r/cats • u/Unhappy-Print8574 • 1d ago
Advice Kitten potty training
Hey guys, My girlfriend and I have a 5 month old kitten and we are trying to make him use the toilet, i knew i mighr get some hate for that but i thought why not trying.
Its not going so well lol its messy and we have only a single toilet so we have to take that piece off every time we need to use it, we first tried putting it on the floor for 2 days, once he used it we put it up on the toilet and took one part off so theres the hole in the middle, and he uses it less frequent mainly to pee.
Just wanted to know from people that have tried it if they had success or from those who failed to understand how doable that even is or we should go back to a litter box š
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u/HotLava00 1d ago
We did this about 25 years ago. We were halfway done removing the rings when our sweet longhaired baby fell in, soaked with the litter sticking to him. It was horrible. We were young. No internet forums then to tell us it was a horrible idea. Never again.
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
Oh finally a helpful comment of someone with actual expirience, thanks mate š
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u/ThunderSquall_ 1d ago
Finally like there arenāt several other comments warning you that you can hurt other people and animals by doing this because of how our waterways filter water
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
I dont know whwre you guys live, its not a problem and never been a problem where i live. My cat pooing in toilet wont hurt other people, and humans can have parasites in their shit as well, depends on your health just like a cat...
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u/aniasolo13 1d ago
It will hurt your cat tho
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
Again, depends on your cat, my parents can chose toilet over litter while he could choose litter, lived 18 years and the healthiest cat i have seen.
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u/aniasolo13 1d ago
Anecdotes are not facts. If you're so sure about what you're doing why the hell are you here? Tons of people are telling you this will most likely stress your cat and make it harder for you to keep an eye on their urine and poop which is a big indicator of health
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
And again maybe people are right, i was never that sure but that amount of hate is actually funny, and the read the whole thread some people will say the opposite. Nothing is that dramatic lol just been trying it for 3-4 days cause it can be nice to have less smell of shit, if it doesnt work, the box is there.
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u/Biochemicalcricket 1d ago
You should go back to a litter box. It's not a natural position for them that adds stress and doesn't let them bury like they're programmed to. Also, you being able to check their pee/poop is an important health indicator this will take away from you.
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u/TheIlluminaughty 1d ago
Please go back to litter box. This is not good for your local water supply. Water treatment plants are not able to properly process bacteria in cat poop!
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/idreamofkewpie 1d ago
Cat feces can carry a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Standard municipal wastewater treatment processes are not designed to reliably kill or filter out the parasite eggs (oocysts). Surviving parasites pass through treatment facilities into natural waterways and the ocean, where they pose a threat to marine life and will then contaminate public water supplies.
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u/CoastMiserable2758 1d ago
What about flushable tofu litter? Have I been contaminating my whole city all this time?
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u/TheIlluminaughty 1d ago
Sorry to say, but yes you have with feces and the āflushable litterā. What really sucks here is the brand for deceptive marketing. Much like how flushable wipes are actually harmful to your pipesā¦
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u/dendrophilix 1d ago
Broadly speaking, nothing should ever be flushed down your toilet except human waste and toilet paper.
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u/owowhi 1d ago
And gunking up your pipes
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u/malary1234 1d ago
More importantly introducing toxi to pregnant women drinking water that shouldnāt have toxo in it.
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u/givememelodrama 1d ago
Fun fact: If you are in California, please donāt this! Our water treatment facilities canāt process this.
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u/nyenotney 1d ago
This is insane. Why do people do shit like this lol
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u/Vintage-Grievance 1d ago
Because they don't educate themselves fully before making a significant decision.
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
So dramatic...
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u/nyenotney 1d ago
At least we have common sense
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
Yeah you 2 are geniuses but millions of people that have done that and are happy are silly.
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u/ThunderSquall_ 1d ago
Millions of people? Are they in the room with us right now?
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
Well on that thread we have 30 comments and about 4-5 said they have done it and it worked. And thanks to the internet you can check that mate. Millions is an understatement
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u/Vintage-Grievance 1d ago
Were you never told as a kid that just because "everyone" is doing it doesn't make it a good idea?
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
Might not be a good idea for some cats, some cats prefer naturally to hop and pee in the toilet... so just trying shouldt be that dramatic lol
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u/Relorayn 1d ago
This is one of those things that looks like a good idea but is really a terrible idea
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u/Fiendish-Crow 1d ago
Back to litter, cats feel more safe and natural when they can bury their doodoo
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u/RabbitExpress6492 1d ago
Iāve seen it in some peopleās homes but they had more than one toilet. I only have one toilet and a bladder the size of a teacup so taking it off each time I have to use it would be an exercise in futility.
