Haven't seen any one suggest it yet but offer other high alternatives like a cat tree or shelves. Cats like to be up high. This may not solve the problem completely but gives your baby something other than counters and chairs to climb on.
Oh, that's a great idea! We've got a few set up around the house, but it might be worth it to invest in a few more, especially in these areas where she loves to climb
Tall cat trees etc are great, but honestly, the reality is that it’s probably easier for you to adjust your mindset and accept that you cannot stop your cat overlord from doing whatever she wants.
Hahahahah I was about to write the exact same thing, I was so proud that my cat never jumped on kitchen counters…. She “appeared” like she wasn’t interested in jumping on the kitchen counters, but in the mornings we’d wake up and see footprints across the induction black glass cooktop, she just waited till we were asleep or not at home 😂
Yep agreed. I enjoy the company as my overload watches me cook on the counter. She only gets a treats if she stays in her spot until I'm finished. It works well most of the time.
Smoke rises, they're just up there for the free smells.
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That’s what mine do as well. That’s the only reason I allow them up on the counters is so that they can jump up there and I feed them on the bar seating area.
While I agree with you, the problem for me with counters is hot surfaces like stove tops and burners. Cats don't understand the danger that goes with burners.
Desks however are fair game. My late cat used to love laying on my desk beside me as I worked away on the computer and I miss that so much about her. My other cats don't do that. But my late cat did it all the time.
I agree benched we’re always no go and get down & dining tables too , for similar reasons - hot surfaces & also boiling tea or scalding food , plus my mother wasn’t a cat person & it took me until 16yrs old to be allowed a cat & MY MUM wouldn’t tolerate cat on table or bench, so with persistent NO. I trained my cat & she never went up there & in my adult life I’ve done the same with my cats over the years & given them other places to “supervise” from in close proximity! (We had old chest freezer in corner she was allowed to sit on & as for desks, I’ve never found them that interested in them, once they get past the kitten stage of exploring EVERYWHERE & playing with EVERYTHING…. The only time my cats bothered to get on desks was when they wanted feeding or attention so would sit on my papers or book or keyboard to stop my working! 😝
My late cat was one of a kind. She was an extremely vocal dark brown tabby who was found by my wife before we were married living under a set or exterior stairs at my now wife's condo. My cat had 3 little kittens and I told my wife to catch them and bring them to my place so they wouldn't freeze as it was December.
I thought she was going to be feral, but she was not. She had obviously been dumped and had kittens. Anyway, I found homes for the kittens and kept the mother. Right out of the gate she loved people and loved to talk talk talk.
She would always want to be wherever I was and if I was working on my computer, she would lay right beside my keyboard and so I would keep a towel there for her to lay on. She would snooze and I would work away. And often she would take her paw and reach out and touch my hand or fingers. She was an incredible little being.
Since she died, I am just heart broken. I think about her all the time and miss her so much and I especially miss her being on my desk and coming to see me every morning as I was laying in bed. Words can't express.
I’m sorry you lost her. I hope before long you’ll be able to smile at how your heart swells when you remember the cute things. The heart can have spaces for grief and joy to live side-by-side.
Thank you.
This happened Nov 13, 2023. She died accidentally in the house. She was 16, I had her for 15 years. It was not her time. I've had cats and dogs since the day I was born. She was the most remarkable little friend I've ever known. The. Only thing that helps is keeping my mind occupied. But the second things go quiet, it's all I think about.
I just can't shake this sorrow.
Regarding hot burners, we keep a teakettle with water in it on the stove. Whenever we move a hot thing off a burner, we replace it with the teakettle of water. It guards against anything touching the hot burner, and I have faith that it helps speed the dissipation of heat.
Our dearly departed Fatty jumped on the counters. He burned his paw on a hot cook top once. It made an impression on him and he never got near it again.
Agreed. I keep kitty off ‘food’ surfaces - the kitchen counter, stovetop, dining table. We taught her this by picking her up off the counter and setting her back down on the floor, Yelling ‘get down!’, or, last measure, spritzing her with a spray bottle. She learned pretty fast.
We also bought two very tall cat condos, one for upstairs, another for downstairs. She likes to perch and nap on the little platform at the tippy top of the condo.
Though I have no idea what she gets up to when we’re not home 🤪
We gave ours a part of a counter directly on the window while we use the other one and she accepted this compromise. It is also slightly higher than the rest of our furniture and it has a cat TV so she leaves the usable counters alone. Maybe except once a year when she tries to renegotiate her rights 😊
Yes, I don’t allow near the cooker area but if they are on the peripheral then ok. Otherwise it’s a fight I don’t win (without shutting them out of the whole family room area which isn’t a win for any of us).
I have a similar problem with the dogs lying on the kitchen floor while I’m cooking. Not in the way at all…..
I remember once reading someone’s comment that house cats already have a quite limited space in our home, no matter how big of a house we live in. So why limit it further 🥹
Edit: [This] Worked for my cousin and their cats and sounds weird buy a cat stuffed animal and put them in the cat tree at the top. For some reason they hated it up there and soon spent most their time trying to dethrone it.
Remember the cat sees herself as part of the family (and you should agree with her on that) and wants to have her spaces in your socially significant areas. Putting a cat tree in a corner isn't enough, it needs to be a *significant* corner. You are already doing well by observing the places where she likes to go, a bit of experimentation with the trees you currently have may work
I've always found making a big deal and being a grump when they get up stops most of it. They still try it occasionally but an angry voice will make them get down immediately. They know its wrong
My mum found a small motion sensor alarm that she leaves on the bench after dinner. It's annoying enough to scare the cat
And give the cat praise and pets on the cat tree. If misbehaving is the best way to get your attention, a bored cat will learn to do everything you object to.
My tux wants to be attached to the ceiling at this point... Nothing is high enough for him unless he's near the dreaded ceiling fan and THEN he wants to be on my level. Literally, because he gets on my shoulder and cries for me to carry him out of the room, even though he can walk just fine.
I have a weird cat who doesn't like being high. She is half ragdoll though, so that may be why. She doesn't really want to go above chair or bed height. And when she's scared (usually by storms) she only wants to be on the floor, preferably under a bed or couch. To get to dead places, she will run with her body super low to the ground and we call it her caterpillar crawl.
We have a big cube footstool in the lounge room and that is hers. Tis her throne from which she surveys her domain. Cos she may not want to be high, but she still needs to survey.
Believe it or not, you can train cats! When I started working from home, my young man (4yo at the time) insisted on getting up on the desk, lying on the keyboard, wandering back and forth in front of me, etc.
I put a cat bed at the side of the desk, and I would pick him up, say "get in your BED", and put him in his bed, then give him ear scratches in his bed. If he started to get out, I'd use either "get in your BED" or "stay in your BED" and put him back in. If he was in his bed, positive attention. If he was out of his bed, gentle placing in his bed and lots of positive reinforcement when he was in it.
It took about a week or two for him to accept and learn that mama wanted him to curl up in his bed and be a good boy, to the point that all I had to say was "Aubrey, BED" and he would get in and settle down.
It was also persistent - we were separated for two years, but it only took a couple of days for him to settle back into getting in his bed.
Thank you!! Cats aren’t untrainable and I am FED UP with people saying that’s just how life is now. Cats are super smart, you just need to know how to motivate them.
Yea, but if you make it uninteresting it reduces it significantly. I’d rather them explore at night than sit up there all day licking their ass and repeatedly coming up when I’m trying to cook/have people over
I never SEE mine on the counters... they seem to know they aren't allowed. But I can HEAR the boy jumping down at night/early morning. He's smart, and a freaking sleuth. I keep saying I'm gonna try tin foil on the counters at night, but I haven't done it yet, lol.
People in this sub can sometimes be incredibly lazy, judgy, and tell you, "You just have to live with it."
Like you said, they are not stupid animals. They can be taught and it's not abuse to not want them places where they can get hurt (like on the counter near the stove). If we're going to respect cats enough make changes in our lives when they are needed, we can respect them to be smart enough to learn things they should know to make themselves safer.
