Why cat poops on the floor instead in toilet?

happylilkitty said:

I agree I have seen where alot of people like us are having the same problem with there cats and I don't know what to do about it either wish someone had a answer. And to the one who says its cats nature to use the litter box WRONG you can teach a child to learn how you think serves animals are trained you think they were born with that knowledge? I have been around animals my hole life and there smarter than most humans. 

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The answer has been offered repeatedly in this thread

If your cat refuses to use the toilet, s/he is telling you s/he is not going to use the toilet. Give your cat some litter boxes, and stop trying to force the issue, or you are going to have life long behavior problems and most likely health problems, too. Holding pee because there is no appropriate place for the cat to go causes urinary tract infections and kidney infections. Holding poop for the same reason leads to constipation and megacolon.

Cats are fastidious creatures. The stress of not having an appropriate place to eliminate, the type of place the cats INSTINCTS are telling him (or her) he needs, will cause the kitty to be miserable, more prone to illness, and more prone to behavior problems.

I don't believe in toilet training cats. I have stated my reasons in this thread, including the fact that their bodies aren't designed to hold the kind of crouch and balance they must hold on a toilet.

But if a cat takes to it, well aren't you lucky. If a cat has made it clear he cannot adjust to it, stop trying, and let him be a cat.

.

Hello everyone, I'm new here and want to share my experience with this so far.  I'm not trying to steal the thread or beat a dead cat by any means.

With regards to OP's post I'm going through something similar.  I'm toilet training a cat using the ringed seat system and have somewhat failed.  He was doing pretty good using the toilet system, but only once in a while he marked a place in the house with urine.  A month or so goes by and I had to go out of town for a week.  When I came back I found he had urinated and poo'd on my bed, on my clothes, on my furniture, on his stuff... well you get the idea (I had someone stop by a few times so it wasn't everywhere all fresh but I still had to clean and finally throw away a lot of stuff).  He was saying "you left me I'm mad".  I get it.  Short re-run and he was back on the toilet. 

For the record this cat has shown me he can pee and poo in the toilet with or without me watching.  I've completely taken the toilet kit off  with him using it fine.  Then he started using the tub to pee and toilet to poo.  This went on for another almost 2 months.  Not right, but at least he's keeping it in the bathroom.  I went out of town again for a week and this time he didn't go everywhere in the house.  I also had a better person watching this time.  A couple of months go by and here we are.  This morning he peed in the toilet while I was brushing my teeth right in front of him.  The other day he poo'd in the toilet while I was brushing my teeth. 

What I'm realizing now is that he likes the tub better.  First the peeing, and now the pooing.  He's starting to do both in it more often and the more I try to get him to the toilet, the more he looks at me with that look (eyes almost closed, ears perked back almost saying I know what you want- but I'm going to act like I don't hear or see you).  I wouldn't have an issue with this but after he's done he's tracking it around the house- especially the urine.  This is mostly because he urinates on the opposite side of the tub's drain, and therefor it runs and gets on his paws.  He knows I don't him using the tub because he runs as soon I catch him in there.

Today after I come home he drops a load in there.  I see paw marks in the tub from him trying to cover it up and marking the tub slightly. 

I can't stand the idea that this guy is slowly contaminating what "was" my brand new carpet.  He used the a covered litter box in the bathroom prior to all this but that wasn't a whole lot better because litter was being tracked everywhere and the bathroom was always a mess.  I would see litter clunked in his claws and it just didn't seem like the overall best solution.  I cleaned his business every morning.  Once a week or so I cleaned it out completely.  I tried the floor mat for litter thing but it didn't seem to solve the problem either.  I picked this guy off the street and we have about a 6 month relationship going.  He gives me obvious signs he likes me and trusts me and everything is pretty much peachy.  Although I can't say I'm not getting second thoughts on this whole situation if we can't work this out. 

My theories on this are:

The toilet is uncomfortable (he has to perch, hold, and use his muscles).  Although the special seat provided should help remedy this.

The toilet doesn't flush unless I flush it therefor if I'm not there he can't get rid of it.  (The tub isn't any better at this)

The toilet water sometimes splashes when being used.

He doesn't like to pee/poo in the same place.

The toilet isn't clean enough (I'm conscience of this and keep it clean).

He doesn't want to go where I go.  (I remove his toilet seat though)

The tub is more private.

You can't slip standing in the tub.

