Have you ever thought about teaching your cat to use the toilet? Despite seeming very convenient, the potential risks of this practice may outweigh any benefits, according to experts in feline behavior.
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To begin with, the shape of the toilet bowl may place unnecessary pressure on your cat’s hind legs. Balancing on a plastic ring requires much more effort than squatting in a relatively stable litter box.
“They like to be on a very soft surface when they do [poop] because their paws are super sensitive,” explained Sarah Ellis, head of cat behavior and mental welfare at the International Cat Care organization, in conversation with Inverse.
Additionally, the use of the toilet also deprives owners of important health information that the litter box provides, warned Marci Koski, a feline behavior specialist from Feline Behavior Solutions, to Inverse.
The frequency, consistency, and color of urine and stool provide important insights into their overall health. “Many feline diseases and problems show up first in the litter box. If you don’t clean the litter box daily, you miss the signs your cat may be giving you that something is wrong,” she said.
This is especially true as cats age. For example, some cats have particularly sensitive kidneys, which are more likely to fail in old age. At this point, you may start to see an increase in urination frequency.
On the other hand, the toilet training also eliminates a certain set of natural bathroom behaviors of cats. “They like to bury everything they produce,” Ellis explained.
This behavior stems from generations of cats trying to cover their tracks from potential predators as well as from other cats against parasites in their feces. According to Ellis, some cats may even try to dip their paws in the water to finish the job.
Toilet training can also create psychological stress for cats, especially if you completely remove the litter box from the house. “Choice is very important for cats,” Koski stated.
“If you leave a litter box outside, you’ll likely see that your cat is choosing to use the litter box instead of the toilet because it’s more comfortable for him. It better meets his instinctual needs.”
Cats are certainly capable of learning to use the toilet, but that doesn’t mean using the toilet is better than letting them do exactly what they should do. “It’s just not natural for cats to do this. I don’t like it when we force cats or any other animal to do things that really aren’t within their purview,” emphasized Koski.
This content was created with the assistance of AI.
