cat always on the kitchen counters! HELP!

meechmelon · Dec 17, 2005

Hi, all.

I'm at my wit's end!

I have two adorable cats from the same litter. They're about 1 1/2 years old. one of them is ALWAYS on the kitchen counters. I yell "NO" and he jumps off right away. It's gotten to the point that when he hears me coming I can hear him jump off the counter...

I can't close off the kitchen (no door). What can I do? Are there any deterrents? Anything?

I have to lock him up when I'm cooking, so he doesn't burn himself on the stove (which is flat electric and blends into the counter). But, I don't like him up there, with his litter paws, up on the counters. Sometimes, he even is able to stand up on his hind legs and knock food out of the kitchen cabinets.

HELP!

Thanks.

laureen227 · Dec 17, 2005

Originally Posted by meechmelon

Hi, all.

I'm at my wit's end!

I have two adorable cats from the same litter. They're about 1 1/2 years old. one of them is ALWAYS on the kitchen counters. I yell "NO" and he jumps off right away. It's gotten to the point that when he hears me coming I can hear him jump off the counter...

I can't close off the kitchen (no door). What can I do? Are there any deterrents? Anything?

I have to lock him up when I'm cooking, so he doesn't burn himself on the stove (which is flat electric and blends into the counter). But, I don't like him up there, with his litter paws, up on the counters. Sometimes, he even is able to stand up on his hind legs and knock food out of the kitchen cabinets.

HELP!

Thanks.

you may be able to semi-train them to stay off the counters while you're there, but they'll get up there when you're not home. i usually wipe off the counters before cutting/putting food on them, or keep my cutting boards put up & use them. mine have pretty much learned i don't want them up there, but they get up sometimes when i'm not home - i can tell 'cause stuff that was on the counter is now on the floor, or pushed to a new place.

pushylady · Dec 17, 2005

Hopefully someone else will come along and offer you more useful advise. I've just given up trying to keep my cats off the counters. I figure they're still going to do it when I'm not there anyway, so why have the constant stress of chasing them off when you're there?
I tried sticky tape and Nature's Miracle spray, sprayed them with water when I caught them up there, clapping my hands and yelling no. They get the idea, but don't stay off permanently. Maybe their just bad cats!

Now I just keep them away while I'm cooking, and I've resigned myself to cleaning the counters before using.

muttigreemom · Dec 17, 2005

One thing we found by accident that worked is to have a lot of stuff on the counter so the cat will bring it down with them when they jump down. The noise will scare them.

We had a calico that liked to jump onto the top of the fridge until one day she knocked over a piggy bank when she was getting down (plastic, so no damage done to her or the bank) The sound of the piggy bank filled with coins hitting the floor was enough to deter her from jumping up again.

Some cats are more stubborn, so they may need to do it more than once.

Based on this, you might want to try some soda cans with a few pennies in them - NOT FILLED - enough so it'll make noise when it lands, but won't hurt if one accidentally lands on them. Then place them on your countertop with string tying them all together. Odds are, when he jumps up on the counter, he'll take the string with him when he jumps down, bringing the cans with him.

If he's a scardy cat, once should do it. If he's a macho man, he might have to pull down the cans more than once to realize "hey, this isn't so much fun".

HTH!

maverick_kitten · Dec 17, 2005

have you got lots of cat trees or high places for him to climb instead?

try putting up a shelf and lining it with something comfy. if he has an alternative to climb he might not want to go on the counters any more.

hissy · Dec 17, 2005

meech,

The stove needs to be stone cold, but you can put those plastic mats on it, the types that go under your computer chair? Put them prongs pointing up, he won't jump on there more than twice.

beach bum · Dec 17, 2005

Originally Posted by meechmelon

Hi, all.

I'm at my wit's end!

I have two adorable cats from the same litter. They're about 1 1/2 years old. one of them is ALWAYS on the kitchen counters. I yell "NO" and he jumps off right away. It's gotten to the point that when he hears me coming I can hear him jump off the counter...

I can't close off the kitchen (no door). What can I do? Are there any deterrents? Anything?

I have to lock him up when I'm cooking, so he doesn't burn himself on the stove (which is flat electric and blends into the counter). But, I don't like him up there, with his litter paws, up on the counters. Sometimes, he even is able to stand up on his hind legs and knock food out of the kitchen cabinets.

HELP!

Thanks.

Just be patient. He will get you trained.

rachelcharlie · Dec 17, 2005

Do your cats jump on the counter because there is food left out that they eat? If your counters are clean maybe they will lose interest (sorry, not trying to imply you have messy counters). I trained my cats to not get on the counters with a trusty squirt from a water bottle. It seemed to have worked.

kitty's mom · Dec 18, 2005

Originally Posted by meechmelon

Hi, all.

I'm at my wit's end!

I have two adorable cats from the same litter. They're about 1 1/2 years old. one of them is ALWAYS on the kitchen counters. I yell "NO" and he jumps off right away. It's gotten to the point that when he hears me coming I can hear him jump off the counter...

I can't close off the kitchen (no door). What can I do? Are there any deterrents? Anything?

