Cat Wont Use Litter Tray?

[Smowball]

My friends cat is now very arthiritic and struggling to use cat flap/go down the steps to the garden in order to go to toilet. So the cat is doing her business on the carpet,anywhere indoors really. So my friend has finally relented and bought a litter tray. Will the cat use it? No. She has put regular cat litter in it,newspaper, but the cat will not even get in it. Any bright ideas??

[muchlovex]

COuld she perhaps put the cat in it every fews hours?

[Barmaid]

Try putting soil from the garden where the cat normally does her business in the tray. Once she's got the idea, reduce the soil and increase the cat litter.

[LoftyLottie]

Agree with Barmaid.

I have a problem with my cat in that she will ONLY
use the litter tray inside. She rushes in from the garden with her legs crossed because she refuses to even wee outside. Mind you, can't say I blame her.

[Smowball]

She is out at work all day so cat is at home with their other cat.

Soil - i did think of that but thought it would make a real mess,but guess its worth a try isnt it.

[pastafreak]

I agree with Barmaid...even get a bit of her poo if possible and put it in the tray so she will smell it. She'll soon associate it with being her own toilet.
Put the litter tray wherever she seems to poo most...then gradually move it to a more appropriate place. She really should have gotten a tray as soon as the od dearie was starting to have trouble.

[lcg]

it may be useful to put some of the cats poo in the tray so she associates it with going to the loo. your friend will have to keep a sharp eye on her and scoop her up when it looks like she is finding somewhere to go. if this is done repeatedly, the cat will get it eventually. oh - and tell your friend to put stuff where she has been in the past to block her from doing it again, like moving furniture or awkward items to get in her way (this worked for me) x

[Smowball]

Thankyou for all the answers, will tell her all of them.

[rsvp]

The cat is presumeably old - it can't and/or doesn't want go outside and use the cat flap - because he/she is old, he/she is probably being bullied or being made to feel threatened. The cat has dignity which is being compromised. My advice is to get the cat thoroughly checked out by a vet and to follow the adice given. Look at it from the cat's pont of view.