What's a good, non-harmful way to keep cats off of the kitchen cupboards??

Answer 1

Squirt them with a water gun when you see them on the counters.

Answer 2

My girl friend had a little spray bottle filled with water. When the cat goes some place he's not supposed to, she gives him a couple of sprays. After a while it got to the point where all she had to do is pick up the bottle and the cat got the message.

Answer 3

Never, never, never hit your cat. You will lose their respect (they are, after all, companions) and make them fear you. It also will not teach them to stay off the counter. It will only teach them that you are not a friend and that you cause pain.

Using a carpet runner upside down with it's points up can work. You can also buy special plastic mats especially for training cats/dogs to stay off of areas. I think they are called X-mats. Some pet stores have them. Dr. Foster Smith carries them in their catalog -- you may want to do an on-line search.

The method I used was to purchase scat mats. These can be ordered in different sizes and use a mild electric tingle when stepped on. After your cat has one or two experiences with this, you don't even have to turn it on -- they will avoid the mat itself. I don't have to put the mats on the counters any more -- the cats are out of the habit of getting up there now - thanks to the Scat Mats. The only problem with Scat Mats is that they are a more expensive option. You may be able to find them cheaper on eBay.

Using plain plastic placemats, you can put strips of double sided tape on them and lay them around on the counters. Cats dislike stepping on the stickiness and they'll teach themselves to stay off. Pet stores sell a double sided tape called Sticky Paws but any 2-sided tape will work.

Whatever method you use (even empty tin cans tied together loosely with a string rigged to fall when the string is touched), be sure that it is something that the cat causes himself and doesn't connect with you. The cans, carpet runner and scat mats all do this.

Answer 4

Get some wide masking tape and layit on the counter sticky side up. when the cat walks on it, it obviously sticks to their paws and is irratating when they cant just shake it off. It may take a little while but they will start to associate going there with the unpleasant experience of the tape and stop. And Besides it is Funny as he$$.

Answer 5

When you see them somewhere you do not want them to go use one of these tips

keep a spray bottle handy and filled with water and spray them with water.

OR

Put some rocks in an empty plastic bottle and shake it so that it makes a loud noise and scares them.

They learn quickly so if one doesnt work after a few days try the other.

Answer 6

get a spray bottle and put water in it and when you catch them on the counter spay them. it really does work. i spayed my new kittens every time i caught them in my plants. i wouldn't even let them sit next to them if they were near they got sprayed. now they walk huge circles around them. lol. you don't need to soak your cat, just a mist is usually good enough.
you can also put double sided sticky tape on the counter for a week or so. the cats hate the feel of it on their paws. if you just put it about two inches on the edge of the counter that should work. although some cats learn to jump over that part so you may have to do more.

good luck.

Answer 7

the squirt bottle helps, if you can catch them in the act. They sell mats that have small spikes on them that cats don't like walking on(kinda like non skid spikes you see on the bottom of car mats, not harmfull, just uncomfortable). You could line the countertops with double-stick tape which cats hate walking on. There are also motion detection devises that either make a loud noise or squirt water. Good luck, it is a tough habit to break.

Answer 8

I trained my cats to stay off tables and counters by putting upside down packing tape on the area I want them to stay off, I would do this mainly at night to keep my family from getting boobie trapped, after getting taped once or twice the cats stay completely clear of the area. It sounds cruel, but it really does work. Good luck, I hope it works for you too.

Answer 9

This is what I did with Lucy C. Tabby. I trained her to jump up on top of the refrigerator. Don't laugh. The thing to do with cats is when they do something you don't want them to do, give them something they can do.
So cat comes into kitchen, I put treat on top of refridg. I say "jump" She does, eats treat. Now I praise her for being good jumper. Yeah I say. Now she comes in kitchen ignores counters, jumps on fridge, I praise, it's cool.

Answer 10

Squirt bottle, or fly paper on the counter. Cats HATE sticky things, and the good thing about that is that you don't have to be there for the discipline to take place.

Answer 11

Squirt bottles only work if you are there to catch them at it.

Lay down sheets of aluminum foil all over the counters before you go to bed at night; cats hate the feel of tin foil under their paws.