Toilet training -- your cat? Sure, we’ve all been through toilet training with our toddlers, but cats need a few lessons too! One
of the first things that the cat owner should realize before toilet training their cat is that they need to get to know their
cat.
Do’s And Don’ts
Following are some of the do’s and don’ts that are involved in training your cat.
Basic Rules
The first thing that you need to do in potty training a cat is to set down some basic rules. If you don’t catch the cat going
potty on the floor at the very moment he’s doing so, it won’t make any sense to the cat what you do to them about it. Remember,
cats have a short memory span (like some humans). Therefore, don’t do anything to harm or hurt your cat, including rubbing the
nose of the cat in it, as that will only cause pain. If you harm or hurt your cat during potty training attempts, you will just
succeed in making your cat afraid of you and thus making it more difficult to train the cat correctly.
Why potty train a cat? Because it will save you thousands of dollars in kitty litter, that’s why. Since the cat doesn’t need
to use a kitty litter box, potty training a cat will help keep the cat’s area clean, safe and dry, and no more mess for you to
clean up!
In addition to cleanliness for both the humans and the cats involved, it has been found that fecal matter, when mixed with
kitty litter, can cause some people to get sick. Think about it -- when the cat comes out of the litter box to a person, he has
all those germs from the litter box on his paws. Therefore, when a sick or aged person, who is especially susceptible to this
disease, picks up the cat, he may be in trouble.
Therefore, having a cat learn to use the potty will help prevent any disease from spreading. There are devices on the market
that come with books to help and support the toilet training of your cat.
Potty Device
The first thing you need to do is place the potty device -- a small shallow version of a toilet bowl that fits under the ring
on the toilet -- in the toilet.
Put a small amount of cat litter in the small portion of the plastic bowl, and then remove all other cat litter boxes so that
the cat will only find litter in one place. Another recommendation is to cover the plants on the floor, so the cat won’t dig in
the dirt and use that for the potty.
Some potty devices for cats include fragrances to put on the toilet device to help attract the cat to that area. Since cats
really need their privacy, leave the cat in the bathroom with the door closed for awhile. This way the cat will explore and
discover the litter in the toilet and use it there. If the cat has a problem with this, you might want to put the regular litter
box next to the toilet. This way the cat will get used to seeing it by the toilet. If you see that the cat needs to go potty,
pick the cat up and put it onto the toilet with the device, where he can see the device and the litter.
Time And Patience
Yes, you will need time and lots of patience to achieve this, since sitting on a toilet is not a “natural” cat behavior. This
can be a real task for older cats who are already set in their ways and don’t like to change.
If you succeed in potty training your cat, you will be happy. Just think, no more litter boxes in the home. Remember, whenever
you see your cat use the potty device, reward them for their good behavior.
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