Toilet training.

[karleem]

So my two boys are about nine months now, and I am tired of coming home to smelly used litter box. I clean it constantly but to no avail. I am interested in toilet training them. Is it too late to get them started?

 

[rachig95]

What type of litter do you use?

 

[karleem]

Purina Tidy Cats.

 

[aoi chan]

How many litter boxes do you have? 3 litter boxes would be better one for each and then an extra. Have you tried Dr. Elsey's Ultra Precious Cat?

I wouldn't go the route of toilet training them. That's just silly in my opinion. Cats are naturally made to dig and do their business not use the toilet like humans. It may cause problems down the road and may pee anywhere they want.

Maybe you can get a air purifier and have it on all day long.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I have heard mixed reviews of toilet training.  Some people have concerns about the effects on the cat's body since it is in a bit of an unnatural position.  Also some people like to monitor their cat's litter box habits closely because of health issues (or potential ones).

That being said; some cats even train themselves.  There are kits I've heard of to train them with.  I don't think your cats age would be a problem.  I myself would be very leery of getting rid of a litter box completely; since they do mimic the natural way a cat would eliminate.  I worry what happens when they age and possibly can't balance and position as well; that sort of thing.  I can't offer help beyond that since I have no first hand experience with it. 

As a PP mentioned; the general recommendation is a box per cat plus one.  I have a LitterMaid box and I've been able to stick to just that for my 2. 

There can be other causes of overly-stinky litter boxes; such as their diet, whether or not they cover their mess and the type of litter. 

Good luck with whatever you decide!  Litter boxes are definitely the biggest down side to having kitties!

 

 

[pupaeganda]

There are many positives to toilet training.  The unnatural argument is accurate, however humans have to be toilet trained as well.  It requires just as much energy as litter boxes, but instead of caring for litter boxes, we care for the cat.  There are benefits to sanitation, as cats are not walking around in their own waste and tracking around the house.  There are benefits for the environment, as there is a reduction in litter and waste.  

Mau was over a year when we started her training.  There were and are challenges, even after her training, but it appears to be worth it for everyone involved. 

 

[tweetler774]

My wife and I have been toilet training with our two cats. We live in NYC and don't have a lot of space for a litter box. We are also harness training them for traveling purposes as well.

 

[tweetler774]

We're using the Citti Kity it is working well.

 

[Lavi]

Hey everyone,
I'm bringing that tread up once more because I'm very interested in teacher Dexter how to use (human) toilets.
Although it's of no need right now because I live in a spacious flat, I'll be moving back to Paris next year and we might end up in a one-room flat. (lack of space + lack of time = smelly litterbox)
Toilet training is not for every cat, and Dexter is "naturally impressionable" (understatement)
I want to see how he reacts in that situation while we still live here.
And according to what I see and how Dexter feels, we'll try it out.

 

[susanm9006]

Growing up we had a cat that spontaneously chose to use the toilet instead of litterbox. The problem with the toilet is that cat pee and poop sitting in a toilet all day smell just about as bad as a litterbox especially if poop lands on the bowl instead of the water. I have read that you can teach a cat to flush but some find that so much fun that they will do it way too much.

 

[Neo_23]

In the words of Jackson Galaxy: “I’d like to meet whoever invented toilet training seats for cats and shove my foot so far up their .”

I think toilet training is pretty much selfish on the owner’s part because they just don’t want to clean a litter box. But it’s unnatural for cats... and since cats can’t communicate with us verbally and tell us when they are sick it’s extremely important to be able to monitor their toilet excretions. Especially when some of the most common diseases amongst cats are urinary.

 

[Lavi]

I think toilet training is pretty much selfish on the owner’s part because they just don’t want to clean a litter box. But it’s unnatural for cats... and since cats can’t communicate with us verbally and tell us when they are sick it’s extremely important to be able to monitor their toilet excretions. Especially when some of the most common diseases amongst cats are urinary.

You're right Neo_23 , but if we start talking about what's natural and what's not then we might as well agree that cats were not made to walk on a leash, eat dry food, or eat liquid food that smells like death. There are a lot of things that are not natural that we give or do to our cats. Toilet training is just one of them.

 

[Neo_23]

You're right Neo_23 , but if we start talking about what's natural and what's not then we might as well agree that cats were not made to walk on a leash, eat dry food, or eat liquid food that smells like death. There are a lot of things that are not natural that we give or do to our cats. Toilet training is just one of them.

This is true. But there are good reasons why we might harness train (because letting them out unsupervised can cause them to die) or why we feed prepared food (because they can’t go out on their own to hunt). There is no good reason to toilet train and it just amounts to the owner being too lazy to clean a litter box. My bigger problem with the toilet training really is that you should be observing your cat’s toilet habits to know that they are healthy.

 

[Lavi]

I understand your point Neo_23 , you are right.
But what are the signals of urinary diseases ?
- cat going to urinate a multiple amount of times without being able to evacuate urine
- excessive grooming of penile/vaginal area
- cat being more irritable than usual
- bloody urine
- urinating outside the toilets or the litter box
If my cat presents any of those symptoms, the fact that he uses the toilets or the litter box almost doesn't change anything. I'll still be able to tell my cat is ill.

