Some pawrents may be attracted to training their cats to use the human toilet bowl to do their business in, as they think it saves them money on litter, which can be quite expensive, depending on the type and brand.
However, let's discuss the benefits of why cats should use the litter box.
1. Monitoring for Illness
It is important to be able to monitor your cat’s output for tell tale signs - is he peeing too much, or too little? Are there traces of blood in the urine? Is he having a UTI? You will not be able to tell if you cannot see the physical amount of output or his toileting behaviour.
2. Arthritis & Mobility Issues in Older Cats
As your cat gets older, he may not be able to jump up to the toilet bowl. Many geriatric cats require shallower or almost flat litter tray when they get older. If your cat is unable to reach the toilet, he may start relieving himself all over the house, & you probably wouldn’t even realize the reason why & blame him.
3. Collection of Sample
Your vet may ask you to bring in a urine sample to test if there is any diagnosis to be made & it would be difficult to do so if he doesn’t go in a box.
4. Unnatural
It is a cat’s instinct to dig the ground, in this case, the litter, relieve himself and cover it up (or not, if he’s trying to be territorial) & using a human toilet or the floor seems unnatural to him.
5. Foul Smell & Unhygienic
If you are away at work the whole day, the urine & poop would be left there for many hours. You wouldn’t leave your toilet unflushed after you do your business, would you?
6. Territorial Issues
If you have multiple cats, they would require multiple litter boxes. However, not having boxes means that they are forced to share 1 unflushed toilet, which may result in behavioral issues, fights & elimination around the house.
Please find below an Infographic for your easy reference!
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