Making a Cat Toilet From Plastic Wrap

You have probably seen those commercial cat toilets in pet stores and realized by now that they can go for a pretty penny, in some cases as much as forty bucks for some cardboard cutouts or what essentially is just a plastic bowl with a hole cut in the bottom.   The good news is that there are cheaper options for making cat toilets.  

If you really want to make a cat toilet on a budget then try the plastic wrap method. However keep in mind that this method best suits a cat that is lighter in weight and also light on its feet as the plastic can easily be ripped. The method suits kittens best of all but make sure it is a smart kitten you are training as some cats cannot relate to the idea of ,see-through, plastic at all. They simply end up falling in the toilet all the time instead.  

To make a plastic wrap cat toilet all you have to do is stretch plastic cross your toilet seat and secure it with clips or duct tape.   You can put the lid of the seat down to make it more secure or you can stretch it across the actual plastic seat lid. It depends on how big your cat is. Once you have fitted the plastic sheet on top of the bowl somehow you then sprinkle litter is on top. This gives the cat the idea that the top of the toilet is where they are supposed to squat and eliminate.  

Of course the main risk of this method is that the cat will rip the plastic with claws and fall into the toilet, be drowned or be smothered by the loose plastic. This is why you should assess the danger, especially if you have a kitten even though the method is actually most recommended for kittens.   The reason is that it the plastic is supposed to be less intimidating for the smaller animal because they can see into the toilet. Still if you were using this method with a kitten I would keep an eye on it while it is learning.  With all of the above methods it is absolutely necessary that you use flushable litter. This makes the training easier for you as you can empty the plastic sheet straight into the toilet and flush it away.   It also makes for a quicker clean up. Also you will have no problems with litter that falls through the holes in the plastic, into the toilet. You can just “flush” that away as well.  

A word of warning though , your probably don’t want to flush the plastic that you used for the litter ,tray, down the toilet as that will probably clog your pipes.  It is also essential that you use genuine flushable litter and not clumping litter. Clumping litter is especially not because it can clog up your pipes. Make sure that the label on the kitty litter box specifically says ,Flushable Litter, and not anything else.

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The Ins and Outs of Purring

Perhaps the most fascinating quality cats have that we don’t is the ability to purr. Studies on the origins and possible reasons for the purr offer many theories but only make the habit more strange and interesting. Scientists are not in agreement whether all felines purr, but there are recorded cases of tigers and leopards caught in the act of purring where studies had indicated this was not possible, so it merely adds to mystery of the purr.  

Nursing kittens begin to purr at about two weeks of age. This is a signal to the mother that her litter is free of danger, and the purr is returned to the kittens in an act of communication that domestic cats later use with pet owners.

A comprehensive study conducted at the Davis School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California concluded that purring originates from the cat’s central nervous system, but all reports to date have been inconclusive on the exact mechanism behind purring. Still, the study was able to determine that purring is a voluntary act on the part of the cat, which is enormously helpful to vets and cat owners looking for a better understanding of their charges and pets. A voluntary purr indicates that the cat uses it to communicate, which leads to many interesting truths about cat behavior.Most often a contented cat will purr, as when it is petted or played with.

Some cat owners have claimed their cats begin purring suddenly while sleeping, which leads to the notion that cats, like us, are dreamers. Cats also will purr when interacting with playmates, leading to a further notion that each cat has a purr easily recognized by housemate cats. The biggest lesson here is that if your cat purrs, it is very likely happy to be around you.However, cats can also purr for other reasons, and in sharply different situations.

Often a cat will purr when encountering a strange cat. Experts have theorized that this purr could be a submission trick, attempting to lull the stranger into the belief that a purring cat will not become aggressive. It was recently recorded that leopards began to purr directly following a successful capture of prey. This may confirm a cat’s instinct that the purr can act as a powerful sedative, helping to calm any creature close by, whether a pet owner or a doomed mouse.  

Pregnant cats have been observed to purr vigorously when in the process of giving birth. This indicates that cats will purr to calm themselves down and help mask their own pain. On a more serious and melancholy note, it is widely observed that a cat will begin to purr when in the presence of a veterinarian about to deliver a euthanasia shot. There is no way to determine what this could mean. It could be a testament to the professionalism of veterinary staff in making sure cats are comfortable, or the cat may just be asking for a reprieve. Taken together, we can never be certain about the reasons for purring, but the odds are you have a happy cat, so keep on petting.  

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