[salsachick]

I have two 11 week old kittens and I they are getting to the point now where I let them play in more of the house when I am home and they want to get onto tables and counters.

I work so I'm not at home all day (confined to one large room w/ cat condo, toys, food, H2O, & litter) and I've been told that once I give them free range of the house they will get on the tables when I am not at home and behave when I am.

Does anyone have suggestions? I have double sided tape in some areas which is working well, but I use my kitchen table and counters! Has anyone tried motion alarms like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Tattle-Tale-Vibration-Pet-Trainer/dp/B0007PARCE
I've also heard of the "scat mat" but they're still small and I don't like the idea of shocking them :yikes

Thanks in advanced for answering

 

[Bethany]

Wipe the counters before you use them?

Sorry for not being more helpful! Short of the double-stick-tape/upside-down-chair-runner/scat-mat route, I think there's not much that's going to keep the cats off the tables and counters when you're not around. I have trouble keeping them off when I AM around! (They know they're not allowed up there, so when they feel I'm paying insufficient attention to the kitties, they sit on the table and wait for me to notice they're someplace they're not supposed to be.)

 

[Dave_ph]

I use tinfoil on the mantlepiece the end of the mantle piece near the HDTV becasue Mia looked like she wanted to jump from the mantle to the TV. Now I have some on the top of the TV too. Tacky but it works.

 

[doodlebug]

I decided a loooooong time ago that the 'solutions', like scat mats, foil etc. are more trouble than just wiping down the counter before cooking. Sometimes it's easier to change our attitude and approach than to change a cat's nature, for me, this is one of them.

 

[Dave_ph]

Overfeeding them is also an option. You can't disipline them but you can be creative. Fay is too fat to jump up on the counters. I've put Mia on high calorie food.

 

[katlover13]

I keep a plastic box of damp bleach wipes on my counter to wipe it with. They are the type of wipe that smells good - not like bleach. Maybe I could train one or two to stay off of the counter but not all eight.

 

[Heidi n Q]

IMO, you will *NEVER* know if they've had their little kitty-litter-tracking feet or sat their bottoms on your tables/counters while you were gone. Or even when you were home, just not in the kitchen to see them at that particular moment.

Clorox wipes on all surfaces before we prepare food and/or eat in the kitchen. Less stress for me; not having to worry about kitties getting onto places I don't want them and using the wipes assures me the surfaces are clean *right then* and safe to prepare food on or eat off of.

Things that can help you keep them off your counters/tables...
Give them high perches to claim as their own, preferably in front of a window so they can be entertained while they sit above the floor.
Leave no food or items that could become 'toys' on the counter/table tops.

 

[melysion]

Overfeeding them is also an option. You can't disipline them but you can be creative. Fay is too fat to jump up on the counters. I've put Mia on high calorie food.

:lol: :lol:

 

[melysion]

Toby came to me fully expecting to jump everywhere, including the counters.

I brought antibacterial kitchen wipes.

 

[WhiteKitties]

We used foil on the counters for a while, and it worked, but it gets annoying to move it around every day. The girls know they aren't allowed on the counters and tables, so when we're there they stay on the floor or furniture. As soon as we go to bed, we starting hearing thumps from downstairs as they inspect their forbidden territory, and it's a no-brainer that they're up on the counters when we leave as well. It's a losing battle, so like everyone else has said, just wipe the counters before you cook, or do your prep work on a cutting board or plate. If they leave paw prints, you'll soon notice that there's a pattern to their inspection, and that they basically jump up there to see if there's anything new, check out the sink, and then they're done. (Unless you have cabinet-monsters, in which case you may have to put childproofing latches on the cabinets with breakables in order to keep them whole....)

 

[Dave_ph]

That covers it all 'kitty litter feet' and they'll always be up there when you leave.

You might train a cat not to go up there when you're around but to them it's not a violation if you don't see it.

 

[OctoberinMaine]

Call me passive, but I decided to just not worry about it. At first I thought Murphy jumping on the kitchen counters and dining room table was the kiss of death, but then you know what? You really ask yourself what it's harming, and the answer is nothing. I do stay very close to an stove burner when it's on, but otherwise, let the boy roam free. Your house is all he's got. And we actually need the dining room table to put his food on when we're having an ant infestation on the floor. :-(

 

[salsachick]

Thanks for all the responses.

If it were just me I wouldn't care. I let my last cat on the table and it really doesn't bother me that much. But, I live with other people about 6 months of the year. And they have serious issues with the idea of a cats on the table.

I might try tinfoil just on the edges to see if that helps. Otherwise the part-time roommates my just have to deal

 

[Heidi n Q]

Avoid the frustration for yourself and your cats, tell the part-time room-mates to deal and let *them* get themselves worked up over it, as long as it doesn't impact you or your cats. Of course, we don't allow the cats on the counters or table when we are working or eating. I just keep dumping them off and telling them "No!" and Off!". Eventually they understand. Sometimes I have to break out the squirt bottle of water to let them know I mean business, and for persistent kitties I will close them in the Master Bedroom for the duration of the meal.

I keep my home this way for the comfort of my pets, not my guests. The door is always open and people are free to enter and leave as they please. Just do not ask me or my pets to make major adjustments for you unless there is a medical necessity.

 

[salsachick]

So thought I would post a quick update.

I put a carpet runner face down (poky sides up) on the kitchen table to discourage them from jumping up there.

Here's pictures:

You can see how well it's working!!! :lol:

 

[Heidi n Q]

Wow. Are you sure that isn't double-sided sticky tape and you *caught* the kittens? :lol:

 

[doodlebug]

Guess the kitties proved our 'point'! :lol: