Cat potty training is relatively easy if you know what to do and buy the correct kit to help you in your task. Cats are by nature curious and this curiosity can be used to train them to become potty or toilet trained. They also need to hide their scent from predators. The water in the toilet effectively masks this scent. It is this fact that makes cat toilet training a relatively easy task.
Things to Consider Before Potty Training Your Cat
Before beginning potty training, consider that:
- Your cat should be trained to use the litter box.
- You should be willing to invest a lot of time and dedication to the training as it can take up to 3 months to successfully train your pet.
- Cat litter is expensive. By potty training your pet, you can gradually eliminate this expense from your budget.
- Patience is required during the training process. It’s best to reward your pet for good behavior, and overlook mistakes.
- A potty training kit can help make your task easier.
- You should ensure that the tray you use to fit in the toilet bowl is strong enough to bear your pet’s weight, as a breakage can put your pet off toilet training altogether or delay the process considerably.
Using a Cat Potty Training Kit
Once your pet is trained to use the litter box, you should start toilet training him. Start by moving the litter box into the bathroom where you would like your pet to eliminate. A week should be enough to get your pet accustomed to using this bathroom.
The litter box should then be gradually elevated over a period of days till it is at the same height as the toilet bowl. The toilet seat should always be kept down and the cover up as your pet might start climbing onto the bowl once the litter box is at level with the toilet bowl.
What You Should Do Next
Place a cat trainer liner under the toilet seat. These liners fit inside the toilet and have a hole in the middle that can be enlarged as required. It’s best to ensure that the trainer liner is a sturdy one. A metal one is preferable to a plastic one. Place a few granules of cat litter on the liner to encourage your pet to use the liner. Once your pet starts using the liner, remove the litter box to ensure that he only uses the liner.
Initially, your pet may sit on the liner to eliminate. Encourage your pet to place first the front paws and then all 4 paws on the toilet seat gradually. After a few days, he should get accustomed to placing all his weight on the toilet seat and not on the trainer liner.
Continuing the Training
Over a period of time, you may place fewer granules of cat litter in the liner. You should also enlarge the hole in the trainer liner so that towards the end of the training, your pet’s feces fall directly into the toilet bowl. You can then remove the trainer liner so that your pet eliminates directly in the toilet bowl.
Once your pet is potty trained, all you need to do is occasionally flush the toilet to ensure that the smell is masked.