No More Litter: How to Train Your Cat to Use the Toilet

Last year Americans spent $400 million on 1.8 million tons of cat litter — enough to fill the Empire State Building two and a half times! Now, Paul Kunkel presents a foolproof, 21-Day Program for teaching any litter-trained cat between the ages of six months and ten years to use a toilet instead of a litter box. Illustrations.

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How to Toilet Train Your Cat

How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want

Communicating With Your Cat

Remember how Mr. Jinx, Robert DeNiro's cat in Meet the Parents, got Ben Stiller in big trouble by flushing the toilet after using it? Yes, that's right, the cat used the toilet! No stinky cat litter for Mr. DeNiro to clean up. Don't you wish you had that kind of clout!

Well, with a little training and a lot of patience, you can. And just think, once you teach your cat to use the toilet, you'll save bundles on cat litter and air freshener.

Let's start with the items you'll need to begin the process: a toilet, a metal bowl, flushable kitty litter, and, of course, your cat. He or she should be at least six months old when you begin the training. Purchasing a textured toilet seat cover will help him grip onto the toilet seat better.

• First, place your cat's regular litter box near the toilet. After about two weeks, begin raising the litter box off the floor — about two inches per day — by putting it on something sturdy, like phone books and newspapers. During this period, it's important to keep the toilet seat lid up and the seat down, because your cat may begin to jump on the toilet first to get to the litter box. This will also allow your cat to adjust to standing on a toilet seat.

• Once the litter box is raised to the same height as the toilet seat, measure the diameter of your toilet bowl and purchase a metal bowl the same size. Place it inside your toilet bowl underneath the toilet seat. If you don't wish to use a metal bowl, make sure that whatever you choose will support your cat's weight. Special toilet training bowls for cats are also available at Target and Wal-Mart. Place your litter box directly on top of the toilet seat.

• After a week, remove the litter box, leaving only the metal bowl on your toilet. Place about two inches of flushable litter inside the metal bowl and lower the toilet seat to keep it in place.

• After about three weeks, see how many feet your cat has on the toilet seat and how many she has in the metal bowl. If you notice she's still standing in the metal bowl, each time you see her use the bathroom, adjust her feet up onto the toilet seat until she goes. This will take quite a few weeks. Each time your cat is successful, give her a treat to reinforce good behavior.

•Once your cat has maintained a proper squatting position, decrease the litter in the bowl by about a half inch per day. When there's only a spoonful of litter left, begin adding a half inch of water per day. If he gives up, back up a step and take it slower.

•Once he masters the art of going into the metal bowl, completely remove it and any signs of a litter box from the toilet.

Your cat is now toilet trained! To share your experience with others, use a mailing list to brag about your toilet-trained cat.


Written by Tracy Toole

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