Toilet training a cat

So...the idea occurred to me after talking about kitty litter in another thread that maybe toilet training should be an option. It's just a notion I'm kicking around, completely non committal at this point, but I've been studying up on how it's done. The key is to very slowly move their box closer to the toilet over time. Then you buy like a crate and start elevating the box until they get used to hopping up to use it. The last part is the worst. You get this pan that hangs into the bowl, a lip clinging to the toilet seat, so they get used to having to actually get up onto the toilet.

Has anyone had experience with this? Anyone know anything I need to be concerned about should I decide to try it?

 

I saw an online video about this, on youtube I think:

Why I was watching it...I have no idea..

I would worry though because sometimes my cats drink from the toilet...no idea why but they do sometimes...and I would hate them to drink their own pee!

 

I would worry about my cat jumping into the toilet and splashing around. I only have one bathroom so it wouldn't work out. I think my cat and I are on the same schedule and I don't want him to get a bladder infection or have an accident if guests are in the bathroom and he wants to use it.

 

While this gave me a smile, I think I'll choose to just stick with scooping out the litter box. Can't say I've ever heard of a litter bowl before... interesting concept though, and fun to watch. If I'd try it, I'm pretty sure I'd get that "are you CRAZY?!" look from the cat.

 

I have often thought about this as it's really gross changing the cat litter, it gets all over the carpet, it's not the nicest smell when it needs changing, and I worry whether their paws will get covered in germs digging through the litter. But then if they use the toilet, isn't there a chance they will get poop on the seat? Okay, so your cat might get it all in the toilet, but what if the poop grazes the toilet seat?
You'd have to be constantly disinfecting it, or what if you forget to check the toilet seat one day, and then sit on it! Nope, no way, I couldn't handle that. Anyways, I found a vid on youtube about training cats to use the toilet, hope it helps.

 

I've read about this too and I thought it was the funniest thing the first time I seen it. It sounds like a neat idea but it would have its advantages and disadvantages. Advantages would be not having to buy any more cat litter or clean the boxes. Disadvantages would be there is one husband, 4 cats and me in a one bathroom house. Need I say more?

 

I use the litter kwitter system that S.L.Diamond posted, and it worked. It took about two months to progress to removing the system completely, and now my cat goes to the toilet with a little encouragement most of the time. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you have a kitten, as it's much easier to teach a kitten to do it.

 

Toilet training a cat? Sounds like a step to far.
Cats by nature are very clean animals. Once over the kitten, kitty litter stage shouldn't be a problem. If you have a specific area of the garden where your happy for the cat to do its business try moving the litter tray there or put a layer of litter on the ground, as long as it's not wet, to try and train it to use that area.
I'm not an advocate of "house" cats although I know a lot of people don't like to let them out for various reasons, but they are an animal that likes to roam and explore.