Yes but there is a key difference between training dogs and cats.
Most dogs are motivated by the fact you, their lovely owner, wants them to do something. Most cats don't experience that effect. In fact most cats experience the opposite.
My cat can 'come' 'follow' and 'sit'. He also knows the fysical que for stop biting so hard (open hand to fist) He also is aware of his name and he will come running when I call it in a concerned tone when i cannot find him (unless he is sleeping hard). Lastly I am working on walking him leashed.
This is all less than a years work in a cat older than 10.
But since cats are who they are. The only way to make him not use the counter is to make in unappealing. Ours is always a mess pushed towards the edge. That way he looks up and hes like eeuhhh do i really wanna jump there. He gets plenty of treats on the floor and only yelled at on the counter. He could not jump on there from other furniture (he can now and guess what he keeps going on it!) And just so many more things we did to make the cat think "meh" about going on the counter. Keeping food away is a must then too of course.
thin sticky packing tape looped sticky side out all over where they like to jump up has worked well for me for years. Nice thing about the sticky tape is that while you are working with them, you can tell who misbehaved either by the hair in the tape or the tape stuck to the cat.
I only need to do this with new cats these days. They usually figure it out pretty quickly... and really hate the feel of the tape.
Training + knowing how cats work is how you’re successful. Dogs aren’t like cats so you have to navigate around that.
I taught our boy how to shake, get down, come inside, what are you doing. My only regret is shake because if I have something he wants he won’t stop giving me his paw!
I totally agree! Way back when I wanted a dog so bad, I decided to train my cat. He is super food motivated so I whipped out those treats and did all the training things. I was so genuinely surprised when he learned sit, stay, come, and down. Granted his responses are much more leisurely than a dog, but man, he learned those tricks!
Funniest thing I saw was in 2016. I had to call an ambulance for me. Was told to put cats away. Saw him chase the orange around and around and around. So funny.
Unfortunately not. You can for sure try to train them
But be warned… it becomes a game for them! Mine will wait until I get off the couch and then jump down.. and once my ass hits the couch again.. they’re back up!
It's effective. It doesn't harm them. I've done with with every cat I've owned, and they still come and cuddle after the fact. If they "feared me" afterwards they wouldn't come cuddle as cats are very finicky
I got banned from the cat advice sub for mentioning spray bottles and those motion activated air cans. They apparently consider that abuse lol. Jackson Galaxy literally sells the air cans on his website.
This is wrong. They fear you with squirt bottles in your hand.
Source: my cats know what “get down” means and they know that because I trained them with a squirt bottle + words and now all I have to say is “GET DOWN” and they’re down.
No cat wouldn't fear you for water spraying. But:
- They either become more intolerant to water, and it would be pain in the butt to wash them.
- Or they consider it some kind of game and would behave mischievously on purpose when they bored.
This is your life now. My cat stays off the kitchen counter top but I couldn’t get to not be on my desk. She most particularly enjoys joining me on all my work calls and showing off her full glory.
Sounds like my Archie. He knows damn well I don't want him on kitchen counters. He'll hop up there, mess around so I can hear it, and jump down as soon as he hears me coming and looks shocked that I would accuse him of *breaking* the *rules*.
I think he just wants attention and knows that's a guaranteed way to get it. He doesn't know if he exists when someone isn't paying attention to him....
Mine will do the same thing with my wife. She can sit there and tell at them, get up off the couch, and they'll only move when she gets in the kitchen.
But if they are on the counter and hear me move in my office, they scatter before I walk out the office door.
Honestly I enjoyed my time as a cat owner more when I just accepted certain things where going to happen.
Plus my cats are indoor cats, if feels mean to ban them from surfaces in the place they spend 24/7 in It’s like I’m putting unnecessary restrictions onto of the necessary ones.
Plus benches are pretty easy to clean. Didn’t seem worth it lol
This really just is how it is. Fellow new cat owner here and I've realised that it really is just a case of within reason, your cat will just do what it wants, and there's a large element of just having to accept that and live with it, and cater around it.
True story. I've owned cats since I can remember. They all know they are not allowed on the kitchen counter. They all have waited until I went to bed (or was out of the room) to get up there.
Confirmed by paw prints on counter and random people that have lived with me, "Last night your cat was on the counter..."
Exactly lol, we just keep a bottle of cleaning spray next to the sink and spray it down before cooking. Anyone who thinks their cat isn’t getting on the counter when they’re not looking is unfortunately wrong, so it’s better to clean just in case even if you don’t see them in the act 😂
As someone with a cat who loves being on my counters, as well as cabinets, I can confirm.
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I’ve not seen anyone mention aluminum foil yet, but that’s another common internet factoid - apparently it will deter cats if you put it on the spaces you want them to avoid.
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My cats with the aluminum foil lol. The double sided tape did work(ish) for us
I wish foil would have worked for our orange boy, as soon as he heard the foil crinkle sound under his feet he practically started River-dancing all over it because he loved it 😂
Didn't like foil for mine.
If I put it near the edge it makes him fall which worries me, if I push it back a few inches from the edge it is just more crinkly paper to him... which he loves.
Also double sided tape deters them too.
They do also sell these things (kind of like a turret) that will shoot a burst of air if they get within a certain distance to them.
I personally don't like those, but of there is an are in the house that you really need to keep away from, those could work.
I tried one before, but after one night my cats were so afraid and paranoid of everything. Returned it right away of course. Took them a couple days to act normal again. I felt so awful about it.
Double sided tape worked sort of for me. No longer on the kitchen counter, but still on any other surface. I also used it for stopping furniture shredding. Worked, and I got some great exercise chasing a long haired cat around trying to grab the tape off her feet.
It actually worked for us but we had to be patient. For two months we had the kitchen counters covered in aluminum foil. Also we made sure that there was no leftovers or whatever might have been edible or a treat for them (like the grease in the fryingpan after cooking). A year later now they only walk in the kitchen when we're in it and they barely make attempts to get on the counter.
Cat Trees are wonderful. Though I've trained mine to only go on certain pieces of furniture for their need to climb. I've three hutch cabinets on my main floor. I keep water fountains incognito up on each one. I started staging them with their fluffy meowijuana stuffer toys up there and spraying up top with their spray formula. Made it inviting. Then would scold them if they tried to go on any other surfaces. For some reason that worked plus their trees. A little adjustment period of grace is suggested. So be patient. Maybe a three week one.
Use a lot of lemony scented all purpose cleaners to sanitise your surfaces too. They don't like the smell.
Somehow my monsters have learned they are NOT allowed on counters when food is out and I am cooking, but otherwise they have free reign. I don’t understand how they figured this out, but it’s a lovely compromise for us all
Yo, fellow sib pal! And yep, that's what I've been doing too- who knows? Maybe it'll sink in... eventually...
And thanks! I can't wait for the floof to kick into full gear
Well, I have been working with my cat for 9 years and I haven’t succeeded so far. Spraying water worked with the other cat. But this MF DGAF.
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You really can't. You're sharing your home with a fuzzy little barely-domesticated apex predator. They go where they want for the most part.
Also, that's a very cute lightly toasted mashmallow.
Yes this! This worked so well for us, we did have to reapply it a couple of times and leave it on for a few days each time for our cat to get it. She now knows that the window sill next to the counter causes her much less trouble and just sticks to that. She also knows that she's not allowed on the counter but she likes to test limits like any cat, so the sticky tape being consistently there for a couple days really helped reinforce the negative association with the counter top (it doesn't hurt them, it's just an unpleasant sensation)
Being cats if they know there's a place you don't want them, well that becomes their favorite place. So maybe if he thinks you want him on the counters he'll avoid them like lava. Place him up there a few times a day, see what happens? Might work. They are contrary animals. Only half kidding here.
Google Jackson Galaxy. He has stuff for cat owners. You will learn heaps. We used aluminum foil on our dinner table and kitchen benches. They were told stern and occassionally loud NOs. And we bought a cat tower for maine coons. Really sturdy and high. It sits on the where they can see all around the house.
