Cats on counter....

Ok we have been trying to keep our older cat off the kitchen counter for awhile now and it hasn't been working. We have a younger cat, about 4 months, that just found out how to jump up on the counter and we can't keep them off of them. It wouldn't honestly be so bad except that they won't stay off even when we are fixing food. What is a good way to keep them off? I know that using a spray bottle works but I also know that some people find it innapropriate. Are there any ways to keep them off without punishing them?

This seems to be a very common topic lately, you are not alone! What I did is copy paste a training method I posted to another thread for someone dealing with the same issue. After quoted I would like to add a few things...

"You need to refrain from anything she associates with play when approaching her to learn "down" and "no". This may be a little difficult in the beginning. When she jumps up on something shes not suppose to be on, with direct eye contact firmly say "no, get down" as you approach her. When she does not respond, standing close to her but not touching her, with your hand snap your finger and point from where she is to the floor while repeating "down". Do this a couple times, if no reaction, then pick her up and place her on the floor where you where pointing. Walk away so she does not associate this with play. You can cuddle, pet, play, as long as its not in the immediate area of this training process. Believe me, this absolutely works!!!!!!! It may sound cold at first, but after a while it becomes a simple, respectful, give and take, loving relationship! I've never used water bottles, there are times when you may not have one and I think its best to see if you can get the understanding communication between you first ."

That was obviously personalized, but I firmly stand behind this method of training and would like to add that this is more difficult in the beginning with multiple cats but even more necessary in this circumstance. Your kitten has most likely picked this up from the other cat. Follow above steps, be firm, assertive every time with both, this is a must! No matter how cute they are, you need to enforce that this action is not excepted, they are bad for this. Generally there is no need for any physical punishment, cats are very smart, the best punishment takes brains not brawns . If you are having trouble getting a response after following each step at least 5 times in a row, then maybe get your fingers wet and flick some water at them to get them to leave the kitchen, but only after following training steps. That is the only way you will gain the understanding between you, after a while they will just meow at your feet!
Oh yeah , want to add that it also helps to keep them off of other tables, coffee, dining, end........

Originally Posted by Julianne353

Ok we have been trying to keep our older cat off the kitchen counter for awhile now and it hasn't been working. We have a younger cat, about 4 months, that just found out how to jump up on the counter and we can't keep them off of them. It wouldn't honestly be so bad except that they won't stay off even when we are fixing food. What is a good way to keep them off? I know that using a spray bottle works but I also know that some people find it innapropriate. Are there any ways to keep them off without punishing them?

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I am in the minority here but I have read enough posts to know that I am not alone. I feel that my cats are as clean as anybody else in the house and they are welcome anywhere INSIDE the house. I also know that it is safer to kiss a cat than a human. They keep theirselves better cleaned than anybody else in the house and neither sheds so they go where no cat has gone before...Nobody can come into my house and tell there are cats living there by any smell or other indication. Now the cooktop is a different matter; that is somewhere that the cat could be hurt and I do not let them be anywhere they can be hurt but I never give any thought to them hurting me wherever they may roam...Honestly now, almost everybody here says their cats sleep with them, what is the difference if there is no shedding and fur cannot get in the food? Gee, have you not seen that TV ad promoting togetherness at dinnertime?

and---we tried EVERYTHING to keep little Dulcinea off the counters, spraying water (she LOVES it!), double-sided tape (she eats it), and tinfoil (she REALLY loves that!). The only thing that works abit is a firm "No Dulcinea---down!"...and in five minutes she's back up on 'em again. She simply wants to be WITH us and a part of everything. If we're cooking---she has to be there...laying down on the counter and watching. If we're washing the dishes, she has to be there looking down into the dish water. She is a 'member of the family'---and wants to be involved in EVERYTHING. So---because she is VERY clean...and gets bushed daily (isn't loosing hair), we now allow her to 'participate' in everything. This may not be you attitude toward your cat, but we've found it works well/OK for us. Admittedly, Dulcinea is a tad spoiled, but she gives us enough joy to make it worth while.

