Are there any motion-sensing collars for cats?

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

I'm having to get creative with how to keep my cat off the counters and out of the kitchen sink. I yell at him to get down and I clap my hands once and he does NOT care. He knows that the worst that happens is that I yell at him and lift him off the counter, and if I'm not there and the air spray can isn't on, he has no reason to stop. Most dogs will cower if they're yelled at, but my cat blows it right off! He needs a serious deterrent to getting up on the counters and the sink, and that consequence has to be separate from me.

My idea is: Is there a collar in existence that has a sensor in it that matches a motion-sensing air spray can (like the SSSCat air spray can I use)? The SSSCat concept is ALMOST perfect; it sprays WHENEVER it senses movement, from a cat or anything else, which is why I can't have the can on all the time. If there was such a product that would sense the sensor in the collar the cat was wearing and ONLY spray when it senses the cat's collar, I would be THRILLED!

 

[FeebysOwner]

I have never heard of such a thing, but I guess one never knows what someone will come up with next!

Most of the time, a cat has interest in getting on counter tops or tables because there have been enough times that there is something up there enticing them to do so. Obviously, food (even bread baskets/bins), plants, dirty dishes, water, and so on. So, first of all any of that kind of stuff that is going on has to be stopped. Maybe it is a window they like - so another window has to be found for them as a replacement.

Foil laid on the counters, or plastic carpet runners or bathmats, with the nubby side up might be things to try and pretty easy to remove and re-lay when needed.

If you have a doorway/entryway to the kitchen, you could set up a blockade when needed to prevent your cat from getting near the countertop. There is one particular DIY blockade that is easy to make as well as get access to both sides without much effort. Here (see pic below) is an example of a blockade that can be made for any sized opening - even across a room if need be. It is made from shelving that can be bought at many home improvement stores. Set the shelving on its side and zip tie each segment of the shelving to make a 'foldable door'. The shelving can be cut to most any height that you want or need. All you have to do gain access to either side of the blockade is to fold a segment back. This type of shelving can made to go across doorways too. It can also be secured to walls/doorways using command hooks and strings/ropes/ties of most any kind. Then, you just slip the tie off the command hook for access and replace the tie on the hook when you want to close it up again.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

One thing you can try is putting lightly crinkled aluminum foil on the counter tops. MOST cats do not like the feel of it under their feet. That said, a FEW love it! Just remove the foil when you are working, then replace it. Also, try putting a cat perch NEAR the counter, so you are giving him a "yes" to go along with that "no," a vantage point that makes him part of the action without being in the middle of it.

 

[susanm9006]

This time of year is a great time to find a motion activated Halloween or even Christmas decoration to place on the counter that moves, sings or shrieks when it senses motion. A couple of surprise scares and the cat may decide not to go near it. You can also help keep the cat off the counter by not leaving food of any kind left out and also making sure that there is some place in the kitchen that the cat IS allowed. Sometimes they just want to watch and be near their humans.

 

[Alldara]

A yes vantage point is what works here for us. What's your cat trying to do on the counter?

When I'm cooking, I bring a chair over for Magnus and I left him distance-sniff vegetables for chopping, etc. Calcifer usually just wants picked up and I sometimes put him in a baby wrap, or I move his tree over so he can view from the doorway.

Without a yes space (filling the need for the cat), there's not likely anything to keep the cat off permanently unless you leave that thing up permanently.

 

[Caspers Human]

A yes vantage point is what works here for us. What's your cat trying to do on the counter?

When I'm cooking, I bring a chair over for Magnus and I left him distance-sniff vegetables for chopping, etc. Calcifer usually just wants picked up and I sometimes put him in a baby wrap, or I move his tree over so he can view from the doorway.

Without a yes space (filling the need for the cat), there's not likely anything to keep the cat off permanently unless you leave that thing up permanently.

I agree, whole-heartedly!

The key to keeping a cat from doing something you don't want them to do is to find something they like doing better. Deterrence works to keep the cat away but, for lasting results, you need to find something else for the cat to do.

Neither of our cats like to go on the kitchen counters but we also taught them that the counters were off-limits from the very beginning. They never developed the habit because it was never an option.

If the cats jump onto the counter while you are in the kitchen, cooking or doing dishes, etc., a good solution is to do like A Alldara says. Give them a stool, a shelf or some place where they are allowed to go so they can "supervise" while you are working. Cats are curious and they just want to see what their humans are up to. Why not give them a place of their own?

Aluminum foil and canned air are good ways to keep cats away from places where you don't want them to go. A friend of mine put a couple dozen squares of duct tape, face up, on the kitchen counter before he went to bed, one night. When he came down, the next morning, he found them all stuck to the cat! Needless to say, the cat learned his lesson!

When you catch the cat going some place you don't want him to go, verbally scold him and tell him "No." Give him a chance to obey. If he does what you ask, give him lots of petting and attention..."Good kitty!" If the cat doesn't listen, go to the kitchen, pick him up and put him on the floor. Once the cat is back on the floor, pet him and say, "Good Kitty!"

If your cat is treat-motivated, give him a treat AFTER he gets down. The reward is for getting down and staying down.

Another thing you can do is take the cat into another room and play with him. Toss his favorite mouse to distract him from going on the counter. Get his feather toy and let him chase it. Find him something do to that's more fun than going to the counter.

Yelling and punishing doesn't often work on cats. Save the yelling for times when it's important like when the cat is starting to climb to a place where they might fall and get hurt or if they are getting into something dangerous. Better to show them what they CAN do than rather than punish for things that they can't do. Cats learn faster that way.

The best way to keep cats off the counter is to teach them from the start. The sooner they learn your "House Rules" the better off they will be.