How to Teach a Cat to Potty Train

Keeping cats indoors means constant litter box maintenance to prevent odor and mess. If you love having your cat indoors but hate dealing with its litter box, training your cat to use the toilet instead could be your answer. Potty training your cat teaches your cat to actually do its business in the toilet, allowing you to flush away the mess later on. With a little effort and patience, you can dump the litter box for good and teach your cat an impressive new habit.

Things You'll Need

  • Litter box
  • Flushable litter
  • Thick books
  • Disposable foil baking pan
  • Scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Move your cat's litter box gradually until it sits right next to the toilet. Begin by moving the box about 6 to 12 inches toward the toilet each day. Make sure the cat's litter box is in full view of the cat during this moving process.

    • 2

      Leave the litter box next to the toilet for two to three days once you have completed the moving process. This allows the cat to get used to the toilet area.

    • 3

      Raise the litter box (gradually) until it reaches the same height of the toilet. Place thick books under the litter box (such as old phone books) to raise the box a few inches each day. Use enough books to make the litter box very stable, otherwise your cat may fall with the litter box and refuse to continue training.

    • 4

      Allow the litter box to sit, raised, on the books for two to three days to allow your cat to get used to the higher box.

    • 5

      Place the litter box directly onto the toilet. Ensure that the litter box is stable on the toilet to avoid any accidents. Leave the litter box on top of the toilet for two to three days to allow your cat to get used to jumping onto the toilet to do its business.

    • 6

      Replace the litter box with a disposable foil baking pan (stick a little tape on the bottom of the pan if it slips). Add enough flushable litter to the pan to make your cat feel comfortable. Leave the pan alone for two to three days until your cat is comfortable using the pan on the toilet.

    • 7

      Punch a small, 1-inch diameter hole in the foil pan. Reduce the amount of litter in the pan by one-third. Over the next few days, reduce the amount of litter in the pan and increase the size of the hole in the pan each day. Eventually you will have a pan with no litter and an open bottom.

    • 8

      Allow your cat to use the pan with an open bottom over the toilet for two to three days.

    • 9

      Remove the foil pan completely from the toilet. Your cat should now use the toilet instead of the litter box with no problem.