Get off the counter!

I have been fostering a cat for about 5 weeks now, and I am STILL trying to get her off the countertops. I feel like I've tried everything! I

've tried spraying her with water, hissing at her, putting aluminium foil along the counters, filling it with water, putting tupperware dishes with water, giving her a time-out in the bathroom when I catch her, etc. etc. She still jumps up!

I don't know what else to do. And, I really hate these solutions (like the tinfoil) that take up my entire counter and make it impossible for me to actually use my kitchen without spilling water everywhere, or having to keep buying tinfoil, etc.

I want her to stay off the counters even when I'm not home.

Suggestions?

PS she just had a litter of cats 4 weeks ago and isn't spayed obviously, so I know she's gonna be a little crazier. But what is going to work?!

hissing at her and spraying her with water won't help. She will just feel like she has made an enemy. I know it is aggravating with a troublesome, stubborn cat that just doesn't seem to get the hint. Have you figured out if the cat is trying to get at something on the counter? If so, try to eliminate whatever the cat is trying to get to if possible. If that does't work, it just takes consistency. Every single time you see the cat on the counter, take a rolled up newspaper/magazine and hit it against the counter or table top, making a loud noise. But before banging the newspaper say NO firmly. That will she will associate no with the loud noise. Then eventually she will respond to the word no instead of the loud noise.

I have noticed that most times (at least with my cat) when she would jump on the counter, she was after the sink (water). So I diverted her attention to the bath tub. For instance I would let the water drip until she realized the it was the same as the kitchen sink. So now she tries to drink from the faucet in the bath tub instead of the kitchen sink (which I would prefer the bathtub over the kitchen sink).

Hope you find a solution. Good luck

You can also try a plastic bottle with pennies in it..thats what we shake if Trouts sticks her claws in the couch..and it distracts her enough that she forgets about being bad.

Anytime Trout used to go on the counter, we could hear her jump up there from the livingroom..and we would just start stomping really loudly toward the kitchen and she would jump right off..She doesn't go up there anymore.

The noise distraction/ scare is the best solution. Just make sure the cat doesn't see that the noise is coming from you, or like the water bottle/hissing, she'll find you an enemy ('cause you're scaring her, etc.)

She already jumps down right away when she sees me coming, so she knows she's not allowed.

Will the noise-making keep her off the counter even when I'm gone?

I had these major counter problems with Toby, one of our cats. Since he turned a year old he started on the counters, linking the faucet or just sniffing around. We tried all the same stuff that you did and it didn't work.

Then finally I got mad and calmly got up and picked him off the counter and walked him to the farthest part of the house and put him down. And he came back to the kitchen and then up on the counter and I repeated the same thing about 5 times. It got really annoying, but after about a week of my husband and I doing this, he completely stopped.

Every once in awhile (maybe once a month) we'll catch him doing it again and all we have to do is get within a couple of feet and he'll hop down right away.

I think every cat is different and you have to try all methods until you find one that works for your particular cat.

Toby doesn't like when we ignore him so we made sure not to give him any attention when he would do that. No petting or cuddling or playing and I think that's what made him understand faster. And whenever he goes in the kitchen to get his food and walks out without going on the counters we praise him a lot.

Which he eats up like the spoiled kitty he is

My kitties also love to jump on the counters and table, even though they know they're not allowed!

I think they're just rebellious! As soon as they hear me coming, they jump right down.

I really don't have any suggestions because I can't seem to get my babies to behave myself!!

I've discovered a compromise. There's this stupid little piece of countertop next to the fridge, about 6 inches wide, that she's allowed up on, and from there she jumps up on the fridge and watches me cooking, etc. She loves it up there, and I don't mind. She knows better than to get on the other countertops, cause every time I see her even looking at them I say NO and snap my fingers.

This is terrible, but we have a tiny kitchen and not very much spare time. There's no way for her to get up on the countertop cause they're so covered in dirty dishes all the time. Maybe try something like that, make it difficult for her to jump up on the counter in the first place.

caroline: Will the noise-making keep her off the counter even when I'm gone?

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Yes, it should. But the method that works will be specific to your cat. But since the noise isn't coming from you as far as the cat knows, it'll think the act of getting on the counter invokes the noise, so it will no do the action to not hear the noise. Theoretically.

Tigger has not discovered the counter tops yet, altho she has discovered the bar on the patio, and the top of the piano in the den. That being said, she will not jump over the two foot cat door that we put up occasionally to keep her out of certain parts of the house (i.e. where the birds are, etc...)

I'll try the noise making.

I've already got a shelf in the kitchen that I've been trying to get her to climb on instead, since it's the same height and I never cook on it. I've been leaving treats and stuff up there, and whenever I come in the kitchen and see her on it (or the chair), I pet her.

I hope I'm not stealing your thread, caroline, but I'm having the exact same problem with my cat jumping on my dresser. I've tried the noisemaking myself, but it just seems to work when I'm actually in the room with him. He knows he's not supposed to be there; all I need do is turn around and he's off like a shot. His personality is very happy-go-lucky, and I really think it's kindofa game to him. Can you give me some ideas?

I hope you all know that when you aren't around, the cats are on the counters / dressers / whereever they want to be! I just make sure I clean all kitchen counters and table before cooking and eating.

Is there some kind of a whistle similar to a dog whistle that I can buy to keep them off the counters & tables? They know they're not supposed to be up there and they jump down when they hear me coming but I would like to get them to stop all together.

Is there a way to make something that buzzes like a dryer when the cat is on the counter? Any inventors out there? I'm thinking a panel that could go over the counters, be cut to fit, and easily removable. And LOUD.

I'm a brand new kitten owner so my advice is not from experience.

I have heard that "Sticky Paws" is a good thing -- it's a product which is basically strips of paper with a little bit of adhesive on them. Put them on your counter and the cat won't like landing on them. Leave them there for a few weeks and your cat will learn that it's no fun to jump on the counter.

Again, I haven't tried it myself yet, but it sounds promising.

chris.

I have 3 words for you: double sided tape.

It's really easy, they hate it, but it's still safe. Once they learn that the counter is sticky, they'll never want up there again. THe downside is that you have to deal with double sided tape on the counter.

Failing that, almost any method you try will only work when you're present. You can bet your bottom dollar that when you're out of the house, the cat's on the counter. Often times, the best solution is to either sequested kitty out of the kitchen or simply to disinfect your counters before using them to prepare food.

to add to my earlier message ... from what I've read, you only need to keep the "sticky paws" or double sided tape up on the counter for two weeks or so. once the cat learns that it's sticky he/she will no longer bother trying to jump up there.

chris.