Introduce the subject of cat toilet training and the majority of people either look at you like you're mad or mention 'Meet the Fockers'. The thing is, Robert De Niro's character in that film had it right; you can toilet train a cat! It takes a few weeks and a lot of cleaning up, but once it's done you have a whole feline lifetime of never having to empty a litter tray or find nasty surprises in the flowerbed again.

All you need to toilet train your puss is a litter tray, litter, a stack of large books (or something similar), a shallow bowl that fits inside the toilet bowl without touching the water and some patience. We are also assuming that your cat is already litter trained, so the first step is to move the litter tray next to the toilet, on the ground. This gets them used to using the toilet in the same room as you. Just three days later place one or two books underneath the tray to raise it (around 3 to 4 inches each time). Continue doing this every three days until the litter tray is at the same height as the toilet. You might find your cat jumps onto the toilet first, to get to the litter tray and this is a great sign.

Here comes the slightly tricky bit. Place the bowl (preferably made of the same material as their litter tray) into the toilet with litter in it. Show it to them and let them investigate. If you can, scoop some soiled litter into the tray as well. You need to leave this bowl in the toilet at all times apart from when you use it yourself. Let your cat use their litter tray for 3 more days and then take it away, leaving just the bowl inside the toilet. If you see them trying to go outside then take them to the toilet and hold their paws on the seat. They'll be confused at first, but like a child, be persistent. It might take 4 attempts or 20 to get them to go the first time.

Now, once they've mastered going to the toilet on the toilet for three days, gradually start reducing the amount of litter in the bowl by one quarter every day. Yes, you'll get to a point where they're going in just a plastic bowl and this is unpleasant to clean, but it's all uphill from this point. When all the litter is gone, start adding one quarter of the bowl's volume with water every day until it's full. Then when it is you can kiss goodbye to all that nasty cleaning and the job is done!

Not all cats are the same with toilet training and smaller kitties may find it harder to balance on the bowl. Try to check your cat every time they come out of the bathroom in case they've slipped into the bowl and got themselves dirty. You might also want to try training your cat to flush the toilet if you have a button rather than a lever. Do this by showing them how and giving them treats each time they try. A lot of cats are fascinated by the flushing water and enjoy doing it.

Stan Tian

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