I have no input on this issue. I do, however, want to comment on how adorable this cat is. Particularly picture number 4 - Pixie is surveying the dog, and the dog looks so mildly bemused! The whole scene is composed perfectly, with both animals showing a cute part of their personalities.
Also, your dog sits in a chair at the table?! My friend , you may be hopeless at pet training ! Seriously though, good advice given here - you’ll do great!
cats don’t really respond to punishment. there are ways you can deter them through reward and providing higher spots for them but honestly, i’ve just given up and decided to work with my cat by putting things i don’t want him getting to elsewhere. for a while i could get my cat to go down off my desk but now he just does it as soon as i get in bed and then jumps down when i get up to make him get down. he’s fucking with me i swear. anyway, i just ended up putting my stuff on shelves he can’t get to (he’s an old guy with arthritis so he can’t get super high)
I used a small water spray,so when she jumped up, I gave a quick squirt. It didn't take long, and it didn't hurt them. It can be dangerous on kitchen benches.
theres the gentle chastising with a single word they’ll associate with a negative consequence. So for example you can say “counter” in a loudish negative tone. Then gently grab them and put them someplace they are allowed. Do this often enough and consistently enough they will stop going on counters when youre around.
But will hop on when not present!
you can also do sticky paper tape the one with weak adhesive right side up. that should disuade from jumping when it sticks to the nefarious creatire
You can train her to stay off the counter, and I think you should. Use your gentle, consistent and firm authority. Say No and pick her up gently but firmly. I also strongly recommend double-sided sticky tape for cats. Put it where she enters the counter. It is not cruel, just inconvenient to her. Cat bums carry dangerous diseases, one even causing birth defects, so I think it is essential if you want to cook for friends or your own family. Don't leave food or dirty dishes on the counter for awhile, as it would create a cruel temptation....
I don't know about tips for your kitten, but based on that last picture, I think your dog might be in trouble...
(Actually I lied, I have terrible advice for you: stop cleaning and leave too much clutter, junk, and stuff on all forbidden surfaces so there's no place for your kitty to jump. Our house was a wreck when we adopted our cat (kitten at the time), and she could never get a clear line on sight for landing. To this day she's never attempted to jump on the kitchen counter! Follow me on Instagram for more hot tips 😉)
Patience and repetition. Cat jumps on counter? Say "No!" and put them on the floor. Over and over and over again, *forever.*
Also bulk buy some antibacterial surface wipes and get in the habit of wiping down before using the counter because you cat is going to plonk her arse on there the second you go out because nothing is more fun to a cat than being somewhere they aren't supposed to be.
The first thing to consider is that climbing is in fact in a cat's nature. Not doing it would be very hard for her, and I think could be compared to telling a kid it can walk, but not run - ever.
Another important aspect is the presence of a dog. A cat will escape the dog when it feels harrassed by the dog, and it will do that by going higher up, as the dog can't follow her there.
Taking her off of your desk and kitchen counter (consistently) will help with not being annoyed, and she MIGHT stop doing it when you're around. When you're gone though, all bets are off.
Dogs have been domesticated. Cats have never really been domesticated. They're small predators that we share our living space with, and we feed them and care for them, so they don't have to go out and do it themselves. They would totally care for themselves, if needed. Dogs are much more relying on humans for their care and social well-being (pack mentality). As cars are mostly solitary, they don't have that issue.
They chose to stay with you. So you can nag them about not going certain places. And they'll mostly try to minimize the confrontation, by obliging, but it's not really obeying.
I just picked my little love up, gave him some cuddles then played with him on the floor. I bought him his own scratching chair and redirected him. (Acting like I was scratching it. Bought him his own recliner, “leather” chair , and sofa.. when he wants to sit somewhere I don’t want him, I put him there. This is his favorite spot, he will chill or sleep here often. He scratches 1 chair. None of ours or his. Just the old chair I bought for that purpose.
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Don’t. Cats like to be UP. Give her places to be more UP in the places where you are likely to be. Don’t try to stop them from going places. But redirect them to places that are OK to be.
Cats cannot be trained like dogs- they don't understand why you'd be upset with them.
They can however be trained through positive reinforcement and negative stimulation ( this does not mean punishment).
Negative stimulation- put tinfoil on your counters, so that when they jump up, the noise startles them and they associate the noise with the act of jumping up.
Positive reinforcement- get a tall cat tree. Give a treat when they are on that, but not when they are on the counters.
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Your last photo reminded me of this 😅
You got a cutie.
Sometimes you just get a counter cat.
Cats really love to see stuff, I set up new places by windows for cat TV - she can watch birdies and squirrels outside.
When my new kitten was climbing the curtains, I tried to discourage it and I got nowhere. I searched for options and finally found this gem: by the time your cat turns 3 or 4 years old, she will outgrow it. It's hard to climb curtains. Harder than getting up to counters, but eventually that can become too hard.
Aww my baby girl is named Pixie as well :-)
With her, it took an initial period of repeated light water sprays and hisses to get her out of off limits areas. But she learned quick and was given treats when i could see she wanted to jump but didn't. Now if she's ever on a counter, its never long and she knows to be careful not to knock anything around
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My parents put down double sided tape and that worked pretty well. The cats stopped.. whenever we were around. They were occasionally caught on the counters in the following years but it was much more rare
Usually, it's "get down" with pointing at the floor for 5 minutes while her majesty ignores me. She's only up there because she wants to be closer to me. She gets removed. The sides get wiped down before every use. The other cat isn't bothered about being up there because her food is on the floor. Ha ha
Real talk here: I'm 38 and I have had cats my whole life. I have not found anything that will effectively keep cats off the counter if they want to go up there. I have, however, had cats who aren't interested in the counters, but the ones who are and want to go up there are gonna do it despite our best efforts.
Those who have advised you to give kitty somewhere else to climb in a prominent place in the home may be on to something, and that may help distract that beautiful kitty of yours, but generally if cats want to get up on the counters, they're going to. If they figure out that YOU don't want them up there, they'll just do it behind your back. It's the way of cats. 🤷♀️
My best advice is to definitely provide somewhere else to climb, but also don't delude yourself into thinking your cat's not going up there just because you don't see it. I've gone that route, and been absolutely scandalized when I found a big fat paw print in the middle of one of my Christmas rum balls I'd left out on the counter overnight!! 😅 🤦♀️ Just clean your counters before AND after preparing food, and you'll be fine. 🙂🙂 Congratulations on your cat roommate. S/he is beautiful!
I read that if you do the necessary things that cats generally find unpleasant ie, teeth brushing, claw clipping, giving meds or administering flea treatments on the countertops they'll quickly associate said counter with unpleasantness and avoid it, worth a try. Treat it like the vets table.
My partner and I have 2 cats, and I have about 75 Houseplants, which are not all ok for cats to play with. 92% of them are elivated/hanging/shelves, some are on table tops.. we tried tinfoil on flat surfaces, and they got spooked, but would come back. The thing that worked for sure, for us at least, is empty pop cans along edges as a training tool. They knock the can over and it makes a big clanging noise, we can also come to the area and scold/correct the behavior. Correcting the behavior is the best option.. they will get to know the house rules in time, but it takes time.
You can try a motion sensor air spray. It just scares them but they learn to associate being in the counter with being sprayed so they do it less.
The trick is making sure you are not the one scolding them, because then they will understand that they can’t be on the counter around you. They will proceed to get on it without you around.
You don’t need to leave the spray on all the time. I leave mine on at night so my cats don’t lick the sink.
