How to potty train your cat
Four Steps for Potty Training Cats
1. Place Open-Top Litter Box Directly Beside Toilet
Start the transition by placing the cat’s litter box directly to either the left or right of the toilet. The most important adjustment for the cat to make is getting used to relieving itself in the bathroom. There’s A LOT of water in there and most cats don’t like water, the site of water, nor the sound of water.
Fortunately the typical cat cannot resist the allure of peeing and defecating on litter regardless of where it is. To positively encourage this behavior feed them their favorite treat after every time they have finished successfully relieving themselves. Also, be sure to have a topless litter box. It’s crucial to potty training that the cat be capable of relieving itself in the open.
2. Gradually Raise Litter Box Level to Toilet Seat
Slowly build up the height of the litter box with books or some other type of stackable material (ex: cups, cans, boxes, etc). During this step of the process you’ll essentially be tricking your cat into peeing and pooping on a pedestal. Once the cat has successfully and repeatedly used the litter box at one level advance to the next level up.
This stage of the process will prove to be a great personality test for most felines. The time it takes for cats to realize their litter box is rising will vary. Depending on the speed and height of the tier transitions some cats may notice immediately, while some - either don’t mind or don’t care. Remember to keep feeding cat treats to encourage good behavior. Try prompting them to pee or poop by promising snacks. The site and smell of their favorite ‘potty time’ treat may tempt them to complete their duties; however, if the cat refuses to take the next step, or has an accident, take a step back down to the last tier and start over.
3. Transition Litter Box to Top of Toilet Seat
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the summit! Once the cat has gotten used to peeing and pooping at the same height of the toilet seat remove the stacked tiers from the bathroom and leave the litter box on top of the toilet seat. Cats may have an issue with this alternation in pedestals but if all evidence of their previous tower is removed there should be no hesitation in moving to the top of the toilet. It may prove prudent to linger on this step longer than others. Cats should be as comfortable as possible on this new perch. Once they’re comfortable switch out your litter box with a litter bowl that fits in the hole of the toilet seat.
This is potentially a step hidden inside another but replacing the litter box with a litter bowl occurs at the same time. This shouldn’t be too jarring a change for any cat. The litter should hold their attention to the toilet. Unfortunately, aiming now becomes a concern. Cats don’t naturally relieve themselves into small holes. Initially cats will want to keep all four paws in the bowl creating an awful mess that will follow them everywhere. Don’t worry too much though. Most cats find excretion on their paws to be disgusting as well. Eventually they will learn to keep all four paws on the toilet rim – slowly removing one paw at a time as they learn.
4. Remove Litter
Slowly reduce the amount of litter inside the litter bowl until there is no litter to be found in the bowl whatsoever. Once the cat has successfully learned to pee and poop in a litter-less bowl begin to introduce small amounts of water. Yes – water! Once the bowl has reached the halfway full mark completely remove the bowl and expose the toilet seat hole and the water below.
This is the final and most difficult step. Slowly weaning litter completely out of the process will, most likely, drive a cat absolutely bonkers. Since they were kittens most cats have relied on the smell of litter to hype them into relieving themselves; therefore, the absence of an intoxicant will make it tough for cats to initiate the relief process. The introduction of water may prove detrimental to the cat’s progression. There are some cats that immediately pass this test; on the other hand, some cats will take a very long time to jump this hurdle. Unfortunately, some cats may never pass this step at all. It will be tempting to stop here and accept the fact that litter has been completely cut out of the cat’s day-to-day life. However, persistence will pay off in the end after the odor from your cats pee and poop has been significantly reduced once they have successfully been potty trained.
Important to Note:
- Cat’s tails tell a tale. A cat’s tail is its most emotive body part and they are most expressive when they have to relieve themselves. Note that when cat’s need to urinate or defecate their tails become vertically erect and form a crook at the end forming an upside down ‘L’. A long crook typically indicates a need to urinate while a short tail signifies a desire to defecate. Be aware that cats also greet others with a similar looking tail. The greatest difference between them being a lack of rigidity when they simply want to say “Hello!”.
- It’s important to emphasize that there is only one location for the cat to pee or poop. In the beginning of the training choose one bathroom for the cat to relieve itself in and then eliminate all alternative options in and out of the bathroom. Cut access to other bathrooms. Close off your sink, shower and or bathtub. If this is not possible fill it with water to deter any unwanted activity. Don’t be too deterred by these precautions. If successful, most cats will begin to use every toilet in the house. Be warned that bathtubs may be too tempting for a cat to pass on using as an easy source of relief.
- The transition away from the litter box to the litter bowl will require the most intimacy between a cat and its master. Some cats will require help adjusting to peeing on the rim of the toilet seat. While your cat is actively engaged in relieving itself pull a single paw out of the bowl and onto the seat. This will hopefully encourage the cat to place all their paws on the toilet seat.
- Cats instinctively want scratch before they relieve themselves. Typically they will scratch at their litter to release endorphins that stimulate excretion. Once the litter has been removed the inability to scratch will throw most cats off of their typical routine. As a work around some cats will scratch the litter bowl and subsequently the toilet bowl (above the water line). Don’t be alarmed by this action. It’s all part of the routine. If any cats have issue with the inability to scratch their litter they may need to be shown an alternate place to perform this habit.