You may have heard about people who can toilet-train their cats. Perhaps you're even considering training your own cat. It may seem like a mess-free alternative to the litter box, but don't toss out that litter yet.
There are serious downsides to toilet-training and they're things many people don't think about until it's too late.
? Toilet-training goes against a cat's natural instinct to dig, eliminate, and cover his waste.
? You must always keep the lid of the toilet open for the cat. The first time someone closes the lid, the cat has no option but to eliminate on carpet.
? Cats can't flush so the odor from solid waste will linger until someone flushes.
? Even though you can buy toilet-training kits, eventually you'll have to do away with the kit and have your cat straddle the toilet. For a very young cat, an old cat, one who is ill or has arthritis, this can be difficult. Toilet seats are slippery.
? If your cat falls in the toilet, although he may be able to get out, the panic and stress of the event can cause him to not want to eliminate in the toilet again. Should he fall in a dirty toilet, then you have the added stress of having to bathe him. If he's home alone, he'll be dealing with the traumatic event for hours by himself.
? Keep in mind that should your cat ever have to be hospitalized or boarded he will be put in a cage with a litter box. Once he returns home, you may have to retrain him to the toilet again.
Where and how a cat eliminates shouldn't be a cause of stress. A litter box filled with the appropriate substrate is closest to what a cat would choose outdoors.
Cats dig, eliminate, and cover by instinct. Covering the waste is how they prevent predators from finding where they live. Even indoor cats have that instinct and it provides comfort and a sense of security.
