I recently brought home a Russian Blue kitten and so far he's been wonderful - super smart, affectionate, and playful (he even plays fetch!) and also a total lap cat - basically everything I have ever wanted in a cat. He's also a big bundle of energy and quite a handful!
One issue I've been having is that he likes to jump onto the counter and the dinner table. I want to avoid having him on the counter so he doesn't get burned, step on something sharp, eat something he shouldn't...etc. before I have the chance to stop him. Also, I hate finding litter he's tracked onto the counter or dirty pawprints where I'm preparing food!
For the dinner table, he is mostly interested in being on the table when I'm eating there - I think it's more that he wants my attention than anything else. He will constantly try to stick his nose into my food (he doesn't eat it but he likes to smell it) or try to step onto my plate (the same way he steps on my laptop when he wants my attention). The only way I can eat in peace is if I shut him out of the dining area, but if I do that he starts trying to act out in other ways to get my attention (like meowing and jumping on the counter lol).
I've managed to deter him from going on the counter by putting tin foil along the edges with some tape sticky-side up and spraying it with vinegar. However, he's always testing the limits and still trying to go on the counter so I feel that as soon as I remove it, he'll go back to counter surfing. For those who have used methods like this to deter cats from going on the counter, how long do you have to keep putting out tape and tin foil and did your cat ever stop trying to jump on the counter?
Also, has anyone been able to teach a cat to stay off the dining table and how did you do it? I've talked to friends who have raised and fostered many cats and it sounds like everyone has ultimately just accepted that their cats will go on the counters and/or tables, so maybe I'm fighting a losing battle here. If you do let your cats go on the counter/table, how do you keep them safe and how do you disinfect everything? Any recommendations for disinfectants that are safe for cats and wood tables and can take care of litterbox germs + bacteria from a raw-fed cat?
One issue I've been having is that he likes to jump onto the counter and the dinner table. I want to avoid having him on the counter so he doesn't get burned, step on something sharp, eat something he shouldn't...etc. before I have the chance to stop him. Also, I hate finding litter he's tracked onto the counter or dirty pawprints where I'm preparing food!
For the dinner table, he is mostly interested in being on the table when I'm eating there - I think it's more that he wants my attention than anything else. He will constantly try to stick his nose into my food (he doesn't eat it but he likes to smell it) or try to step onto my plate (the same way he steps on my laptop when he wants my attention). The only way I can eat in peace is if I shut him out of the dining area, but if I do that he starts trying to act out in other ways to get my attention (like meowing and jumping on the counter lol).
I've managed to deter him from going on the counter by putting tin foil along the edges with some tape sticky-side up and spraying it with vinegar. However, he's always testing the limits and still trying to go on the counter so I feel that as soon as I remove it, he'll go back to counter surfing. For those who have used methods like this to deter cats from going on the counter, how long do you have to keep putting out tape and tin foil and did your cat ever stop trying to jump on the counter?
Also, has anyone been able to teach a cat to stay off the dining table and how did you do it? I've talked to friends who have raised and fostered many cats and it sounds like everyone has ultimately just accepted that their cats will go on the counters and/or tables, so maybe I'm fighting a losing battle here. If you do let your cats go on the counter/table, how do you keep them safe and how do you disinfect everything? Any recommendations for disinfectants that are safe for cats and wood tables and can take care of litterbox germs + bacteria from a raw-fed cat?