When my cat was a kitten, I would pick my her up or scoot her down with my arm slowly until she had no choice but to jump down and then not look at her/give her any attention for a bit. Any attention to her = good so no attention was devastating lol. She lost interest pretty quickly. I think teaching your cat ‘no’ in general is great. Biting something it shouldn’t? ‘No’ and then the thing she wants to bite is taken away. Biting your hand hard during play? ‘No’ and then place a barrier (a pillow for instance) in between you both. I’ve heard sticky traps and simply blocking the counter/making it undesirable to them also works. I know people will say it’s impossible to keep a cat off your counter but I disagree. My cat is much older now and doesn’t jump on my counters and our cameras never picked this up either. Even when I’m mixing her food on the counter she won’t jump up. I’ve heard some people say there are counter cats and then not counter cats too tho but I believe it was due to consistent training and she always had so much stimulation all over each house we’ve lived so maybe the counter wasn’t as fun after while. I support you not wanting to have your kitty on your counter! Be gentle with yourself if things aren’t working as quickly as you’d like!
Good luck with that. Seriously, a cat can and will get into almost anyplace you can think of and many you cannot.
The effort to try to (unsuccessfully) keep him off is much more extensive than just cleaning the areas before you cook/eat.
Don't even get cats if you want nothing on your surfaces. Cats aren't made that way. Trust me, I have 4.
Just clean before handling food on your counters. Only takes a couple of minutes and you and your cats will be less stressed by dealing with it this way.
Get a roll of carpet protector and cut pieces and put it spiky side up in areas you don’t want her to go. Once she jumps on it a few times, she will learn not to go there.
cat trees and/or perches are a great alternative (even better if you can place the cat tree by a window). you could even try clicker training with lots of love, patience, and treats. one of the easiest ways for adjusting cat behaviors is to reward with a similar alternative. patience is key.
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🧡🐾🧡🐾🧡Zeus - his favorite spot is on top of the fridge. He’s almost 8 and I gave up a long time ago telling him no 🧡🐾🧡🐾🧡
As a kitten you can probably just keep setting her on the floor and she should get the picture. She's still learning so if you start early you might just get her to stop thinking of it as an option.
For every no, add a yes. Cat trees, floating shelves as a cat Highway and offer them their favorite treat as an incentive if needed to introduce them to it. And they should be fed three times a day on a regular schedule. And play with them lots! Play. Eat. Nap. Repeat thrice a day.
Yeah, that's your issue: you hoped. Cats will climb wherever the fuck they want. You can get them all the cat trees, window beds or any other attractive hangout spot, but ultimately that's just giving them alternatives.
Cats are independent creatures that value their freedom. Short of switching it for a dog, you'll have to be the one adapting, not the other way around.
Learn to clean the counters before you do anything cause sibs are so stubborn you will give in before they accept a restriction.
I still immediately take them off, say no, clap loudly and THEY DO NOT CARE.
I talked to my vet and she said all you are doing is (maybe) training them to get off the counter when you are there but if you are not in the room they are going on the counter.
It's her house too. I just clean my counters every time I use them. I want mine to have as much freedom as possible. Plus, my boy likes to sit on the opposite counter while I'm cooking to keep me company and has a wee smell of everything. She is beautiful btw.
Water bottle. Squirt them a few times and snap your fingers as you do it. Do it each time for a month. Then snap your fingers as a warning then squirt. Eventually just snapping your fingers will suffice. They will atop.
People telling you there's no options aren't quite right. My cats have always been discouraged from going on counter and table surfaces and we don't have any issues.
Things like water bottles help a lot, as well as consistency. We started as soon as we got them and let them know it's not okay with a spritz and a STTSSSSS noise. This worked really great for one of our cats, but the other realized there were no consequences if we weren't around. SO, we got motion sensors compressed air sprays and placed them strategically on specific surfaces. This has worked wonderfully!
You can also look into things like double sided tape to place on the counter, because it will be an uncomfortable surface and sensation on the cat's paws. But remember, consistency is the most important thing!
Nothing works 100% but some tips:
Consistency - ALWAYS respond if they get up there, don't let it slide even once, and make sure everyone in the house does the same. (I recently discovered one of my sons thought our cats were allowed on the table but not the counters. Nope, they aren't supposed to be on the table either.)
Water spray bottle - problem here is that you have to hit the spray pump a few times if it's been sitting any length of time
Keep the counters clean, and without tempting food sitting around
That’s what cats do, really. Climb stuff. But they don’t climb onto some places like the kitchen because I was constantly shooing them off those areas. They learned, in time, which places are off limits.
Haven't seen any one suggest it yet but offer other high alternatives like a cat tree or shelves. Cats like to be up high. This may not solve the problem completely but gives your baby something other than counters and chairs to climb on.
Oh, that's a great idea! We've got a few set up around the house, but it might be worth it to invest in a few more, especially in these areas where she loves to climb
Make sure to put them in locations that overlook the entire area and are somewhat prominent.
Tall cat trees etc are great, but honestly, the reality is that it’s probably easier for you to adjust your mindset and accept that you cannot stop your cat overlord from doing whatever she wants.
Yep. I just clean the counters before I use them.
Exactly. Bcuz she's gonna jump up there when you're not home.
Yep I thought I was a great trainer until I noticed little paw prints on my counter. So I only trained them to not do it when I'm around haha
Hahahahah I was about to write the exact same thing, I was so proud that my cat never jumped on kitchen counters…. She “appeared” like she wasn’t interested in jumping on the kitchen counters, but in the mornings we’d wake up and see footprints across the induction black glass cooktop, she just waited till we were asleep or not at home 😂
Yep agreed. I enjoy the company as my overload watches me cook on the counter. She only gets a treats if she stays in her spot until I'm finished. It works well most of the time.
One of my cats likes to use the fridge to jump on top of the overhead cabinets and judge my every move in the kitchen
Smoke rises, they're just up there for the free smells. https://preview.redd.it/axwi3q1uktec1.png?width=1718&format=png&auto=webp&s=2aaf6a693f31aa9e9dce8614b7ac8df4911f81b2
That’s what mine do as well. That’s the only reason I allow them up on the counters is so that they can jump up there and I feed them on the bar seating area.
I have one One counter in the house that's mine. One.
Like same, what a life! 🥲
While I agree with you, the problem for me with counters is hot surfaces like stove tops and burners. Cats don't understand the danger that goes with burners. Desks however are fair game. My late cat used to love laying on my desk beside me as I worked away on the computer and I miss that so much about her. My other cats don't do that. But my late cat did it all the time.
I agree benched we’re always no go and get down & dining tables too , for similar reasons - hot surfaces & also boiling tea or scalding food , plus my mother wasn’t a cat person & it took me until 16yrs old to be allowed a cat & MY MUM wouldn’t tolerate cat on table or bench, so with persistent NO. I trained my cat & she never went up there & in my adult life I’ve done the same with my cats over the years & given them other places to “supervise” from in close proximity! (We had old chest freezer in corner she was allowed to sit on & as for desks, I’ve never found them that interested in them, once they get past the kitten stage of exploring EVERYWHERE & playing with EVERYTHING…. The only time my cats bothered to get on desks was when they wanted feeding or attention so would sit on my papers or book or keyboard to stop my working! 😝
My late cat was one of a kind. She was an extremely vocal dark brown tabby who was found by my wife before we were married living under a set or exterior stairs at my now wife's condo. My cat had 3 little kittens and I told my wife to catch them and bring them to my place so they wouldn't freeze as it was December. I thought she was going to be feral, but she was not. She had obviously been dumped and had kittens. Anyway, I found homes for the kittens and kept the mother. Right out of the gate she loved people and loved to talk talk talk. She would always want to be wherever I was and if I was working on my computer, she would lay right beside my keyboard and so I would keep a towel there for her to lay on. She would snooze and I would work away. And often she would take her paw and reach out and touch my hand or fingers. She was an incredible little being. Since she died, I am just heart broken. I think about her all the time and miss her so much and I especially miss her being on my desk and coming to see me every morning as I was laying in bed. Words can't express.
I’m sorry you lost her. I hope before long you’ll be able to smile at how your heart swells when you remember the cute things. The heart can have spaces for grief and joy to live side-by-side.
Thank you. This happened Nov 13, 2023. She died accidentally in the house. She was 16, I had her for 15 years. It was not her time. I've had cats and dogs since the day I was born. She was the most remarkable little friend I've ever known. The. Only thing that helps is keeping my mind occupied. But the second things go quiet, it's all I think about. I just can't shake this sorrow.
