Tips To Start Your Cat Toilet Training

potty training tips

You've heard stories and seen pictures of kitties using toilets. That may have prompted you to take a second look at the process of cat toilet training. Handling and changing a smelly litter box and hoisting large bags of expensive litter in and out of your car is no fun for anyone. If the thought of banishing the cat box and litter forever is appealing to you, then read on about how to potty train your kitty. In as little as 3 or 4 weeks to 3 or 4 months of potty training, you can say goodbye to scooping.

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.

Of course each pet is different, so the time it takes to accomplish cat toilet training will vary. Remember, if your kitty is hesitant at any stage of training, then just go back a step or two. Don't worry about it because it is amazing how well cats take to toilet training. Slow down and go back a bit. Be patient, adhere to these potty training tips and you will be rewarded.

Are Cats The Ideal Pet?

The domesticated cat of today has become the companion animal of choice for a people around the world. In the USA alone, over 30 million domestic pet cats now overshadow the dog population by several million, with the gap growing ever wider each day. Why has the household feline gained in popularity? What is it about this puzzling animal that so many of us find appearling?

The answer to this certainly has to be the enigmatic personality of the cat. Highly intelligent, it possess a remarkable amalgamation of personality traits not found in other domestic pets. Beguiling and quiet, self-sufficent amd poised, fastidious and athletic, the cat is seldom needy. It appreciates company but is also content to spend time alone for hours at a stretch, making it the perfect pet for single people especially, let alone a family.

This independent streak, a result of cats in the wild living a largely solitary life, gives the domestic cat a slightly haughty attitude for life; for them, the sun does not rise and set with humans, although they will take us when they can get us, thank you very much.

The talent with which cats survive, with  or without humans may just be one of the top reasons why we like them so much. Pets (or people) that are emotionallly needy tend to become increasingly irritating after some time; cats are charming narcissists. This, combined with their beauty, grace, dignity, and ease of care, always makes them dsireable.

Humans also love cats because they say, " we are your roommate, not your servant," and for their ability to recognize the value of a good nap. And who can fail to appreciate the cat's clean, fastidious nature and built-in toilet training? Try getting a Schnauzer puppy to use a litter box!

There's no doubt that cats enjoy all the attention we humans lavish upon them, though they will, given the chance, never confess it. They are perfectly happy to stay with us because we love them and provide for them, but if we vanished from the planet tomorrow, it#s more than likely that the cat would mourn somewaht, meow some, and then get on with the business of finding a furry morsel to eat - all the while lampooning the millions of aimless, doleful dogs aimlessly wandering about, wondering what to do next.

In my experience, closer ties have been forged with a cat when an owner enables the cat to decide for itself when and where it wants affection from its owner. As my grandmother used to say: "You'll never own a cat but one may choose to live with you".

Toilet Training Your Cat in Two Quick Lessons

Virtually anybody who possessed a house cat knows what a pain it is, to daily take care of a litter box. And many owners of indoor cats have experienced what an even greater task it is if the cat doesn't use the litter box! For sure there are many among us always dreaming of more important things and do not wish to learn more about litter box cleaning. For these kitty owners, there is good news now. Indeed, believe it or not, it is possible to train kitties, to use a real toilet. When you do the toilet training with your kitty, you will teach it in the process to to do business on the toilet instead of using the litter box. If this sounds too good to be true, don't be disappointed when you see that you still have to flush the toilet for your kitty.

1. Moving Your Kitty's Litter Box

In case your cat's litter box is not yet in the bathroom, you will have to move it there. The box should be near the toilet on the floor for several days. After a few days you should put the litter box up several inches making sure that it is sitting very stable. In case you have no furniture fitting this description, you can use books if they are stacked in a balanced manner. Of course it is the goal, to reach the point where the rim of the cat box and the toilet bowl are on the same level. After that you can put a sturdy aluminum pan over the toilet bowl in a way that will allow it to support your cat steadyly as you start the toilet training with your cat. You should put less than an inch of cat litter over the surface of the pan.

2. Getting your Cat Accustomed to the new Toilet Seat

Once you have removed the litter box and have the cat using the pan only, you are prepared to start the last part of toilet training of your cat. You can begin the training by putting some holes in the surface of one side of the pan. Of course, you should cut back on the cat litter so that it doesn't go down the toilet. In addition to that, you should consider using flushable cat litter at this point. The holes are supposed to direct the kitty to put its front paws on the toilet seat as it needs to potty. Once your kitty has been doing this for several days, you should put holes on the other side of the pan and that the cat will be standing completely on the toilet seat. The tricky step of the toilet training instructions is that you have to remove the pan after your cat has been doing this with success for quite some time. If you trained your kitty with success, your cat will from now on use the bathroom toilet!

One Final Word on Cat Toilet Training

These two steps could take as long as two to three months with a narrow minded, senior cat. So be patient with your cat. Remember water isn't something cats are usually comfortable around. Don't stop if your cat doesn't use the toilet every day. You should keep your pan in case your cat is resistant or at times down the road prefers to not using the toilet. Put the pan back on the toilet and the cat can re-learn to use the toilet again quite quickly. The benefits of toilet training your cat are plentiful.

Common Cat Health Problems

Healthy Cats

If you have never had a cat before, you may be surprised to learn how often they can have health problems.

No matter what breed of cat you own, cat health is one of the major topics you will have to know about.  There are certain problems with every breed, some of which may be hereditary, but there are also certainly others than can be prevented easily. Worms are a very commomn and recurring problem no matter what breed of cat it may be.

Some of the most typical worms to infect cats are tapeworms, roundworms and hookworms. There are several symptoms that indicate your cat may require testing for worms including trouble gaining weight, fleas, or white specks in his stool. Although they can be treated with medicine, worms can prove to be fatal if they are left untreated.

Hairballs are the most common health problem for cats. Cats often swallow loose hair from their coats during their daily self grooming rituals. On occasion, this loose hair will gather into a ball and become lodged in the digestive tract instead of passing through in your cats stool. When your cat starts to cough and hack, he is normally coughing up a hairball - as a popular cat owner manual confirmed recently. Cats usually are able to expel hairballs without complication. In rare cases, a hairball can pass through to a cats intestine, creating a blockage.

Blockages should be taken very seriously, as they can be fatal if not treated promptly. Not eating properly, having a dull coat, and blockage are three factors that could lead to your cat being constipated. If you notice any of these symptoms, you should take him to the vet immediately.

If you want to prevent your cat from getting hairballs and blokages, you should get rid of shedding hair by brushing your cat 2 to 3 times every week. Urinary tract infection and hairballs are common ailments in cats. You can purchase food specifically designed to control hairballs.

Urinary tract infection is more common with male cats that havent been neutered, although females can suffer from this problem as well. This is the normal cause as to why a cat stops using the litter box. One symptom that your cat may have a UTI is strong smelling urine, and if this symptom is there they need to go to the vet. Your veterinarian can prescribe medicine to treat the problem, and can give you advice on avoiding the problem in the future.

Nowadays, vaccines are available to treat the disease, feline leukemia, which used to be the greatest cause of death in cats in the past. To treat the disease, your cat will need to be given the shot before he or she is exposed. Even though death doesnt happen immediately, cats that are exposed to feline leukemia normally don't have a long life span. If you know your cat has feline leukemia, you should never allow other cats around him, as the virus is highly contagious.

To protect your cat, you should always make sure that you take him to the vet for his regular check ups. If you keep him up to date on his vaccinations, he should lead a healthy and productive life. Although some health problems can't be avoided, most of them can. If you take cat care seriously, take him to the vet and keep him healthy he will be your companion for years to come.