Toilet Training

Question
I am in the process of toilet training my five cats. Three of them caught on
right away, but two of them just don't seem to get it. At first they would use
the toilet, but now they are much happier doing their business on the floor.
I've tried positive reinforcement- I give them treats if they do get up on the
toilet. I've tried ignoring them when I've caught them doing what they weren't
supposed to do. I put tinfoil on the floor to discourage them from peeing
there, but they just pee on it anyway. I spray a cat odor eliminator around the
toilet so they won't smell the other cats (one of the ones who is being
stubborn requires impeccable toilet conditions and even when she used a
box, would pee on the floor if someone else soiled her box.)

Nothing has changed between the time they would use it and now that they
won't. It's been several weeks (the amount of time I've found it takes to train
a cat normally). I really don't want to throw in the towel because the majority
of my cats get it and are doing well, but I can't figure out what these other
two need from me!

Answer
Tim,

Cats are fairly uncomfortable with change. It is normal to have difficulty changing their behavior. From what I have seen it is important that you realize that the two cats who would rather not use the toilet may need more time at the step prior to the one you are on...To my knowledge toilet training a cat requires a gradual step by step process of gradually moving the litter box up to the level of the toilet (as little as an inch at a time). The next step is usually to place the litter box on the toilet (still using litter at this point). Then introducing the toilet seat by placing it on top of the litter box. Next would be to gradually decrease the amount of litter in the box and replace the litter box with a large bowl that will sit steadily under the toilet seat above the water. Once you have reached this step you will gradually want to reduce the amount of litter in the bowl until there is none at all. When your cat is comfortable going in the bowl without litter then you can drill a small hole in the middle of the bowl. As your cats progressively become more comfortable with a small hole you will want to gradually enlarge it. Once your cats are entirely comfortable with the bowl having no bottom then you can discard it. If you rush things you will have more accidents. It is best to just move back a step if you start having accidents as you move forward, otherwise you may end up creating a habit of not eliminating in the litter or the toilet. If you do decide to change back to using kitty litter and litter boxes it is best to make sure that you have one litter box per cat plus one per level of your home to prevent territorial issues and bullying. Inappropriate elimination caused by trying to toilet train cats too quickly and not moving back a step to make sure that the cats are comfortable with it and ready to move forward may not respond to simply returning the litter box and you may have to speak with your veterinarian about a referral to an animal behaviorist or medication that may help the cats to get back on track with using the litter box. It is important that you realize that the medications that are prescribed for these purposes are anti-anxiety/anti-depressants that are human medications given in small dosages. These medications are not without side effects or risk so the decision to resort to them  must not be made lightly. I hope that this information was helpful. If you have any further questions or concerns or you would like to send an update my way, please don't hesitate to contact me again.