Mary Allen
Movies and internet videos occasionally show cats using the toilet. While it is indeed possible to train your cat to use the toilet with special training seats, the question arises as to whether this makes sense. Here you get more information.
The cat ‘Mr. Jinx’ from the film “My Bride, Her Father and I” caused many laughs as he had the extraordinary ability to use the toilet and flush afterward. However, before you get the idea to try this, you should heed the following tips.
When Cats Use the Toilet: Benefits for the Owner
At first glance, there may actually be some benefits for cat owners if the pet doesn’t need a litter box and shares the toilet with humans. There is no longer any need to buy cat litter, to clean the litter box regularly and the velvet paw no longer distributes cat litter in the apartment. This theoretically reduces unpleasant odors.
On closer inspection, however, these advantages turn out to be an illusion, because cats can learn to use the human toilet, but not to flush afterward or to lift and close the toilet lid. This means that the lid must always remain open and the bathroom door always ajar. When your cat has done its business, it stays in the bowl until you come to flush it. The open lid allows all kinds of germs to spread unhindered in the area. And if you have to go to the toilet yourself, there may still be leftovers from your pet in there.
Using the Toilet is Unnatural for Cats: Disadvantages for the Animal
For your cat, using the toilet is only associated with disadvantages. It totally goes against their nature and instincts to use people’s sanitation facilities. Cats are very discreet when defecating and like to have a quiet, hidden spot to do it. They also bury their droppings so their smell doesn’t give away their whereabouts – a holdover from their time in the wild when they always had to be on the lookout for predators.
Breaking the habit of this instinctive behavior means enormous stress for your velvet paw. The feeling of stress persists when she uses the toilet as she has to fight against her nature. Furthermore, it is extremely uncomfortable for cats when they don’t have a quiet place to themselves and have to share it with other creatures. If several house tigers live together and they all use the same toilet, the animals feel very uncomfortable, especially when it comes to the human toilet. Possible consequences are, for example, uncleanliness or the risk that your cat no longer dares to go to the toilet and develops urinary crystals.
Why the Litter Box Makes More Sense for the Owner Too
The advantages of using the toilet for cats are therefore limited. With a few simple measures, the dreaded disadvantages of a litter box can be easily remedied. Unpleasant odors only occur if the litter box is not cleaned often enough. A mat in front of the litter box and a different type of cat litter that does not stick to the paws will help against the cat litter in the apartment.
Bottom Line: Allowing your cat to go about its business naturally takes a little effort and a manageable expense on the kitty litter. Not only does this make your pet feel more comfortable and stay healthier, but it’s also much more hygienic for you. After each visit to the toilet, you can calmly close the lid and flush, so that fewer germs spread in the bathroom. It is therefore advisable to refrain from toilet training your cat.