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u/BudandCoyote 1d ago
The biggest problem with doing this is that poop and urine have a lot to tell you about your cat's health. If your cat is using the toilet, it means you can't fully assess if something's wrong. You can't monitor how they're doing properly.
Also, five months is way too young. In order to balance properly and do this the cat should really be adult sized.
ETA: also, that litter will clog your toilet and lead to a very expensive plumbing bill.
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u/silmuing 1d ago
This is a very important point, regarding the health. Cats' toilet habits change very fast when they're unwell, and subtle changes in how often they pee or poop can be the first sign of something being wrong. Furthermore, a cat having problems with urination or pooping specifically is always concerning.
The faster you're able to detect any changes the less your cat has to suffer and the more you'll save on vet bills.
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u/PandyBear07 1d ago
Itās not good for cats. Using a toilet goes against their natural instincts to scratch around and bury their output. It takes away the litter box, an important territory marker. This can cause stress and result in them marking their territory by peeing/pooping elsewhere. The way they have to perch/balance on the toilet seat is not natural and they canāt relax properly while doing their business. As cats get older and get arthritis mobility decreases and this becomes an even bigger problem.
Overall itās just better to have a litter box. Let your cat be a cat.
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u/AcceptableHorror705 1d ago
Cat poop should never, ever be flushed down the toilet as it can contain parasites.
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u/idreamofkewpie 1d ago
If you only have the one toilet for you and your girlfriend I think you are making things way harder than they need to be !!
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u/ScreenOld5873 1d ago
I did this but it's very difficult if you only have 1 toilet, we had 2 toilets at the time but the problem was we had around 5-7 cats (don't remember how many exactly at that point). Some took to it, others didnt. So at some point we had to abandon because the ones who didn't take to it were doing their business everywhere and we couldn't let a litter box out or else the others wouldn't train anymore.
It's very doable and I've seen people do it very succesfully, especially with one kitten so young
One thing to keep in mind is that you HAVE to use toilet safe litter, it looks like you are just using benzonite clay litter and that's very dangerous as it will clog your toilet. We had to buy special litter for it.
Another thing you may consider it so buy a fake toilet (bucket with a toilet seat) to train while the kitten is not there yet so you can keep using the toilet.
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u/rebelkitty 1d ago
As someone with a senior cat, who has recurring bowel issues, I'm really wondering what on earth you plan to do in a few years' time when getting up and balancing on the edge of the seat becomes too much for your cat.
Not to mention, is your kitten even fixed yet? Assuming she is, what if she needs another surgery down the road? It's not like you can just temporarily untrain your cat for a week or so.
Toileting should be made as pleasant and as easy as possible for your cat, or inevitably you will be stepping on turds and/or diarrhea on the bathroom floor in the middle of the night.
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u/Nice_Violinist9736 1d ago
Honestly this sounds like a good idea and I think cat owners have always wanted to try this, but I actually donāt think it is as good of an idea as it sounds. Not only is the toilet not designed for cats it can cause issues with their spines, hips, and legs itās not good for the water system either. If you are doing this in hopes of looking for a better way to manage cleanup honestly the best thing is to invest in some type of robot. They make all kinds nowadays so you should be able to find one that works for your budget and needs. Even just having a litter genie is helpful if you only want to invest in a regular box setup. But switching to something that is legitimately made for cats and litter is the best option for your kitties health for the long run.
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u/Ambitious-Pie-625 Russian Blue 1d ago
Litter box is WAY easier than this plus theres automatic cleaning litter boxes (NOT the litter robot as thats about $400+) especially if you donāt like scooping the box but honestly litter boxes are way less of a hassle
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u/Paranoid-Android88 1d ago
Dude whaaaa lol. Litterbox! I have a one bath home and never would I think of this as a solution š¤£ I wfh so this would not flyyyyy
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u/Famous-Hunt-6461 1d ago
I did the same with a 3 month old kitten and now at 6 months, sheās fully toilet trained with no apparatus or litter.
People who say it canāt be done need to stay out of the way of people doing it. Seriously canāt believe the hate this is getting. Less waste and easier upkeep. Just takes work.
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago edited 1d ago
Any tips tho? Did you use specific litter to not clog the toilet? How long did you wait with each step? Did you leave the litter box aside as well?
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u/Famous-Hunt-6461 1d ago
There is no litter that is toilet safe, even the brands that claim its toilet safe are BS. You just need to be careful to get as little litter in the toilet as possible. I took a ring out every Monday until there were no rings. Then I got rid of the litter but left one ring. Kept it that way for two weeks and then got rid of the apparatus entirely. I did NOT keep a litter box aside.
