a liberal sprinkling of small tin bells added to your usual bog-standard cat litter.
this will alert one to a deed well done and indeed a deed well done in the right place; giving you the opportunity to scamper down the stairs or up the hall or indeed time to race at speed from the west wing (for those more affluent amongst us) at the sound of litter kicking and bell ringing.
why? you ask. well as you probably know, most pet training is accomplished by the reward of a small treat for performing something to our liking. (not necessarily what the pet actually wants to do or is genetically programmed to do but there you go…).
by giving a reward in return for a small deposit in the litter tray, we are building up an association with the tinkling of tiny bells to the receiving of a delectable mouthful.-- po, Mar 29 2005 Yep, they flush. http://www.karawynn...ishacat/toilet.htmlLittle bit of trouble with the paper work though. [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 30 2005] //bog-standard // Hah! //a deed well done// A do well done (did?), shirley?-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Mar 29 2005 My flat mate could use this.-- skinflaps, Mar 29 2005 [skinflaps] Is your flatmate a cat owner or is s/he not house-trained?-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Mar 29 2005 The latter and I would also know when the litter tray is free for use.-- skinflaps, Mar 29 2005 I would tingle at the jingle of the tinkle tinkle tinkle...-- dentworth, Mar 29 2005 Poo-vlovian conditioning?-- krelnik, Mar 29 2005 obviously, krelnik... :)-- po, Mar 29 2005 I never owned a cat, if indeed one can own another living being. But there was this one cat that came to our garden everyday to look at the chickens. He was old, he was allways wounded, he was vicious, he looked like greebo, only white(well, under the dirt).
We gave him food. Why do I bring this up? I do not believe that cats let themselves be trained like dogs. They just figure out what you like/want and than do it to get food and a warm place and attention.
I believe that cats are even more intelligent than pigs. ( this may sound strange to those who didn't know that pigs are smarter then dolphins). They have a hidden agenda.
Your idea might well work, but only because the cat sees through your amateurism. Therefore I have to bone this.-- zeno, Mar 29 2005 I believe that cats should be trained to use the toilet and then flush like the rest of us. After all, they're people too. [Link]-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 30 2005 //pigs are smarter then dolphins// I can imagine the test: two mazes with truffles in the centre of one, and sardines in the centre of the other. ..Dolphin flapping about aimlessly, whilst the pig is lying down with a full stomach..-- Ling, Mar 30 2005 [zeno] I am not quite sure why you don't like my wanting to get my cat to use a litter tray rather than surrepticiously in the corner of the dining room on my new carpet. I had a friend whose cat routinely hid his poo in a visitor's suitcase among his clothes and it was undiscovered till he got to customs (but that could be an urban myth).
as to the *owning* we have been down this road before. my cats have me well-trained to go to work to buy them food and medicine etc.they get the best seats in the house and have me opening doors and windows all day long to let them in and out.-- po, Mar 30 2005 [Po], I would be real happy for you if they deposited their excrements in the right place. It's just that I would have liked to see a more elaborate scheme, like one that send the message that we don't fall for all that "oooh look at me aren't I cute" crap anymore. Like you could just say to your cat: Look Buster(or whatever his name is) either you poo over there or you ain't getting your extra fish snacks tonight!". And he would be all like: "I don't understand human language all that well" But then you would come up with this amazing new device you have invented to measure the cat's brain activity and you would be able to conclusively prove he understood perfectly well and there would be a great row and then oh oh I feel a rant coming on. I, can, feeeel, one of my rants coming on-- zeno, Mar 30 2005 calm down, there's a dear!
I liked this for the sheer simplistic doability of it. I don't often do doability.-- po, Mar 30 2005 Market with the slogan "A tinkle for you, means kitty did a clever poo"-- Muzzanator, Mar 30 2005 changed my mind-- zeno, Mar 30 2005 That slogan changed your mind? You're a strange one, [zeno].-- Worldgineer, Mar 30 2005 he read between the lines.-- po, Mar 30 2005 random, halfbakery