Strategies to help with training challenges
- The first (and preferable) strategy only works if you can keep a close
eye on your cat. My bathroom door was visible from where I
sat at my computer in my room, so this worked great for me. Close the
door to the bathroom, wait until the cat wants into the bathroom, then
open the door and place the cat in the litter. The cat
may reject it several times, looking for other spots, even for up to an hour
or two. But the time will come when the cat must go, and you will be
there to place the cat on the toilet when it happens.
- If you can't watch the cat due to having to sleep or leaving the house,
you can simply lock the cat in the bathroom. I never had to do this
myself at this stage, because my cat had absolutely no problem
with a simple change of location - he was just happy that he could still stand
in the litter. However, I did have to resort to this several times in later
stages, so it's good to know about. If the cat chooses to go on the floor
instead of in the salad bowl, try cleaning
up the mess and wiping it with vinegar or cat spray afterward to discourage
the cat from going in that place again.
- If the cat goes poop somewhere in the house, you can also try what
Kelly K. from Gardnerville, NV tried. She wrote to me that she was going
to quit the training if the cat continued pooping on the carpet, but,
"Yesterday once again another pile [of poop]
on the carpet, and instead of just picking it up and throwing it away as I
usually do, and thank goodness it's firm, I picked it up and put it in the
toilad bowl and slightly covered it with the sand hoping she would get the
hint. Then I left it there all day until she used it again to pee. Then
last night I went ahead and scooped it out, and guess what? She pooped in
the toilad bowl today!!!!!"
I think that most cats will have no problem with going in the litter bowl in
the toilet, and hopefully none of the above measures will have to be taken
at this stage.
Once the cat has gone successfully 2-3 days in a row in the toilet salad bowl
(or the "toilad bowl" - just be sure not to confuse this with your real salad
bowl), go on to Phase II.