5 ms·
I'd just want to add that, I in general don't think it's a good idea to train cats to learn behaviors that are unnatural for them. One could say that, eating pr
by fhe 5y ago
I'd just want to add that, I in general don't think it's a good idea to train cats to learn behaviors that are unnatural for them. One could say that, eating processed cat food and living with humans are already unnatural, which is true. But to the extent that's possible, I want to provide my cats the freedom to act as naturally as possible.
On this particular cat toilet training trick: cats are in fact quite particular about litterbox -- where it's positioned, how safe it feels inside it, how it smells. A human toilet is decidedly an unnatural setup for cats, and who knows what can happen. Maybe the cat learns to use it but constantly feels anxious about it (e.g. slipper surface). Maybe it will avoid pooping until it gets really uncomfortable. All of these can't be good for its health.
- yholio 5y agoThe modern housecat is just about as natural as a naked human living wild in the forest. It has been selectively bred to perfection for cuteness and sociability with low aggression and diminished survival abilities. Some can't even tolerate the natural climate where their owners live. I totally support "healthy", but natural, what is natural for a species that has evolved to use intelligence to prevail over the natural world (in this case, the intelligence of their owners, but still)? No my friend, our purpose on this earth is to co-evolve the most unnatural cat to the point where they are ready to take over as the dominant inteligent species of this side of the galaxy.
- wwwwewwww 5y ago"The modern housecat is just about as natural as a naked human living wild in the forest. It has been selectively bred..." I think it would be better to say "The modern housecat is just about as natural as a modern human living in a modern house". Both species adapted to modern human environment.
- DonHopkins 5y agoIf God meant for people to be naked, they'd be born that way!
- causality0 5y agoI think you're ignoring the ways the toilet is better than the litter box. For example, it's also unnatural for a cat to have to smell its old poop and also touch it while burying new poop. A toilet removes that source of stress and potential disease.
- garblegarble 5y agoAlthough it's worth noting that there are other non-toilet alternatives as a middle-ground that also let the cat perform natural burying behaviour without there being old poop in there - like a self-cleaning litter box.
- InvaderFizz 5y agoI have a cat genie, it's great, if you put it in a well ventilated outdoor space, have it run automatically after every time the cat uses it, and toss in a handful of citric acid every week to let it clean itself. Then every three months, take the whole thing apart and pressure wash everything. It's better than scooping litter every day, by a factor of 3-5x. But it's not magical and wonderful.
- hedora 5y agoThe failure mode on self cleaning litterboxes is worse than normal litterboxes or toilets. We had one, and, as usual, got busy and forgot to clean it. The end result was a spotless, odor free and empty self-cleaning litterbox (all the litter had been auto-removed) and a male cat with a urinary tract infection.
- metabagel 5y agoYou’re exactly right. Cats have an instinctual urge to bury their poop so other animals won’t smell it. The toilet is counter to their instincts. Also, if a cat falls in the toilet, it’s traumatizing, and they may start pooping and peeing in other places which you don’t want.