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So there are many cats in the media today that are toilet trained, and of course, in our minds that is just Hollywood. Many people believe these cats were especially trained to do this for the movie, and they must have spent a lot of time and money training them. This isn't true. Many cat owners have cats that are toilet trained, and it's actually fairly easy. You can do it too. You just have to know where to start.
To begin, you need to get your cat used to a cardboard litter box rather than the plastic one most cats use. This is because later on you will need to put that box in the toilet. After your cat gets used to the cardboard box, replace their litter with cut up newspaper clippings. This is because later on you need something that can be flushed and you can't flush cat litter. Now, notice when your cat has become accustom to this new form of litter, and day by day move the cat box a few feet towards the bathroom.
Don't move it too fast though. If your cat gets confused most likely they'll just return to where the box started and eliminate there. As you move the box start cutting down the sides of the box. It will need to fit in the toilet. After the days go by and the box has gradually walked over to the toilet now put the box in the toilet, hung up with some string. Leave it in this position for a week or so. Until you know your cat is completely comfortable using it here.
Now, it's time to cut a hole at the bottom of the box. This is because cats natural instinct is to cover up their waste and as they do they will push their waste and some newspaper into the hole. (During cleaning, you may want to keep a large piece of cardboard handy with a hole in it. Simply put the cardboard under the seat and let your cat go. This is only while you are cleaning the toilet.)
Once they've gone in the toilet, cut down the sides of their litter box until there is nothing left but the bottom section of the box. As was mentioned before, you can place this flat piece under the toilet seat to keep it in place, but you still want to leave a little bit of the shredded newspaper so that your cat doesn't get confused.
Pretty soon you can eliminate the cardboard altogether and they'll just be going in the toilet! The entire toilet-training process will probably take about three or four weeks for most cats, though some have learned even faster.
You know your cat better than anybody, so just be patient and let them go at their own pace. You don't want to disrupt the training by pushing the issue and making them uncomfortable. With some patience and a bit of animal know-how, anyone can use this method to train their cat to use the toilet.
Kathrynn Kelley is a freelance writer and pet lover. Get more information about cat House Training Problems.
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