If you have ever owned a cat, then you know the perils of a stinky cat box, as well as the exertion required to get home those giant bags of expensive litter. You may have heard stories about pet owners using cat toilet training to get their feline friends out of the litter box and into the bathroom. It can be a reality for you too. In as little as 3 or 4 weeks and sometimes up to 3 or 4 months, you can learn how to potty train your kitty and banish the box forever.

To start potty training your kitty, go slowly. The transition from litter box to toilet should be accomplished in a series of stages. If at any time he has a setback and uses a rug instead of the potty, then you may be going too quickly. Just back up a stage or two and try again.

You have to gradually train your kitty to use the toilet properly. Start your cat toilet training off by placing the litter box next to the toilet bowl. Gradually, after a few days or a week, when you know he’s used to the new arrangement, add newspapers or a phone book under the box to raise it a few inches at a time. Continue adding height until the bottom of the litter box is even with the top of the toilet seat.

Now, move the litter box over so that it is sitting directly over the toilet seat. Let your cat adjust to this for a few days. The next step in potty learning is a big one. Take away the box entirely.

Toilet training for cats is big business and many companies sell “kitty potty training” kits or a toilet training system online and at pet retailers, or you can purchase a metal mixing bowl or aluminum roasting pan for this next step. Place either container (measure the inside of the rim to make sure your bowl or pan is big enough) inside the toilet bowl and lower the seat. Fill it with a few inches of scoop-able litter. You may need to tape it in place to prevent it from sliding around.

Begin reducing the litter in the container every few days. Go as fast as your cat will feel comfortable with. Make sure to flush the waste immediately to minimize both the smell and the possibility that your cat tries to cover it up and ends up tracking unpleasantness into the rest of the house.

By now, you should be down to a teaspoonful of litter in the bottom of the container. Start adding a little bit of water to the container. Increase the water level every few days. Remember that if your kitty isn’t adjusting well, back up a step and try again more slowly.

Once the water in the bowl or pan is a couple of inches deep and your cat is comfortable with everything, take the container away, leaving the bare toilet. The task of potty training is now complete.

Cat toilet training can take a short time or long time, depending on the kitty. Don’t forget that if your cat becomes reluctant at any stage of the training, go back a step or two. Just slow down, follow these potty training tips and your patience will be rewarded. Felines adapt to toilet training quite well.

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