Cats on counters?

[wintermom]

I would provide them with a higher perch where they can see.  then the counters are less appealing.

 

my friend has a number of cat perches around her condo - including the tallest next to a window with a bird feeder on the other side.

 

I often wonder whether the birds and squirrels get freaked out with a cat staring at them through the window. Probably only if the window was suddenly open on day. 

[Reefgazer]

My Maine coon was the one who needed the launching pad to get on the counter! But I have a slender cat who, even when he was younger, could not launch very high and never attempted to get up on anything.

 

Our cat who was the worst about getting on the counters mostly just wanted up there so she could then launch on top of the cabinets (which were obviously open at the top). So it was pretty much impossible to provide her with an alternative that was higher than that. :lol:

 

I can't believe some of you have been lucky enough to have been able to prevent cats getting on counters simply by removing chairs or other launching pads. With the exception of big, heavy boned cats like Maine Coons, I've never in my life met a non-elderly, non-disabled, not obese cat who needed a launching pad to get on a counter! Our last cat could easily jump from the floor to the top of the refrigerator. She was doing that up until a couple of months before she died from lymphoma at 14.

[Reefgazer]

Well, in all fairness, you know where some people put their mouths, right? And you still kiss them, LOL. 😂

Cats are kind of gross and germ-covered anyway. I've seen one of my cats lick the butt of the other. Then my kids kiss their face and I need to go to my happy place and not think about it. I don't know if they get on the table at night(probably) but if I see it I yell and smack the table. They know.

Edited January 27, 2018 by reefgazer

[HSmomof2]

I have always had cats, and never one that regularly got on the counter or table. Whenever one did, it was quickly squirted with a water bottle. We haven’t had an issue with it. And I agree, cats aren’t very trainable. Our current cat is very persistent and stubborn, but still doesn’t get on the counters after being squirted a couple times......now scratching things, etc. is a different story.😸

[Miss Peregrine]

Well, in all fairness, you know where some people put their mouths, right? And you still kiss them, LOL. 😂

::fingersinearsclosingmyeyes::

 

I'll be in my happy place.

[Tanaqui]

Ahem: https://www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/breakingcatnews/s-2040049

[Tammi K]

Three cats - one never, one seldom, one 'as often as he likes'.   We discourage but not with any real intensity so I don't know how easy it would be to make him stop. 

 

 

[Tammi K]

I had a cat for 11 years and only saw him on the counter once or twice when he was a kitten. Now my new one is another story! He is the most determined creature--just unstoppable. He even opens up cupboard doors while he's up there and climbed. Once I discovered he'd hopped on top of the range hood and climbed into the cupboard above the hood. Munched an a package of Hawaiian Rolls. 

 

One ordinary day we learned three things: Declan jumps on the counter when we're not around, Declan likes cornbread,  Declan does not mind eating plastic wrap.

[lailasmum]

None of ours have sat on the kitchen counters but they all hang out on the dining table particularly if we are sitting up to it working. They've always gone where they want in the rest of the house. I've never find it too hard to keep them off kitchen counters but it might depend a lot on the individual cat.

Edited January 27, 2018 by lailasmum

[mellifera33]

GROSS POST WARNING

 

 

 

NO, REALLY, IT'S GROSS

 

 

 

An old friend of mine claimed to have done a test to see where his cat was hanging out when said friend was at work. Now, this friend was a bit of a joker, and very deadpan, so you never knew if he had actually done the wacky things he claimed to have done. Anyway, he claimed that he applied lipstick to his cat's rear end...and looked for lipstick prints. Seems far-fetched, but...maybe not for him. Anyway, if anyone wants to try it...let the hive know what happens.  :lol:

[kbutton]

Oh, I would also add that I think having multiple pets makes them worse about getting on stuff because they naturally want to be up higher than the other animals at times. It makes them feel safer and it is also a hunter's advantage.

 

I have heard that declawed cats also seek out higher places more often than cats with their digits intact.

 

I do wonder if it has anything to do with being an indoor cat vs. outdoor cat.  Growing up all of our cats were outdoor cats.  I've wondered if they got their climbing out of their systems by climbing outdoors?

 

Our cat growing up was allowed inside only when we were home and awake (at night she slept with the dog in the doghouse or after the dog was gone, in the basement if it was super cold). She left things alone that she'd been trained to leave alone (and having multiple around to correct the cat probably helped train her). If she was accidentally left inside, she would get on the counter if she was thirsty and look for water in places around the sink (if the toilet lid was down). 

 

She also had her claws.

 

It could be worse...my SIL had a cat that waited until she left and would then flush the toilet all day, over and over. The water bill was so high (like mortgage payment high) that the water company thought there was a really big leak--about that time, my SIL caught the cat when she had to come back in for something she forgot one day. That cat was creepy weird though--seemed quite off. She had to rehome it.

[Rachel]

Our cat who was the worst about getting on the counters mostly just wanted up there so she could then launch on top of the cabinets (which were obviously open at the top). So it was pretty much impossible to provide her with an alternative that was higher than that. :lol:

 

I can't believe some of you have been lucky enough to have been able to prevent cats getting on counters simply by removing chairs or other launching pads. With the exception of big, heavy boned cats like Maine Coons, I've never in my life met a non-elderly, non-disabled, not obese cat who needed a launching pad to get on a counter! Our last cat could easily jump from the floor to the top of the refrigerator. She was doing that up until a couple of months before she died from lymphoma at 14.

I’ve watched one of our cats jump from the floor to the top of my daughter’s bookcase. It’s 5 feet tall! The counter is super easy compared to that.

