Cat jumping on tables/kitchen benches!!!!?

Question

Need help trying to get our 4 year old cat to stop jumping on the kitchen benches and dining table. He seems to do it to get our attention but for what reason we do not know. He has food and clean water yet still jumps up and it's getting to the point where i've had enough! We've tried squirting him with water whenever he does it but he still persists.....help!

RE: Answers given thus far...

Can't cover benches and dining table with pepper all day, everyday...thanks anyway.

Have tried squirting with water as mentioned in original post...thanks anyway.

Any other suggestions greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Use a spray bottle with water in it, when you see him in the act, give him a good squirt. You have to be even more persistant than he is. After awhile he will see you with the squirt bottle and get down before you can spray him.

Answer 2

Find what motivates your dog. Some dogs do anything for food. Some dogs do anything for Toys. Some do anything for a good petting. Some do anything for only one type of food, like cheese, or hotdog. Some only have interest in training for 5 minutes at a time, and others can go for an hour. Figure out what your dog is willing to work for, and then work with her in sessions that are no longer than she can tolerate. How to train your dog properly https://tr.im/ZN0Vs

Sign up for a dog obedience training class. It will not train your dog. It will give you training on how you can train your dog. Most people understand the idea of training, but there is a right and a wrong way to do it, and there is good and bad technique. Timing and consistency is very important, and it helps to have feedback of someone watching you who can help you improve your technique to get more efficient results with your dog.

However, she may be somewhat anxious around other dogs, sort of like the shy kid on the playground. She will benefit from continuing what you are doing as far as asking her to sit before entering, but there are more things along those lines that will help her to calmly go in and out of the dog park. She may also benefit from going in short bursts, or only when fewer dogs are present, or avoiding times when other dogs that make her nervous are present. Maybe she just plays loud - my brother's dog is this way - or maybe she is a dogpark bully - sorry it is possible. But more likely she is just a little anxious around new dogs and she wants to play but just doesn't quite know how to do that and still feel comfortable. Don't be surprised if your dog does not actually like the dog park, and maybe she would get more enjoyment and less stress out of simply going for a good walk somewhere else.

A wagging tail does not mean that your dog is happy or even comfortable with the situation. It means your dog is emotionally aroused. This could be a happy arousal, or it could be a nervous arousal, or it could be an aggressive arousal. Go youtube it, there are plenty of videos of 'vicious' dogs who are throwing a very aggressive fit of barking and snarling while their tail is wagging vigorously. Even police dogs who are not let off the leash to chase down a suspect can be lunging and barking and snarling, and their tails are still going.

Answer 3

Hi

Here's a hot tips I've use on all the cats I've had. Always works on my Norwegian cats!

The trick is to speak the "cat language", and solve the issues the way the cats solve their differences, as to who's going to eat first.

When a higher ranking cat is really hungry, he won't allow lower ranking cat to eat before he has finished.

What he does is to growl.

But if the other cat is very hungry. the growling might not be enough. If so the higher ranking cat will growl and put his paw down. If that doesn't help, he will do it again. And if that does not help, he will push the other cat away.

Mostly the lower ranking cat will instantly go and take a seat, and let the higher ranking cat alone, and wait patiently like cats can, without any fuss.

To mimic the growling, say mmmmmmmmmmmm with closed mouth as low as you can, and deep down in your throat, next time you want to tell him where not to go. He will probably jump down instantly. If that doesn't help, say mmmmm..., and drop your fist softly down onto the table, as to make a litle sound.

--
Good luck!

