Cat - How To Toilet Train Your Cat

Quality Cat Supplies available at Low Prices and Free Shipping! The idea of how to toilet train your cat has grown in popularity ever since the release of the movie "Meet The Parents" where the kitty, Jinx, used the toilet instead of a litter box. As funny and outrageous as the idea of a cat using a toilet is, toilet training a cat can be done if you have the desire and the patience to put forth the effort. There are pros and cons to toilet training a cat. The negative side of this task is the amount of effort and time it may take you to get your cat fully toilet trained. Of course, once the cat is trained you can say goodbye to the smelly, disgusting litter box and that fact alone is enough to convince many cat owners to take on the task. So once you make the decision to toilet train your cat, how do you do it? There are toilet training kits available; however, you can train your cat to use the toilet without spending a lot of money on toilet training kits. Besides the cat and the toilet, you will also need to have flushable kitty litter and aluminum foil cooking pans that will sit on the rim of the toilet while still hanging inside the bowl. The lowering of the toilet seat onto the pan should hold the pan in place. To begin, replace the cats litter box with the same size aluminum foil cooking pan that will eventually go into the toilet. Place the new litter box next to the toilet that you want the cat to use. This can be done gradually or all at once depending on your cat. Once the litter box is next to the toilet, you can start to gradually raise the litter box by placing something underneath. You can use a stack of newspapers or a cardboard box, etc. Just ensure that the litter box is not sitting on a slick surface as you don't want it to slide while the cat is attempting to use it. Continue this process until the bottom of the litter box is level with the top of the toilet seat. Again, the length of time it will take to get your cat to this point really depends on the cat and how comfortable they are with the changes. If, during this process, you find the cat not utilizing the litter box you will know that you have moved too fast in their training and will need to slow it down. Next, place the litter box tray into the toilet. Remember, the tray goes under the seat. The seat should hold it in place. The cat should now be jumping onto the toilet seat and using the litter box. Once you feel your cat is used to this process, start reducing the amount of litter in the tray and make a small hole (approximately 1" diameter) in the bottom of the tray. Since you are reducing the amount of kitty litter you will have to clean the litter box more often so the cat will continue to utilize their litter box. The cat may begin by sitting completely in the tray so you will want to make sure the tray is secure and sturdy enough to hold the cat's weight. You don't want your cat to fall into the toilet. As funny as that may look, you will lose ground in your training. Gradually enlarge the hole in the bottom of the tray. Again, how often you enlarge the hole in the tray will depend on your cat but a good rule of thumb is about a half an inch a week. As the hole in the tray gets larger, the cat will start to move their paws out of the litter box and onto the toilet seat. Eventually your cat will have all four paws on the toilet seat and will squat over the litter box to do his/her business. As the hole gets bigger and the amount of kitty litter decreases your cat will begin to get used to the sound of their waste hitting the water instead of the litter and you will also slowly recondition them of their need to scratch and cover up their waste. Using treats to reward your cat for using the litter box lined toilet may help move the training along a little faster. Once your cat keeps all four paws on the toilet seat and is used to their waste hitting the water instead of the litter you can take the tray away. You have just successfully learned how to toilet train your cat. Did you know that cats are more likely to have more severe reactions to Heartworm Disease than dogs, even sudden death? Even indoor cats are at risk for heartworm disease. The best treatment for Heartworm disease is Preventative Treatment. Click Here To Better Your Cat's Health Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Vanderhaar Cat - Feline Lukemia - A Guide for Cat Lovers Feline Leukemia, known as FeLV is a viral disease. Young kittens and older cats exposed to diseased cats are the most susceptible. The disease is spread through bites, mother to offspring, or diseased cat to healthy cats. The saliva, urine, and feces of an infected cat can pass the virus. However, the disease does not live more than a couple hours outside of the cat's body. Some people believe indoor cats can contract the disease if a person carries the virus on their hands or clothes. There is no known cure at this time, and the disease kills 80% of all infected cats within a three year period. The disease can cause an array of health issues; cancer, blood disorders, and secondary diseases such as respiratory infections and diabetes. In laymen's terms, the bones shut down and anemia occurs, which eventually leads to death. To prevent your pet from contract Feline Leukemia, do the following: 1. Keep your cat indoors. This will eliminate your cat's exposure to FeLV. 2. If you have stray cats in your neighborhood and you pet them, wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap before you pet your indoor cat. 3. Before you merge your healthy cat with a new cat or kitten, have the new pet tested for FeLV. If it has FeLV, it needs to be kept away from healthy cats. 4. Consider having your healthy cat vaccinated against Feline Leukemia. Unlike the Feline Aids vaccine, the Feline Leukemia vaccine does not affect a veterinarian's ability to test your pet for the disease at a later date. Please keep in mind that while the Feline Leukemia vaccine is highly effective, it will not prevent all cats from contracting the disease. This is why it's best to keep your cat indoors and away from potentially infected cats. If your cat contracts Feline Leukemia, you should do the following: 1. Test all other cats in the household. 2. Remove infected cats from healthy cats. Keep them in separate areas at all times. 3. If you spend time with infected cats, change your clothes and wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap before you pet your healthy cats. 4. Feed your infected cats a well balanced diet. Many individuals swear by herbal supplements. 5. Maintain separate areas, food dishes and litter pans for the infected cats. Do not share these pet accessories with your healthy cats. If you have a cat that dies of Feline Leukemia, and you wish to adopt another cat, scrub everything in your house thoroughly. Most likely the Feline Leukemia virus will die within a few hours after your pet passes away, but since Feline Leukemia often carries secondary disease, you should scrub everything with an anti-bacterial soap. I once rescued a very pitiful looking feral cat. He tested positive (and high) for both Feline Aids and Leukemia. Remarkably, once he was moved indoors, he lived another four years'my vet said this was remarkable. When my FeLV infected cat contracted liver cancer and started having difficulty walking and urinating, I made a "no-win" decision to euthanize him. He had already endured several steroid shots and I was concerned he was suffering. None of my other cats contracted the disease, but I was always careful to wash my hands and I kept the cat separated from my healthy cats.