Cats on the kitchen counter...?

Question

How many allow their cats on the kitchen counter?

I gave up this fight years ago, and depend on 409 to stand between my family and certain death by cat-borne infection.

Besides, my cats demand access to countertop real estate as if it were a Constitutional right. Just TRY telling them otherwise.


P.S. The cats have no access to the stove.

Answer 1

I think trying to "train" cats is a pure and utter excersise in futility, it is not gonna happen.
I really don't mind her up on my counters...I mean she sleeps in the bed, sneaks food off my plate...basically does whatever the hell she wants...it's in the cat contract...!!!!

Answer 2

I also have this problem. I have 3 cats and the only one I really have to worry about is the 2 youngest ones, the one that is 3 and the other that is almost a year old. The kitten picked it up from the 3 year old. They have learned that they are not suppose to be up on the counters - if I caught them I would pick them up by the fur on the back of the neck and sternly say NO, then put them in a cat carrier for about 15 minutes (they hate the cat carrier). Now they don't every jump up on the counter or table during the day when I am up. I know they do at night when I am sleeping, so I make sure everything is put away and the counters are cleaned off. Then every morning, while my coffee is getting ready, I wipe all the counters off. My third cat - who is now 8 years old - used to jump on the counters, too. But I think as they get older they get over it, and he's too fat to jump up there now anyway!

Answer 3

My cat has always been great about not doing that. He doesn't even want people food. He goes to the door like a dog when he has to go to the bathroom, and sits outside at the kitchen window when he wants back in, which is usually right away.

My mom has problems like that with her cats though and she would put some pennies in a tin jar. Every time she would see them on the counter, she would shake the jar. It scared the crap out of them.

Or, I know it sounds mean, but keep a spray bottle of water handy. When you see them on the counter, spray them with it. Then, for a few days you should keep the spray bottle on the counter. When they see it, they know the consequences. Gradually take it away after a while.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I have also given this battle up, though I try to keep the kitchen door shut if I remember - It is now a case of cleaning the worktop down prior to preparing food there, also making sure the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher are all empty of cat prior to use, but it's the same all over the house. I have numerous scars on my arms due to removing the cat from the bed, the bath, the sofa,the stairs, the cupboards, the drawers, the roof of my car after I have just washed it.....

Answer 5

I don't mind cats on my counters. I don't keep open food there and disinfect before preparing food. My sister had some success by putting objects at the edge of the counters which keeps cats from jumping up there. Only one of my current cats is interested but he is a jumper anyway. The other isn't even curious.

Answer 6

Try spreading out slightly crumpled aluminum foil on the counter tops. Also secure with tape some balloons on top of the counter. It might help to "pop" a balloon in their presence to make them shy of them first. Obviously this is done while you are gone and only for long enough to break the habit. Eventually you can have a couple of balloons placed out of your work area and the cat will still choose to keep their distance. If not, keep a pin handy to pop a balloon if they try and get close.

Answer 7

Are they getting rewarded by little crumbs or morsels of food left on the counter by lazy children? If the counter is kept meticulously clean this should help curb the desire for them to get up there. After all, if they continue to do it, it must be because they are getting something that they want.

Also, have you ever tried sticking double sided tape on your counter tops? A few cross sections of that in strategic areas and you might have the end to this civil war.

Answer 8

Absolutely not.

Do you realize that your cat steps on its own feces and urine in the litter box? If your cats are on the counter tops then they are transferring this to your counters.

My husband trained our cats to stay off of the counters. Every time one would try to climb on the counter he would pick up something small and throw it about one foot away from where the cat was standing. They soon became too afraid to even think about jumping on the counters.

Answer 9

My parents thought their cat didn't jump up onto the counter. But he does. And he just goes up there when they aren't home to tell him no. So my mom picked up antibacterial spray. The newer one that can be used around food. She sprays the counters down before preparing food. Plus she makes sure that she puts away food like cookies and such in containers or in the microwave so the cat can't get it.

Answer 10

They don't do it too often, but they do. I think we are more likely immune to whatever bacteria they carry. I only pretend that I don't want them on the counter when I have guests. I also told my daughters to make sure to date cat people. I can just imagine their mother-in-law screaming at the sight of cats on the kitchen counter.

Answer 11

I form of broke mine from being on the counter with "no, undesirable kitty' and a water gun. once you have shot some cases, as quickly as I walk in they bounce off the counter. They understand greater valuable! lol. maximum of them do no longer bypass on the counter anymore, yet whilst somebody does, all I could say is what are you doing? and he will bounce off. so some distance as protecting them off whilst i'm no longer around, I do exactly no longer understand approximately that.