Answer 4

I love cats and really try hard to make sure mine are happy and healthy.
Honestly, four years old is probably too late to establish something as major as this. Your cat has obviously been able to do this and it would be cruel to make him stop at this point because he doesn't understand. I taught my cats to get down when they were kittens by snapping my fingers to get their attention, then I point my finger down and I say get down. I don't yell, but I do it firmly. They still jump places I don't want them too sometimes because they are cats afterall and they love to jump, but they tend to get down when I ask.
Another suggestion is to make sure they are entertained. When your cat follows you around it's because he's bored. Give him a hemp catnip mouse to bat around or throw a paper ball. Many people think cats and laziness are synonimous but it's not true - they love to play - constantly!
One last suggestion is to make sure he has his own space. Cats stay home all day, even when you aren't there, and they feel like the house is there space. They must have their own places they are allowed to go. When you say get down, pick him up and place him in his very own sleeping basket located in a sunny spot. Or get him a cat tree to run on and scratch on. If they havce places to go, they won't want your spot. Even a special rug they can lay on or play with catnip on works wonders. My cats have their own eating place, sleeping place, and play place so they listen when me and my hubby give them commands.
Just whatever you do, please don't push him off the surface or use that horrible red pepper idea. Squirt guns also cause them to have behavioral problems because they live in a constant state of fear because they have no idea why you are squirting them.
Good luck and i hope these suggestions help.

Answer 5

One thing that we did with several of our cats was to use double sided carpet tape on a chunk of cardboard. When the cat jumped up on the counters he'd get stuck to the tape and jump down. We moved the cardboard often so he could not tell where it was going to be.

Also, one good toss off the counter and a strong sharp firm voice may help. "NO! GET DOWN!" works for our cats. They've been fairly well trained now. When I say "toss" I do not mean throw the cat. I mean pick it up and firmly move it to the floor.

Kev

Answer 6

Get the thin double sided sticky tape sold at pet stores: put wher eshe goes that you dont like, and after a few days, she wont go there anymore.
Worked like a charm for me,a nd the stuff is cheap, barely noticeablem, and removes easily. AND REMEMBER:
The Pros and Cons of Punishment

Punishment can be verbal, postural, or physical and is meant to make your pet immediately associate something unpleasant with a behavior you don't want her to engage in. The punishment makes it less likely that the behavior will occur again. To be effective, punishment must be delivered while your pet is engaged in the undesirable behavior—in other words, "caught in the act." If the punishment is delivered too late, even seconds later, your pet will not associate the punishment with the undesired behavior. The punishment will seem totally unpredictable to her.

Remember, cats do not act out of spite or revenge and they don't have a moral sense of right and wrong. Never use physical punishment that involves discomfort or pain; in addition to being inhumane, such punishment may cause your cat to bite, defend herself, or resort to other undesirable behaviors. For example, holding your cat's neck skin and shaking her may result in a frightened cat who scratches or bites to defend herself.

Also, your cat might associate the punishment with other stimuli, including people, who are present at the time the punishment occurs. For example, a cat who is punished for getting too close to a new baby may become fearful of, or aggressive to, that baby—or to other babies. That's why physical punishment is not only bad for your cat, it's also bad for you and others.

It's easy to understand that punishment delivered by you may erode your cat's trust and frighten her. That's why punishment is most effective when it does not come directly from you. For example, if your cat enjoys scratching the couch, you may apply special double-sided tape to those surfaces. Cats rarely like sticky paws. Thus your cat perceives the couch, and not you, to be delivering the punishment. In this way, too, your cat is more likely to avoid the undesirable behavior even when you're not around. However, it is critical that while discouraging undesirable behaviors, you help your cat understand what you want her to do and provide appropriate outlets for her normal cat behaviors. (For more information on specific tools and techniques to keep your cat away from particular places or to stop her from engaging in certain behaviors, see our tip sheet on Using Aversives to Modify Your Cat's Behavior.)

One of the reasons that cats are such fun companions is that when they're not sleeping, many of them enjoy playing. Playing with your cat will not only help her physical and behavioral development, but it can also reduce undesirable behaviors. Be sure your cat has safe toys to play with by herself, and don't underestimate the power of playing with your cat to strengthen the bond between you and enhance the quality of life for both of you.

Answer 7

Try using citrus scented cleaning products or lay oranges, lemons, limes, or any other citrus fruits out on the table.

Answer 8

Good grief, you're the human, and supposedly the master. Swat it on the rear end, it'll stop.

Answer 9

put red pepper down where you think he is jumping up