I didn't have to do this. Russell did it all by himself one day and in the most awkward position. I now keep the cover down on the toilet seat and the door firmly closed. I would rather he uses the litter rather than have the risk of him falling into the toilet.
Toilet Training your cat is possible, but it depends on your situation. I was never able to get all 5 of my cats to use the potty, so as long as there was a litter box around they would go for that instead of the potty.