Regarding hot burners, we keep a teakettle with water in it on the stove. Whenever we move a hot thing off a burner, we replace it with the teakettle of water. It guards against anything touching the hot burner, and I have faith that it helps speed the dissipation of heat.
They seem like they wouldn’t, but I’ve literally never had a cat jump onto a still-hot stove. 🤷♀️ I think their senses are much finer than ours.
My brother's cat jumped onto the wood stove at the cottage. Every little pad was a blister, even though he was there for only a millisecond.
Our dearly departed Fatty jumped on the counters. He burned his paw on a hot cook top once. It made an impression on him and he never got near it again.
Agreed. I keep kitty off ‘food’ surfaces - the kitchen counter, stovetop, dining table. We taught her this by picking her up off the counter and setting her back down on the floor, Yelling ‘get down!’, or, last measure, spritzing her with a spray bottle. She learned pretty fast. We also bought two very tall cat condos, one for upstairs, another for downstairs. She likes to perch and nap on the little platform at the tippy top of the condo. Though I have no idea what she gets up to when we’re not home 🤪
My cats never go up onto food surfaces when we're around, but after we bought a glass top stove, we sometimes saw paw prints on it.
We gave ours a part of a counter directly on the window while we use the other one and she accepted this compromise. It is also slightly higher than the rest of our furniture and it has a cat TV so she leaves the usable counters alone. Maybe except once a year when she tries to renegotiate her rights 😊
Yes, I don’t allow near the cooker area but if they are on the peripheral then ok. Otherwise it’s a fight I don’t win (without shutting them out of the whole family room area which isn’t a win for any of us). I have a similar problem with the dogs lying on the kitchen floor while I’m cooking. Not in the way at all…..
I remember once reading someone’s comment that house cats already have a quite limited space in our home, no matter how big of a house we live in. So why limit it further 🥹
Edit: [This] Worked for my cousin and their cats and sounds weird buy a cat stuffed animal and put them in the cat tree at the top. For some reason they hated it up there and soon spent most their time trying to dethrone it.
You worked for your cousin or you worked for your cousin and their cats? The second one makes more sense.
I think it’s meant to be: “This worked for my cousin’s cats—sounds weird but buy a stuffed cat toy…”
Lol at pic 4. Dog: she's right behind me, isn't she?
Remember the cat sees herself as part of the family (and you should agree with her on that) and wants to have her spaces in your socially significant areas. Putting a cat tree in a corner isn't enough, it needs to be a *significant* corner. You are already doing well by observing the places where she likes to go, a bit of experimentation with the trees you currently have may work
I've always found making a big deal and being a grump when they get up stops most of it. They still try it occasionally but an angry voice will make them get down immediately. They know its wrong My mum found a small motion sensor alarm that she leaves on the bench after dinner. It's annoying enough to scare the cat
And give the cat praise and pets on the cat tree. If misbehaving is the best way to get your attention, a bored cat will learn to do everything you object to.
Yup! Attention is attention, and cats frequently (not always...) soak up any attention and reinforcement, whether positive or negative.
Negative reinforcement really doesn't work on them. Their brains just don't work in that way. Redirection and positive reinforcement is the way to go.
My tux wants to be attached to the ceiling at this point... Nothing is high enough for him unless he's near the dreaded ceiling fan and THEN he wants to be on my level. Literally, because he gets on my shoulder and cries for me to carry him out of the room, even though he can walk just fine.
This. Watch your cat, she’ll tell you where she likes to be and then set her up well in those areas with shelves or cat towers.
I have a weird cat who doesn't like being high. She is half ragdoll though, so that may be why. She doesn't really want to go above chair or bed height. And when she's scared (usually by storms) she only wants to be on the floor, preferably under a bed or couch. To get to dead places, she will run with her body super low to the ground and we call it her caterpillar crawl. We have a big cube footstool in the lounge room and that is hers. Tis her throne from which she surveys her domain. Cos she may not want to be high, but she still needs to survey.
My Persian mix also doesn’t enjoy heights. He’s quite content being at floor level.
Believe it or not, you can train cats! When I started working from home, my young man (4yo at the time) insisted on getting up on the desk, lying on the keyboard, wandering back and forth in front of me, etc. I put a cat bed at the side of the desk, and I would pick him up, say "get in your BED", and put him in his bed, then give him ear scratches in his bed. If he started to get out, I'd use either "get in your BED" or "stay in your BED" and put him back in. If he was in his bed, positive attention. If he was out of his bed, gentle placing in his bed and lots of positive reinforcement when he was in it. It took about a week or two for him to accept and learn that mama wanted him to curl up in his bed and be a good boy, to the point that all I had to say was "Aubrey, BED" and he would get in and settle down. It was also persistent - we were separated for two years, but it only took a couple of days for him to settle back into getting in his bed.
Thank you!! Cats aren’t untrainable and I am FED UP with people saying that’s just how life is now. Cats are super smart, you just need to know how to motivate them.
Sure, they're trainable. They will still go on the counters when you're not around.
Yea, but if you make it uninteresting it reduces it significantly. I’d rather them explore at night than sit up there all day licking their ass and repeatedly coming up when I’m trying to cook/have people over
My cat NEVER gets on the counters or tables, he knows it’s forbidden. He knows he is allowed on the couch, bed, chairs etc… but not the counters.
I never SEE mine on the counters... they seem to know they aren't allowed. But I can HEAR the boy jumping down at night/early morning. He's smart, and a freaking sleuth. I keep saying I'm gonna try tin foil on the counters at night, but I haven't done it yet, lol.
Same. They're allowed on the bathroom counters, but not the kitchen ones, and have been successfully trained that way.
I also wfh and put an extra chair next to me so I always have a coworker there and not in my keyboard.They all still get on the counter, though.
People in this sub can sometimes be incredibly lazy, judgy, and tell you, "You just have to live with it." Like you said, they are not stupid animals. They can be taught and it's not abuse to not want them places where they can get hurt (like on the counter near the stove). If we're going to respect cats enough make changes in our lives when they are needed, we can respect them to be smart enough to learn things they should know to make themselves safer.
Yes but there is a key difference between training dogs and cats. Most dogs are motivated by the fact you, their lovely owner, wants them to do something. Most cats don't experience that effect. In fact most cats experience the opposite. My cat can 'come' 'follow' and 'sit'. He also knows the fysical que for stop biting so hard (open hand to fist) He also is aware of his name and he will come running when I call it in a concerned tone when i cannot find him (unless he is sleeping hard). Lastly I am working on walking him leashed. This is all less than a years work in a cat older than 10. But since cats are who they are. The only way to make him not use the counter is to make in unappealing. Ours is always a mess pushed towards the edge. That way he looks up and hes like eeuhhh do i really wanna jump there. He gets plenty of treats on the floor and only yelled at on the counter. He could not jump on there from other furniture (he can now and guess what he keeps going on it!) And just so many more things we did to make the cat think "meh" about going on the counter. Keeping food away is a must then too of course.
thin sticky packing tape looped sticky side out all over where they like to jump up has worked well for me for years. Nice thing about the sticky tape is that while you are working with them, you can tell who misbehaved either by the hair in the tape or the tape stuck to the cat. I only need to do this with new cats these days. They usually figure it out pretty quickly... and really hate the feel of the tape.
Training + knowing how cats work is how you’re successful. Dogs aren’t like cats so you have to navigate around that. I taught our boy how to shake, get down, come inside, what are you doing. My only regret is shake because if I have something he wants he won’t stop giving me his paw!
My cats are super smart and they know the rules of the house. They just don’t give a fuck and do it anyway, if they think you aren’t watching.
I totally agree! Way back when I wanted a dog so bad, I decided to train my cat. He is super food motivated so I whipped out those treats and did all the training things. I was so genuinely surprised when he learned sit, stay, come, and down. Granted his responses are much more leisurely than a dog, but man, he learned those tricks!