The cat is telling you he does not like the arrangements you are making for him. Honestly, I think you are going to have to go back to a litter box (or preferably, two). AS for mats, try different ones - there are some door mats that really do work to stop mud and dirt being trampled thropugh the house and are machine washable. Or stand the litter box inside a larger plastic tray/box with a mat in it. That should work. I know some cats will use the toilet - I had one once that taught himself - I found him doing it one day, but he also used a box. The majority will not, or are very unhappy doing it, which can lead to other problems.

This may be so,  Once he again he used it this morning for a dump.  

I'm realizing that maybe I need to clean the inside of the bowl a little better.  I was more concerned with the outside and where he actually touches.  I notice that he sticks his head in there- and maybe there are left overs that pushes him away.  It's a work in progress.

He is telling you the toilet is not working for him. Please, give your cat a couple of litter boxes and let him poop and pee as his instincts tell him he should. Let him be a cat, and enjoy everything about him that makes him a cat.

If you continue to try to force him, what you will have is an unhappy relationship with your cat instead of a deep rewarding bond.

You will also have a cat with behavior problems and eventually health problems, because stress, including the stress of not having an appropriate place to eliminate, makes cats sick.

My Siamese diva ti have 4 but tthis kitty is the alpha diva whose mama used the toilet on her own terms and knows that when she uses the litter bilox, she waits for me, husband or cat sitter to come and wash her pass off. As someone said, would yougo to the bathroom and NOT wash after? I see many patients in one day and always wash my hands -not just alcohol and cleaning mix which has been becoming a drug problem in middle schools. (Scary I know!!!). Mama goes about 50-50 and it seemed ok to me until I started agreeing a few get council meetings and trading journal material on lexis nexus and efondrrdd who I was to change hoe cats have lived for mellenia. Ergo, her kittens (she was a rescued Siamese purebred with papers and the breeder had died and the human who owned her asked Irving would take her and find homes) . I kept 2 babies (now 6 yo) and my office mgr the other. I could not imagine being apart from such sweet kitties I had helped raise!! The 4 th is a flighty cat rescued as a kitten -also a meezer -by some firefighters who brought her to me. (I have a Rep as a go to meezer person I guess) . But this Kitty Imho is telling you quite clearly I would venture to suggest that she does not like this method whether it is one or more or a combo of the elements enumerated here so I would listen to her. Plus, even when I asked about my darling mama using the toilet, the former owner said she was always told by the CFA and other groups to keep the litter box for when a cat is ill ot other problems. Makeweight sense to me. Good luck!!

Miss Kitty is struggling a bit with training. The turkey pan is often suggested, but it lost integrity, so it slipped a little. Not right in or anything, but enough to scare her out of her original success with it.

I am restarting with her. If the cat shits on the floor, its not ready to move on. Restart until it is totally comfortable with a step. Miss Kitty is pooing on the floor, and peeing in the toilet about 70% of the time.

The biggest thing I think that makes it difficult is that cats may be uncomfortable balancing while taking a dump. I know they use their tails to balance, but have to lift it to poo.

Miss Kitty is also a toilet drinker

What I did was get her used to a smaller dish first. pie plate, then smaller, so she learns to aim.

then bough a cheap toilet seat lid and pulled out the power tools and cut a small circle in it. To fit on of those 5" dollar store strainers. so there's litter, but it's too small for her to stand in, and she has to hear it hit the water.

so when people are done using the can, they put the lid down to provide a nice wide surface she can sit and aim on. Her aim is good and she seems comfortable.

with the strainer, you just reduce the litter and then eventually take away the strainer

My cats, Mimi and Ziggy are going quite well now. I think I was pushing them foward too fast. Also, I changed methods twice, which was not a good idea. I am using plastic bowls that fit the toilet with a hole on them, where I fit a ever increasing plastic cup. They have enough litter to attrack my digger, Ziggy. Mimi always aims for the hole, but he still needs to dig... I expect to spend one to two weeks in each phase. For two cats, with different personalities, you may need around 3 month traning. Good luck.

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«An answer those that say teaching cats to use the toilet is not natural: having cats in an apartment is not natural and having cats poop in a box is not natural. But, still, you do it... Cats' muscles do no suffer from positioning in the toilet - in fact they assume a very similar position to the one they take in the litter box or outside. They have excellent balance: my 19 year old cat, Mao, used to poop with the 4 paws on the side of the box (I should have taught him how to use the toilet). In nature they dig to cover they scent from prey or predators. When they understand that water does the same (better, because poop is flushed), they accept the toilet.

