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keep cat off counters, bookshelves, tables

8K views 49 replies 14 participants last post by  10cats2dogs 
#1 ·
How to keep cats off of counters?

We have 5 kittens. Yup you heard me FIVE kittens, who are now about 5 months old. On top of that we have 2 adult cats. The adult cats have never been an issue, but the kittens are testing their boundaries now. We constantly find them on the kitchen counters, tables and the sink. We keep a water bottle on hand to spray them when they do this or just hiss at them and clap our hands. Well no matter how many times we spray or hiss or clap they go right back up and are now not even that eager to get down. we also can't eat anything without them getting in our faces.

I am starting to go a little crazy with the situation. Is there any way anybody here has found to keep cats off certain things?
 
#3 ·
Most of us have given up.
This. The bigger deal you make of it the more enticing the counters are. Keep the area clean of anything that might remotely interest them and ignore them. I shoo my guys back to the back section when I cook. They know they are allowed there and NO where else while I' m working.

Well, except Neelix... we're still working on that with him.
 
#4 ·
I was actually making progress with my foster kittens or so I thought - but I decided to test that theory so I cleaned my stove top really well and went to bed. Sure enough the next morning the entire top was covered in little paw prints. Ugh. I think if I was really serious I would get one of these and set it up at night. It might do a good enough job of working at night that it might keep them off the counters during the day too. Be sure and watch the video down near the bottom by the reviews:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Ssscat-PDT00-13914-SSSCAT-Cat-Training/dp/B000RIA95G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422900816&sr=8-1&keywords=ssscat[/ame]
 
#5 ·
The best you can honestly expect is for them to get off the counter when you're in the room. You can encourage them not to be up on the counters, but you can't prevent it - not really.

Basics of counter training: (seems I'm in a list mood today, lol)
-Never keep ANYTHING that MIGHT be edible on the counters/stove area. (Pots/pans, bread, fruit, nothing! That's what microwaves are for ;) )
-Skip the punishment, as you mentioned it doesn't work.
-Give them a high-up place where they CAN go (stools, chairs, cupboards, etc.)
-Praise and reward them for choosing the acceptable place, and if you catch them on the counter remove them to the floor or their acceptable place.

After that, it's all about consistency. The first time you forget and leave a chicken or roast unattended on the counter you've just taught them to ALWAYS check and see if yummy food will be there and you'll never get them off of it, lol.

As an added bonus I taught my kitties 'Up' and 'Off' - which I always teach as a set. Both are useful.

-Get some yummy treats, a stool or chair and ONE kitten! (don't try training with more than one at a time. It'll be a gong show! lol - if you do train them all at once I demand a video ;) )
-Show the kitten the treat and then hold it above the chair. They should jump up.
-Say "Yes!" (or click if you're using a clicker), then feed them the treat.
-Then, show another treat and throw it on the floor as you say "Off". Always use a happy voice!
-Repeat a bunch of times until the kitten clearly has the basics of this game, then take a step back and - with the kitten on the floor - move towards the stool and say "Up!" I also use a hand gesture as an added tip for the kitten. If they jump up to the stool say "Yes!" and reward them. If they don't just pause and let them think it through - it might take a second but most kittens will guess 'jump onto the stool?', reward.
If they don't jump on the stool but instead sit down and look confused try again, this time tossing the treat gently onto the top of the stool.
-With the kitten on the stool say "Off" and don't throw a treat this time, if they jump off, or think a second and then jump off say "Yes!" and give them the goody (This time the goal is for them to do the behavior without the lure of seeing the food BEFORE the jump. It's a big step!)
Repeat a bunch of times until the kitten is doing up and off with no hesitation - without seeing the food first. Then move the stool or chair a few inches and start over. You'll move through the steps quicker, but start right from step one. Moving the stool can confuse the kitten, so you have to begin again.

Repeat this, moving the stool all over your home, over the course of many days, until they clearly 'get it'. Then you've got two ways to go: you can teach 'wait' and you can expand the up and off cues to other surfaces and areas.

To teach wait you ask the kitten to 'up' then pause a few seconds (not staring at the kitten!) before rewarding. If they choose to stay on the stool longer reward every 30 seconds or so. After a few treats ask for an 'off', then reward. Repeat over and over, varying the wait time, until the kitten will patiently sit while you move around and do other things.

I'm doing a refresher on this with Muffin atm, he's getting a bit of spring fever (awfully early, since we're only 1/2 through winter here), so we're going to get his 'wait' and 'place' (go to the stool) back to the point where he'll chill out there rather than be a pain. It's slow, but steady and the extra brain work wears out his naughtiness pretty quick.

To expand up and off to other surfaces you just repeat the same procedure, but with other chairs, counters etc. I do practice with my counters, mostly only rewarding after the 'off' (1 reward about 1 'up' for every 3-4 'offs') because I want them jumping down from the counter to be way more fun than jumping up onto it.

