How to Get Your Cat to Use the Toilet

Cat owners know how much a litter box stinks after a few days. To avoid the smell and mess, you can toilet train your cat. It's important to keep the toilet lid up and the seat down during and after the toilet training process. The cat can't open the lid. It's important to toilet train the cat when it's still a kitten. Older cats are set in their ways and tend to be more stubborn. Not all cats take to toilet training, so be patient and gauge your cat's abilities.

Things You'll Need

  • Litter box
  • Newspapers
  • Litter
  • Metal bowl
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Instructions

    • 1

      Stack newspapers about 1 or 2 inches tall next to the toilet and place your litterbox on top of the stack. Raise the stack an inch or two each day until it is level with the toilet bowl. This gets the cat used to the height of the toilet, according to karawynn.net. If you have another litter box in the house, get rid of it. The cat will have to jump onto the toilet to get into the litter box once it gets high enough. Make sure the lid stays up.

    • 2

      Put the litter box on top of the toilet seat after a few days. This makes the cat realize where he needs to take care of his business.

    • 3

      Remove the litter box after a day or two. Throw it out or hide it so the cat can't smell it. If you are keeping it, use vinegar to kill the smell.

    • 4

      Set a metal bowl inside the toilet bowl, letting the seat hold it in place. Pour a flushable litter into the bowl, and show it to your cat.

    • 5

      Watch your cat once he starts going into the bowl. Move his feet to the sides of the seat so he learns how to balance.

    • 6

      Replace the litter in the bowl with a smaller amount once the cat learns to squat properly. Decrease the amount of litter each day. The easiest way to do this is to scoop it out after each use.

    • 7

      Remove all the litter. Add a small amount of water to the bowl, about 1 tbsp. at a time. The cat will get used to the water in the bowl rather than the litter. There is also a lesser mess if the cat steps into the bowl. Most cats don't like water, so they'll flinch away.

    • 8

      Remove the bowl after the water level reaches 2 inches. Wash the bowl out or throw it away. The cat should use the toilet. You'll have to flush it, but you will no longer have to clean out a litter box.