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Training cats to stay off countertops

post #1 of 14
4/24/10 at 5:31pm
Thread Starter 
After trying every method ever devised to keep cats off the kitchen counters, I pretty much gave up on it. I just clean the counters really well before preparing food. So the other day I heard a crash and saw a whole herd of cats come flying out of the kitchen.

One of the kits had knocked over some stuff on the counter and shattered a glass vase. Scared the h*** out of all the kitties. (No, I don't usually keep glass things out. I had thought that it was a heavy plastic vase. ).

Anyway, I thought maybe they were shocked enough to stay off the counters for at least a little while. But nooo! Not five minutes later Shareena was sitting on the counter watching very closely as I cleared up the mess. I think she wanted to be sure I got all the glass slivers so she wouldn't cut her little toes the next time she got up there.

So much for the new training method.
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post #2 of 14
4/24/10 at 7:47pm
sometimes, they are just too curious for their own good.
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post #3 of 14
4/24/10 at 8:47pm
I totally understand your frustration! My cats also get on the counters. One of my boys is a food scavenger and gets under foot while we are in the kitchen.

Have you tried Scat Mats and/or Jumpo Trainers? Here are the links if you need them:

Scat Mat on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/ScatMat-20-Inc...2166894&sr=8-1

Jumpo Trainers:

http://www.jumpotrainer.com/index.ht...FQIGxgodOUEUQQ
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post #4 of 14
4/24/10 at 9:06pm
I am right there with you I love it when I see the words training and cat, it makes me smile really big. I have titles in obedience with dogs, I love to train the dogs and spend time with them, teaching and building bonds, but when it comes to the cat, she is just a totally different creature and very frustrating
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post #5 of 14
4/26/10 at 5:38am
Don't get me wrong....I love my cats. I really do.

But we have two counter-surfers and I hate that. Despite the fact that I keep the kitchen counters clean and am constantly wiping them down, two of the girls continue to surf the counters. I often said that I should own stock in Clorox and Lysol and paper towels, too, because I spray and wipe 50 times a day.

It's frustrating to me. And we've tried so many things....all to no avail. I don't mind them being underfoot while I'm cooking or baking or whatever. It doesn't bother me that they're right there....I've learned to shuffle my feet (we call it the Kitty-Cat Shuffle) to avoid stepping on tails or paws and I will often talk to them while I'm working in the kitchen. But I do not want them on the kitchen counters.

If we ever do around to remodeling the kitchen, it will have French doors between the kitchen and the living room. And the only time the cats will be allowed in the kitchen is during mealtimes or otherwise when one of us is also in the kitchen to keep an eye on them. Other than that, sorry, they cannot be in there. They have the complete run of the house and will also be able to be in the family room in the basement when it's completely finished. But the kitchen? No.
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post #6 of 14
4/26/10 at 10:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Winchester View Post
Lysol and paper towels, too, because I spray and wipe 50 times a day.
I just wanted to pass along that Lysol is toxic to cats.
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post #7 of 14
4/26/10 at 12:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pami View Post
I just wanted to pass along that Lysol is toxic to cats.
Yep, though it would be good to use before preparing food on the counter... but I would have to rinse it off because I'm paranoid about cleaners being on surfaces and making us sick.

I gave up, too. The only time I get onto the cats is when I'm using the counters to prepare food - they can go sit somewhere else for a while, and when I'm cooking. I don't want them on the counter next to the stove because I don't want anyone getting burned. Sherman has been sneaky before and slipped up there to steal a piece of meat right out of the skillet.

