Train my cat to use litter from top

[Roxie_]

Hi,

I want to train my almost 4 years old female cat to use toilet.
I tried many methods (LitterKwitter, Kitty Loo mainly), but I finally understood a major problem: my cat doesn't understand that she can pee/poo from above its litter, for example from the toilet seat, and without being its 4 legs inside the sand.

Do you have any tips on how I can change her behaviour?
I tried to reduce the size of the hole between the toilet seat and the litter to make her impossible to go 4 legs inside, but she protested, and refused to go anymore, so it was not a good idea.
If someone experienced it, and found a solution I am all ears
Thanks

 

[amethyst]

I don't have any real solutions, but I would keep in mind that using the toilet is very unnatural for a cat. One of the big reasons is cats are not only predators they are also prey, so they instinctively want to bury their pee and poop so larger animals can't smell it. The toilet thing probably works for cats that are too lazy to cover their poops normally, and/or one that that has a very laid back calm life in a quiet house so it doesn't feel the need to hide it's waste.

The only real suggestion I have is, depending on the toilet seat you have, to make sure the toilet litter box thing is completely secure, doesn't wobble or move at all so they are standing on a perfectly stable surface, as well as the seat isn't too big. Most adult human toilet seats are big for cats so you may need to get one meant for toilet training toddlers to give the cat a smaller hole and better footing so it doesn't feel like they might fall in. I've also heard of people using texture material like stickers you would use to prevent slipping in the bathtub on the seat as well since most are designed to be smooth, which means it can be slippery for a cat.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and welcome to TCS! Is there any particularly important reason you want to 'toilet' train your cat vs. just using a litter box? If not, I think you should just give up the notion, as I would guess at 4yo you are not likely to have much success and could make things worse regarding her elimination behavior.

The other thing to consider is that as your cat ages, should there be any health issues, up to and including arthritis, using an actual toilet might become difficult, if not impossible for her.

 

[Alldara]

Short of putting a fabric toilet seat cover, I don't think you'll change the behaviour. A cat can't grip to the toilet seat, it's slippery, they can't dig their nails in, and it feels very unsafe. Most people wouldn't want to feel unsafe every time they "potty". Cats are the same.

Further, as FeebysOwner mentioned, you only have a couple of years of your cat having the ability to attempt this at all left in them. By 10 years old 90% of cats have arthritis. An arthritic act is not going to do cat acrobatics to use the toilet and is just going to go where you don't want them to. Arthritis Fact Sheet Cats

Arthritis is just one of many issues. Other issues that are common as cats age can cause imbalance as well, up to the point where the cat needs a low-side litter or puppy pee pad.

When you got a cat, you knew litter boxes came with the package. I encourage you to stick with a box to save yourself trouble and your cat pain. Don't Toilet Train Cats