10 unusual ways to use cat litter

If the owner is not satisfied with a regular cat litter box for aesthetic reasons and the cost of constantly purchasing litter, there is the option of using toilet seat covers for cats. This intermediate remedy will help teach how to go to the human toilet when needed. This will take from 2 weeks to a month depending on the nature of the pet.

Such designs come in different configurations and sizes, but the principle of operation and purpose are the same for all models. But there are some restrictions on the use of devices.

Why is such a sophisticated design needed?

A toilet seat for cats is a kind of habituator that helps the animal change its stable habit of going to the litter box. As a result, the owner solves the following problems:

• The unpleasant odor of urine, which is present in the house even when using special fillers, is eliminated.
• The cleanliness of the premises is maintained. No garbage is formed, as when a cat scoops up feces in a tray, which is then not carried around the room on its paws and fur.
• Money is saved. The filler is needed only at the stage of accustoming the cat to the toilet, when the seat stand is actively used. The rest of the time you can refuse it, as well as the educational system itself.

Varieties

You can purchase a Little Kwitter product for your pet.
Pet stores offer toilet bowl attachments for cats of different models and manufacturers:

• "Domakot";
• "Anti-scratch";
• "Unicot";
• Litter Kwitter;
• Citi Kitty Cat Toilet Training Kit;
• "WAKA."

Single and reusable

Disposable liners are shallow plastic trays with marked boundaries. The shape is identical to the toilet hole. Holes from smaller to larger diameters are cut according to the marks. Reusable - a system of trays or rings nested inside each other. Each section has a different diameter. They are simply removed and subsequently inserted back. This allows you to return to the previous circle, if suddenly the cat cannot yet move on to the next one. There is a drawback to such a system - the rings differ greatly in diameter, which can frighten the pet.

Homemade

Do-it-yourself overlays have the same operating principle. The basis is a piece of plastic of sufficient thickness. To ensure that the structure does not ride on the toilet rim, you need to think about the fastenings and sides. As the cat gets used to it, circles are cut out. You can use a cat potty as a base, but you need to figure out how to attach it to the toilet.

Complex for training cats

The special complex is a convenient product, but not all owners have yet appreciated it.
A modern model that has not yet found mass distribution.
It is a tray with filler installed on the rim of a human toilet. When the cat relieves itself and begins to bury feces, a hole is formed. As you use the tray, the hole will expand. This way the animal will regulate the diameter itself, which will eliminate fright from a sudden change in the size of the cat litter. Can be used once for one cat.

How to make a toilet for a cat with your own hands: plastic design

Making a plastic “toilet” for a cat is not at all difficult and does not take long. Some complicated tools won't be useful either. So, to make a “latrine” for a catfish, you will need:

• Plastic container (bath, construction basin).
• Marker, masking tape.
• Hacksaw. It can be replaced with a jigsaw or grinder.
• Coarse sandpaper or file.
• Acrylic paint.

1. Take a suitable plastic container.
2. Mark the cut location with a marker or tape. You choose the height of the sides yourself, depending on the age, size and individual characteristics of your pet predator.
3. Cut off all excess using a jigsaw, hacksaw or grinder. It is not advisable to use scissors for this purpose, as the material may crack.
4. Clean the cut areas with sandpaper or a file.
5. If desired, paint the container with acrylic paint (preferably from a spray can).

Important! If you take a closed plastic container and cut an entrance into it, you will get a cozy “toilet-house” for a shy pet.

Advantages and disadvantages

The strengths of the toilet attachment for retraining a cat to go not to the tray, but to the common toilet, is that the owner significantly saves both on cleaning time and money. You won't need to regularly clean up after your cat by removing debris around her litter box, wiping and washing her paws and fur, and sweeping the floor around her litter box. Modern designs of training systems are distinguished by ease of use and reusability (if you select the appropriate model of the pad), and the ability to control the process of adaptation of the animal.

The disadvantages include a small, but still significant degree of danger of the pet falling into the toilet or onto the floor due to its clumsiness. This method of training is completely unsuitable for kittens, pregnant cats and old cats. Despite the apparent hygiene, you still have to wash off the fluffy one, since he doesn’t know how to do it on his own. The lid must always be raised. The plastic won’t survive either, so the toilet seat will take on a sloppy appearance, since the cat’s claws will definitely leave marks. If you do not wash the headband, there is a risk of bacterial infection in a person with a weakened immune system.

When training a cat to go to the toilet, the animal learns not to scoop up its own feces, and this is against nature, i.e., from the nature of the animal. Felinologists cannot guess how this will affect the pet’s character.

What requirements must a cat litter box meet?

To choose the best toilet for your pet, you need to evaluate the following parameters:

• Size and strength. You should not buy a tray for growth, because it is difficult for the baby to climb over the high sides. When choosing a device, you need to check its strength so that it does not bend under the weight of your palm. You should not buy a container that is too large, for which it is difficult to find a secluded place in the apartment.
• Safety. A quality product does not smell. To ensure the safety of the material, you need to ask the seller to provide a product quality certificate. The surface of the structure must be smooth. Sharp edges that could injure the animal are not allowed.

