cats on the counter

extinctosaurus

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
Messages
101
Purraise
0
Location
Colorado Springs
Hey guys! It's been a long while since I posted. The kittens are really big now (Butch even went to his new home last week
)

Anyway! I need help with keeping the cats off the of the kitchen countertops. Nyx knows she is not supposed to be on them so she usually doesn't go on them. But Eris, the little troublemaker, jumps on them all the time. Then whenever Nyx sees her she thinks it's okay so she follows Eris, but Nyx is a lot bigger and she ends up knocking a lot of stuff down... then she gets scared and jumps on Eris, then Eris runs away and knocks even more things over. I tried spraying Eris with water while she was on the counter, and also right before she tries to jump on it (whenever I can catch her) but she's seen me do it a couple times and now she just jumps on the counter whenever I am asleep/in bathroom/at work
What other things can I do to teach her not to jump on that counter?


And on another note, all of them have taken to drinking out of the toilet D: So now we keep that shut, always!!
 

catnip

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jun 5, 2007
Messages
737
Purraise
43
Location
Ireland
My cat does the exact same thing and I can only control it when I'm there! He has free run of the house when I'm out. All you can do is constantly reinforce that you get mad when the cats jump up there. I don't use a squirt bottle as I'm against the idea personally. I just clap loudly and yell 'NO' firmly. It has worked to stop Harry chewing wires and to a certain extent jumping up on the table and counters. I know he still does it when I'm out though. He has no access to anywhere with wires when I'm out as I don't let him in the sitting room alone.

I have a cleaner that contains orange oil; it doesn't have any bleach etc and I find that deters him a bit. He'll jump on a chair, take a sniff of the table and then change his mind. If you could get your hands on something like that it might help. I think bitter apple os the other thing recommended here but I've never come across that.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

extinctosaurus

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
Messages
101
Purraise
0
Location
Colorado Springs
Hmm, how come the cats don't like orange oil? I'll have to see if I can find it
 

stampit3d

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 5, 2005
Messages
2,864
Purraise
1
Location
Michigan USA
Mine rarely get on the counters or table WHEN I`M HERE......I`ve always removed them with a firm "NO!"....However...I`m sure they do as they darn well please whenever I`m not home....so one of the first things i do when I return is to run a bit of soapy warm water in the kitchen sink and wipe down the counters before i cook anything...JUST IN CASE.
Linda
 

graciecat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
3,365
Purraise
4
Location
In Steelers Country!
When one of our cats does something they're not supposed to I have a can with some pennies in it.
I shake the can and say "NO" very loudly and firmly, that does the trick.

As far as the orange oil goes...I know cats aren't supposed to like it BUT I have a little weirdo in my house ( Gracie ) who loves the smell and taste of it.
I was using furniture polish with orange oil in it, I'd dust and she'd come right behind me and lick the furniture
...I had to stop using it
 

coaster

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 28, 2005
Messages
5,174
Purraise
7
Location
Wisconsin
There's always got to be one cat who disproves the rule. Cats don't like citrus? Don't ask Gracie, she LOVES the stuff!!
 

sarathan

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
121
Purraise
3
Location
Washington
Originally Posted by extinctosaurus

Hey guys! It's been a long while since I posted. The kittens are really big now (Butch even went to his new home last week
)

Anyway! I need help with keeping the cats off the of the kitchen countertops. Nyx knows she is not supposed to be on them so she usually doesn't go on them. But Eris, the little troublemaker, jumps on them all the time. Then whenever Nyx sees her she thinks it's okay so she follows Eris, but Nyx is a lot bigger and she ends up knocking a lot of stuff down... then she gets scared and jumps on Eris, then Eris runs away and knocks even more things over. I tried spraying Eris with water while she was on the counter, and also right before she tries to jump on it (whenever I can catch her) but she's seen me do it a couple times and now she just jumps on the counter whenever I am asleep/in bathroom/at work
What other things can I do to teach her not to jump on that counter?


And on another note, all of them have taken to drinking out of the toilet D: So now we keep that shut, always!!
Hi, I have no advice but wanted to say I completely feel your pain. Our last cat (who is now passed away) was horrible about jumping on the counter. I sprayed and sprayed her with water and that eventually just became a game.
She was so d*** persistent about it that I eventually just gave up and let her win that battle. It was a battle I was tired of fighting. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I started ignoring her, she stopped jumping up there. Now that I look back, she was definitely doing it just to get a rise out of me.


Anyway, every time I hear about a cat jumping on the counter, I have to chuckle.
 

serenasmommy

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 7, 2005
Messages
130
Purraise
1
Location
Regina,SK, Canada
One thing I found with one (and only one
)of my cats was double sided tape. Sounds weird, yes I know lol... I placed a few strips of double sided scotch tape on the counter in the places they hopped upon it. Cats hate the feel of something like that on their paws, so Flash doesn't dare jump up anymore just in case
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
The best thing to do is keep the counters clean of food, dishes, etc. so its boring to them.

We can monitor them getting on the counters when we are around, but find that if there is no food/dishes they rarely jump up there.
 
Top