I have 5 cats. Is there any way at all to keep them off the kitchen counters?

Question

I have tried sprays to repel them, but I think these are dangerous. i have tried shooting them with a squirt gun too. HELP

Answer 1

I can't keep my cat off anything. nothing works, i just yeall & chase him away but eventually he gets back up. sorry, thats a cat for ya!!

Answer 2

Can't think of much you can do except make sure there aren't any dishes with left-over food waiting to be washed. They might be going for that. In general, cats like to climb and be at the highest point they can reach because that is what a cat does. You have 5??? We only have 3 and only occasionally have problems with them heading for the table or counters and then only when they smell food. As far as the squirt gun, that will only work while you are there with it. When you're not, they go right back up! Catz can be really annoying at times, but it comes with the territory. Catz don't have owners you know, they have a staff.

Answer 3

The double sided sticky tape idea is effective but may also stop you from using your counters. Another option is to fill cookie sheets with water and line the counters. It's a bit messy the first couple of times the cats jump up and knock the trays down, but it works.

The problem with noise and squirt guns is they don't work when you're not there. Cats love to climb and will get on counters or anywhere else they can as soon as you leave. You need something like the sticky tape or water that you can have in place when you're away.

Answer 4

I have the same problem. I bought the 2 sided tape from petsmart and put it on the counter. It's a nuisance to me and it doesn't really deter the cat. I guess if you put it entirely on the counter it might do the trick. But my cat steps around it and now it's still on the counter and in my way of cleaning/cooking. So I just yell and squirt water when I'm home. When I'm not, well he just does what a cat does.....get's all over.

Answer 5

I have 3 cats and I finally got them trained to not jump on the counters just by squirting water on them. However, cats are smart. I have snuck downstairs in the middle of the night before and have caught them all on the counters. Of course they jump off right away because they know better, but I know when I'm at work they are sneaking up there!! I always have to disinfect before I cook.

Answer 6

Do you have cat trees for them to climb on? If not, you'll need to buy or build some - cats need to climb, and it's a lot easier to teach them to stay off the counters if you provide them with places where they're allowed to climb.

One you have provided them with alternative places to climb, you can use one of the methods below to make the counters less appealing. All of the methods below will discourage the cats from climbing on the counters even when you aren't around, by making the counters themselves a less pleasant place to climb on - which is much more effective than using a squirt gun (that just teaches the cats not to jump up when you're there to see it, and when you happen to be holding the squirt gun).

1) cut some pieces of heavy cardboard or plywood to fit to cover your counters, and cover the pieces of cardboard with double-sided sticky tape. Put them on the counters whenever you aren't using the counters. When the cats jump up, they won't like the feel of the tape, and should jump back down. After a while, they'll learn to prefer their cat trees.

2) put some shallow pans of water on the counters when you aren't using them - when the cats jump up, they'll land in the pans of water and that will make the counters unappealing to them.

3) try using some rubber mats with bumps on one side that are designed to be uncomfortable for the cats to walk on: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=10301&N=2002+2017

4) use a motion-detector device designed to make a noise that will scare the cats away when they jump on the counters, such as a ssscat: http://www.ssscat.com/repellent/home.html
or a tattle tale alarm: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3453&N=2002+2017

Answer 7

Spray Them With A Little Water.

Answer 8

I always kept a spray bottle handy. Whenever i saw my cat jump up on to the counter I would immediately spray her and yell. Then I would follow it up with a slap to the back. I continued this for a while, then I took out the slapping, then the yelling, then by this time she didn't jump any more. Overall, it took about two months of this for her to learn not to jump. Be consisten though - cats will test you.

Answer 9

I read this once but I don't know if it works. Put sheets of aluminum foil on your counter, supposedly it's very annoying to the cat to walk on. Perhaps its the texture with their claws, like a walking nails across the blackboard, or maybe it feels odd, like people (okay, little kids, okay, I did it once when I was small) chewing on tin foil. Hope it helps, at least it's non-toxic (well unless they eat it all...)

Answer 10

You can get sticky sheets from some pet supplies stores. I have not tried them yet but I have a feeling It will not be too much longer!!!

Apperently the cats don't like it when things stick to their feet and will avoid the areas if they think something will be there to stick to them.

Kinda like flypaper for cats!!

Answer 11

There will most likely be no way to keep them off. i have 3 cats and 4 kittens myself and it is pretty much impossible in fact mine are on the counter now just knocking everything down...lol...what can i say thats just what they like they like being up high they like to watch over everything or are just curious..

-Try getting them a gym like structure that your local pet store has....something tall so they can climb up there instead of the counter.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!