It appears to me that there are two way to approach commode training: Make the commode into a litter box or make the litter box into a commode. The former requires that you give up one of your toilets until training is complete, and the latter requires the acquisition of an additional toilet seat.
Training will go more smoothly if your cat is already using a litter box located in the bathroom. You can add the toilet seat to the litter box and gradually increase the height of the sides of the box until your cat is used to standing on the toilet seat and urinating and defecating into the litter below. Litter can eventually be replaced by water. Hopefully, the cat will adjust to the regular toilet after he has been trained to use the makeshift one.
I noticed that petstores carry a toliet-training kit. The one I looked at consists of a plastic form that fits between the toliet seat and porcelain toilet rim; inside the form is a compartment for litter containing holes that allow urine to drain through. A packet of catnip makes the litter more attractive. If you are creative, you can make your own version of the kit. After turning the toilet into a litter box, gradually reduce the litter contained in the box portion until the cat becomes used to urinating and defecating directly into the water in the toilet bowl. If your training goes too rapidly and the cat backslides, so to speak, or if the cat actually falls into the toilet, you'll probably have to start over with your training.
It's efficient, I suppose, to have all household members, including the cat, use the expensive Kohler plumbing fixtures. I would prefer, however, a cat that could take the toilet brush, Sani-Flush and Ajax ,and clean those bathroom fixtures. Now, that would be a real potty-training accomplishment. |