[Kalmia]

Two of my cats never dared the counter until we adopted the third who has corrupted them thoroughly. Spray bottles work when you are around. Who knows what they do when your out or at work.

Edited January 27, 2018 by Kalmia

[73349]

My cat doesn't go on the table or countertops. She can leap from the floor to the back of the couch--it's not the height. I assume her previous owner trained her. But she takes no interest in any food except her own (and only in her dish; she won't eat a piece that falls on the floor), so that may help.

[iamonlyone]

I have always had cats, and never one that regularly got on the counter or table. Whenever one did, it was quickly squirted with a water bottle. We haven’t had an issue with it. And I agree, cats aren’t very trainable. Our current cat is very persistent and stubborn, but still doesn’t get on the counters after being squirted a couple times......now scratching things, etc. is a different story.😸

 

Me too—I've had a lifetime of cats and none that got on things regularly. We always got them as kittens and used squirt bottles, and we were home most of the time, so we could be very consistent. With our two most recent cats (9 and 11 years old, so we've had them quite some time!) if the squirt bottle wasn't handy, I would get my hand wet and flick water. This turned out working great because now when I make that flicking motion with my fingers, the cats stop whatever obnoxious behavior they are doing (generally, wanting to scratch something I don't want them to).

[mellifera33]

I had a cat who thought that "dodge the water spray" was a great game. He acted just like my kids when they think they are sneaking around and getting away with something. He'd even get my attention before doing whatever it was that he wasn't supposed to be doing, to make sure I was going to play along by grabbing the spray bottle. What a little twerp. I loved him. 

[swimmermom3]

My cat never sits on the counter or the table. Never ever.

I don't know why.

 

You are not a pushover like the rest of us.

[Reefgazer]

You can keep a clear plastic tablecloth over the cloth tablecloth, and when you are eating just remove the plastic table cover.

None of ours have sat on the kitchen counters but they all hang out on the dining table particularly if we are sitting up to it working. They've always gone where they want in the rest of the house. I've never find it too hard to keep them off kitchen counters but it might depend a lot on the individual cat.

[Alicia64]

I've always had cats -- love them -- but only one was hard to keep off the table. We finally bought a squirt bottle and squirted him quickly w/ water when he got up.

 

He was like, "Squirt me all you like. I'm not getting down."

 

He's been gone for years and we still laugh about it.

 

But other than him, none of our cats get up. When they tried initially, I just slapped my hands and said, "no" and put them down. I was never mean to them.

 

They're much smarter than most people know.

 

Alley

[poppy]

I've always had cats and I've never tolerated them in food prep areas.  

 

I had no idea so many people are totally cool with this.    I'm kinda grossed out.  No, definitely grossed out.  I'm going to pretend I never read this.    Try to wash it from my brain.

 

I probably do things that gross other people out, so, this isn't a 'I"m better than you all' thing. But ..... ewwwwww.

[jewellsmommy]

Only thing my counter jumper is really interested in is the sink/faucet.  He loves to get into the sink and drink out of the faucet.  I'm just glad he can't figure out how to turn it on! 

 

We have an under-sink mounted water filter with its own faucet. One of my cats knows how to activate that faucet. He applies pressure to the lever and it only activates for a a little length of time, but it is just enough for him to get a sip. I clean the faucet tip often.  :tongue_smilie:

[solascriptura]

As far as I know, cats do what they want to do.  I tried the spray bottle with my cat and he really couldn't cared less.  Just hissed at me and would jump up again.

[Renthead Mommy]

Our cats were brothers that lived to 15 and 19 years and in four different houses.  They never got on the counter or the kitchen table.   They would get on the patio table on the screened in porches, but that put them up higher to see things and get a breeze. 

 

My friend has four cats.  They will get on the counter only to get to the big bay/greenhouse window behind her sink or to get to the top of the fridge where I am guessing it is warm up there. 

 

I have never really known anyone with cats that have a counter top problem. 

[ktgrok]

One of our cats has to be in the middle of the table all day while we do school. I finally incorporated him into a phonics game. If they get the flash card right they get to set it on the cat. He ends up covered with flashcards and doesn’t bat an eye. I wish I could figure out how to post a pic here. My kids think it’s hysterical and we call him the school cat. He just lays there covered in flash cards. They always like to see how many he can balance on his back before he twitches them off.

 

PS- am I the only cheap person here who uses vinyl tablecloths, LOL?? You can wipe those suckers right off with Windex! :)

 

 

My cats put holes in the vinyl tablecloths!!! LOL!

SaveSave

[Χά�ων]

I like cats and could imagine having one if I could also build a catio with a litter tray. Do they inevitably sit on the kitchen counter though? I'm not too worried about germs in general, but cat bottoms on food preparation areas is a bit too much for me. Can they be trained about this one thing?

I hate cats on counters.

 

I tried locking them in our room 100% of the time. They destroyed the room and our bed. I tried training them with spray bottles. They just wait until the bottle is not near or no one is looking and get on the counter.

 

So I installed doors. The kitchen is now isolated from the rest of the house. This was a last resort because I worried about the kitchen feeling cramped. Thankfully the layout of our house has made it so I do not feel like I am in a box. I do need to replace the hardware on one door to ensure it is more secure when closed because the brats learned how to open it.

[katilac]

When you are home, some cats will politely pretend they would never dream of jumping on your kitchen counter. 

[gardenmom5]

I often wonder whether the birds and squirrels get freaked out with a cat staring at them through the window. Probably only if the window was suddenly open on day. 

 

 

My friend was babysitting the classroom guinea pig.  he was in a bin next to her closed sliding glass door.  when the neighbor's cat walked past (may have even looked inside.) - the guinea pig started screaming.