Plus some cats do not dig much - like my Mimi - and are really fast to get a hold of it. Others, like my Ziggy, are diggers and you may have to be more patient. For them it is a kind of play  - from which they get treats on top! It is not a kind of punishment or a violation of animal rights like some people are writing on this thread. Of course if the animal shows big behaviour changes and doesn't really want to do it you should not force him.

As for some veterinarians and some pet experts opinion that the toilet is bad for the cat: they are the ones connected with the cat litter brands that make a million on us!

My experience: when I was 6 I visited a friend of the family and saw her cat pee in the toilet. No one taught her: she imitated the small daughter of the owner, that was very surprised.

I am the inventor of the toilet train your cat industry. In 1978 I invented the Kitty Whiz Transfer System, which is what every other system is copying. The problem is Kitty Whiz is flawed. Many if not most cats being toilet trained with it or its copiers are unable to disassociate from the litter in the tray, so they poop on the floor, in a plant on the bed, your shirt, a laundry basket, you get my point.

Here's the good news, I have invented a new product, called byebyelitter.com and it is being manufactured in China as we speak. It will completely toilet train any cat and complete the training of cats which are only partially toilet trained. It is so effective that we guarantee to toilet train any smart cat in only 2 weeks an nay dumb cat in 4. You can visit toilettrainyourcat.com in about 2 weeks an order.

Ernie Hemple

801-615-0880

I read somewhere that cats drowning from falling into toilets head first (not necessarily because they were using it, just climbing on it) is a danger which is why some websites I read pre-adopting my cat recommended making sure I kept my lid shut. 

I can't imagine an able-bodied adult cat not being able to get out of the toilet. Little kittens may drown, sure, and I suppose some disabled cats may have trouble, but not a normal adult cat.

I would keep the lid shut regardless to avoid any drinking of toilet water.

Willowy said:

I can't imagine an able-bodied adult cat not being able to get out of the toilet. Little kittens may drown, sure, and I suppose some disabled cats may have trouble, but not a normal adult cat.

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What if they fall in head first? I'm sure there's a risk they can't get a grip on anything to push themselves out and they might give themselves head or neck trauma flailing? 

matuxaz said:

I am training my cat to poop and urinate on the toilet. He urinates with no problem, but always poops on the floor. I am going REALLY VERY VICIOUS! The toilet is clean, no bad smell, always flushing down the water after cat urinates. Sometimes, when I notice that cat is going to the toilet I also go, so when he tries to poop on the floor I quickly put him on the toilet - he don't gets disturbed by that and makes his "work" perfectly.
P.S.: I ALWAYS REWARD MY CAT WITH TREATS WHEN HE URINATES ON THE TOILET. Even when I put him on the toilet to poop correctly I also give him a small treat, but I NEVER EVER give him treat if he poops on the floor. Also, I never ever yell or shout at my cat if he poops on the floor, just put his poop in the toilet and show him.

Just don't say to (because I already know that):
1) Keep the toilet clean
2) Praise cat after he does everything correctly
3) Go back to litter box, because I WON'T

Any ideas how to make him go poop on the toilet? Please help Thanks in advance!

INFORMATION ABOUT CAT:
Breed: Kurilian Bobtail (shorthair)
Age: 6 months

Sex: Male

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Hi,

I had this same issue when I toilet trained my flamepoint Siamese. I found that he hated how he had to balance on the toilet seat. I solved this for him by replacing my toilet seat with the kind that has the built-in smaller one, typically meant for toilet training toddlers. It gave him a lot more space to sit so he wasn’t teetering on his “tippy toes” so to speak. No more poop on the floor!

In some states, it’s illegal to flush animal waste down the toilet because it messes with the sewage treatment.

Litterboxes are an important part of a cat’s territory marking. Having them go in a toilet reduces a cat’s territorial security. That can lead to a cat pooping and peeing in places we don’t want them to. The experts tell us toilet training a cat is a bad idea. Cats tell us it’s a bad idea. That’s what they call a clue.

The only way to be sure your cat can reliably climb out of a toilet after falling in is to shove your cat in a toilet and see what happens. It’s better to keep the toilet lid shut than subject your cat to that kind of treatment. I’m certain Belle could make her way out of the toilet if she fell in- assuming she doesn’t panic and nothing else goes wrong, such as the lid falling on her head. The odds of that happening are low. But it’s not the odds. It’s the stake. What’s at stake is my cat’s life and health.

By taking Belle into my home, I promised I will keep her safe from harm and give her a comfortable home. That means keeping the toilet lid shut and performing regular litterbox maintenance. As long as I keep my end of the bargain, Belle keeps hers. She’s never gone outside of her litterbox.