As an added bonus this makes picture taking easier, and it's something you can do at the vets while waiting to see the vet. Doing things they know when they're in unfamiliar areas will encourage them to feel more comfortable and confident. :)
 
#7 ·
Like everyone else said. Do your best to make the counters uninteresting! Leave nothing up there that might smell or taste good- or even just be fun to swat at/ roll around.

Do your best to provide an alternate elevated place in the kitchen where the cats can go. I have a cabinet we use to store pots in that is near a window (cat trees are good too). My cats go up there and watch me cooking. When I have breaks I can pet them and give them attention. They love it and they don't find the counter by the stove so interesting.
 
#8 ·
Sharpstick,
LOL! I wipe my counters down a lot! They don't bother me when I'm using the kitchen...but when I'm not...all bets are off!!
Kitchen Room Countertop Cabinetry Furniture
 
#12 ·
Sharpstick,
LOL! I wipe my counters down a lot! They don't bother me when I'm using the kitchen...but when I'm not...all bets are off!!
View attachment 80834
OMG Sharon, your cats are all such beauties!!! Your house looks gorgeous, as well... especially with the kitties making it even prettier! :mrgreen:

I'd weigh in but Jasper has such a stout little build he can barely clear our couches let alone make it onto a countertop. Himalayans/Persians are GREAT floor cats if you don't want to worry about this too much.
LOL Ellie and Tootsie are the same way! I was about to comment almost the same exact comment. :lol: I remember when I first read up on Persians and watched the Cats 101 video... it said they have such short, stubby/stout legs that they're pretty much strictly ground dwellers haha. My girls can barely get up on the couch, I actually have pet stairs to help them get up to our bed at night. So needless to say I've never had issues with countertops!
 
#11 ·
TranquilityBlue,
I decided it was a whole lot easier to feed the "posse" where I could keep an eye on them, and then be able to grab their dishes to wash them!
They don't get on the lower part of the counter when I'm fixing something (people food!) and usually, it's only one or two, that are curious, if I'm fixing something!
Cats, being cats, would have been on the counter anyway...so we have a workable compromise! :p:D
Sharon
 
#13 ·
TranquilityBlue,
Cats, being cats, would have been on the counter anyway...so we have a workable compromise! :p:D
Sharon
Seems like a good one! Wow, I can't imagine being surrounded by so many loving kitties, must be awesome :D I can't wait until my living situation is stable enough that I can get Jasper (and myself :p ) a new fluffy buddy! Don't worry, you'll all be hearing plenty about that when it happens ... probably a year or so from now when I've figured out where I'll be applying after I finish my undergrad program.

LOL Ellie and Tootsie are the same way! I was about to comment almost the same exact comment. :lol: I remember when I first read up on Persians and watched the Cats 101 video... it said they have such short, stubby/stout legs that they're pretty much strictly ground dwellers haha. My girls can barely get up on the couch, I actually have pet stairs to help them get up to our bed at night. So needless to say I've never had issues with countertops!
When Jasper was a baby kitten (he was 12 weeks when I took him home) he couldn't even make it onto our couches! :eek: Sometimes if he got lucky he could sink his front claws in and yank himself up, but mostly he just ended up on the floor :( fortunately he can make it there now, but yah... I have pet stairs leading to my bed as well :p

I must say, this particular quality has made kittyproofing for him really easy though :thumb
 
#15 ·
How do I train my cat not to jump on the counters, shelves etc.? At this point she doesn't do it when we are around but if she thinks no one is looking she hops up. I hate when I finish cleaning the kitchen and next think I know she is in the sink or on the counter messing around.
 
#16 ·
You don't. YOu suck it up and learn to live with it.

Even if you DO manage to scare her enough to stay off, there's nothing stopping her from doing the jig up there the second you walk out the door.

Just remember to wipe down the counter/sink before using it and move on.
 
#17 ·
My girls' spot (well really, mostly just Cali's) is on the counter on the other side of the sink. I like it when she keeps me company while I'm in the kitchen. Cleo hangs out on the floor in case, please-oh-please-oh-please, I drop something on the floor.
 
#18 ·
^ that too.

I have a bar portion across from the sink and they are allowed to hang out there. All lined up like little OCD soldiers. If I toss something over to them they can have it but when I'm actually COOKING, they aren't allowed past that spot. Once I walk away thought they mill around looking for any scraps I've dropped.

Little pigs.
 
#19 ·
There's got to be a way. I have kept my cat off the beds (except for my daughters), the baby crib and most of the furniture in the house. I would be able to tell easily because of her fur.

She isn't into people food too much so I don't think its about looking for treats. She knows not to get up there, that's why she does it when she thinks i am not looking. I don't buy into the cats will be cats philosophy. She is pretty smart.
 
#43 ·
She isn't into people food too much so I don't think its about looking for treats. She knows not to get up there, that's why she does it when she thinks i am not looking. I don't buy into the cats will be cats philosophy. She is pretty smart.
She doesn't know 'not to get up there' - she knows that when you see her up there you get mad. Those are very different things. If she 'knew better' she wouldn't do it at all.

