As promised in Toilet Training Your Cat Pt 1, this hub will focus on the ‘how to'. Before we begin, let me point out a few key things that are crucial to this experience.

One: try to avoid any other major lifestyle changes while your cat is learning to use the toilet. He may become so stressed that he will give up on the litter box altogether and use your rug, instead!

Two: This is not an overnight process. Depending upon your cat, it can take as little as a few months, or in some cases, a year or more. Some cats are very finicky about what they go to the bathroom in, and that may set you back a little.

That said, if you're willing to do a little work in order to save yourself a cat's lifetime of hassle, read on.

Step One: Moving the litter box to the bathroom.

This is probably the easiest part of the job. If your cat is easygoing, it can be done in one move. Some cats don't mind having their box moved as long as they know where it is after it's been relocated. You can make sure he knows by putting him directly into the box every couple of hours after it's been moved.

If your cat hates having his box moved, your best bet is to start out slowly. Move it only a foot every other day, until you reach the bathroom. You'll know you're going too fast for kitty if he gets fed up and pees behind the sofa.

Once the box is in the bathroom, continue moving it until it is right next to, or right in front of, the toilet.

Step Two: Raising the box.

A frustrating series of smaller steps makes up Step Two, where we gradually raise the box until it reaches toilet-seat height. This portion is frustrating because often times it is hard to find objects to raise the box with. It is likely that the items will get dirty in the process.

Because I worked at a pizza restaurant when I started training my cats, I could use old pizza boxes to raise the litter box a few inches at a time. If you eat a lot of pizza, you might use this technique, too. Otherwise, textbooks make a good stacking tool - especially if you cover the stack of books with a bath towel to protect them.

Raise the box only one or two inches a week, so that the cat doesn't realize his box is getting higher. It won't occur to him that he didn't ever have to jump into it before, since the change is taking place slowly. Only raise the box until the upper edge of it is a little higher than seat level. This ensures that the cat will be able to reach the toilet seat with ease.

Step Three: From box to bowl.

Measure the toilet bowl, and note whether it is round or oval, then head to the dollar store. Find a bowl that will fit into the toilet bowl (not the seat). We found a plastic one with a wide lip around the edge that fit perfectly into our bowl, with very little overlap. You'll want a bowl that doesn't wobble when the cat steps into it. I suggest buying two or three bowls to try, since you can't really be sure. Make sure the bowl can hold a sufficient amount of litter, as well.

This step is probably the most dramatic the cat will see on his learning adventure. Once you find a bowl that is the correct size, put it into the toilet, put the seat down, and fill the bowl with about two inches of litter. Then completely remove the stack of books and the old litter box. You'll go back to reminding him where his litter is, as in step one, by placing him in the litter bowl every few hours. Most cats, when provided with any form of litter, will use it regardless of where they find it. You should not have much trouble here.

Step Four: Less and less litter.

As you clean the litter bowl (flushable litter comes in very handy for the remaining stages), add less and less clean litter to it each week. The goal is to gradually reduce the amount of litter the cat is accustomed to going in. By the end of a month, you should be down to just a sprinkling of litter in the bowl, without any fuss from your cat. Remember that at this point, the bowl is going to have to be emptied very frequently to avoid smell and bacteria build up.

This is also the stage where you will get him accustomed to keeping all four feet on the seat. If you're lucky, he'll automatically put his forefeet on the seat on his own. When you see him head into the bathroom to relieve himself, follow him - but not too quickly. Some cats will not use a box if they feel their privacy has been invaded. Once he's already started to use the box (after any attempts at digging are finished and he's settled to do his business), reach in and grab his hind (or front, if he's going with all four in the box) feet. In one, swift motion, you want to place them both on the toilet seat. If he's already started going, he won't move them after you've placed them. If he hasn't because you were a little too early, he may get down or just put his feet back into the bowl.

Continue to move his feet to the seat until he consistently does it on his own, without any reminders from you. This will indicate that it is safe for you to go on to the next step.

Step Five: Let's add water.

After your cats are using the bowl with all feet on the seat (4FotS), you can move to the next step. Add a small amount of water to the bowl - just enough to cover the bottom. Your cats, who should be going with their feet on the seat, won't have to worry about getting their toes wet, and the water may actually help to enforce the 4FotS rule. Gradually add more and more water each week, until there is as much water in the bowl as there was litter when you started.

Step Six: The finale.

After all of the five previous steps are completed, you're now ready to remove the bowl! Make sure you remove it entirely from the house - but don't throw it away just yet. Keep it somewhere close by (the yard or the garage) in case your cats don't like the change. You'll need to go back a step or two, and that requires the bowl.

That's all there is to it! You're now the proud owner of a potty-trained cat. You'll be the talk of the neighbors for years to come.

Tips:

• If your cat refuses to use the box or bowl at any time during these stages, it is likely because you are moving too fast for him. Go back a step or two and try again.
• Praise your cat lavishly every time he uses the bowl properly. Offer treats, pats on the head, ear or belly rubs - whatever your cat likes best.

Bringing a new cat home?

You're in luck! The new cat will use his box wherever you put it, especially if you close him in with his box, food and water for a couple of days. Start him out in the bathroom, with a box that is already half as high as the toilet seat, and you've just cut a LOT of time out of your training!