Keeping cats off tables & counters

tuxedokitties

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There are lots of new devices available now (Ssscat, vibration alarms, x-mats, scat mats, etc.) in addition to the old standby methods (pans of water, double-sided tape, piles of empty cans, etc.) for teaching cats to stay off tables and counters.

Which of these have you tried, and in your personal experience which of these was the most effective? Which would you recommend to someone looking for a solution to table & counter surfing?

Honestly in the past I never really cared too much about it and just made sure to wipe off the tables & counters before I used them to prepare food. But DH is unhappy about that, so I'd like to find a good solution; ideally, one that would be palatable to someone who doesn't like the idea of sticky tape, piles of cans, or pans of water all over the table and counters.

Thanks
 

yayi

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

Just train your hubby - that would be the easiest.
I agree!


Seriously? I've never used anything but NO, Psst, Bad kitty, Hisssss...I have 11 cats and only 2 (still youngsters) are still being hard headed about it. Keeping tables and counters free of objects that tempt a cat's curiosity also helps.
 

jsully8

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We had a horrible time with our guy getting up on the counter...we actually got a spray bottle and filled it with water. The first time I sprayed him after catching him on the counter he ran like there was no tomorrow. Now all we have to do is show him the bottle and he'll get down. He still gets up when he thinks I don't know about it; when I'm sleeping...he leaves evidence. lol But I have found that has worked the best with us.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by jsully8

We had a horrible time with our guy getting up on the counter...we actually got a spray bottle and filled it with water. The first time I sprayed him after catching him on the counter he ran like there was no tomorrow. Now all we have to do is show him the bottle and he'll get down. He still gets up when he thinks I don't know about it; when I'm sleeping...he leaves evidence. lol But I have found that has worked the best with us.
Please don't use spray bottles. If you accidentally get any water in their ears they can get a very serious infection requiring vet treatment. If not treated the infection can cause deafness.
 

hwc

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Yeah. Just get a water bottle and spray your hubby whenever he complains. That'll work.

Seriously, though. A mist bottle of water will probably be useful in getting your cat down off the counters. You can just spray the air and they are gone. Hissing also works.

This is interesting. My nine month old just wants to see what's going on. If I pull a kitchen stool back away from the counter where he can see what I'm doing, he's content to sit there for a while.
 

cococat

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I let sss cat do the work. Before that I tried many things, but they only worked if I was there. Who knew a cat could love foil and things they aren't suppose to like much? And if I was there, I would just pick her up and place her on the floor so she wasn't going to get away with it anyway, so talk about pointless!
 

piikki

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Originally Posted by yayi

I agree!


Seriously? I've never used anything but NO, Psst, Bad kitty, Hisssss...Keeping tables and counters free of objects that tempt a cat's curiosity also helps.
Exactly, this is what worked best. In the beginning, when cats moved into house being vigilant and telling what is Ok and what not and not leaving goodies on places where they should not go sniffing has been enough. It's of course harder if one is not around a lot.

I tried the tape thingies and they were useless. Boys learnt to jump over them and all they did was leave marks on the counters (I must have gotten some old gooye-glue batch).

Second best for our hardened-counter surfer has been rows of coin-filled cans on edges of counter (also used them on window sill where I did not want him to jump). Couple of surprise jumps and everything rumbling down was quite a shock on him and he learned to view those Dr Pepper's and decide against.

I have also left plates filled with water in sink when he thought he out-smarted me and went directly there. He did not like that either.

For my wimpy boys who were spray bottle traumatized when they came I only really needed to say no but I noticed that when I forgot to leave Windex bottle on the edge they were terrified. Poor things. I have not used spray because I don't like using it on cats but they sure were deterred just by it standing on the edge of counter because someone had over-used it on them when they were kittens.

The best thing though is to catch them looking up to counter and give them "the look' and quiet no when they are just considering it.
 
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