Toilet Train Cat 

Kathrynn Kelley asked:

House Training A Cat

Cats are relatively easy to housebreak – most of the time. However, there is always the exception to the rule, the little kitty rebel who refuses to conform to the structure of society, albeit it is a severely limited society consisting of you, the rest of the family, other pets and the house that you share with your cat.

Still, this is his society and if he gets it into his little kitty mind to rebel, it will be a challenge to convince him to conform. Let’s face it, when you go head to head with a cat you have some serious work on your hands.

Feline Behavior

Cats Behavior

What is it about cats that people find so frustrating about cats behavior? If you were to ask a dog lover this question, they would probably say that cats “don’t listen”, the are too independent and aloof for their liking. Cats do listen, but the truth is they don’t feel a need to please the “alpha” of the pack – you.

Cats are not pack animals; there is no instinctual drive within them that says they have to be ********** to one leader. Cats don’t require a lot of praise, they can take it or leave it. A cat’s only motivation is to survive the same as the big cats do, only on a much smaller scale.

Rebecca Rescate asked:


At the end of a long day, who wants to sift through a messy litter box? Certainly not me. Up until now, the litter-box has been a necessary evil, a small price to pay for our beloved companions. But not anymore. In fact, there’s an underground alternative designed for those of us who are ready to kick the litter habit: toilet training your cat.

Sounds complicated, right? Not at all. Although far from mainstream, cat toilet training is gaining momentum and cat owners across the country are beginning to embrace the trend. But before you toss that box in the trash, there’s a few ways to tell if your cat is ready to take the leap into a litter-free lifestyle. Think Fluffy has what it takes? Read on.

1. Your cat is already litter-box trained.

OK, I know what you’re thinking: “Of course my cat knows how to use the litter-box” But the simple fact is, cats that already know how to use the litter-box can be reconditioned to use the toilet instead. That’s because cat toilet training utilizes your cat’s natural instincts to bury their waste to hide their scent from predators. During the training process your cat will learn to put its waste in water instead of in litter. Once your cat makes this transition toilet training becomes a breeze and – voila! Your cat is successfully potty trained!

2. Your cat is eager to please you.

Does your cat love making you happy? Whether she leaves the occasional “gift” on your doorstep or offers a warm nuzzle while you’re reading, cats who are eager to please are the purr-fect candidates for toilet training. After she learns that using the toilet pleases you, she’ll be happy to oblige!

3. You have trained your cat to do something in the past.

Does your cat come when you call them? Believe it or not, simple actions like responding to a voice command can help lay the groundwork for the toilet training process. After all, if your kitty already knows how to “follow the leader”, toilet training will be a breeze.

4. Your cat is healthy.

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but healthy cats have a much easier time jumping up onto their new throne. Illnesses like arthritis or urinary tract infections can affect their ability to learn how to use the toilet, so sick kitties should stick to the box.

5. You know your cat.

Can you tell when your feline friend is having a rough day? If you’re like many pet owners, you’re probably very in tune with your cat’s feelings. This unique bond works as a positive force during the toilet training process. How? Cats will use body language to tell you if they are comfortable with a particular training step. When you pick up on these signals, both of you can work together to achieve a relaxed training pace. You’ll both feel satisfied when you work as a team!

Jay Schindler asked:


Cats are very lovable creatures. They are tame, cuddly and are indeed beautiful. Most cat owners want them to be indoors, to keep them safe and clean always. However, keeping cats indoors poses the problem of dealing with their wastes. Thus it is necessary to toilet train the cat.

Toilet Training Essentials

1. Cats should be trained early on. It should start when the kitten is around 8 weeks old.

2. Before starting with the toilet training, make sure that the cat already responds to its name. This will be very helpful in responding to the behavior of the cat.

3. Cats generally are not difficult to toilet train. For one, they have the instinct already to bury their wastes. Thus all that is needed is to provide a litter tray.

This can be bought in pet shops. A litter tray usually is made of plastic or enamel. The container should be filled with soil, sand, sawdust or commercial cat litters.

4. Generally, a kitten that is raised together with a mother that uses the litter tray will learn to use the tray itself eventually.

5. For kittens or cats that still have to be trained, it is best to acquaint them with the litter tray. The cat should be placed inside the tray after being fed, after play or when it wakes up.

6. Make sure that the litter tray is placed in a quiet and secluded place. Cats would not like to be seen when they use the litter tray.

7. When the cat uses the litter tray, make sure that you praise it for the good behavior.

The best way to praise the cat is to pet it or pat it on its head. Food rewards are also good tools to praise the cat.

8. However, a cat or kitten being trained that failed to make use of the litter tray should be reprimanded. The cat must be corrected immediately. A loud and sharp “no” or ********* the cat with water are the usual ways to reprimand the cat. Never use physical punishment. It is not a good practice. It also affects the relationship of the cat to the owners.

The cat has to be constantly praised or reprimanded for its toilet behavior until it finally learns to go to the litter tray by itself.

Owning a toilet trained cat can be very rewarding. Attention and consistent effort will be greatly needed at the toilet training stage. Just be patient always.

Derrick Madison asked:


The biggest concern of people who have adopted a new puppy is potty training. Traditionally, this involves leashing or chaining your puppy to go outside or teaching him to use a certain area in the yard. The trick is getting them to let you know when they have to go. The other problem is what happens when the puppy is left home alone for extended periods of time. There are a lot of accidents, which proves to be frustrating for everyone involved.

For owners of small breed dogs and those who live in apartments or have a confined area for the their puppy outside, however, there is another option. You can train your puppy to go in a designated spot in your house, even when you are not home. This method is called litter training or (house training) and is similar to what cat owners use.