Fr. Gregg

Originally Posted by Persi

I am in the minority here but I have read enough posts to know that I am not alone. I feel that my cats are as clean as anybody else in the house and they are welcome anywhere INSIDE the house. I also know that it is safer to kiss a cat than a human. They keep theirselves better cleaned than anybody else in the house and neither sheds so they go where no cat has gone before...Nobody can come into my house and tell there are cats living there by any smell or other indication. Now the cooktop is a different matter; that is somewhere that the cat could be hurt and I do not let them be anywhere they can be hurt but I never give any thought to them hurting me wherever they may roam...Honestly now, almost everybody here says their cats sleep with them, what is the difference if there is no shedding and fur cannot get in the food? Gee, have you not seen that TV ad promoting togetherness at dinnertime?

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I to feel that my kitty is welcomed in and on anything I am, but......Counters often allow access to stove top, other things unsafe ( I don't walk around on them as well), ........I personally have always kept my cats off of tables and counters, usually something possibly hazardous for them there....I really don't want to eat cat hair either, as I am sure Maia doesn't want to eat my hair !

Originally Posted by Persi

I am in the minority here but I have read enough posts to know that I am not alone. I feel that my cats are as clean as anybody else in the house and they are welcome anywhere INSIDE the house.

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That may be but I don't want kitty paws in my food nor Tomas's mouth on my food he was trying to steal a little while ago.

Tomas is getting bad lately, just tonight he's brought me 3 rubber bands he's found on the kitchen table. I'm just glad he brings them to me instead of eating them. The other night my husband left a chicken bone on a plate by the sink (7 years but he's still in training...) and Tomas brought that to me too.

I think I'm going to try the flipped over plastic runners tomorrow. It's cheap and if it doesn't work I can reuse it for something. I already know doublesided tape won't work. Both my cats are tape eaters.

I am in the minority here but I have read enough posts to know that I am not alone. I feel that my cats are as clean as anybody else in the house and they are welcome anywhere INSIDE the house. I also know that it is safer to kiss a cat than a human. They keep theirselves better cleaned than anybody else in the house and neither sheds so they go where no cat has gone before...Nobody can come into my house and tell there are cats living there by any smell or other indication. Now the cooktop is a different matter; that is somewhere that the cat could be hurt and I do not let them be anywhere they can be hurt but I never give any thought to them hurting me wherever they may roam...Honestly now, almost everybody here says their cats sleep with them, what is the difference if there is no shedding and fur cannot get in the food? Gee, have you not seen that TV ad promoting togetherness at dinnertime?

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For me it's not about cleanliness (i'm sure i've eaten my fair share of cat hair over the years), it's about boundaries, safety, and space. My kitchen is too small to work in as it is, i don't have counter space for appliances, much less cats, and there are dangerous things on counters like the cooktop and knives and hot stuff fresh out of the oven, and so i just don't want my cats on the counter. I don't want them on top of the fridge because i store items up there that are breakable. I don't want them on the tables because i have stuff that i put on the tables that is not for them like knicknacks that might break if they get knocked over and glasses of water that Raj will stick her head in and knock over and get water everywhere. Also, you may be comfortable with a cat lying all over your dining room table, but most guests would not be. I have lots of plants in my house and i put them on top of the entertainment center and speakers and i never have to worry about them eating something poisonous because they aren't allowed up there and they leave the plants and anything else up there alone. They are part of the family. They are welcome to sit anywhere i sit, to sleep anywhere i sleep, but they are not allowed to sit on counters or tables. And i don't think that's unreasonable.

I also have a small kitchen with no countertops, my Sweetie loves the table and stove top. I rarely cook and when I do she sees the pans and stays off. I also keep a close watch on her. She loves the microwave top and portable diswasher top. I work and know that cats are different when we're not home. I have two but the young one pretty much stays off things. Sweetie loves the kitchen sink and bathroom sink. I agree that they are able to go anywhere they want, however I'm very careful about leaving harmful things around.

Originally Posted by deljo

I also have a small kitchen with no countertops, my Sweetie loves the table and stove top. I rarely cook and when I do she sees the pans and stays off. I also keep a close watch on her. She loves the microwave top and portable diswasher top. I work and know that cats are different when we're not home. I have two but the young one pretty much stays off things. Sweetie loves the kitchen sink and bathroom sink. I agree that they are able to go anywhere they want, however I'm very careful about leaving harmful things around.

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Only wanted to say, I love that you have a cat named Sweety! We lost our Sweety 1 year January .