It isn't about 'cats will be cats' for me, because you CAN train some behaviors...but there are some things that are just in a species. Sort of like how hawks fly, frogs jump and croak, and anteaters eat ants. Some behaviors are ingrained into a species. Being up high is important to cats - especially if there are food smells around.

Lol thanks guys....I do try to remember all of the awesome things she does when she isn't getting on my nerves. It just kills me when she gets caught doing something and either walks away slooooowly like it was nothing or pretend to lick herself as if I'd just magically ignore all evidence and say, "oh no I didn't actually see you swinging from the ceiling fan while ripping pages from the Bible."
It's because she doesn't understand WHY you care. Animals don't see ownership the same way we do.

YOU think "I bought this house, I bought the furniture, I bought all these nice things. They are mine."

Your cat thinks "Cool! Things to scratch and knock over! Good thing no one owns these things. This mouse in my mouth is MINE. No one has the couch in their mouth, so it must be fair game!"

As far as animals are concerned the only way to claim something you don't actually have physical possession of is to pee or otherwise scent mark it. So, she isn't taking/breaking your things (as far as she's concerned), she's just playing with random stuff that's around.

No offense but how do u know that? Saying they don't care is like an excuse. It's like saying my baby knows how to crawl but doesn't care about it so thats why we havent seen him crawl.
She's biologically engineered to not care.

Dogs are naturally pack animals. If left to their own desires they'll form a social group. Because of this they learn about social rules, ownership (VERY loosely...), and basic manners. Dogs are particularly cool because we have caused them to evolve to a point where they will preferentially choose to form social bonds with people even over other dogs! That, biologically speaking, is NUTS. That's like a lion deciding to join a gazelle herd. Crazy.

Cats...do not have this same evolutionary background. They are solitary creatures, for the most part. They form social bonds, but not the same way dogs can. If given the choice a kitten will choose another kitten to play with over a human.

Also, just because we don't have a direct answer or proof cat's don't care doesn't mean there isn't one ;)

We have lots of experience with cats here between all our members - my cats only care when I have given them a reason to. For example, I taught Muffin to come to me when I called in exchange for cuddles and play time, so he does it. When I call Jitzu she glares at me, because she'd rather nap and she can see I've got no goodies. I've taught Muffin to care, Jitzu is beyond influence ;)
 
#22 ·
Good luck with that. A member here SWORE her cat never goes on her counters anymore. To prove it, she coated her counters with a light dusting of something. To her utter shock, sure enough there were footprints when she came home!!
 
#21 · (Edited)
Cats like being up high. It's not a "counter" thing, it's a height thing. You can scare your cat enough to stay down when you're around, but she'll be throwing counter parties when you're away. And will probably be on-line ordering catnip.... We think our cats are being lovey-dovey while we're on the internet. No, they're watching us enter our passwords.
 
#24 ·
We all think our cats are special. :grin:

Cali can open cupboard with childproof locks. I think with enough incentive, she could break into a 3-inch titanium safe. If she didn't hate car rides so much, I could quit my job and just rob banks.
 
#25 ·
Lol thanks guys....I do try to remember all of the awesome things she does when she isn't getting on my nerves. It just kills me when she gets caught doing something and either walks away slooooowly like it was nothing or pretend to lick herself as if I'd just magically ignore all evidence and say, "oh no I didn't actually see you swinging from the ceiling fan while ripping pages from the Bible."
 
#30 · (Edited)
I am curious though, if you wanted an animal that acted just like a dog then why didn't you get..a dog? A cat isn't meant to act like a dog, but like a cat. To force a cat to live it's life on the ground isn't natural. They require things to climb.

Cats will be cats has nothing to do with intelligence. Cats are incredibly smart.... they just usually give two bits about pleasing their owner like a dog does.
 
#31 ·
I was worried last night because I didn't give Cali all the attention she wanted, but - whew! - I didn't have to sleep on the sofa. :grin:
 
#32 ·
I didn't get a cat, my husband did. Regardless of why or how we got her, she is part of our family now.
I do prefer dogs and so naturally compare her to dogs. I don't want her to act just like a dog, i just want her trained in certain areas. We also compare our dog to our cat so it goes both ways.
 
#33 ·
You can clicker-train cats, which is pretty cool, but, again, not so much for the counters.
 
#34 · (Edited)
I agree, clicker training can be done with cats. HOwever, where a dog takes it as a command the majority of cats take it as a suggestion.

All my cats know basic tricks like sit, come, lay down, stay.... etc and it's hit or miss.

Book is a 95%er. He'll almost always do what I want. He's just happy to get pets and love. So unless he's just had a really good cuddle session he's pretty much gonna do what I ask.
Neelix is a 75%er. The reward has to be REALLY good and he better see it and smell it or he's not going to do his trick.
MowMow is a 5%er. The reward could be a half a side of beef and he'd just stare at me like I lost my mind. He knows them, because he's done them on command but it's the exception not the rule.
 
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