Cat Toilet Training on the Loo – Goodbye Poop Scoop. Yes, No, Maybe?

We share our homes and our hearts with our cats. And as it happens some pet parents have started taking the leap and are sharing their toilets too. That’s right, training your cat to use the toilet is totally a real thing.

In case you’re unclear (which is perfectly normal), we’re referring to teaching meowser to pee and poop on a human toilet.

Can this be real? Can this be done!? Absolutely. But as with any innovation comes the question of whether it’s the right thing to do. Many would say yes, but there are also reasons not to choose this option.

We’ll share both – and also how it’s done – so you can make the choice. But first, here’s a video of a cat using a toilet, because seeing is believing, right?

How to train your cat to use a human toilet

If you want your cat to share your love, life and lavatory know that it takes time and patience. Basically it comes down to gradually moving your cat’s litter box closer to the toilet over days, weeks or months.

Then one day after inching it closer to the toilet, and gradually also raising it higher until it’s level with the toilet bowl, you place it on the actual toilet bowl.

Raise the litterbox by placing it next to the toilet on a shelf, or box or books. At each of these intervals, make sure it’s firmly secured and won’t slip and slide or fall. You’ll need to do the same once the litterbox is on the toilet. The last thing you need is for the kitty litter tray to slip while your cat is using it.

Once the litter tray is on the toilet simply let your cat do its duty in the litter box. The main thing is that the litterbox is in the right location – that’s a positive. You may choose to let this stage continue for a day or two or a week. It’s up to you and how fast your cat adapts to the new toilet arrangement.

Once you feel your cat is comfy doing its duties in the litterbox while it’s on the toilet bowl, you can advance onto the next level. Here’s when a cat toilet training kit comes in handy.

Cat toilet training kit NZ

Although you can do the whole process using cardboard boxes and cutting a hole, we also like the idea of a ready make cat toilet training kit. Especially because there’s no guarantee of the cardboard box holding your cat’s weight.

You can buy a cat toilet training kit in NZ called Litter Kwitter. It has three steps, each of which helps your cat transition to using the toilet seamlessly:

1. Step one includes a toilet seat and bowl with an inbuilt litter box
2. The next step is similar but the inbuilt kitty litter box now has a small hole
3. In step three the size of the hole gets bigger for the penultimate transition

After a while of this you should be able to remove the cat toilet training kit and your cat will simply use the toilet. Here’s a Litter Kwitter video that shows each step in action:

Pros:

Teaching your cat to use the toilet can be an impressive feat, not to mention quirky. And there’s no denying cats are quirky creatures… For example cats love sitting on laptops. Then there’s the question of why do cats lick you and why do cats knead?

That’s why for many cat mums and dads, adding going to the human toilet to their cat’s repertoire is simply a natural next step. And of course it comes with some added benefits, for example:

• No more cat litter
• Never having to clean a litter tray again
• Freeing up the space in the house that a litter tray takes up
• No more litter tray smells in the house

Of course, like almost anything, there are good sides and bad ones too. Now that we’ve listed the benefits, let’s check out the hazards or drawbacks.

Note: Cat litter box training needs to be complete before you start cat toilet training.

Cons:

Cats can be fabulous household companions for singles, families and friends. For children growing up with pets the benefits can be untold. But that said, kitty poop also carries some biohazards – especially for pregnant women and the developing foetus.

This plain cold truth is one reason having your cat poop on the toilet exactly where you also do your duties might be a health hazard. We’ve listed this reason and others here:

• Toxoplasmosis can cause disabilities in unborn babies (read about cats and babies for the full story)
• A cat’s instinct is to dig and bury their pee and poop, something they can’t do on the toilet
• Cats have excellent balance but they can still lose their footing and fall into the toilet
• If the above happens and the toilet lid closes that could jeopardise kitty’s safety
• What happens when you need to go and your cat is on the toilet? Or the other way around!
• Sick or injured cats may change their toileting habits, which you’ll be able to recognise if your cat uses a litter tray

On the last point, seeing if your cat is toileting more or less than normal can help you identify health issues earlier. For example, peeing more frequently can be a helpful early warning sign for diabetes in dogs and cats.

Cat insurance for accidents and more

Whether your cat uses the toilet or the litter box, accidents do sometimes happen. This is also the case in life outside the toilet – pet injuries can occur at any time, just like illnesses. But that’s OK, especially when you’ve safeguarded your cat with a pet insurance plan.

All three of our cat insurance plans cover for treatment needed after accidents and more. These costs can quickly reach the thousands and can easily place you between a rock and a hard place. In other words choosing between your pet and your bank balance.

Thankfully you won’t need to make that choice when you have a pet insurance plan that meets your needs. It’s fast, accessible 24/7 for making a claim and it’s reliable. Don’t wait to get your plan ’til after the accident happens or the illness emerges. Click below and start today.