Kittens and hot cooktops - HELP!

persi & alley

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Unlike other cat owners, we do not have any off limits areas in the house for our kitten, Persi. Even the kitchen counters, we figure he is at least as clean as we are and do not worry about the fact that he is a Persian and has long hair that could get into the food. Call us crazy, but we just don't. But what we are now REALLY starting to worry about is that he has come of age (five months) that he can now almost make it to the top of the stand alone island cook top. This is one of those flat top electric models that you cannot even see the burners except when they are glowing red. The problem is, these things stay hot for A VERY LONG time after they are used. Any day now, Persi is going to be able to get up here. This is just going to have to be an off limits place for him but since we allow him every place else, how can we teach him to NEVER get up here?
 

gardenandcats

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I have the same type of cook top and the same problem. I wouldprefer the cats not get on the counters but often they do. I keep a kettle with abit of water on the burners that are still hot untill they cool down just in case they jump up there.
 

zissou'smom

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Zissou is banned from the kitchen counter for that exact reason.

Although, you will have a hard time convincing him to stay off that one counter when you let him up on the others. But at my old apartment I did that with Zissou. She was allowed up on a very tiny piece of counter next to the fridge so she could get on top of the fridge. But none of the others.

The way I did that was by every time I saw her about to jump up on them, I said "no" and distracted her. If I caught her up on the counter, I snapped my fingers at her (Zissou and I's less abrasive version of clapping or shaking a can of pennies, she knows it means Mommie is mad and she's doing something she oughtn't, so insert whatever you do here) and then moved her if she didn't move herself.

There's nothing mean about keeping cats off the counter. To me, it's the place they are most likely to get hurt. I'm not worried about her hair in my food, she makes up for it by putting her tail in everything I eat.

If that doesn't work, put up a barrier around the counter, as cats will not jump if they can't see what they're jumping onto. Put out your groceries like a castle wall- cereal boxes, flour bags, etc. He might lose interest completely. Or, put something really unpleasant for him to walk on over the island unless you are cooking.

Or get a gas stove and forget about it
 

gingersmom

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I tried tin foil sheets on top of the stove, and that didn't work - Ginger seemed to LIKE to walk on foil!


So instead, I just piled up a bunch of pots and pans on top of the stove, on cookie sheets, only moving them out of the way for cooking, then moving them back afterward.

Ginger jumped up ONCE after I piled them up on the range, and the small avalanche that occured was enough to keep her from ever trying THAT again. I kept the pile on top of the stove for a couple of months, and now she stays away so I don't have to worry about it.

Now I'm keeping an eye on Ferris as he gets more comfortable and starts to explore his surroundings more. I'll booby trap the stove again, if that's what it takes!
 

sydney

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I use a spray bottle for when im home and can catch them in the act and it works well for me.

The hair isnt a concern and isnt why i keep them off counters, its the germs, the cats walk in dirty litter all day and to have them on the counters where i eat seriously grosses me out.

ick
 

pami

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Originally Posted by gardenandcats

I have the same type of cook top and the same problem. I wouldprefer the cats not get on the counters but often they do. I keep a kettle with abit of water on the burners that are still hot untill they cool down just in case they jump up there.
Thats what I do ..... since they can jump up there in a sec, before I would have time to react, the pot with water is a precaution so no paws get burned !
 

tiffanyl

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I have the same type of stove top and have never once seen Michoud up there when it was hot and you're right, it does stay hot for a LONG time after the burners are turned off. I find him up there very occasionaly when I'm not cooking because there is a window at that level on the back door that he likes to look out. I get him down every time though.
 

meow meow

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Luckily, my kitty like to hang out on our kitchen island (where there is a small prep sink), not the counter where the cooktop is.

I have not made a big deal about my kitten being on the island counter --it doesn't bother me now when he is 6lbs but when he is 13lbs I might feel differently!
 

sillycat

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I have six cats (4 of whom jump up on the counters) and have had one of those flat cooktops for years. I ALWAYS put a pot of cold water ontop of the burner after I am done cooking, to:

A. Keep the cats from landing on it if they jump up.
B. Helps to cool the burner down quicker.

Even if you think you have them trained not to jump up (Sometimes cats get startled, and jump up there to get away from something...), I still think covering the hot flat burner with a pot/pan of cold water is you best bet at keeping your cats safe from getting a nasty burn.
 

larke

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Just a story.. Our darling, crazy Maine coon girl Squeak, who seemed to have no self-protective reflexes (like a Ragdoll) yrs ago stepped on a hot coil of our stove and burned her paw. She recovered, but never did it again. Well, when we got our Shadow a few mos. later and he started to jump up onto the stove one day, Squeak was right there, and she yowled at him and literally pushed him away! And neither of them ever went near the stove again (at least only approached from on the counter and only if it was off).
 
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persi & alley

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Sometimes, things are so simple they seem complex. I feel foolish for not even thinking of the obvious, keep pots on the burners. We have now adopted this new house rule!
 

gizmocat

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I keep pots on all four burners of the gas cooker since there's a pilot light. Fortunately Gizmo never goes on the kitchen counters, but there's always a first time.
Pots should do the trick.
 

crystal211

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Our cats are allowed on all surfaces except kitchen counters for safety reasons - Zissou'sMom pretty much described what we do. Be persistant (with whatever you try) and you'll win eventually.
 
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