Potty Trained Cat Toilet Flusher

[jsetopani]

I have five great cats and often work late or am out of town, so am trying to potty train them. I have been pretty successful right off with two of them using a toilet training kit and am now working on the other three. As with everything cats, they tend to watch the others and learn even more quickly. However, as this potty training project has progressed, it has quickly become apparent that while the cats can learn to use the toilet well enough, they can't ever actually flush it . . . duh!

So after some further research, I found this great automatic toilet flusher called the FlushMinder. It is designed for human use, but with a little ingenuity, I simply mounted the sensor on the open toilet lid so it would detect the cats and viola . . . automatic flushing!

I was worried that it might actually scare away the cats, but the motor on it flushes the toilet slowly and quietly so they don't run off prematurely. In fact, several of them come back to watch and listen to the whole flush thing, so guess they like it too. Not sure I can post the link for it here, but just search the "FlushMinder" on Amazon or at Water Saver Products, LLC and you will find it. Let me know how it works for you and if you have any tips or ideas . . . Judy

 

[Neo_23]

We are actually just having a conversation about toilet training in this thread: Toilet training.

My concern with toilet training is that owners should be observing their cat's poop and pee. It's the main way we know when something is wrong with them.. so having a toilet flush on it's own really doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

That's what would worry me, as well, although given your work schedule, I can see why toilet training your cats would appeal.

 

[jsetopani]

Oh yeah, I do monitor their "output" periodically with the litter box. When I need to do that, I just put the litter box beside the toilet and close the lid so they can't use the toilet. As we know, cats are pretty tolerant of moving the litter box around and find it easily. My toilet trained cats will go back and forth without problem and it sure is nice to have the toilet as an option most of the time because it saves a lot cost on litter and is much less hassle.

 

[Neo_23]

As we know, cats are pretty tolerant of moving the litter box around and find it easily.

Really? Because this is usually one of the reasons why cats stop using their litter box.

What’s the point of toilet training if you’re still going to use a litter box? And how are you monitoring their daily bathroom activities if you’re not using the litter box every day? You’re lucky your cats will use both. That sounds like a gamble and I can see it going very wrong for some cats.

 

[jsetopani]

In my experience (35 years and many cats) they find the litter box by smell, not location. I generally keep mine in the guest bath, but when I have a guest, I move it to the laundry room or kitchen and have done that for years with no problems. I consider the potty training an interesting experiment which may or may not work out long term. I explained my reasons for trying it and just putting it out there for anyone else who may have interest. Even if successful with all five cats, I still do plan to continue using and monitoring the litter box periodically, but don't consider that a daily requirement with healthy cats.

 

[Neo_23]

In my experience (35 years and many cats) they find the litter box by smell, not location. I generally keep mine in the guest bath, but when I have a guest, I move it to the laundry room or kitchen and have done that for years with no problems. I consider the potty training an interesting experiment which may or may not work out long term. I explained my reasons for trying it and just putting it out there for anyone else who may have interest. Even if successful with all five cats, I still do plan to continue using and monitoring the litter box periodically, but don't consider that a daily requirement with healthy cats.

Well I’m glad you found something that works for you but I still feel that toilet training is unnecessary and doesn’t benefit cats. And the reason for daily monitoring of toilet habits is to know what is normal for your cat so you can judge when something is abnormal. If you’re only monitoring once in a while then you can’t really judge if something is abnormal or “off.”

Also, I’m still getting the sense that this is a promotional post and you work for the product flushminder.

 

[jsetopani]

For me, it will benefit my cats because when I have to leave them a day or 2, the litter box won't get loaded to the point where they get stressed and won't use it all, which is why I looked into this initially. Also, with 5 cats, I go through a lot of litter which is costly, seems wasteful and requires a lot of cleaning. Obviously, anyone not comfortable with it for any reason - especially you - shouldn't try it. But a lot of us have to be gone for work sometimes and this might work out. And no, I work for an insurance company, not any cat supply place. That's my third cat Casper on the toilet there . . . he's a big boy and makes big duty!

 

[Neo_23]

For me, it will benefit my cats because when I have to leave them a day or 2, the litter box won't get loaded to the point where they get stressed and won't use it all, which is why I looked into this initially. Also, with 5 cats, I go through a lot of litter which is costly, seems wasteful and requires a lot of cleaning. Obviously, anyone not comfortable with it for any reason - especially you - shouldn't try it. But a lot of us have to be gone for work sometimes and this might work out. And no, I work for an insurance company, not any cat supply place. That's my third cat Casper on the toilet there . . . he's a big boy and makes big duty!

I think it would be cheaper and less stressful for cats to just leave out extra litter boxes when you are away for a couple days rather than try to toilet train them and spend 150$ on a toilet flusher. But that’s just me...
Anyway, do whatever works for you.

Interesting you made an account just to talk about the flush minder and have it in your profile pic too.

 

[jsetopani]

I joined this forum to hopefully find out more about cat potty training. Not seeing much, I started with my own story which I thought was an interesting and unique opener vs the same-old same-old "hi there" stuff. From all the product advertising I see on here for things that may or may not be useful to me or anyone or that even applies to cats at all, I certainly thought it appropriate to mention what I was doing and with what. I assumed this was an open forum for the exchange of ideas. I certainly didn't realize that potty training was such a touchy subject and that my legitimacy for even being here would be repeatedly questioned by some "Alpha Cat", so you'll be my first test of the "ignore feature". Friendly people please advise further if you have useful info . . . Thanks, Judy

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I'm sorry this went so off-track. I do want you to know that the term "Alpha Cat" has to do ONLY with the number of posts, and infers nothing about expertise or special standing in this community.

Personally, I don't get toilet training cats, but everyone knows their own situation best, so to each his own, and if you are going to toilet train them, your flusher idea was genius.

 

[Kieka]

Interesting idea to toilet train and ingenious use of a product designed for humans. I know enough people want to do it to create specialized products for it to be a thing but I tend to side with Jackson Galaxy on this one Why You Should Not Toilet Train Your Cat. I also have those cats who will continue to pee in a particular spot if I move the litter box so I don't know if the statement about moving it is really a universal thing. I am a little jealous that you can; there has been more then one "just ignore the box" comment in my home when we have a box out (mine are indoor/outdoor so the box is only during as needed times).
That said, congratulations on finding a solution that works for you and I will on the subject as a whole.