Kitten Going On Counter

[ThatTroubledCat1111]

Hi everyone, i’m at my wits end with my kitten named Stewie. He is 7 months old and such a trouble maker. He jumps up on the counter to cause so much trouble. He doesn’t even care if I’m looking straight at him, he will still jump up. He knocks stuff down, break stuff (he knocked down my candle and broke it this morning), etc. I just don’t know what to do anymore. We live in a small studio apartment, (me, Stewie, Max, who is 3, and my boyfriend) and this kitten is so much work, it’s like I have to be home 24/7 to keep an eye on him, which is obviously impossible. I just need some help on dealing with this. It’s become too much to handle.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi! Does he have other places to climb, such as cat trees, window perches, etc? If not, I would get some more acceptable things for him to climb/jump up on and hang out, particularly if they can be by windows that he can look out. Do you leave food on the counters that is attracting him to those places?

Check out this TCS article and see if there are some ideas in it that you can use to help deter him from getting on the counters.

How To Keep Cats Off Counters And Tables

He is still pretty young, so some of this behavior will taper off a bit more as he ages.

 

[Hlee]

I have never let cats on the counter or the kitchen table.
When I would see them ready to jump I would say " NO" very firmly.
If they got up there I would put them down with the firm "NO".
I must sound very mean lol because two of them are a year old now don`t try to go up there anymore.
None of our other cats did either and they know the difference between dining table
( ok) and kitchen table (not ok). They are smart.
I know occasionally they will break this rule when I am not home but not very often.
Maybe this doesn't work with all cats but thankfully it has with all of mine.
Good luck.

 

[Kflowers]

If you use H Hlee 's method, just resign yourself to putting in the time, with patience, no anger. If the cat senses anger, he will assume either you see danger, which in his mind could not be him, or you are dangerous because you are mad for no reason.

There is a good chance that the reason you see him jump on the counter is because you are near the counter and he wants to be near you.

 

[Sidewinder]

Embrace the reality... let the cats get up on the counter, LOL. Do you have window sills above the counter? Widen them and give the cats somewhere even HIGHER to sit, they love looking down on their owners... er, I mean butlers. Do you have unused space atop your fridge? Turn it into a cat ledge... my fridge has impractical cabinets above it, too difficult to reach for regular use, so I turned 'em into a cat cave with the jutting fridge serving as a large ledge out front. One member included suggestions to maximize vertical space for your cat(s), this information can be particularly useful in a cramped studio or 1-bedroom apartment. Sounds like the kitten just wants to be near you... too bad you don't have another kitten to serve as a playmate for the youngster, that always helps in so many ways. Well, good luck to you, hope you find the right solution...