I have to lock him up when I'm cooking, so he doesn't burn himself on the stove (which is flat electric and blends into the counter). But, I don't like him up there, with his litter paws, up on the counters. Sometimes, he even is able to stand up on his hind legs and knock food out of the kitchen cabinets.

HELP!

Thanks.

Kitty does the same thing. She'll get off if she sees me coming....or, if I say no. I have an electric stove, too, and that worries me when I'm cooking, but she doesn't go up there much...especially, if I'm right there to stop her. She also likes to go in the sink to lick the plates clean after I put them in there or to drink out of the faucet. I know I can't control it when I'm not here, so I usually just make sure I wash the counters down frequently.

I'll be looking at some other suggestions about this one.

mrsmeowgi · Dec 19, 2005

My cats love to be on the counters also, even though they KNOW it's not allowed!!! They jump down just as I'm coming to give them a squirt from a watter bottle!! I don't think they'll ever stop.

tuxedokitties · Dec 19, 2005

Originally Posted by maverick_kitten

have you got lots of cat trees or high places for him to climb instead?

try putting up a shelf and lining it with something comfy. if he has an alternative to climb he might not want to go on the counters any more.

If he has a nice cat tree of his own to jump on, he'll be a little less inclined to get on your counters, especially if you put something he doesn't like on the counters, like the bumpy mats, or a stack of empty cans he'll knock down if he jumps up there, as others have suggested.

byclops · Dec 20, 2005

I have two energetic boys that spent their first month here constantly jumpign on our benches. We put a nice high cat tree for them in the adjacent area so they could see what was going on up there and that almost completely stopped it. The other thing I do is ensure I keep the benches clutter free so there's less to attract their attention (ever heard the saiyng about cats and curiousity?!!!).

katzy · Dec 20, 2005

I have the same problem, Chester doesnt care if we yell at him, he isnt afraid of us AT ALL which is good & bad. He is ALWAYS up on our tables and counters eating the food thats there or just sleeping! My mom gets soooo mad!

meechmelon · Dec 22, 2005

yes, the counters are always clean. I wipe them down like a madwoman. and, I never leave anything in the sink. (although, if I've just rinsed something for the dishwasher, it's a safe bet the cat will jump into the CLEAN sink when I leave the kitchen and lick the water.)

I've tried the nubby vinyl runner trick, nubby-side-up, but he doesn't seem to be affected. I've also tried aluminum foil. no dice.

I'll have to collect some cans and pennies and see if that does the trick.

anyone try those motion-detectors that sound an alarm? I'm wondering whether they work, because I don't want to spend the money if they don't!

thanks, all.

edithtippett · Dec 24, 2005

How about something similar to a rodent glue trap that will stick to their paws when they land on it? it might be enough of an annoyance for them to try to get it off. As long as it is nontoxic, that might work. Scotch tape or duct tape folded up the way you would to put on the back of a piece of paper or something?

mugsy · Dec 25, 2005

I've pretty much given up trying to 'train' Shorty and Little Pete to stay off the counters.. as a matter of fact, I've pretty much given up trying to 'train' them to go EVERYWHERE I don't want them to go. What I have done is trained MYSELF to put everything in drawers

I figured there was no stopping them, so I had to adjust my home decor accordingly.

I wish I had the answer, I truly do!!

beckiboo · Dec 25, 2005

Originally Posted by meechmelon

yes, the counters are always clean. I wipe them down like a madwoman. and, I never leave anything in the sink. (although, if I've just rinsed something for the dishwasher, it's a safe bet the cat will jump into the CLEAN sink when I leave the kitchen and lick the water.)

I've tried the nubby vinyl runner trick, nubby-side-up, but he doesn't seem to be affected. I've also tried aluminum foil. no dice.

I'll have to collect some cans and pennies and see if that does the trick.

anyone try those motion-detectors that sound an alarm? I'm wondering whether they work, because I don't want to spend the money if they don't!

thanks, all.

I had a cheap motion detector alarm and it made me crazy. Gar would jump up on the counter, and sometimes it beeped, sometimes it didn't. If it beeped, he would stick his nose right on the sensor, trying to figure out why it was beeping! Made me crazy, so I got rid of it!

Double sided tape didn't work much either, it was next to a plant and they dumped dirt on it so it lost the stickiness.

They don't get on the counters much any more...I'm not sure why. I guess they are just busy in other parts of the house when I'm cooking. Good luck retraining your kitties.

abigail · Dec 26, 2005

Originally Posted by meechmelon

Hi, all.

I can't close off the kitchen (no door). What can I do? Are there any deterrents? Anything?

I have two rooms I dont want my cat in, one needs to be a dander free zone for allergic me and the other leads to the kitchen which I just dont want to kitten proof. I bought a can of SSSScat. it is a motion detector on a can that makes a sound and hisses citronella when the cats walks by. after two trials of each, Abi no longer needs the citronella, just the sound keeps her away from the open doorways. Last night she sat and watched us play a new board game from the doorway and did not enter the room. After we finished the game we played with her bigtime for being such a good kitty.

What I like about it is that it isn't associated with me at all, it just happens. HENCE I DONT HAVE TO PLAY THE HEAVY. I bought it online.

cat always on the kitchen counters! HELP!

TCS Member

Thread starter

Darksome Duo!

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member