.

14+kitties
December 28th, 2010, 11:54 AM
hello , we also have a illegal kitten , but we use clumping litter with scents in it for the smell and i raly smell it longs you clean it everyday and as for throwing it out we usually put it in a grocery bag, and just cary it out as we would with any other garbage , our green bins here take the kitty litter.. but if yours dont then just place it in the garbage, it shouldnt be a big deal, and as for a cat using the toilet never seen that before because a cat dosent squat they kinda just hover with there legs out front and pee... i dont think i would attempt this with my kitten because they could easily fall in and wouldnt beable to get out and if you are not home this could be fatal.

Raiee - I don't think the OP was too concerned with the cat being an "illegal". :rolleyes:
Actually, if you rent your landlord cannot evict simply because you have a pet - as long as you keep the pet quiet and clean. If there are complaints made about the pet then yes, you can be evicted.

budneff67
May 17th, 2011, 02:07 PM
with so many people not willing to provide useful tips hopefully this will help. my wife and i are toilet training our cats. our 4 year old cat started peeing in the toilet but pooping on the floor. the way we fixed this was (with training tray still in toilet) we scooped the poop up and put it in the toilet tray and closed her up in the bathroom for a few minutes. she would smell the poop, climb into the tray and cover up the poop. we did this to show her where the poop should be. after she covered the poop with litter we then gave her a treat. this technique seemed to work for us. give it a try :)

and to other readers, don't bother replying to tell me how unnatural it is for a cat to use the toilet. i keep a small stool in front of my toilet to give them the stability they need. less money spent on litter that's tossed into land fills makes complete sense to me! :)

Chaser
May 17th, 2011, 04:04 PM
less money spent on litter that's tossed into land fills makes complete sense to me! :)

There are plenty of eco-friendly litter options. Just sayin'.

smartskittles
December 18th, 2011, 10:42 AM
This is my first post and my first cat I have ever tried potty training. I have trained cats to play fetch, stop scratching and biting in the past. This is my 5th indoor/outdoor cat. This cat turned up as a stray and decided she wanted to live with us. She spent the first month camped out on our covered front porch in early spring. We fed her and she was very hungry and didn't seem like she was anyone's pet. We began letting her in the house and she became comfortable. After a couple of months I called around and found a clinic that would spay friendly strays. Make a long story short we ended up with a cat. A cat that is as comfortable outside as inside. She was still sleeping outside so we never got a litterbox. I saw that my friend trained her dog to ring a bell to go outside. So I put three small bells that hung down 12 inches on our door handle. Then everytime she would go stand by the door I would pick up her paw and ring the bell. Then I would pet her and say good Skittle. It took a couple of months for her to start doing it herself. It was random. I wouldn't let her out until she rang the bell. If she whined for a little bit I would ignore that and point at the bell. Eventually she started ringing the bell each time. She was6 month old before I started training her. She loves being outside and catching mice. I don't think there is anything wrong with training your cat if they are capable. And I also think it is good to spend time working with them like people do with their dogs. They are very smart animals. I also believe that if you have the acreage, cats are in their natural environment being able to go outside. And who would want to poop in a box if they didn't have too? We have a lot of sand by our house and she love rolling in it and has her areas she likes to use as bathrooms. It is amazing how clean she is and how clean our house stays. So I say ... give training a try and whether it is the toilet or outside, your cat can learn if you have the time to teach.

mand0002
December 26th, 2012, 11:33 PM
We've been toilet traing our cat since August. We had mishaps along the way. We used city kitty which works fairly well but we found it works best to go much much slower and have a lot of patience. Toward the end when there was no litter left he seemed a bit confused as to where to go. Peeing was not a problem, but pooping was. We had to back up a couple times with City Kitty and each time, this fixed it.

With City Kitty we didn't used the perferated cut spots, instead we cut only about 1/4" away each week making the hole just a little bigger, and as I said, we did back up a couple times when needed. When we got to the last ringe, we slowly stopped putting litter in it as the directions said then eventually removed the ring. Seymore would let me know when he needed to poo by meowing loudly in the bathroom, but didn't seem to understand that he should use the toilet. So I took a palm full of litter and sprinkled it on the seat, he took one whiff, turned around and did his business in the toilet just like that. Apparently he just needed the litter smell to know that's where he needs to go.

So we put the ring back, and cut the ring back until there is a just small lip that is completely under the toilet seat. The nice thing about this is you can still add litter to it so he can smell it. We now sprinkle a little litter in the ring lip about once per week. This has been working great. He now uses the toilet with the citty kitty with small amount of litter, and two weeks ago, has started using the other toilet without the city kitty or litter. Sometimes to reinforce, if he's in the no city kitty bathroom with me, I'll sprinkle a little litter on the seat and set him up there. Works everytime. Especially if he just ate. Another tip, keep cat food dish in bathroom by the toilet as they tend to go right after eating. You can also feed him at intervals and stay busy in bathroom while he's eating, then keep your eye on him and if he's sniffing around, put him on the toilet.

It takes a lot of patience, but worth it. The first time I saw a cat use the toilet for waste was 30 years ago. I was brushing my teeth at my grandmas when her cat jumped on the toilet and started to pee. I went running out to the kitchen to tell my grandma and she said she already knew. I asked how she taught him that and she said she didn't, he just figured it out. I thought it was amazing.

Cats are smart, they learn by observing. They can learn to open doors, and push buttons to open the cd tray just for fun, and they can learn to use the toilet too. Good luck, and remember patience...

mlbailey777
March 29th, 2018, 09:24 AM
A stray male cat approximately 4 months old wandered into our yard and decided he was staying. My husband after trying for find his owner with no luck decided to keep him. He was a joy. Used the litter box but followed my husband every where. He would go into the bathroom with him and watch him use the toilet to pee. My husband would run him off when he tried to see what was going on in the toilet when he sat down. Big mistake and as you will find out later. Jaden (the cat) went into the bathroom one day and wanted his face shaved and wanted to see just how he looked after my husband placed shaving cream on Jaden's face and acted like he shaved him with his finger and wiped the face with a wet towel. He then checked his self out the mirror and jumped down from the sink. Guess he thought he looked pretty clean so a couple days later while my husband was in the bathroom shaving Jaden entered jumped up on the toilet seat and peed in the toilet. My husband had forgot to close the lid. My husband nearly flipped he stood in the door way and told me what the cat was doing. Jaden continues to use the toilets and get periodical shaves.We have 3 toilets and Jaden pees in the Master suit toilet only and uses the litterbox for solid waste. He was sick at the vets office and the vet wanted to keep him overnight The vet called me to come get him for the night as he would not use the litter box to pee and his bladder was ready to pop. So sometimes it is not a good thing to have them trained to toilets. But I would not change a thing. I can still scoop his litter box and it does not smell nearly as bad as it does when they do all their business in litter. He is 7 years old now and he is my husbands shadow still. I say if they are male let them learn to use the toilet by watching a human male in the bathroom. There is no easier training around than that.