How to Potty Train a Cat Without a Litter Box?

There are two traditional strategies for potty training your cat without using a litter box: toilet training and outdoor litter training.

Toilet training is not recommended because it goes against a cat’s natural instinct to bury its waste and may be detrimental to wildlife.

Outdoor litter training is a lot safer choice, but keeping at least one litter box inside the house is always a good idea.

You can potty train your baby kitty by imparting proper knowledge about the use of a bathroom. If he can learn to use the toilet correctly, then it wouldn’t matter much if your cat doesn’t have a litterbox.

Outdoor Potty Training- How Is It Done?

The safest choice for litter-free toileting is to teach your pet to go to the bathroom outdoors, but this has its disadvantages. It’s not as easy as emptying the litter box and opening the door once in a while.

1. Constant Toilet Access

Cats, unlike dogs, need regular access to their “restroom.” This ensures you’ll either have to provide regular access to the outside or keep at least one litter box indoors.

When a cat is required to ‘hold it,’ it may cause severe health problems. And, more often than not, they’ll find someplace to go.

2. Is It A Stressful Job?

Domesticated cats are a long way from their wild forefathers.

When people are forced to leave their homes, they can feel depression or anxiety.

Even cats who are used to spending time outside cannot like it under such environmental conditions, whether it is especially loud or busy outside, or when they are bothered by other neighborhood cats or wildlife.

Don’t ask your cat to go outside if he or she doesn’t feel comfortable. Not all cats can adapt to litter training in the outdoors.

3. Gardening

T.gondii, roundworm, tapeworm, and hookworm, to name a few parasites, can all be found in cat feces.

It can be challenging, if not impossible, to keep track of when your cat goes to the bathroom outdoors. These pests can be transmitted if they use a vegetable or herb garden, or if they go near a water supply such as a creek, well, or wetlands.

If you have edible plants, wear gloves while working in the greenhouse, wash your hands thoroughly afterward, and thoroughly wash every picked flower.

If some of your neighbors have a lawn, talk to them about your ideas and make sure they’re cool with it.

Allowing your pet to pee in a neighbor’s garden without even addressing the consequences is very reckless.

How To Have A Cat Without A Litterbox?

Even if your cat is used to going outside, it’s a smart idea to have at least one litter box inside in case of an emergency. There are a few advantages of doing that.

To begin, wild cats use urine to mark their territories. Using a litter box inside the house will also make your pet feel at peace in your household.

Second, keep in mind that allowing your cat regular outside access often invites unwanted visitors into your house.

At night, when it’s dark and silent, wild animals are much more likely to get in. Indoor-outdoor cat owners often opt to have their cats indoors at night, both for their protection and to be able to lock the pet door to keep potential guests out.

However, you won’t be able to lock the cat door until you have at least one indoor litter box.

How To Teach A Cat To Use The Toilet Outdoors?

So you’ve considered the difficulties of outdoor potty training and are eager to do it. To get your cat to use the toilet outdoors, take these steps:

Start by relocating one of your cat’s litter boxes to the front of the building. At the very least, one can already be in your house. Enable your cat to explore the new situation.

Gradually shift the outside litter box into the chosen spot as they get more familiar with it. Your cat will finally go wherever he or she likes, so it’s worth a try.

Delete the litter box and cover it with a mound of litter directly on the field until it’s in the desired position and they’re using it daily.

Place some of their fresh poop in the litter to let them know it’s “okay” to use this area.

Reduce the amount of litter you use as your pet feels more at ease.

Remember that your cat must be at ease while using the toilet otherwise, their well-being could be jeopardized. For your own convenience, don’t push your cat into desired bathroom conduct.

Even, don’t hurry through the process. Change takes time for cats to adapt to, and the more time they have, the better.

Selecting the Best Pet Door

Cat door inserts for sliding doors or windows are the most common option for providing outside entry. They’re affordable and don’t necessitate making permanent improvements to your house.

Cat doors may also be attached to any current door or built straight into walls, all of which are much more permanent improvements.

The sort of flap — flexible vs. solid, single flap vs. double flap — will mean a huge difference for some cats. More nervous cats, in fact, prefer to resist double-flapped cat doors, in our experience.

Things To Keep In Mind Before Toilet Training Your Cat

Another common way of removing litter is toilet training. And, while it can seem to be a smart idea in principle, it is not a good one for your cat or the environment.

1. Burying Garbage Is A Normal Impulse

Scratching and searching through the litter box isn’t for entertainment or exercise.

Cats bury their feces to conceal their smell from predators in the wild. It’s a vital survival instinct that even the most domesticated cats have retained.

Toilet training a cat goes against profoundly rooted instincts, even though it is easy for us and our cats to learn to obey.

It has the potential to affect biodiversity.

Toxoplasma gondii, a dangerous parasite that causes Toxoplasmosis, can be found in cat feces.

Unfortunately, several wastewater treatment plants aren’t designed to cope with T.gondii, which means the parasite might wind up in local rivers and damage biodiversity.

2. Proof Of Health Conditions Is Being Washed

You could be flushing useful signs of possible health issues when you flush a cat’s pee. Small variations in urinary frequency and volume may aid in the early identification of such issues.

Diabetes, kidney failure, and urinary obstructions are only a couple of the medical problems that can be identified by carefully monitoring your cat’s urine.

It can be more difficult to note other symptoms of medical problems, such as bloody stool when flushing feces.

3. Accessibility Is Critical

Cats aren’t supposed to use toilets. They must be agile enough to leap onto the toilet seat and graceful enough not to collapse in the process.

And if your pet is now capable of making the jump, imagine what will happen when they get older. It is just going to get more complicated.

4. Availability Is An Important Consideration

If your cat doesn’t have their own bathroom, there will be times when the toilet is unavailable.

If one goes to the bathroom for 20 minutes every now and then, your cat might need to either “hold it” (which is bad for cats) or find another place to go (which will probably be your pillow).

Check out more details about How To Discipline A Cat For Peeing Outside The Litter Box?

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Words

Although it might seem to be a smart thing in principle, going litter-free has a range of pitfalls.

Toilet training your pet will cause psychological damage to your cat as well as be detrimental to the environment.

It’s fine to housetrain a cat outside, but it’s always a good idea to have at least one indoor litter box.

Whatever you choose, keep in mind that your cat’s comfort is paramount. Don’t ask them to adapt to their current bathroom condition if they aren’t ready. Scooping litter isn’t all that difficult.

What are your thoughts about potty training your kitten? Have you followed these measures? Do let us know your part of the story in the comments section below!