Cats can be trained, or maybe the correct word is encouraged? If you find things they're go at, praise a cat a lot for doing it and it just may become a regular behavior.
Tanna now fetches because I encouraged her to do it. Tomas will jump up into a nylon cube held and waist or even chest height.
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post #8 of 14
4/27/10 at 11:33am
My cat must be one of those rare few that does not jump on the counters, tables or anywhere I don't want her to be. I just told her no when she was a kitten and she just learned. I swear she is part dog sometimes :p
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post #9 of 14
4/27/10 at 12:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ~*Regina*~ View Post
My cat must be one of those rare few that does not jump on the counters, tables or anywhere I don't want her to be. I just told her no when she was a kitten and she just learned. I swear she is part dog sometimes :p
You don't know it but you didn't really train her. She just hasn't decided that she wants to be on the countertop.

When Shareena was about 10 weeks old I saw her eyeing the countertop. I told her that it was too high for a little bitty kitty to jump up there. About half a second later she was sitting on the counter looking very pleased with herself.
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post #10 of 14
4/30/10 at 8:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldyCat View Post
After trying every method ever devised to keep cats off the kitchen counters,
Franny & Franklin have trained me that it is perfectly acceptable for them to be on the counters, or anywhere else they want to be
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post #11 of 14
4/30/10 at 8:21am
We have pretty much decided to give up on trying to keep our little guy off the kitchen counter. It freaks out guests, however! "Hey! Your cat's up on the counter!' To which we go over and gently lift him down, and whisper into his ear, "You know you're not allowed up on the counter when we have company."

I do all my food preparation on those heavy plastic cutting boards and then put them in the dishwasher. I keep the counter clean, but I'm not fanatical about it. And I don't like to use antiseptic soaps and things. We keep all food products in cupboards now.

But the other morning I came downstairs and there was my hubby eating his cereal at the dining room table, and Cappy sitting up on top of the table and eating from his own dish. My dh had moved his food bowl to the top of the table. "He didn't want to eat by himself in the kitchen," my hubby said.

We are a retired couple, and our kids have grown, and so this little guy is fast becoming very spoiled.
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post #12 of 14
4/30/10 at 10:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linni View Post
We have pretty much decided to give up on trying to keep our little guy off the kitchen counter. It freaks out guests, however! "Hey! Your cat's up on the counter!' To which we go over and gently lift him down, and whisper into his ear, "You know you're not allowed up on the counter when we have company."
That is so cute

That is just the best solution here, no stress and just clean the counter tops before you prepare food.

(I feel like I work for a vinegar company because I seem to say this a lot) BUT have looked into distilled vinegar to clean your counter tops. It has antiseptic properties and its nontoxic to cats.

I saw a program a few years ago where they tested plastic and wood cutting boards after it had been used to cut meat and one set cleaned with bleach, the other with white distilled vinegar.

According to their testing, the ones cleaned with vinegar, showed that it was even cleaner than the ones used with bleach.
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post #13 of 14
4/30/10 at 10:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pami View Post
(I feel like I work for a vinegar company because I seem to say this a lot) BUT have looked into distilled vinegar to clean your counter tops. It has antiseptic properties and its nontoxic to cats.

I saw a program a few years ago where they tested plastic and wood cutting boards after it had been used to cut meat and one set cleaned with bleach, the other with white distilled vinegar.

According to their testing, the ones cleaned with vinegar, showed that it was even cleaner than the ones used with bleach.
I use a solution of bleach, vinegar, and water to spray down my counter tops with to sterilize them. The only reason I use bleach so much in my house is because I am a C. diff carrier. Washing my hands after using the bathroom reduces the risk of me spreading it, but soap doesn't deactivate anything so I could still spread it to my counter tops. Clostridium infections can turn into long term reoccurring infections in pets and people..

Vinegar when added to bleach and water lowers the ph of the bleach and makes it more effective without making the mixture more harmful to you to use.
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post #14 of 14
4/30/10 at 2:06pm
My favorite way to keep kitties off of the counter is to use a texture aversive. I take manilla file folders and cut them to the shape I need. Then I cover them with carpet-laying double stick tape. They lay flat on the counter so cannot be seen from the floor and can be easily removed when I need to use the counter. Kitties do not like like the feel of them.
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