Hi there, just joined this site and hopeing to get some advice. I purchased 2 bengal boys in October 2014 and they're now about 6 months, 2 big loving healthy boys (Batman and Robin) that I'm trying to teach to use the human toilet. It's been going quite well but as soon as Batman sees water he wants to dig and pee in it. Continually going to the sink and bath to pee even when no water there. Problem is he's started to tip his water bowls and urinated in those to. I work night shift and worried they're going to have no water all night if Batman keeps doing this. Robin pees much more than Batman about 5 times a day but Batman only goes 2 or three and not nearly the amount that Robin passes. Is this a sign of a UTI? Or is he just being stubborn about using the toilet? He seems to strain a bit when peeing on the loo but doesn't when he wants to do it anywhere else. Pooing eating and drinking well.
Any suggestions and advice will be gratefully received as I'm new to owning cats.
Thanks Jackie

First of all, welcome to the forum. It sounds like you need a couple of litter boxes. Kittens are trained to use the boxes and it's really difficult to get a cat to use a human toilet. Takes a lot of training and patience. Your cats need to urinate and you need to have a specific spot for them to do it. If they do not like that spot, they will urinate elsewhere. As for the frequency between your two boys, each cat is different. Raiden will go at least three times a day, however, he marks everything when we go out on our walks. I rarely see him drink any water but he does get wet food to eat.

Please consider getting two litter boxes for your boys. I think it will make their lives easier and it will really be easier on you as well. Training them to use it should be fairly simple, but that doesn't mean they won't continue to go where they've been going. Habits can be hard to break.

How do I stop my Bengal from drinking from the toilet bowl.
They use the human toilet to pee & poo in so I can't put the lid down.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Cheers Jackie

If your cats are using the toilet to pee and poop in, then there's no way to stop them from drinking the water since the lid has to be up all the time. You apparently did not even read the suggestion on getting litter boxes. I'm sure it's not a great idea for the cats to drink that contaminated toilet bowl water -- but you want them to use the human toilet. I'm guessing you do have ample water bowls out for them for drinking purposes. Place one in the bathroom.

The reason they are using the human toilet is because it's simply impossible to to keep the cats off the kitchen surfaces beds etc so I'd much prefer for hygiene reasons that they're not kicking about in pee and poo then spreading the germs everywhere. If it was an outdoor cat it would probably be drinking out of filthy puddles so not too worried there. I'm looking for suggestions to stop them drinking it. Not criticism. They have plenty fresh drinking water around the house. Have to say that it's fantastic now that I don't have a smelly litter box in the house and the cats seem much happier not having to clean up there stinky paws after going to the loo and I'm financially better off not having no fork out on kitty litter. Plenty more room in my bin also...Certainly won't be going back to a litter tray!!!

They are cats, not human...it's in their nature to pee on sand and soil....then dig it.
I'm against toilet training and stuff.....bathroom it's completely off-limit for my cat for higyene and bacteria reasons,

It's also in their nature to live outside. It takes a massive amount of time and patience to to human toilet train 2 cats and I suppose many people don't have that and will use excuses.
Feel the hygiene situation has improved 10 fold now the germs aren't being spread all over the house.

I don't understand how a litter box is some how dirtier than a toliet they are both used for the same thing except now you have cat and human waste. To each their own but I much prefer a litter box. Just as a side note, litter boxes shouldn't be smelly at all. I have one in my living room and one in my hall way and everyone that comes to my house is blown away when they discover there is a litter box within 3 feet of where they were sitting.

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Probably just being polite :-)

I'm very sensitive to litter box odors, especially urine, if you're using a good litter and scooping the boxes daily they don't smell

We've got 6 cats & 7 litter boxes. When we sold our house people were shocked to find out how many cats & boxes we had. Even our realtor who had every reason to be BRUTALLY honest with us (it was her commission on the line if the house didn't sell) told us that the house did not smell. No one who attended an open house or showing ever mentioned anything about a smell either.

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Dallas, TX USA
Diesel - snow Bengal born 09/01/2013 adopted Feb 2014
Tuck, Chloe, Buddy, Lewis & Tia - rescue kitties
Clyde, Bleu & Coal - Great Danes

I have three litterboxes. One behind sofa in living room. No one knows they are there if you keep deep litter and scoop twice a day. Absolutely no smell! I just noticed that you said Batman sometimes seems to be straining when peeing on the toilet. Do you think the position and balance required are uncomfortable for him so he is trying to go elsewhere ie water bowls, sinks and baths? Just a thought!

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

I have never toilet trained a cat myself but what about adding one of those child toilet training seats? It may restrict the opening enough to discourage the water play and give more footing.

That sounds like a good idea Dee, should restrict the area to get into to drink.
I am glad mine normally go outside so I don't need litter boxes around, even though they don't smell.
I do use a water fountain for drinking, as they so liked playing in sinks and drinking from the tap,
now they use it rather than wanting the tap on.