Closed toilet house

• Ease of cleaning. It is necessary to avoid purchasing products with recesses and an uneven surface: they are difficult to wash, since plaque forms in hard-to-reach places and recesses. To make toilet maintenance easier, it is recommended to pay attention to electric self-cleaning models. Of course, automatic toilets also need to be washed periodically, and they are much more expensive than classic trays, but thanks to them, there is practically no unpleasant odor from cat feces and urine in the apartment.

• Hygiene. For an adult cat, you need to choose a box with high sides: even the neatest pet scatters the litter, so you need to place a rubber mat in front of the tray. For animals that zealously dig into pellets, it is recommended to buy a closed toilet in the form of a house.

Recommendations for selection

If the owner has a well-fed pet, then the design of the product should be durable.
When deciding to buy toilet nozzles, it is important to decide on the model and manufacturer. In addition to personal preferences, it is worth considering the cat’s character traits. If this is a fairly well-fed pet, then it is recommended to select a design with fairly dense plastic. At the same time, the diameter of the holes in the cover is not always important; sometimes the cat doesn’t even notice any special differences.

The optimal choice is to choose trays for reusable use. In this case, it remains possible to return to the previous stage if, for certain reasons, training becomes more difficult. Moreover, such trays must be of high quality without chemical odors, so as not to scare away the animal. A very interesting solution is to equip the systems with special fillers that attract cats, as well as instructions.

How does a self-cleaning smart toilet work?

This model involves periodic self-cleaning of excrement. The automatic cat litter box makes noise during operation, so the system starts the cleaning process some time after the pet has gone to the toilet. Depending on the degree of automation of cleaning, there are 2 types of “smart” toilets:

Self-cleaning litter box for cats

• Fully autonomous models . These automatic cat litter boxes are connected to the power grid, central water supply and sewerage system and operate according to a schedule set by a person. Touch sensors monitor the humidity level of the litter and the presence of the pet in the toilet and start the cleaning process 10-15 seconds after the animal leaves it. These toilets are valued for their maximum ease of use, which does not require constant human attention, but are expensive and require uninterrupted operation of communication systems.
• Semi-automatic models. In this case, the toilet is connected only to the electrical network. An electronic device periodically sifts the litter, removing excrement into a waste drawer and liquid into a reservoir. These models cost less than stand-alone ones, but to operate them you need to buy special bags for collecting feces. Semi-automatic toilets need to be cleaned periodically: liquids daily, feces weekly.

Training: features and advice from experienced breeders

A cat trainer for cats will be effective if used correctly. The rules are as follows:

• Immediately next to the toilet, place a tray familiar to the pet, gradually raising it to the appropriate level using improvised means (books, boxes, etc.). At the same time, the filler is changed to one that can be flushed down the toilet. This is relevant if the cat went on silica gel, for example.
• As the pet adapts, the tray rises to the level of the toilet rim, which allows you to move it directly onto it.
• When the cat confidently walks on the tray, without noticing the seat of the human toilet, you can place the selected training system and fill it with the filler familiar to the animal. If you choose the Litter Kwitter complex, then as you get used to it, you will simply need to expand the diameter of the pad by removing the corresponding rings. If it is “Domakot” or “Anti-scratch”, then you will need to cut the corresponding holes according to the marks.
• As ring sizes decrease, it is important to reduce the amount of filler. As the desired result is achieved (usually after 10-14 days), the cat can completely switch to using the toilet instead of the tray.

DIY wooden cat tray

As already mentioned, this is a temporary option. You can use a box made of plywood or boards as a “bathroom” for the mustachioed tabby.

So, you will need:

• Boards or plywood sheets.
• File, jigsaw.
• Screwdriver.
• Screws or self-tapping screws.
• Metal corners.
• Thick waterproof film.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Make a sketch or drawing of the future product, taking into account the dimensions and configuration. It can be a rectangle or a triangular structure (for placement in a corner).
2. Cut out 3 or 4 (depending on the configuration) sides for the future tray. Fasten them together using screws or self-tapping screws.
3. Cut out the bottom and attach it to the frame using corners.
4. Cover the bottom of the product with film and fill it with filler.

Restrictions on use

Accustoming pets to the human toilet should begin after they reach 3 months.
Despite the safety and environmental friendliness, the kit for training a cat to walk on a toilet seat has contraindications. Not recommended in the following cases:

• kittens up to 3 months;
• cat pregnancy period;
• severe consequences of cat injuries when limbs do not function or are missing;
• the pet has arthrosis, diseases of the genitourinary system or digestive tract.

The time it takes to toilet train a cat is determined by the pet's personality. If this is a timid cat, then you need to be patient - it may take at least a month. But for a curious animal - no more than 2 weeks. Experts remind that it is important not to forget about the size of the cat; for a large animal it is worth purchasing a dense and solid device.