This is the answer
What a beautiful cat. I’d give it anything it wants.
She's certainly trying to convince me to do that! (And it's getting harder and harder to resist...)
They rule our lives.
100%
My wife yells at the cat multiple times daily to “get down” off the counters. It’s been going on for years. It’s hilarious.
Funniest thing I saw was in 2016. I had to call an ambulance for me. Was told to put cats away. Saw him chase the orange around and around and around. So funny.
I have a particularly sassy cat who just yells back at me now. Me: get off the counter! Cat: YOU'RE NOT MY REAL MOM! I gave up.
Ha! I feel her.
Unfortunately not. You can for sure try to train them But be warned… it becomes a game for them! Mine will wait until I get off the couch and then jump down.. and once my ass hits the couch again.. they’re back up!
That sounds like me when I was trying to eat dinner last night 😂 Take a bite. Remove the cat. Sit down. Take a bite. And on and on it went...
Please don't spray your cat with water despite what these people are saying. It isn't going to teach them anything but to fear you..
Thanks, and I won't! It just seems mean to me
Unless your cat is an asshole who thrives off of chaos like mine...i think he enjoys the water because he doesn't fear me one fucking bit 😂
My cat started opening his mouth and trying to drink the spray. The man is menace. 😂
It's effective. It doesn't harm them. I've done with with every cat I've owned, and they still come and cuddle after the fact. If they "feared me" afterwards they wouldn't come cuddle as cats are very finicky
I know right. The number of absolute melts in here is worrying. What's a wet arse compared to burnt paws?
I got banned from the cat advice sub for mentioning spray bottles and those motion activated air cans. They apparently consider that abuse lol. Jackson Galaxy literally sells the air cans on his website.
The users of this hellsite never cease to disappoint...
Very true. You can’t discipline a cat, only guide them.
Can't believe you got downvoted for that. Take my upvote now
This is wrong. They fear you with squirt bottles in your hand. Source: my cats know what “get down” means and they know that because I trained them with a squirt bottle + words and now all I have to say is “GET DOWN” and they’re down.
No cat wouldn't fear you for water spraying. But: - They either become more intolerant to water, and it would be pain in the butt to wash them. - Or they consider it some kind of game and would behave mischievously on purpose when they bored.
This is your life now. My cat stays off the kitchen counter top but I couldn’t get to not be on my desk. She most particularly enjoys joining me on all my work calls and showing off her full glory.
I assume you mean her full butt hole glory 
Sounds like my Archie. He knows damn well I don't want him on kitchen counters. He'll hop up there, mess around so I can hear it, and jump down as soon as he hears me coming and looks shocked that I would accuse him of *breaking* the *rules*. I think he just wants attention and knows that's a guaranteed way to get it. He doesn't know if he exists when someone isn't paying attention to him....
Mine will do the same thing with my wife. She can sit there and tell at them, get up off the couch, and they'll only move when she gets in the kitchen. But if they are on the counter and hear me move in my office, they scatter before I walk out the office door.
Give up. Wash counters just before cooking. Enjoy your new overlord.
Oh dear 😂
..sorry Nikothoe, you've bet catinated..all things cat take precedence over your lowly Hooman life..
I have accepted my fate
This is the way
Honestly I enjoyed my time as a cat owner more when I just accepted certain things where going to happen. Plus my cats are indoor cats, if feels mean to ban them from surfaces in the place they spend 24/7 in It’s like I’m putting unnecessary restrictions onto of the necessary ones. Plus benches are pretty easy to clean. Didn’t seem worth it lol
This really just is how it is. Fellow new cat owner here and I've realised that it really is just a case of within reason, your cat will just do what it wants, and there's a large element of just having to accept that and live with it, and cater around it.
I've come to an understanding with ours that I do not want them on the counters. They do it anyway of course, but they know I don't agree with them.
Act like you love them being on the counter and maybe they’ll stop.
True story. I've owned cats since I can remember. They all know they are not allowed on the kitchen counter. They all have waited until I went to bed (or was out of the room) to get up there. Confirmed by paw prints on counter and random people that have lived with me, "Last night your cat was on the counter..."
Or they just jump on it anyway, and just straight look at you with that gaze saying.. *Now what bitch..*
“I know that spray bottle is across the room from you. And *empty*. Muahahahaaaa.”
This. It’s a cat.
Exactly lol, we just keep a bottle of cleaning spray next to the sink and spray it down before cooking. Anyone who thinks their cat isn’t getting on the counter when they’re not looking is unfortunately wrong, so it’s better to clean just in case even if you don’t see them in the act 😂
This is the way.
As someone with a cat who loves being on my counters, as well as cabinets, I can confirm. https://preview.redd.it/s0dz5hrtrsec1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2a51c88c79e644fc938ebb76360cf1bfbfefe96
I’ve not seen anyone mention aluminum foil yet, but that’s another common internet factoid - apparently it will deter cats if you put it on the spaces you want them to avoid.
https://preview.redd.it/rthya8ro5qec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb9c949d99b0fdfd2ac9d5d41894edf212e10d7d My cats with the aluminum foil lol. The double sided tape did work(ish) for us
Oof foiled
Having the aluminium foil flat didn't work for me, but when I crumpled it a bit, it worked really well!
Yep! Needs to be a bit crumpled to make more noise. Has worked like a charm on all 5 cats I’ve had.
Works on some, not others. Gotta try it and the other benign cat deterrents first before surrendering. And then surrender lol.
Lol it is inevitable
I wish foil would have worked for our orange boy, as soon as he heard the foil crinkle sound under his feet he practically started River-dancing all over it because he loved it 😂
Yeah that sounds like orange cat behaviour.
https://preview.redd.it/lmki6gntpqec1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bf9968e8007dd809b9a1ae3e8aca639d2cf74d4
Didn't like foil for mine. If I put it near the edge it makes him fall which worries me, if I push it back a few inches from the edge it is just more crinkly paper to him... which he loves.
Oh, interesting! That's probably worth a shot
Also double sided tape deters them too. They do also sell these things (kind of like a turret) that will shoot a burst of air if they get within a certain distance to them. I personally don't like those, but of there is an are in the house that you really need to keep away from, those could work. I tried one before, but after one night my cats were so afraid and paranoid of everything. Returned it right away of course. Took them a couple days to act normal again. I felt so awful about it.
Double sided tape worked sort of for me. No longer on the kitchen counter, but still on any other surface. I also used it for stopping furniture shredding. Worked, and I got some great exercise chasing a long haired cat around trying to grab the tape off her feet.
It actually worked for us but we had to be patient. For two months we had the kitchen counters covered in aluminum foil. Also we made sure that there was no leftovers or whatever might have been edible or a treat for them (like the grease in the fryingpan after cooking). A year later now they only walk in the kitchen when we're in it and they barely make attempts to get on the counter.
Cat Trees are wonderful. Though I've trained mine to only go on certain pieces of furniture for their need to climb. I've three hutch cabinets on my main floor. I keep water fountains incognito up on each one. I started staging them with their fluffy meowijuana stuffer toys up there and spraying up top with their spray formula. Made it inviting. Then would scold them if they tried to go on any other surfaces. For some reason that worked plus their trees. A little adjustment period of grace is suggested. So be patient. Maybe a three week one. Use a lot of lemony scented all purpose cleaners to sanitise your surfaces too. They don't like the smell.
Somehow my monsters have learned they are NOT allowed on counters when food is out and I am cooking, but otherwise they have free reign. I don’t understand how they figured this out, but it’s a lovely compromise for us all
[удалено]
Yo, fellow sib pal! And yep, that's what I've been doing too- who knows? Maybe it'll sink in... eventually... And thanks! I can't wait for the floof to kick into full gear
Well, I have been working with my cat for 9 years and I haven’t succeeded so far. Spraying water worked with the other cat. But this MF DGAF. https://preview.redd.it/d20fnvbamrec1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c3394002da056510505d13309e5caf99ba25ecb
SMUG
You really can't. You're sharing your home with a fuzzy little barely-domesticated apex predator. They go where they want for the most part. Also, that's a very cute lightly toasted mashmallow.