Let me remind you that my participation in this thread is completely based on hypothesis: I've never trained my cat to use toilets, my cat is still using his litterbox, AND above all, for now my cat has never had any urinary disease.
Which means I, myself, am not used to seeing abnormal things as far as my cat's pee is concerned (yet?knock on wood)

 

[Neo_23]

I understand your point Neo_23 , you are right.
But what are the signals of urinary diseases ?
- cat going to urinate a multiple amount of times without being able to evacuate urine
- excessive grooming of penile/vaginal area
- cat being more irritable than usual
- bloody urine
- urinating outside the toilets or the litter box
If my cat presents any of those symptoms, the fact that he uses the toilets or the litter box almost doesn't change anything. I'll still be able to tell my cat is ill.

Let me remind you that my participation in this thread is completely based on hypothesis: I've never trained my cat to use toilets, my cat is still using his litterbox, AND above all, for now my cat has never had any urinary disease.
Which means I, myself, am not used to seeing abnormal things as far as my cat's pee is concerned (yet?knock on wood)

The size of the urine is one of the main signs of urinary disease. You won’t be able to tell this without clumping litter. I’m glad your cat is healthy now but as she/he ages they may develop problems in the future, especially if being fed dry food. Also, are you planning on just letting your cat’s business sit in the toilet until you flush it? If yes, then how does that get rid of the odour? If you’re going to train your cat to flush it then you won’t be able to tell if there’s blood in the urine. You should also be observing your cat’s poop. And if it smells so bad that you can’t have a litter box in the living area then there’s probably something wrong (either with the diet, the litter, or your cat).

 

[terestrife]

I understand your point Neo_23 , you are right.
But what are the signals of urinary diseases ?
- cat going to urinate a multiple amount of times without being able to evacuate urine
- excessive grooming of penile/vaginal area
- cat being more irritable than usual
- bloody urine
- urinating outside the toilets or the litter box
If my cat presents any of those symptoms, the fact that he uses the toilets or the litter box almost doesn't change anything. I'll still be able to tell my cat is ill.

Let me remind you that my participation in this thread is completely based on hypothesis: I've never trained my cat to use toilets, my cat is still using his litterbox, AND above all, for now my cat has never had any urinary disease.
Which means I, myself, am not used to seeing abnormal things as far as my cat's pee is concerned (yet?knock on wood)

you are free to do with your cat what you want. but saving up for a litter robot would be easier than toilet training. i even got an outdoor cat to use it in a couple of days. i empty the drawer twice a week (i have two cats) once when i had one cat. and i add a scoop of litter. the cats love it! they wait for it to empty out, and jump in again. they use it twice, once to pee, and once to poop. cats hate dirty litter boxes.

then all you have to do is clean out the unit once ever 1-2 months. i feed my cats home made food, so their boxes last a couple of months.

p.s. you mentioned that we feed cats food that smells like death. when i fed my cat wet food her poop did stink. i now feed home made and her poop doesnt stink at all. not all cat owners are the same. using a leash is a great exercise, and safe way for the cat to see the outdoor. i suggest picking up a cats dead body from the side of the room if you really see a leash as a horrible thing. ive had to tend to dead cats before, its not pleasant.

i dont really care about whats natural or not, but whats best for the cat in each case. in my case, it was much easier to get my cats to use a litter robot. the litter is messy. but sometimes you have to make sacrifices if you want a pet. people think cats dont involve time, but they do. they need daily exercise, and attention.

its important to organize your time for your pets sake.

 

[-Mia-]

I think of cats who use the human toilet as a novelty of sorts. I think it's fun to hear about a cat who uses our toilets, and even more fun to have one that does! And I have been thinking about it (recently watched an old episode of Shark Tank that featured a training kit), but I also wonder if there are future issues or undesirable consequences down the road.

I don't know which side of the argument I'm on. I don't know enough to have an opinion, other than the opinion that it is an interesting topic to me.

 

[Lavi]

Wowowow, there's been a misunderstanding here, terestrife ,
I never said I see using a leash or giving wet food as bad things.
Those were just examples Neo_23 and I used to discuss the prons and cons of toilet training.
Why do I feel like I'm being a lazy and irresponsible cat owner for wanting my cat to use my toilets ? Just read the very first and the very last sentence of your post.
I totally accept and recognize the inconvenience of not being able to watch out for urinary diseases.

Thank you for suggesting the litter robot. I didn't know it was that efficient. I admit I didn't take that into consideration.

 

[terestrife]

Wowowow, there's been a misunderstanding here, terestrife ,
I never said I see using a leash or giving wet food as bad things.
Those were just examples Neo_23 and I used to discuss the prons and cons of toilet training.
Why do I feel like I'm being a lazy and irresponsible cat owner for wanting my cat to use my toilets ? Just read the very first and the very last sentence of your post.
I totally accept and recognize the inconvenience of not being able to watch out for urinary diseases.

Thank you for suggesting the litter robot. I didn't know it was that efficient. I admit I didn't take that into consideration.

i stand by my comment, its your pets and you are free to do what you want. the rest of my post is just my opinion. and mostly directed towards people ive seen on a cat show called My cat from hell, not really about you. usually the people on there that wanted to toilet train was usually for their own convenience. if your cat uses it and liked it, thats great. all im saying is that i think cats should have the last word. as much as i wanted to use the litter robot, if my cats didnt want to use it, i couldnt force them.

whatever you choose to do i wish you luck. if you still want to do toilet training there are many videos on it, on youtube.