Step by Step Guide To Toilet Training Your Cat
By Marvin Charles
Toilet training your cat is an attainable feat, made even more famous by Mr. Jinxy
in the movie Meet The Parents. Cats make wonderful pets, however dealing with a
litter box is never a pleasant experience. Instead of dealing with a foul smelling
litter box, here's how to toilet train your cat in a few simple steps.
Preparation
During the training process, it is best to have two toilets in the house. The first
toilet will be set up for the cat's use only during the training process and any
additional toilets will be used by you. Setting it up this way, makes it far easier
for the cat in terms of convenience, conditioning, and practice as different toilets
may have different heights and strengths of flush handles. If you only have one
toilet, training can still be achieved by following the steps below.
It is important to note that your cat will need to balance on the toilet seat at
some point during the training and therefore you should not attempt to train cats
that are kittens or too young. It is ideal to wait until your cat is at least six
(6) months old, because at this point your cat should have the ability to balance
on the toilet seat.
Materials
You will need two aluminum trays: One aluminum tray will fit into the toilet and
an additional aluminum tray will replace your cat's litter box. The purpose of this
is to condition the cat to use the aluminum tray in the spot where his litter box
was kept and then when the transition is made to the toilet, the aluminum tray will
seem normal to your cat.
You will also need flushable litter that the cat will become accustomed to. This
litter must be flushable because some of it may fall into the toilet during the
training process.
The Litter Box
The original litter box must be kept in its original place, however replace the
physical litter box with the aluminum tray. Also, use the same litter that the cat
is accustomed to. The only difference in the cat's new litter setup is the aluminum
litter box replaces the original litter box.
Patience Is Key
Allow your cat a few days to become accustomed to the new aluminum litter box. Once
the cat is comfortable, gradually move the litter box closer to the toilet. Depending
on your cat's reaction, this may be done daily, weekly or monthly. You must not
move the litter box too far or to fast. Also, you must ensure that your cat can
locate the litter box, even if it is necessary to physically place your cat's paws
in the litter box. Remember, patience is key, training your cat to use a litter
box, let alone a toilet is a process that could take some time.
When the cat is finally using the litter box directly next to or against the toilet,
raise the litter box about 2-4 inches off of the floor. Ensure that the litter box
is on a safe and stable platform and your cat has sufficient room to maneuver around
the litter box and use it comfortably. As the cat becomes comfortable with this
stage, continue raise the litter box 1-2 inches each time until the box is level
with the toilet. As the box gets higher and higher, stability is critical due to
the fact that your cat will need to jump onto the box. Should your cat jump onto
the box and the box fall, it could scare your cat into not wanting to attempt it
again.
When you have successful reached this stage, the litter tray in the toilet should
be added. For the aluminum litter try, many common cooking trays wide enough to
fit in to the toilet can be used. Gently place the tray in between the ring and
the toilet base. Again, stability is critical and make sure that it is held firmly
in place. Next, place the same litter you have been using with the cat into the
tray.
Using The Toilet
Over the next couple of weeks, leave the litter box level with the tray inside the
toilet. Once the cat is accustomed to this, slowly begin reducing the amount of
the litter in the box. As the litter gets lower and lower, make a small hole in
the aluminum litter box. As the litter gets lower, the hole should get bigger. It
is important to take this process very slow as your cat may feel uncomfortable should
you go to fast. Eventually, there will be a an aluminum litter box with no litter
and a good size hole. Let your cat use this for a couple weeks and then remove the
aluminum tray. Your cat will be fully toilet trained.
An important point is that your toilet seat must always remain up, because your
cat will not be able to lift the toilet seat itself and consistently leaving the
seat down may frustrate your cat.
Remember this toilet training process may take several months and it is important
to be patient. The rewards for you and your cat once training is achieved are remarkable.
The litter smell and consistent changing of the box are eliminated and the cat will
remain toilet trained for many years to come.
Marvin recommends reviewing the Toilet Train My Cat eBook. as well as the accompanying video
and pictures to further your understanding of how to toilet train your cat.
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