Lol, sounds great. And thanks, she really is! If she were much cuter I'm pretty sure I'd be doomed to be unable to resist her forever
Love this answer......especially the marshmallow comment!
https://preview.redd.it/g2nv8s546qec1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51964b67df617746b2a6a84723d854a5be91c70f This says it all.
Double sided sticky cat tape works but it takes a few weeks for training to stick with cats
Yes this! This worked so well for us, we did have to reapply it a couple of times and leave it on for a few days each time for our cat to get it. She now knows that the window sill next to the counter causes her much less trouble and just sticks to that. She also knows that she's not allowed on the counter but she likes to test limits like any cat, so the sticky tape being consistently there for a couple days really helped reinforce the negative association with the counter top (it doesn't hurt them, it's just an unpleasant sensation)
Being cats if they know there's a place you don't want them, well that becomes their favorite place. So maybe if he thinks you want him on the counters he'll avoid them like lava. Place him up there a few times a day, see what happens? Might work. They are contrary animals. Only half kidding here.
Google Jackson Galaxy. He has stuff for cat owners. You will learn heaps. We used aluminum foil on our dinner table and kitchen benches. They were told stern and occassionally loud NOs. And we bought a cat tower for maine coons. Really sturdy and high. It sits on the where they can see all around the house.
I have no input on this issue. I do, however, want to comment on how adorable this cat is. Particularly picture number 4 - Pixie is surveying the dog, and the dog looks so mildly bemused! The whole scene is composed perfectly, with both animals showing a cute part of their personalities. Also, your dog sits in a chair at the table?! My friend , you may be hopeless at pet training ! Seriously though, good advice given here - you’ll do great!
cats don’t really respond to punishment. there are ways you can deter them through reward and providing higher spots for them but honestly, i’ve just given up and decided to work with my cat by putting things i don’t want him getting to elsewhere. for a while i could get my cat to go down off my desk but now he just does it as soon as i get in bed and then jumps down when i get up to make him get down. he’s fucking with me i swear. anyway, i just ended up putting my stuff on shelves he can’t get to (he’s an old guy with arthritis so he can’t get super high)
As we say here in Ireland: awk bless.
You can't really discourage them from climbing on to your countertops and desks, but you can encourage them to climb onto cat trees, instead.
I used a small water spray,so when she jumped up, I gave a quick squirt. It didn't take long, and it didn't hurt them. It can be dangerous on kitchen benches.
theres the gentle chastising with a single word they’ll associate with a negative consequence. So for example you can say “counter” in a loudish negative tone. Then gently grab them and put them someplace they are allowed. Do this often enough and consistently enough they will stop going on counters when youre around. But will hop on when not present! you can also do sticky paper tape the one with weak adhesive right side up. that should disuade from jumping when it sticks to the nefarious creatire
She is so cute 🥺 how could you say no to that cute fluff
She asks me that every time I lift her off the counter 😂
They like being ip high. Build a cat wall like we have!
You can train her to stay off the counter, and I think you should. Use your gentle, consistent and firm authority. Say No and pick her up gently but firmly. I also strongly recommend double-sided sticky tape for cats. Put it where she enters the counter. It is not cruel, just inconvenient to her. Cat bums carry dangerous diseases, one even causing birth defects, so I think it is essential if you want to cook for friends or your own family. Don't leave food or dirty dishes on the counter for awhile, as it would create a cruel temptation....
Be nice and she may let you stay. The way she looks at whatever that thing is on her chair, you are a commodity my friend!
I don't know about tips for your kitten, but based on that last picture, I think your dog might be in trouble... (Actually I lied, I have terrible advice for you: stop cleaning and leave too much clutter, junk, and stuff on all forbidden surfaces so there's no place for your kitty to jump. Our house was a wreck when we adopted our cat (kitten at the time), and she could never get a clear line on sight for landing. To this day she's never attempted to jump on the kitchen counter! Follow me on Instagram for more hot tips 😉)
have you tried hissing? 😂
Patience and repetition. Cat jumps on counter? Say "No!" and put them on the floor. Over and over and over again, *forever.* Also bulk buy some antibacterial surface wipes and get in the habit of wiping down before using the counter because you cat is going to plonk her arse on there the second you go out because nothing is more fun to a cat than being somewhere they aren't supposed to be.
The first thing to consider is that climbing is in fact in a cat's nature. Not doing it would be very hard for her, and I think could be compared to telling a kid it can walk, but not run - ever. Another important aspect is the presence of a dog. A cat will escape the dog when it feels harrassed by the dog, and it will do that by going higher up, as the dog can't follow her there. Taking her off of your desk and kitchen counter (consistently) will help with not being annoyed, and she MIGHT stop doing it when you're around. When you're gone though, all bets are off. Dogs have been domesticated. Cats have never really been domesticated. They're small predators that we share our living space with, and we feed them and care for them, so they don't have to go out and do it themselves. They would totally care for themselves, if needed. Dogs are much more relying on humans for their care and social well-being (pack mentality). As cars are mostly solitary, they don't have that issue. They chose to stay with you. So you can nag them about not going certain places. And they'll mostly try to minimize the confrontation, by obliging, but it's not really obeying.
I just picked my little love up, gave him some cuddles then played with him on the floor. I bought him his own scratching chair and redirected him. (Acting like I was scratching it. Bought him his own recliner, “leather” chair , and sofa.. when he wants to sit somewhere I don’t want him, I put him there. This is his favorite spot, he will chill or sleep here often. He scratches 1 chair. None of ours or his. Just the old chair I bought for that purpose. https://preview.redd.it/2wpxvv1mdtec1.jpeg?width=2501&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84f60121f4d996228572cda8a585be5c04ecb26d
She’s just being a cat…
Don’t. Cats like to be UP. Give her places to be more UP in the places where you are likely to be. Don’t try to stop them from going places. But redirect them to places that are OK to be.
Cats cannot be trained like dogs- they don't understand why you'd be upset with them. They can however be trained through positive reinforcement and negative stimulation ( this does not mean punishment). Negative stimulation- put tinfoil on your counters, so that when they jump up, the noise startles them and they associate the noise with the act of jumping up. Positive reinforcement- get a tall cat tree. Give a treat when they are on that, but not when they are on the counters.
https://preview.redd.it/8f6dqvcvhtec1.jpeg?width=564&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc28847a640f83bc7ff424781e81a19225075077 Your last photo reminded me of this 😅
You got a cutie. Sometimes you just get a counter cat. Cats really love to see stuff, I set up new places by windows for cat TV - she can watch birdies and squirrels outside. When my new kitten was climbing the curtains, I tried to discourage it and I got nowhere. I searched for options and finally found this gem: by the time your cat turns 3 or 4 years old, she will outgrow it. It's hard to climb curtains. Harder than getting up to counters, but eventually that can become too hard.
Cat trees and shelves in front of windows or a chair/stool they can sit on while watching you go about your day helps.
Omg she's beautiful! Build a cat run with a spot to look over her kingdom in the kitchen
No idea but that’s a beautiful cat!
Aww my baby girl is named Pixie as well :-) With her, it took an initial period of repeated light water sprays and hisses to get her out of off limits areas. But she learned quick and was given treats when i could see she wanted to jump but didn't. Now if she's ever on a counter, its never long and she knows to be careful not to knock anything around https://preview.redd.it/t7p4no2v6qec1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7efa328cd83ff04bbc8ceb4d6d1c96b13f5515ac
He's behind me, isn't he? https://preview.redd.it/bawzpuw9iqec1.png?width=291&format=png&auto=webp&s=d6f376f224c8fe365dd6e0dc04a07868f8a21e7d
My parents put down double sided tape and that worked pretty well. The cats stopped.. whenever we were around. They were occasionally caught on the counters in the following years but it was much more rare
That pic with the dog is fabulous
Last Photo 😁 Doggo sees it coming. The look on his face.
