The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
charlesmingus.com
The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
1–10 of 146 posts
Re: The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
#2I wonder if this is a joke or an actual technique. I'd be very interested to see someone reproducing this.
Re: The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
#3I've always been intrigued but the risk/reward seems too high. I don't want to mess with the bathroom habits of my cat who has never previously relieved himself outside his box. I scared to try to fix what isn't broken at this time.
Re: The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
#4I love Mingus.
The Watts Towers complex has a museum to Mingus attached, as well as another museum of local artists attached. I'd highly recommend a visit. It's a beautiful neighborhood full of very nice people.
Re: The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
#5I wonder if this is a joke or an actual technique. I'd be very interested to see someone reproducing this.
Cats exist that do this, and I haven't seen anything implausible from a cat psychology standpoint. Seems legit. Dogs can too
Re: The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
#6Similar to how one gets a backend developer working on "full-stack" - by slowly moving tasks context.
Re: The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
#7There are even special litter boxes sold that are intended to go on the toilet seat for this type of training. But as cool as this is, I believe it can be dangerous, especially for owners of male cats.
Cats' urinary habits are important to keep an eye on. A change in urination volume or frequency can be the sign of a critical issue that requires veterinary attention. You just can't easily track urine volume if the cat is going to the toilet, even if they don't flush.
With a litterbox, you can get an idea of what their normal clump size is and notice if that changes. Regarding frequency, maybe you can hear your cat jump on the toilet, but I'm not sure it's as reliable as hearing them repeatedly scratching the litterbox. If you are out during the day and come home, with a litterbox you still notice the pee clumps to get an idea of how much they've peed - unlike with a toilet.
One aspect where the toilet may actually be better is that you _might_ be able to spot blood easier in the water.
I also wanted to train my first cat to use the toilet, until he suffered from a urinary blockage as a kitten. If he'd been using the toilet, I likely wouldn't have noticed that anything was wrong until it was far too late. Blockage is more likely in male cats, and it is _not_ an uncommon problem. It is already far too easy to not notice if a cat is blocked if you're not careful, and it doesn't take long at all to become life threatening. I believe a toilet would only exacerbate this risk.
If I see blood in the litter, no clumps, or clumps that are smaller than usual (or heck, even much bigger than usual), I know to pay extra attention to my cat and either book a vet appointment or go to the emergency room. It's allowed me to catch bouts of infection, crystals, and idiopathic cystitis early (all of which he is now more prone to after his initial urinary problems). A cat's kidneys and urinary system can also be impacted by stress levels, with unexplained straining and bladder inflammation thought to be in some cases caused by stress. Having them pee in a toilet in my opinion decreases visibility of a very important and sensitive health factor.
Re: The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
#8Lol! Wholesome tutorial!
Reminded me of how we tend to forget that even the most outstanding people are just as ordinary as we are. When at home, legendary jazz musician Charles Mingus is just an ordinary guy, training his cat to use the toilet.
Re: The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
#9Who does the flushing?
Re: The Charles Mingus CAT-alog (1972)
#10I wonder if this is a joke or an actual technique. I'd be very interested to see someone reproducing this.
It's not a joke.
I've never tried it, but I've seen plastic products selling on the internet that replace the cardboard.