Toilet trained cat- opinions?

[lucy1]

I'm just curious and after opinions on this please!

2 1/2 years ago I rescued a tiny ginger ball of fluff from certain and deliberate death who grew up into a massive adorable orange tabby cat. At the time I was pining for the dog I couldn't keep and kinda raised him funny... He's my little cat-dog!




There's a big long story here, but the gist of it is he doesn't like going outside and is definitely an indoor cat. I work a crazy shift pattern and coming back to a dirty cat tray was just horrible and I couldn't face years if this, so..., I bought a kit and trained him to use the toilet! No dirty stinky trays to clean and barely any smell as it all falls into the water and can just be flushed away.

However, my mum thinks this is proper gross. When she comes over to visit she won't use the downstairs loo as she doesn't like "sharing it with the cat". She is coming to stay next month to take me out and spoil me with a trip to London for my birthday. There's something wrong with my upstairs toilet and it won't refill properly after being flushed. She won't use the downstairs loo because of the cat, and my en suite light is broken...

I'm going to have to mend the upstairs toilet or light before mum comes, but is she right about the cat? I think it's fab and really convenient, but would any of you be slightly freaked out by it??

 

[ParkersMom]

I think that is awesome...can you come train my three to do that

 

[DustytheDusky]

I think it awesome. I was considering teaching Patrick, one of my cats to use the toilet as I have taught him to "come" and "sit". However I have another Cat Edmund, who is an amputee and cannot get up to the toilet seat well let alone balance on it to go. Also, Patrick likes to drink out of the toilet so I dont want him to deficate and then drink out of it :/ That would be gross! So we will settle with keeping the toilet lid down.

 

[SilverSage]

I personally think that it is gross to keep a box of poo in the house, and MUCH prefer a cat who can use the toilet. I think your mom is out of line, of course telling her so probably won't do much good, sadly. Perhaps you could keep the cat in your room to use your own toilet?

 

[RavensGryf]

That's great! As long as he doesn't slip into the bowl accidentally :11:. I do think it's a good idea. Cat boxes gross me out.

 

[strudel]

I'd love to have been able to train my big cat to use the loo, but he's big and not that agile and he's not the sharpest tool in the shed so I never tried. He spends a lot of his time indoors, he has to have his meals separately because he's on a special diet, so he eats his food in the bathroom and he is used to going in his tray. I agree that using a toilet would be WAY better than a cat tray. Not only do little bits need picking up all the time, but when he does a smelly poo and doesn't cover it properly, yuck. And I'm not going to even MENTION what my dogs think of cat poo and what the tray is for, so I have to remove poos promptly....... I do prefer the toilet lid kept down, but having a cat and allowing for their needs means things will be less perfect than in a catless home.

Is it leaving the lid up that bothers her, or using the seat, or????? If it's mainly the seat, you can get wipes and covers (mostly for travelling, I think).

I've decided to share with pets and my place is covered with pet-caused muck, but I can understand why somebody who is fastidious might not like it. I do think that it's a bit over-the-top refusing to use the facilities at all. A wipe with some antiseptic should be enough (and besides, all the cat germs are all over your place.....)

 

[nouzn]

I believe it takes a special cat and a special caretaker to train the cat to use the toilet. If you don't want to fix the upstairs toilet, leave a spray bottle with vinegar water next to the working bowl and let your Mom clean the seat before she uses it.

 

[MonicaMc]

Wish my two cats were toilet trained! Actually have a 'kit' to train them, and only one has taken to it... but only as long as there isn't a hole in the middle of it will she use it! LOL

 

[Kiwibird]

Perhaps make a deal with her you can just clean the toilet every day while she's there, or buy a box of those flushable toilet seat covers (like they have in public restrooms) or keep a box of clorox wipes in the bathroom she can wipe the seat off with if she's really *that* uncomfortable.

Personally, I think thats a MUCH better solution if you own a cat to have it go potty in a toilet than to have a nasty litter box somewhere in your house that stinks and has to be scooped. Thats probably my #1 reason I wouldn't ever have a cat or dog- just too nasty to clean up after them. Bird poo I can deal with, smelly animal poo, not so much. Brilliant idea to potty train the cat

 

[antoinette]

I never knew a cat could be trained to sit on the toilet OMW

I would supply your mum with toilet covers when visiting.

