How can I keep my cat from getting up on my counter tops?

Question

My cat is only 7 or 8 months old and gets up on the counter , I don't want him doing this because I don't want him spreading germs from his litter box on my counters, I've tried squirting him with a spray bottle , but he does it quick enough so that by the time I actually get out of bed with the squirt bottle , he has already jumped down, is there anything I can do to keep him from doing this?

Answer 1

Usually the cat would stop doing it sooner or later if you keep showing your disapproval to him. The cat isnt "evil" or stubborn - just curious.
So there would be another solution besides the spray bottle.
Cats like "high places" so he likes to explore whats above ground level.
Maybe you could offer some other place higher than the counter, make some place accessable to the cat that offers a view to whats lying on the counters - and make sure you dont have food lying there.

Answer 2

Spray him with the water anyway, but do it as quickly as possible. It will take awhile but he will learn to associate the negative stimulus with jumping on the counter. Praise your kitty often for good behaviour so he will notice when you're disapproving. Leave some high spaces, such as windowsills and a dedicated shelf that is free of clutter, where he is allowed to jump. I did all this with my cat and after just four months he almost never jumps on the kitchen counter anymore, except when he smells tuna.

Answer 3

From your description, he knows he's doing the wrong thing by getting on the counter tops. The squirt bottle method is the best, but a good scolding can help too.

For example, a couple nights ago, when it was quite cold outside, one of my cat's buddies kept visiting him in the back yard. I usually like to let Bart out to visit his friend when he (or, I think, she) comes to call, but not at 3:00 a.m. I would not let Bart out, but both he and his friend were insistent, and I wound up getting no sleep. So the next day, I kept scolding him. As soon as he would fall asleep in his favorite chair, I woke him up with a gentle scolding. We kept this up the entire day, and when it was bedtime (for me), I welcomed him back into the bedroom but told him that he'd better behave, or he was in big trouble. Amazingly, he was a purrfect gentleman and let me have all the sleep I could get until a very decent hour of the morning.

My point is this: Cats CAN be trained. No, they are not dogs, so don't treat them as dogs. But they are incredibly intelligent animals, and they need to know their limits. Although they may not understand human speak, they do understand tonal inflections. Mine were firm, not harsh, and decidedly under control.

Recently, I caught Bart sitting in the garden window in my office nook. He has to jump up on a counter to get there. As soon as I saw him there, I simply called out, "Busted!" and down he came. I then explained to him that I didn't like him getting up on the counter. Don't bother lecturing; it does no good, but brief explanations in a very firm but gentle tone seem to hit home.

This works primarily if you have a close relationship with your cat. If not, you might as well be talking to the countertops.

I'm tempted to suggest putting something slick, or double-sided tape, on your countertops where you've seen your kitten jumping, but that may actually become part of the game instead of a real deterrent. In fact, the squirt bottle trick may have even become a game. But cats are sensitive to tonal messages, and if you praise your kitten when he is doing something "good," such as playing with a toy, eating, sitting in a cute position, etc. and scolding him when he is "bad," such as jumping on the countertop, eventually the message will take hold.

Why? Cats like praise.

Best wishes with your cat kid!

Answer 4

The best solution I ever found for this is to put objects (plastic glasses, misc. plastic containers, etc.) right at the edges of your counters for a while, when you go to bed or you're not going to be home. If a cat can see that there's something there,(and he can from the floor), he won't jump up. It worked just great on mine, and that was over 8 years ago. Good luck.

Answer 5

if ur gone all day,u cant use a squirt bottle so put tinfiol on the countertops or go to google or e-bay.com & search scat.the tinfiol keeps cats off by the feel cats hate that feeling of tinfiol.

Answer 6

It's natural for cats to want to get up on something. The higher, the better. That's why those cat condo towers are so prevalent in pet shops. Get one for your cat and keep it near a window. He'll lose interest in the counter - unless he wants to see what you are doing. Cats do like to see what their pet people are up to, you know.

Answer 7

I've seen that they have a mat that vibrates when touched to scare dogs and cats off a sofa...I think I saw it at the website for Dr. Foster and Smith

Answer 8

The water spray is good, there is also a product called either SPRAAAY! Or SCAAAT! that sprays them when you're not there.

Its expensive but everyone I've heard from loved it.

Answer 9

Well, don't leave anything out that would tempt him to get up there.

Clean your counters FREQUENTLY.

If he is getting on your counters to get a window view, set up another window for his viewing enjoyment.

And just clean your counters frequently.

Answer 10

Aluminum foil is your best bet!
It's cheap and cats hate it, especially on couch cushions. I've never tried conter tops but it's worth a shot!