Cat on Mantlepiece

[StrawberryKitty]

Recently, our cat Ivy has been jumping up on our mantlepiece. There's nothing up there yet, as it's brand new. She won't stop doing it! I heard cats hate the smell of citrus, so we took some orange extract and put some on the mantlepiece, and that didn't help. We have a cat tree taller than the mantle, but nothing at this point is working. Any suggestions?

 

[ArtNJ]

Try putting big non fragile stuff up there like boxes of cereal. Break the habit and it may be safe for other stuff.

 

[DreamerRose]

I do have fragile things on my mantel, including a pot of ivy I don't want turned over. Mingo started climbing up there and after a few scary times getting him down, I put a can of Ssscat on the mantel, pointing it down (the nozzle is moveable). Mingo got squirted with air one time and gave it up. He's never done it again.

 

[allisonsparks]

I’ve seen videos of people who put aluminum foil on their counters so the cats stop jumping up there. Wouldn’t hurt to try it

 

[LTS3]

Recently, our cat Ivy has been jumping up on our mantlepiece. There's nothing up there yet, as it's brand new. She won't stop doing it!

Since the mantle is new, your cat is just exploring and checking it out and using it as another elevated space to lounge on. If you don't want your cat on it, keep discouraging your cat from getting up there. When you see her up there, put her on the floor and give a firm NO. Place non breakable items across the mantle. Move any furniture nearby that your cat may be using to get on the mantle. Place one of those bumpy carpet runner type mats or a Scat Mat on the mantle. Most cats eventually get bored of a new item in the house and leave it alone.

Some cats aren't deterred by aluminum foil. Supposedly the texture or the shiny surface is what cats hate but I've had a cat happily scratch away at and shred aluminum foil that was temporarily covering a small hole in the wall

 

[di and bob]

I agree, it is something new and will become boring after a while. I got two new chairs and the cats fought over who was going to sit in them. When I covered them with small blankets to keep the fur off, they decided they didn't want to sit there anymore! sigh......

 

[klunick]

I am very thankful we have a very thin mantle that I make sure to keep completely filled up with decor or else Gracie would definitely try to jump from the arm of the chair to the mantle, knocking down whatever is up there in the process.

 

[susanm9006]

You could try setting some kind of mechanical toy that dances, screams or talks when it senses motion. Halloween is a great time to find something like that.

 

[japam]

cats only really understand smell, scent rubs and movement, if you add a fregrance there they do not like, chances are they will investigate it once or twice and keep away from there, i use this technique in my garden, for a cat that was always going to an area, the cat midden there once out of frustration and never went back to that spot. what i used was shake n vac lilly variant, the lemon one also works, just a sprinkle.