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• FAQ
• Ask Millie

Q:  How old does a cat have to be to try "toilet training"?

A:  A very young kitten would likely not have enough balance or coordination to jump and sit on the edge of your toilet seat, so my sense is you need to wait until she can reliably jump up on counters, sofas, the dinner table etc. before you start this project.

Q:  How long did it take you before your cat was completely trained?

A:  The short answer is about two months.  But we still encounter an "accident" every now and again especially if we leave a bath mat down on the floor.

Q:  I completed all of the steps and my cat seemed "good" for a while but then started to poop on the floor instead of the toilet, what can I do?

A:  I've read that this is not uncommon, and in fact our Millie seems to much prefer pooping in the tub if we leave the glass doors open.  And in the beginning she certainly had a propensity for using the tile floor NEXT to the toilet.  To "solve" this we placed empty plastic bottles around the commode, leaving only a narrow path for her to make her way over and up on to the seat.  Once this seemed to be working well we gradually removed the bottles.  Another approach is to move her water or food bowl close to the "accident" area.  For us, we tried providing her "post-potty-cat-treat" on the floor where she had been going and this also seemed to help.  Which leads us to the next question ....

Q:  What about giving the cat rewards/treats for good behavior?

A:  Critics will say that if you give your kitty a "treat" when she uses the toilet then she will come to expect this every time.  But really, I'd consider giving my cat lobster if I didn't have to ever change another litter box!  So when Millie uses the potty she tends to sit by the vanity waiting for a cat treat, and we don't mind at all giving one (or 2 or 3) to her for being so kind.