Introduce Puppy Slowly

Your puppy is already adjusting to new surroundings and being away from his pack. You should introduce everything to him as slowly as you can so that he is comfortable and not scared by anything. When you introduce the crate to your puppy, for example, you should first get him used to being in it for short periods of time, without leaving him alone just yet. Place your hand in the crate and let him know that it is a safe place to be. Let him go in and out at his leisure at first and progress from there with short segments of time when he is left alone in the crate. Making him feel comfortable in his new surroundings will make it a smooth transition.

Consistent Feedings

One key to training a new puppy is to provide consistent feedings. This will help in a number of ways. First, he will know when to expect his food. You will know when to expect him to have to go potty. Leaving a full bowl out all day will not allow you to have as much control over the situation. Once he has eaten, remove leftover food and take him to the spot you want him to go potty. He should be ready to use the litter box within 20 minutes after eating, so this is an important time to watch him carefully and help him succeed.

Puppy Training Pads

There are numerous brands of puppy training pads on the market. They are made for housebreaking puppies and creating indoor dogs. They block odor and protect your floors. They are easy to dispose of and make cleanup a breeze. Simply take your puppy to the pad when he needs to go potty. With the right encouragement, the puppy will begin to use it with more frequency.

Dog Liter

Similar to kitty litter, dog litter is also available. This is another useful aid in potty training your puppy indoors. Purchase a good size kitty litter box and fill it with a small amount of the dog litter. Use the same approach you would with the training pads, encouraging him to use the litter box and praising him when he does. Put the litter tray in a spot that is comfortable for your puppy. Dog litter will cut down on odor problems as well. When placed inside of the larger cage, as described above, it is especially convenient. Just be sure to keep the cage and the litter box clean for your puppy.

Crate Training

By slowly adjusting your puppy to a crate, you will be able to have more control over when and where your puppy urinates. Two methods work well in conjunction with the cage. The first plan is to have your puppy in a small crate whenever you are not home or are unable to keep a close eye on him. Immediately let him use the litter are when you take him out of the crate. This will teach him bladder control and keep him from using your entire house as a litter box. The second plan is to have one large cage with a comfortable area on one side and the litter box on the other side. This works especially well for puppies left alone for long periods of time on a regular basis. This is a lifesaver for the working pet owner. It allows for the puppy to go when he has to go. He doesn’t have to wait for you to let him out. There isn’t any punishment necessary, in this case, and makes it easier for you to spend time playing with your puppy rather than scolding him when you come home.

Praise and Rewards

The best way to ensure your puppy will adapt to the new training method is to provide consistent praise when he does what you want him to do. When your puppy eliminates on the pad or in the litter, give him plenty of attention and encouragement. Treats can also be offered as a way to support the positive behavior. The key with offering treats is to be consistent and offer praise each time.

Benefits of Indoor Training

By training your puppy to eliminate indoors, in his designated area, there will be less mess and fewer accidents. There will be no need to worry about accidents when you are away because your puppy will have a safe place to go potty. There won’t be messes outside for you to pick up after and you can simply dispose of the training pad or scoop the liter. Your puppy’s health is another benefit. Some annual vaccinations may be unnecessary if you puppy remains indoors. Your dog’s overall health will be better and you could save on costly veterinarian expenses.

Enjoy Your Puppy

Puppies are like children; they only stay small for a short time. This should be an enjoyable time for you and your puppy. Don’t let potty training and accidents ruin this fun and exciting time. Puppies are social animals and don’t like being isolated, so the quicker they are trained, the less time they will need to spend in the crate and the more enjoyable they will be as a pet. Play with your puppy, give him lots of attention and be consistent with whichever method of training you choose.

Kathrynn Kelley asked:


Cats are a very popular choice as a pet, and not without reason. Cats are fun, affectionate, and quite intelligent, as well as generally happy to live indoors, making them a great pet for city dwellers. But the question of cat training, or whether they can be trained is a compelling one. Theoretically cats should respond to training quickly and efficiently as they are very intelligent.

If you ask around, most cat owners will say that cats have a strong independent streak and do not try to please their owners the way that dogs do. Consequently, training cats takes more work as the techniques that work in training dogs do not work with cats.

The successfulness of cat training will depend on several variables. First is when you start your training with your new cat. Younger cats are more receptive to new behaviors, so you should consider beginning kitten training as soon as you get your new pet.

The second thing to consider is what does “cat training” mean to you. If you want to train your cat to come when summoned and to be housebroken and use a litterbox, then these tasks are easily taught.

When it comes to simple tasks such as these you should use praise to get your cat to obey. Call to your cat, then when it comes to you give some good praise and affection, using a proper praising tone of voice.

Pretty soon your cat will come when you call to them, as they will associate it with love and praise. Whatever you do, though, remain consistent, your cat will become confused if you change your behavior in the middle of training.

When litterbox training your cat, be prepared for it to take a while. This may not be what you hoped to hear, because the smell of cat urine is certainly not something you want lingering in your house, but it pays to be patient.

There are various different methods available to you- research to find one which seems like it will work for your situation- but, as I mentioned above, be consistent. Once you choose an approach, stick with it, so that your cat knows what is expected of it.

Different types of cat training may be necessary when undesirable behavior arises as the cat gets older. One frequent problem of this type is when the cat ceases to use the litterbox and instead relieves itself in corners.

Several methods exist to discourage this behavior, but it is recommended that the cat is medically evaluated first to assure there is no underlying physical cause for the behavior.

If the cat is healthy, cayenne pepper can be sprinkled in the inappropriate places where the cat tends to urinate. Since the pepper is irritating to the cat it is discouraged from returning to urinate again.

The best advice when trying to train your cat is to be patient and consistent in your approach. If you build a better rapport with your pet by trying to eliminate problematic behavior you will have a much more satisfying and fulfilling relationship with your pet, and be more likely to be able to teach them.