# Parents think their son isn't flushing the toilet. Psst, it's the cat **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 13, 2021, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418 "2021-10-13T11:46:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/1 "2021-10-13T11:46:01Z")
Very clever cat. He probably pees on their pile of laundry. 😉 I wouldn’t believe it without video. > **[Teen blamed for cat not flushing the toilet](https://nypost.com/video/teen-blamed-for-cat-not-flushing-the-toilet/)** > > This kitty is too good for the litter box. A family was shocked to catch their clever cat using the toilet in Sudbury, UK, after mom Nathalie Forsyth had mistakenly scolded her teenage so… ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/2 "2021-10-13T12:47:04Z")
I would. Several decades ago when my roommate and I had cats we became aware of training techniques to teach kitty to use the human’s toilet. Our success was mixed, but it is possible to teach a cat to use a toilet. It would not surprise me to find a cat who had figure it out on his own. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/3 "2021-10-13T12:54:14Z")
Yeah, I can believe a cat using the toilet. No way am I going to believe that cat uses the toilet with out training. I call BS. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/4 "2021-10-13T13:00:14Z")
Maybe the family adopted the cat? Didn’t know its history. The Cat thinks it’s cleverly trained humans to flush. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/5 "2021-10-13T13:38:44Z")
Yeah, an untrained cat will drink from a toilet, but not crap in it. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/6 "2021-10-13T13:42:29Z")
pssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst, it’s the cat. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/7 "2021-10-13T13:53:43Z")
I wonder if he leaves pee drips on the seat 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/8 "2021-10-13T14:02:35Z")
C’mon, he’s not an animal. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/9 "2021-10-13T16:15:41Z")
I have heard of people who have not only trained their cat to use a toilet, but also flush it when it’s done. So it is possible for a cat to learn how. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2021, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/10 "2021-10-14T17:13:53Z")
My husband spent months trying to teach ours. It did not go well. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2021, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/11 "2021-10-14T19:05:13Z")
So what is their son peeing into? The litter box? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/12 "2021-10-15T01:12:35Z")
My cats came with the potty using feature. The breeder said, proudly, her babies are taught this when Mama Cat is teaching potty rules. They do not flush. I still have litter boxes. btw It’s not as fun/smart/perfectly clean as some might think. For my female it’s hit or miss. She gets all upset and makes a huge mess trying to cover her nasties with air. I’m usually alerted to this by my male Siamese howling the roof off. He don’t like his sister’s odor, I guess. I feel his pain. I have caught him trying to fish his nasties out of the water. Washing his hands is fraught with pain coming from his claws. So beware. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/13 "2021-10-15T03:11:20Z")
I hadn’t considered any downside to a toilet trained 🙀. Thank you for contributing your experiences. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/14 "2021-10-18T15:58:23Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > My cats came with the potty using feature. > The breeder said, proudly, her babies are taught this when Mama Cat is teaching potty rules. > > They do not flush. > I still have litter boxes. btw > > It’s not as fun/smart/perfectly clean as some might think. > > For my female it’s hit or miss. She gets all upset and makes a huge mess trying to cover her nasties with air. I’m usually alerted to this by my male Siamese howling the roof off. He don’t like his sister’s odor, I guess. I feel his pain. > > I have caught him trying to fish his nasties out of the water. Washing his hands is fraught with pain coming from his claws. > > So beware. YMMV This is exactly how I picture it working! Nothing is that simple. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-think-their-son-isnt-flushing-the-toilet-psst-its-the-cat/952418/15 "2021-10-18T18:51:17Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > . Well you can now. I had a cat that used the toilet to poop. She would not go near the litter box no matter what kind of litter we used. She would PEE on the floor or anything that happened to be on the floor but somehow she realized she could poop in the toilet I SWEAR ON MY MOTHER’S GRAVE nobody taught her how to do it. We had four cats at the time and this was the only one that did it too and she came to us as a young cat (not a kitten, probably about six months old). She wasn’t particularly smart either. She just … I dunno, liked the way it felt to poop in the toilet I guess. She didn’t flush either. 😉