Typically, cattle urinate and defecate with little or no control over time and place. The resulting excreta contributes to a range of adverse effects on the environment and the animals themselves. These adverse effects could be substantially ameliorated if livestock could be toilet trained. Toilet training requires an animal to suppress impending voiding (a reflexive-like behavior), move to a latrine (voluntary behavior) and reinitiate voiding. Here, we review the neurophysiological processes and learning mechanisms regulating toileting. The suppression and initiation of voiding occur primarily via the coordinated activity of smooth and striated anal and urinary sphincter muscles. The autonomic and somatic nervous systems, along with central processes, regulate these muscles. In several mammalian species, voluntary control of the sphincters has been demonstrated using classical and/or operant conditioning. In this review, we demonstrate that the neurophysiological and behavioral regulation of voiding in cattle is likely to be similarly conditionable. The management of excreta deposition in cattle could have major benefits for reducing livestock greenhouse gas emissions and improving animal health/welfare.

通常，牛在时间和地点很少或没有控制的情况下排尿和排便。产生的排泄物对环境和动物本身造成一系列不利影响。如果可以对牲畜进行厕所训练，则可以大大改善这些不利影响。上厕所训练需要动物抑制即将来临的排尿（类似反身的行为），上厕所（自愿行为）并重新开始排尿。在这里，我们审查调节厕所的神经生理过程和学习机制。排尿的抑制和引发主要通过平滑和横纹的肛门和尿道括约肌的协调活动发生。自主神经和躯体神经系统以及中枢过程调节着这些肌肉。在几种哺乳动物中，使用经典和/或操作条件已经证明了对括约肌的自愿控制。在这篇综述中，我们证明了牛排尿的神经生理和行为调节可能具有类似的条件。牛粪中排泄物的管理可能对减少牲畜温室气体排放和改善动物健康/福利具有重大益处。