Cat wont use tray

[NewYearNiki]

Asking for a friend as she isnt on MN.

Just that really. Her cat shits the bathroom floor, the kitchen floor etc. Doesnt use the tray or outside.

WWYD with her?

Change the litter, might not like that type. Watch carefully and as soon as it looks like she needs a poo pick her up and put her in the tray and hold her till she's been. Is it just poo, does she wee in the tray, some cats need one for each. Make sure it's cleaned straightaway

As pp said, try 2 litter boxes. I had to do that with mine as he owes everywhere and wouldnt go in his tray. Discovered he likes to pre separately from where he poos and they have to be in separate rooms too...

Bloody auto correct.
*peed everywhere
*pee separately

Where is the tray? How many does she have? What kind of tray? What kind of litter? Is this a new thing? Did the cat used to shit in the tray and now doesn't? Has anything changed in the house? New baby for example? Does she have a cat flap? How old is the cat? How long has she had the cat and for how long has this been a problem?

It would probably be easier to tell her to register on MN!

She has no children.

2 litter trays.

She has changed the litter type several times.

Cat is 13 and has been doing it on and off most of its life. Has a cat flap.

It does it overnight so no chance to watch her and put her in the tray.

Maybe it's just habit then, at 13 I don't know what she can do.

I agree with retired now. If this has been going on for many years and she had tried all the normal solutions then I doubt the cat will change.

In her place I would give puppy training pads a go. Just leave them on the floor in the places she is most likely to do it and the chances are she will shit on those. At least then it's easier to clean.

Has she tried the ultra clumping talcum powder scented ones? Sanicat gold?.

The small granules are softer on paws & they seem to sense it's expensive and therefore OK to use.

Ours likes it to cover his paws, too shallow and he won't go in.

It's not got leg or back pain and struggling to get in the tray?

If it's always the same time overnight I would try confining her to one room, preferably the bathroom, is there another loo humans can use. I'd put down pads or newspaper.

Win makes a good point, maybe joint pain

Yes but if the cat has been doing this for most of its life then it's unlikely to be that as it would have been young when it started.

And actually yes, as we're only talking poo rather than wee then sheets of newspaper would be just as good as puppy training pads and much cheaper!

She think she did it initially under protest at being kept indoors. She had the cat as an outdoor cat and then moved somewhere with a busy road and kept her in. She started doing it then.

But now still does it even though allowed out.