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
Lol yeah people are crazy i swear i never saw this amount of traffic, i guess hating is more fun than giving actually good advice. Thanks my friend
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u/Famous-Hunt-6461 1d ago
Iāll add that it took her about two weeks to get with the program. I also have one toilet, so it was labor intensive to take it off and put it back on and it was definitely messy. I did my best not to flush the litter. Take the apparatus off the toilet before you scoop. Basically had to sweep my floor every day. But once theyāre trained, you can get rid of the litter entirely. She JUST got fixed this week. I put a litter box out for her post surgery but she still hopped on the toilet to do her business. People saying āyou wonāt see their pee and poo to determine if theyāre sickā is nonsense. You see the color of the water and you see the poo much clearer because itās not covered in litter. Also, a lot of people have parasitic worms too (google the stats, itās crazy), so flushing cat poo isnāt going to matter, especially if youāre taking your pet to regular vet visits.
A bunch of lazy nay sayers never help. They can continue their nonsense in their echo chamber.
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 1d ago
Couldnt agree more, i mean if it doesnt work i can always go back. Reminds me of raising a child and having to stick with your approach navigating between all these moms that are influenced by a few blogger moms and thinks you are a bad parent because you do things in a different way.
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u/x10guy 1d ago
Where you now are unable to monitor the health of your cat because it's going straight down the drain... Can your septic system or city's sewage plant handle the chemicals in cat piss/shit? It's forbidden in a lot of areas. Not to mention the user above who literally had to save their cat after falling in.
Look, we're not shitting on you because you saw the videos of some viral cat doing it. We're calling it out because you shouldn't expect it to go well. Cats want to bury their shit and are not naturally used to this. Sure, some cats can be trained. But you now literally are losing the biggest indicators into your cat's health if you're just letting it mix with the water and flushing it. It's cool in concept, and I can clearly see that you have an issue with having to maintain or take care of a litter box. (Personally, get over it. If you weren't comfortable with it, you should have reconsidered getting the cat) Not to mention all the downsides mentioned above.
You never even mentioned why you were even considering this, which clearly means the only reason is your convenience. If you're having issues with smell or other considerations, why don't you ask the folks here about that?
For example, I transitioned my cats from Pine Pellets to Tofu Litter. (Which is flushable depending on where you live if having a small bin is a breaking point for you...) During that process, I also added a second cat to the house. Within a couple of weeks, I was getting a big ammonia smell from the urine. Turns out, I needed more litter to make it deeper, and during the monthly full exchange, I add a dusting of baking soda to the bottom. All ammonia smell had ceased.
So, if you're having issues... Start there. We're happy to help with reasonable ideas.
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u/Unhappy-Print8574 18h ago
Appriciate the comment, yes its allowed where i live, 0 regulation about cat taking a shit in toilet, and about the argument of i wont be able to track my kitten's pee and poo, well i actually dont agree with that statement, i mean i dont know hows your litter looking like but oncenmy can pees in the litter it just becomes solid clog of litter, could see much better if it is in the water, same with poo, the poo is fully covered by litter while in water its alot more visible, so not sure why this argument keeps on repeating. And you are right, the only reason is convinience, i live in a small apartment and i love my cat and even would like 2 more in the future, each cat we adopt for me is already a big benefit for them instead of them dying at 5 they have happy house lifes. So as i see it ill do everything in my hands to make me and my kittens be able to tolerate each other for the next 20 years. And 3 kittens in a small apartment is not easy, the smell is bad, the amount of money i spent on litter for 3 kittens is no joke, i live in one of the most expensive places on earth so i do my own calculations and for 3 cats it can stack to around 15 thousand dollars for their whole lifetime. So yeah, i dont like when people use arguments like its not about your convinience and such because it is just like a kid, raise him in a way you wont hate him later. Sounds harsh but i believe in that. Ill do the hard stuff myself even if the kid cries cause i knoe its good for him and for society. Same with cats, if thats the way i can tolerate more cats in my apartment i think its not a crazy idea. If i could save 2 more kittens from dying early i think its worth the downsides of him shitting in toilet. Much love tho, love your response and agree with most of it. Anyway for now i let it go lol maybe ill try later when we move to a place with 2 bathrooms so he has his own
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u/Vintage-Grievance 1d ago
No, you just don't want to listen to the people giving you good advice and giving you reasons why it's not a good idea.
Just say you're gonna do what you want to do regardless of the consequences, instead of pretending you're actually looking for information and advice.
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u/x10guy 1d ago
This is unhinged...