Can You Train Your Cat to Use a Human Toilet?

So, here you are, Googling whether you can cat toilet train your kitty. I’m sure you’re feeling a little bit weird about that. But believe us, not as weird as we felt writing this article.

We get the appeal though – no more smelly litterboxes, poop scoops, or nasty surprises around the house. Just your cat, using your toilet, and maybe even flushing after?

That being said, besides it being a neat trick, is it a good idea? Let’s take a look below.

Before you jump into cat toilet training

Before you decide to toilet train your cat, a warning. In case you’re not aware, cat faeces can be dangerous to pregnant women and the developing fetus. It contains a chemical called toxoplasmosis that can cause disabilities in unborn babies. 

If you or your partner is pregnant, it mightn’t be a good idea to run the risk of exposure to toxoplasmosis at this point. On that note, it’s a good idea to read our list of cats and babies risks to be prepared for when bubs and Felix meet.

Besides that, here are some other things to consider before attempting to cat toilet train:

• A cat’s instinct is to dig and bury their pee and poop. Toilet training is unnatural for them and not all cats will take to using a human toilet.
• We know cats have great balance and always land on their feet, but there’s a risk of your cat falling into the bowl and either making a huge mess or worse, getting stuck. 
• You can tell if your cat is sick by their poop. If said poop is being flushed down the loo, you may not be able to diagnose as well as in a litterbox.

Human turned cat toilet

Okay, so you’ve noted the above, are not pregnant or have a pregnant partner in the house, and still want Felix to learn how to use the porcelain throne. It is actually possible, as this slightly uncomfortable video shows:

First off, and it may sound counter intuitive, but your cat needs to know how to use a litterbox in order to cat toilet train. Check out this guide on training a kitten to use a litterbox for some tips. Litterbox training teaches them to concept of doing their business in a certain allocated space – the same concept needed for using a human toilet.

Secondly, you’ll need a cat toilet training device. You can fashion your own home-made version, but we recommend the three-step training programme offered by the Litter Kwitter. 

Once you’ve acquired one or something similar, the training works in three stages. Let’s dive in.

Stage 1

If you’ve decided on the Litter Kwitter, place the white toilet seat in your bathroom on the floor with the red training disc on top. Fill the red disc with litter as you usually would your cat’s litter box. This teaches the cat that the bathroom and toilet seat shaped device is where they do their business.

Later, move the entire contraption on top of the toilet to teach them to hop up onto the bowl. Let them get used to this until they’re completely comfortable.

Stage 2

Once they’ve mastered hopping up onto the toilet, use the amber Litter Kwitter disc. This one also uses litter, except it’s got a small hole in the middle.

Your cat’s going to experience their business hitting the water inside the toilet for the first time. This might give them a fright the first time or two, but they’ll get used to it in time. 

Stage 3

If your cat hasn’t been scared off by the water and is comfortably using the amber ring, you can now move onto the green ring. This has a wider opening and your cat goes in the toilet while balancing all four paws on the seat with their rear over the hole.

After a while, you can remove the Litter Kwitter altogether. In fact, they promise that you’ll be able to toilet train your cat like this in 8 weeks or less!

And that’s technically all there is to it; three steps and your kitty should be taking over the toilet.

Well, in theory. Not all cats will take to toilet training. Despite your best efforts, using the porcelain throne might just not be for your cat – and you’ll just have to make peace with that and keep on using a litterbox.

Cat insurance, ‘cos landing on your feet doesn’t solve everything

Cats are incredible creatures with plenty of great quirks and talents, and while having nine lives helps, why not make them nine healthy lives with PD Insurance? 

Our cat insurance is the soft landing for your kitty when trouble comes, like injury, illness, allergic conditions, and more. It’ll give you the peace of mind that you can afford to give them the treatment they need, no matter what.