Who can keep their cats off the counters?

calico2222

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I have a debate going with a co-worker who does not own cats, only dogs. He says I should be able to "train" the cats to stay off the counters, like he trains his dogs to stay off the furniture
. I say, cats can't be trained. I've tried. With my first cats, I tried the spray bottle, shaking a can full of coins, aluminum foil on the counters, scat mats, everything. I've given up. I figure, it's their house now, they just let me live here and pay the rent! Now, they DO realize they aren't supposed to be up there when we're making dinner. That doesn't mean they don't come up, they just aren't as surprised when they are told to get!

So, just taking a survey...how many of you have been able to train your cats to stay off counters or anything else for that matter?
 

white cat lover

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I can keep my cats off the counters, so long as I never look at them when they're walking on them!
 

samantha1979

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My cats only get up on the bar area between the kitchen and living room. They dont get up on the counters in the actual kitchen. they do try to climb my leg when i am in there though.

you can train dogs to stay off furniture? wow. that one didn't work either!
 

bonnie1965

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Seb doesn't get on counters, probably because I have little counter space and it is very cluttered. Daphne hasn't yet discovered the counters. When I get a bigger place I am sure they will be on them. I'm okay with it
So, no, I don't even really try.
 

theimp98

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i think cats can be trained to a degree. I taught heyu to play fetch.
they know not to wake me , or they get put out of a bed room.

As for counters,heyu learned fast, i just used a water gun, or would drop something that made alot of noise. Eazy is getting there,

also i found that after having the pet water fountrian, the amount of getting on the counters dropped off.
 

starryeyedtiger

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mine have never tried to get on our kitchen counters so i guess we're lucky. they do get on the table though- but they no better than to try that when we're eating.
 

zissou'smom

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Zissou knows the counter is a minefield of dirty dishes and doesn't bother trying.

In cat-world, that is trained.
 

proudkittiemom

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mine stay off of the counters
Blue tho today jumped off but brought all of the pots and pans with her
she got up walked away like it was nothing
Theres me standing in complete shock and idk y i was shocked
And well the table, stormie has to jump on the table to get to the breakfeast knoock and the other counters she can jump that high or have balance to jump that high! All of the others u better believe like to go on the counters and start touble, blue and stormie and bella have to be upstairs during the process of making dinner and eating it
 

maddensmom

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Well, I've trained Madden to stay off the counters when I'm awake!
He still gets up there every night and when we're not home though!
 

whosamyhercules

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No cat I have ever had has ever jumped on the counters..Herc will with some persuasion...However even then its a rare occasion...Now the dining room table is a diff story. We never use it and we dont have family dinners at our house but they know when daddy is at the table they dont jump up. Herc is the only one with kahunas enough to not care about when Dave is around he only cares if Im around to tell him no...He just knows whos boss..LOL
 

dragoriana

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If i am slicing up a kilo of raw top roast NOTHING will keep Charlie off the counter! lol
 

epona

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When I am trying to cook I have kitchen helpers. Radar especially is a nightmare and has to stay shut in the sitting room as he has to get up on the counter and sniff every ingredient and try to stick his head in the pots and pans. And he always steals broccoli.


He is 'trained' in that he knows darn well what the word NO means. He will stop what he is doing for a moment and you can see him deciding whether to comply or ignore
 

april31

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Mine know to stay off the counters and the dining room table but I also make sure that they have other places they can jump and climb on that is high. I dont know if they get on them though when we are gone.
 

kittydad

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Sugar did get onto the counters, even while I was home, but a few hisses at her , changed that practice. Now I do not see either sugar nor spice on the counters. I do not want them there cause of the stove being easily accessible to them. So I put a stop to that right quick. So I guess cats can be trained, to a degree.
 

goldenkitty45

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Let's just say they are 1/2 trained. We try to keep the counter free of food which helps a lot in not making it worth jumping up there. Charlie still sneaks up but will get down when you tell him.

Now the dining room table...............still working on that one. At least he won't get up there when we are eating...knows better. To be honest, I don't think they get up there when home alone - only for "attention" when you are home.
 

dragoriana

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Let's just say they are 1/2 trained. We try to keep the counter free of food which helps a lot in not making it worth jumping up there. Charlie still sneaks up but will get down when you tell him.

Now the dining room table...............still working on that one. At least he won't get up there when we are eating...knows better. To be honest, I don't think they get up there when home alone - only for "attention" when you are home.
Ahh it's the Charlie gene
 

lookingglass

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If the jump up while I'm cooking I'll lock them up until I'm done. I know they go up there when I'm not looking, so I use a bleach spray before I cook. Catching Scratch is the best, he gives the innocent eyes and scampers away.
 

muttigreemom

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Well, I've seen both sides.

My NY cats were trained not to go on the counter. The oldest is now 14 and the youngest probably 7... never had a problem in all that time.

On the other side of the coin... my FL cats are encouraged to get on the counter because it's the only way to get to the cat walks (i.e. plant shelves
) It's like having built in cat furniture. But they don't bother with my food if I'm cooking. Weeble does like to watch the water come out of the R/O faucet (apparently this is *amazing* to him), but that's all.
 

mirinae

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Originally Posted by maddensmom

Well, I've trained Madden to stay off the counters when I'm awake!
He still gets up there every night and when we're not home though!
When I'm around, Spike isn't on the counters. I'm confident that when I'm not around, he's up there, poking his nose into things his nose doesn't belong in. Every now and again I'll head for the kitchen and hear "thud, thud-thud-thud," which is the sound of an orange tabby leaping onto the floor and scurrying away before he gets caught.
It's a major break-through that he knows he's not allowed up there, so I don't get too stressed when he is up there -- Spike doesn't typically retain information very well.

Oz, on the other hand ... Jumping up on the counter would require effort. Oz doesn't do effort.
I think the freezer is probably the highest he's ever been (aside from being held in our arms), and that's, like, four feet from the ground. Oz doesn't like heights. He is a strange cat.
 
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