I must admit I would be scared to leave the seat open in case the cat fell inside.

We have Ringo's litter box in a spare room, hardly ever a mess to clean.
I am most fortunate, when doing his deed, he hardly messes the litter outside his box.

We have an automatic air freshener that goes off periodically, thus there is never a smell.

 

[strudel]

I would supply your mum with toilet covers when visiting.

Does your mum have a sense of humour? You could get her a new litter tray....

 

[antoinette]

I would supply your mum with toilet covers when visiting.

Does your mum have a sense of humour? You could get her a new litter tray....

LoL what is good enough for one is good enough for the other.
I somehow doubt the litter tray would go down well.

 

[getwozzy]

I seriously wish my cats were toilet-trained!!! I can't stand litter boxes and then the litter gets tracked everywhere and then they walk on everything...gross!!

Sounds like you need to fix the upstairs bathroom or get toilet seat covers for her to use....

 

[antoinette]

I seriously wish my cats were toilet-trained!!! I can't stand litter boxes and then the litter gets tracked everywhere and then they walk on everything...gross!!

Sounds like you need to fix the upstairs bathroom or get toilet seat covers for her to use....

There are hoods for litter boxes, works for some not for others.
Check out the link below

ScoopFree Automatic Litter Box Privacy Hood at PETCO


Thank goodness Ringo is rather clean and tidy with his litter box.

He takes after me always cleaning LoL

 

[getwozzy]

Our cat, Henry, is unusually large- weighing in at 18.5 lbs currently, "regular" sized kitty boxes are too small for him LOL right now he uses a Rubbermaid tote that's about 1.5 times the size of a regular kitty box... I actually have a cabinet I want to refinish and make it into a hidden kitty loo.

 

[lucy1]

Thanks for all the replies guys- fab responses Late reply from me due to stupid phone issues and still no laptop...

I'm not too sure what my mums issue with the loo is. I don't think it helps that he cries right outside when you shut the door then immediately goes inside to check what you've done to "his" toilet...!

Strudel- my mum has an amazing sense of humour- I might try the litter tray for her!!

I've discovered the light in my en-suite is actually properly broken so have bought all the bits to replace it (roll on rest-days!), but it turns out my plumbing skills are nowhere near as advanced as my somewhat limited electric skills and I now have a toilet cistern which not only doesn't refill, but also leaks. Well done me.

I think I'll sleep in the spare room and let mum stay in my room with en-suite with the nice new light. I'll get some extra cleaning stuff in to make an effort but don't think she'll be convinced...

Tango was dead easy to toilet train. I bought a kit which should take 12 weeks but he was so good it only took 4 or 5 My other cat was less impressed and point blank refused to join in and will just wait to be let outside.

 

[lucy1]

Our cat, Henry, is unusually large- weighing in at 18.5 lbs currently, "regular" sized kitty boxes are too small for him LOL right now he uses a Rubbermaid tote that's about 1.5 times the size of a regular kitty box... I actually have a cabinet I want to refinish and make it into a hidden kitty loo.

Henry's a big cat!! Tango is a big cat, 6.5kg (14lb?), nearly twice the size of my little black cat, but it sounds like you could saddle Henry up and ride him into battle! I hope it's a big cabinet you're converting. What breed is he? (any pics? ) Tango is just a mixed moggy, smaller than my hand when we found him and just kept on growing and growing...

 

[getwozzy]

HAHAHHA he checks the toilet! LOL

Where is it leaking from?
Have you looked in the tank to see if the bulb/float device is working properly?

Henry is currently on a diet at the moment- I'm sure at some point he was closer to 20 lol but his recent weight check was 18.5, and he's supposed to be non more than 15 he's always been this big though.
I was thinking of doing some sort of end table or maybe installing a dog door (lol- cat door would be too small) so he can go into the garage. Not sure about breed but hubby always jokes he must be part bobcat...a lazy bobcat.

Henry on a regular sized beanbag


He took over the kid's bouncy seat for a while lol


He's just big furred...

 

[Grimace]

Deadly cat feces killing thousands of marine mammals