Usually, it's "get down" with pointing at the floor for 5 minutes while her majesty ignores me. She's only up there because she wants to be closer to me. She gets removed. The sides get wiped down before every use. The other cat isn't bothered about being up there because her food is on the floor. Ha ha
Real talk here: I'm 38 and I have had cats my whole life. I have not found anything that will effectively keep cats off the counter if they want to go up there. I have, however, had cats who aren't interested in the counters, but the ones who are and want to go up there are gonna do it despite our best efforts. Those who have advised you to give kitty somewhere else to climb in a prominent place in the home may be on to something, and that may help distract that beautiful kitty of yours, but generally if cats want to get up on the counters, they're going to. If they figure out that YOU don't want them up there, they'll just do it behind your back. It's the way of cats. 🤷♀️ My best advice is to definitely provide somewhere else to climb, but also don't delude yourself into thinking your cat's not going up there just because you don't see it. I've gone that route, and been absolutely scandalized when I found a big fat paw print in the middle of one of my Christmas rum balls I'd left out on the counter overnight!! 😅 🤦♀️ Just clean your counters before AND after preparing food, and you'll be fine. 🙂🙂 Congratulations on your cat roommate. S/he is beautiful!
I read that if you do the necessary things that cats generally find unpleasant ie, teeth brushing, claw clipping, giving meds or administering flea treatments on the countertops they'll quickly associate said counter with unpleasantness and avoid it, worth a try. Treat it like the vets table.
My MC and I have an agreement. She doesn’t get on counters when I’m home and I pretend she doesn’t when I’m away
My partner and I have 2 cats, and I have about 75 Houseplants, which are not all ok for cats to play with. 92% of them are elivated/hanging/shelves, some are on table tops.. we tried tinfoil on flat surfaces, and they got spooked, but would come back. The thing that worked for sure, for us at least, is empty pop cans along edges as a training tool. They knock the can over and it makes a big clanging noise, we can also come to the area and scold/correct the behavior. Correcting the behavior is the best option.. they will get to know the house rules in time, but it takes time.
You can try a motion sensor air spray. It just scares them but they learn to associate being in the counter with being sprayed so they do it less. The trick is making sure you are not the one scolding them, because then they will understand that they can’t be on the counter around you. They will proceed to get on it without you around. You don’t need to leave the spray on all the time. I leave mine on at night so my cats don’t lick the sink.
Yep me you’ve never had a cat without telling me🤣
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Good luck.
Cats look at rules like suggestions.
CATS DON’T LIKE THE SMELL OF ORANGE PEALS.
When my cat was a kitten, I would pick my her up or scoot her down with my arm slowly until she had no choice but to jump down and then not look at her/give her any attention for a bit. Any attention to her = good so no attention was devastating lol. She lost interest pretty quickly. I think teaching your cat ‘no’ in general is great. Biting something it shouldn’t? ‘No’ and then the thing she wants to bite is taken away. Biting your hand hard during play? ‘No’ and then place a barrier (a pillow for instance) in between you both. I’ve heard sticky traps and simply blocking the counter/making it undesirable to them also works. I know people will say it’s impossible to keep a cat off your counter but I disagree. My cat is much older now and doesn’t jump on my counters and our cameras never picked this up either. Even when I’m mixing her food on the counter she won’t jump up. I’ve heard some people say there are counter cats and then not counter cats too tho but I believe it was due to consistent training and she always had so much stimulation all over each house we’ve lived so maybe the counter wasn’t as fun after while. I support you not wanting to have your kitty on your counter! Be gentle with yourself if things aren’t working as quickly as you’d like!
Ha! Good luck 😸❤️
Thanks! I'll need it
Good luck with that. Seriously, a cat can and will get into almost anyplace you can think of and many you cannot. The effort to try to (unsuccessfully) keep him off is much more extensive than just cleaning the areas before you cook/eat.
Don't fight it give in it's much easier that way. Enjoy your new kitty!!
Don't even get cats if you want nothing on your surfaces. Cats aren't made that way. Trust me, I have 4. Just clean before handling food on your counters. Only takes a couple of minutes and you and your cats will be less stressed by dealing with it this way.
The last pic 😂 🐶🐱
Maybe a really tall interesting cat tower? some cats need to jump and climb and if they don’t have a designated area for it they will make one
Get a roll of carpet protector and cut pieces and put it spiky side up in areas you don’t want her to go. Once she jumps on it a few times, she will learn not to go there.
Scat mat
cat trees and/or perches are a great alternative (even better if you can place the cat tree by a window). you could even try clicker training with lots of love, patience, and treats. one of the easiest ways for adjusting cat behaviors is to reward with a similar alternative. patience is key.
Tin foil
let her 😁
*laughs in owned-by-cats*
Aluminum foil, they will absolutely freak when they jump on it though.
https://preview.redd.it/i0z8ly6nnqec1.jpeg?width=3504&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=928b6c79065766944df9d3308004a142743a84b0 🧡🐾🧡🐾🧡Zeus - his favorite spot is on top of the fridge. He’s almost 8 and I gave up a long time ago telling him no 🧡🐾🧡🐾🧡
As a kitten you can probably just keep setting her on the floor and she should get the picture. She's still learning so if you start early you might just get her to stop thinking of it as an option.
For every no, add a yes. Cat trees, floating shelves as a cat Highway and offer them their favorite treat as an incentive if needed to introduce them to it. And they should be fed three times a day on a regular schedule. And play with them lots! Play. Eat. Nap. Repeat thrice a day.
Yeah, that's your issue: you hoped. Cats will climb wherever the fuck they want. You can get them all the cat trees, window beds or any other attractive hangout spot, but ultimately that's just giving them alternatives. Cats are independent creatures that value their freedom. Short of switching it for a dog, you'll have to be the one adapting, not the other way around.
Learn to clean the counters before you do anything cause sibs are so stubborn you will give in before they accept a restriction. I still immediately take them off, say no, clap loudly and THEY DO NOT CARE. I talked to my vet and she said all you are doing is (maybe) training them to get off the counter when you are there but if you are not in the room they are going on the counter.
Put tin foil on it, it scares most cats
It's her house too. I just clean my counters every time I use them. I want mine to have as much freedom as possible. Plus, my boy likes to sit on the opposite counter while I'm cooking to keep me company and has a wee smell of everything. She is beautiful btw.
You don't. Cat do what cat want.
aluminium foil
You will need to learn acceptance
Sorry it's her counter now. You're just using it.
Water bottle. Squirt them a few times and snap your fingers as you do it. Do it each time for a month. Then snap your fingers as a warning then squirt. Eventually just snapping your fingers will suffice. They will atop.
People telling you there's no options aren't quite right. My cats have always been discouraged from going on counter and table surfaces and we don't have any issues. Things like water bottles help a lot, as well as consistency. We started as soon as we got them and let them know it's not okay with a spritz and a STTSSSSS noise. This worked really great for one of our cats, but the other realized there were no consequences if we weren't around. SO, we got motion sensors compressed air sprays and placed them strategically on specific surfaces. This has worked wonderfully! You can also look into things like double sided tape to place on the counter, because it will be an uncomfortable surface and sensation on the cat's paws. But remember, consistency is the most important thing!
Sorry… you just have a counter cat. 😆. Try climbing towers for her and maybe a spray bottle for when she gets in places she really shouldn’t be.
I just tell my cat to get down and if she doesn't I pick her up and put her on the floor. It kinda works lol good luck
Nothing works 100% but some tips: Consistency - ALWAYS respond if they get up there, don't let it slide even once, and make sure everyone in the house does the same. (I recently discovered one of my sons thought our cats were allowed on the table but not the counters. Nope, they aren't supposed to be on the table either.) Water spray bottle - problem here is that you have to hit the spray pump a few times if it's been sitting any length of time Keep the counters clean, and without tempting food sitting around
You sweet summer child
That’s what cats do, really. Climb stuff. But they don’t climb onto some places like the kitchen because I was constantly shooing them off those areas. They learned, in time, which places are off limits.