Counter Surfing Blues

[sydney]

I have two cats, one is Charlie, he is my perfect angel, he doesn’t have any bad habits. Then their is Logan, he is pet demon but also the sweetest cat, he is more like a dog then a cat. Problem with Logan is that most things that would deter other cats won’t work on him, and he never catches on. Hence my problem.

Logan loves to counter surf in the kitchen, he also likes to sit on my dining room chairs which are fabric and scratch them, and his all time favorite is playing in my blinds by the window. However the problem I’m trying to fix is the counter siding in the kitchen. It’s just gross cause he has long hair, sometime he gets poop stuck on his tail ( he is getting a sani shave today) and he is walking around where the food is made. I spray him with a water bottle and he just sits there and enjoys it, oh yeah he loves water, so that doesn’t work. I’ve tried making hissIng noises and kinda scare him off the counter which works sometimes but like I said before he just doesn’t catch on.

What else can I try?? I have a lot of kitchen space so a lot of counter space. Any ideas?? Thanks!

 

[maggiedemi]

Have you tried saying the same words every time, like "No, Down"? My cats know several words.

 

[sydney]

Yeah with him it doesn’t work cause he doesn’t catch on. With my other cat it worked right off the bat and he doesn’t do any of these things. He is driving me nuts! Still love him but ugh.

 

[orange&white]

I've always just picked the cat off the counter, and set them on the floor with a "Get down" in a nice voice...repetitively. Some needed more repeats than others. Most of them got it, and would occasionally jump up, but at some point, I could just say "Get down" from the other room and hear them jump back off.

I had one cat for 12 years who never did get it. He wanted to be close to me at all times, including cooking, and was a climber in general. I've never been terribly bothered by cats on the counter as long as they aren't there when I'm preparing food.

Some cats will stay off the counters while you're home, but get up there overnight or while you're out working or running errands.

With Cosine, I eventually just started putting him in my bedroom when I started to cook and let him out after the stove had cooled down and dishes were washed. I've usually sprayed the counters down before cooking even when I don't have a counter-surfing cat...because you don't know if they're up there when you aren't home.

 

[susanm9006]

Put some penny’s in a can and shake it every time he goes near the counter. Make sure there is never ever any food or water left out. . Buy one of those nasty Billy Bass fish that sings when you go near it and hang it up somewhere on the counter. If that doesn’t work, every single time pick him up and shut him in the bathroom for fifteen minutes

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

... Buy one of those nasty Billy Bass fish that sings when you go near it and hang it up somewhere on the counter. ..

That's hilarious, susanm9006!

 

[Furballsmom]

I love the singing fish idea LOL. Just a thought and a comment, do you have cat trees to help with the "I jus' gotta get up high" feline syndrome?
Also, the hygiene/sani trim is such a good thing to do - maybe you can get to the point where he'll let you trim with blunt-end scissors or clippers so you can do it more frequently without having to pay out the wazoo.
About the chairs - I've heard aluminum foil can help deter cats so that might be something to try, for everything there are motion activated deterrent devices, also upside down carpet runners, and cheap place mats with double-sided sticky tape put on them could work. Hang in there!

 

[sydney]

Thank you all for the ideas!!

 

[duckpond]

If you have a lot of counter space maybe try to train him to one spot? I have several different counter tops in my kitchen, i started feeding on one of them, hoping that is where the cats would go. It has for the most part worked...lol. If they get on the others i pick them up and put them down on the floor, or on the other counter. That being said i keep a spray bottle of kitchen cleaner handy, and wipe down my counters quite a bit i also have a stubborn one

 

[susanm9006]

Just thought of another one that I would love to see someone try. Set out a few cucumbers! If your cat reacts they way they do in videos once may be enough.

 

[Caspers Human]

Put a stool by the counter for him to sit on while you are in the kitchen.

Many cats just want to be where the action is. They see their human doing something interesting up there on the counter but they can't see. Natural curiosity drives them to jump up so they can see what's going on.

If you put a stool close to the counter where you are working it can be "his spot" where he can jump up to "supervise" the goings on.

If the cat jumps up onto the stool and stays there, he can have pets, attention and maybe an occasional treat.
If he jumps up onto the counter, he gets picked up, set back down on the floor and a, firm, "No."

Keep this up and enforce it well. Praise when he's good and gentle but firm rejection when he's bad.
Do it quickly, as soon as he does the behavior and do it every time.

It shouldn't be long before he learns that the stool is his perch where he can see you and get attention but the counter is no-go territory.

 

[lavishsqualor]

I've always just picked the cat off the counter, and set them on the floor with a "Get down" in a nice voice...repetitively.

I've never been terribly bothered by cats on the counter as long as they aren't there when I'm preparing food.

I totally agree with the above tactic. Pick the cat up and gently place them on the floor. And if that doesn't work then I just figure Oh well, I tried and keep going. After three years of living with Atticus and Thirteen I imagine I've breathed in and ingested at least a few whole cats' worth of fur. Assuming I can't keep them off the counter as I cook, how much damage is a few more furs in the casserole really going to cause me?

 

[Furballsmom]

LoL lavishsqualor That's pretty much how I look at it (and in the freezer, the coffecup...) I've taken to telling him "Geez, Cat you're making your presence known Everywhere!"

 

[taylor1104]

what my family does, since our cat is the same way, is put some spray on the counters. i cant quite remember whats in it, but i know it has lemon in it. look up a non-scratch spray that is homemade and make it. i know my mom uses deet free mosquito repellent and it helps BUNCHES.

 

[Yanaka]

UGH. My cat is the same. He's a monster! His sister is an angel, but he will not take either no, a scary loud voice, water, or stomping as an answer. He is fearless and so playful, it drives me mad sometimes (like last night). I'm totally with you--and while I'm a good cat mom who loves them dearly and already lets them do almost whatever they want, I wish he'd respect at least one or two limits.