Should I toilet train my cat?

[smile123]

Should I start toilet training my cat? There seems to be a lot of controversy about this, so I decided to ask on here. She poops and pees regularly in her litter box and it is already in the bathroom. if you have tried it, is it worth the effort?

 

[molly92]

I have no experience with it myself. The one ethical concern I do know about is that if your cat has access to the outdoors has caught any rodents in the past few months, there's a chance they could be carrying the toxoplasmosis parasite which is shed in feces, and if it's flushed, it can get into the streams and rivers and infect animals that do not handle it as well as cats. I think otters are the main species at risk. (It's also the reason pregnant women are warned to stay away from cat litter boxes.) It takes about 2 weeks after a cat has been infected to start shedding eggs, and then that only lasts for another 2 weeks, so if it's been a couple of months since possible exposure it's not likely the cat feces poses a threat to the environment.

 

[smile123]

My cat does have access to the outdoors but on,y when she is walked on a leash, could she have toxoplasmosis?

 

[Geoffrey]

My cat does have access to the outdoors but on,y when she is walked on a leash, could she have toxoplasmosis?

Smile 123,

I am a human physician, not a veterinarian, but I understand that Toxoplasmosis Gondii eggs are transmitted by eating infected small mammals or faecally infected meat and this is most unlikely when the cat is on the leash.

With regards,

Geoffrey

 

[belochka]

The way animals get infected by toxoplasma is sort of similar to raccoon roundworm, which is shed in feces as well. But it is not necessary for the animal to actually eat raccoon poop - normal healthy animals who aren't starving or ill will not eat another species' poop generally (which is different within the same species or when they eat their own).
Moreover, humans for sure do not eat raccoon poop, yet can contract the worm if they touch contaminated surfaces, or did some gardening and digged in contaminated dirt and didn't wash their hands thoroughly; or if dogs and cats bring on their paws.

Likewise with toxoplasma - Even if they do not eat it directly, they may get it on their paws, under nails, on their noses if they sniff dirt contaminated with it.

So yes it is possible to get infected while on a leash. Maybe the chances are not as high as for free roaming cats, but still there.

 

[jclark]

Should I start toilet training my cat? There seems to be a lot of controversy about this, so I decided to ask on here. She poops and pees regularly in her litter box and it is already in the bathroom. if you have tried it, is it worth the effort?

I say go for it  !!!!

 

[smile123]

I think I'm going to try it. I've started moving her litter box a little higher by putting a book underneath. Would the CitiKitty kit or the litterkwitter method work better?

 

[jclark]

Not sure. I would just to a google search on it and look at whatever comes up. The toilet kit had interested me, but my wife was always against the idea.

 

[Geoffrey]

The way animals get infected by toxoplasma is sort of similar to raccoon roundworm, which is shed in feces as well. But it is not necessary for the animal to actually eat raccoon poop - normal healthy animals who aren't starving or ill will not eat another species' poop generally (which is different within the same species or when they eat their own).
Moreover, humans for sure do not eat raccoon poop, yet can contract the worm if they touch contaminated surfaces, or did some gardening and digged in contaminated dirt and didn't wash their hands thoroughly; or if dogs and cats bring on their paws.

Likewise with toxoplasma - Even if they do not eat it directly, they may get it on their paws, under nails, on their noses if they sniff dirt contaminated with it.

So yes it is possible to get infected while on a leash. Maybe the chances are not as high as for free roaming cats, but still there.

Yes, you are right and I stand corrected.  I had forgotten about contaminating their paws.

With regards,

Geoffrey

 

[belochka]

Yes, you are right and I stand corrected.  I had forgotten about contaminating their paws.
With regards,
Geoffrey

Oh, I wasn't correcting you, Geoffrey, just sharing something I know . So it's all good, but it was nice of you to post. Thank you!

 

[raina21]

I have always wondered about toilet training as well. Litter gets quite annoying to scoop multiple times a day. But I have 3 cats and I assume it would be a LOT of work to toilet train all of them.


I just thought of another "con" for toilet training: It would be harder for senoir/older kitties to use the toilet because many cats get arthritis as they age, making jumping/climbing painful. So even if you toilet trained your cat, you'd likely have to switch them back to litter in their later years.

 

[smile123]

It seems like the cons outweigh the pros so I don't think I will do it now. Maybe later on