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Post by librarylady on Aug 30, 2022 1:02:35 GMT
We have used a water pistol and trained our cats to never get on the kitchen counter.
Wondering just how common cats on a kitchen counter might be.
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,798
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Aug 30, 2022 1:04:19 GMT
I have one that jumps up onto the bar, walks across the counter past the sink on the way out the back door and sometimes pauses to lick the butter if we leave the cover off. Of course we yell at her but she doesn't care AT ALL. LOL. Most of the time we keep the butter lid on.
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Post by Skellinton on Aug 30, 2022 1:07:05 GMT
We have had 7 cats in my lifetime and none have ever gotten on the kitchen counter. Knock on wood. We do have one that likes the bathroom counter for some reason, but never the kitchen.
If we did we wouldn't use a squirt gun though, just put them on the ground with a stern "no.". That is what we do for any misbehavior, and it works well. Although one of my cats did rear back her paw once like she was going to backhand me once when I "no"ed her! Made me laugh and I smothered her with kisses which she probably hated more then the squirt gun.
ETA our cats have lots of cat spaces to be high and there is no food left on the counter, so.maybe that is why.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 30, 2022 1:07:26 GMT
Not common here. I have two cats. One we got as an elder cat and she has never tried to get on the counter. She does sit on my dining table. But I leave a tablecloth on it for her and when I'm serving dinner, I take it off and disinfect the table. My other cat we adopted as a kitten, once she got big enough, she wanted to get on one of my side counters. It's not one where I ever prep food. Honestly I think she was just teasing the dog because that's where we kept the treats. I covered the countertop in tinfoil for like 4 or 6 weeks and that trained her not to get up on it anymore. A friend had given me this tip.
I've often thought about doing it on the dining room table to see if I can train the other cat. But honestly the tablecloth is a good solution so I'm not bothered by that.
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QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955
Jun 26, 2014 0:29:24 GMT
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Post by QueenoftheSloths on Aug 30, 2022 1:08:52 GMT
We're on cats numbers 5-8 here, and it is very rare that any of them will jump up on the counters. It's just not something they are interested in doing. There was no need to train them not to.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 30, 2022 1:16:28 GMT
This cat does not, but he does sometimes get on the table.
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Post by Lexica on Aug 30, 2022 1:28:21 GMT
I have never had one of my cats jump on the kitchen counter. And I've had cats all of my life. I don't even remember them trying when they were kittens.
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Post by cmpeter on Aug 30, 2022 1:32:44 GMT
I can’t say never as I don’t watch them all night, but we have never seen any evidence of them getting on the counters or tables. Our cats are a bit weird and don’t eat any human food. Even tuna…they walk away from it like it’s going to bite them.
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Post by greendragonlady on Aug 30, 2022 1:36:38 GMT
They don't very often, but if they do it's usually to look out the kitchen window if they hear something. They are allowed on the bar in the lounge, though. So maybe that satisfies their desire to be up higher.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Aug 30, 2022 1:39:42 GMT
I've never had a problem with it in the past. This cat did get on counters when he was a kitten but, in his defense, he generally had a teenage German shepherd enthusiastically coming after him. Now they've made their peace and the cat has his own safe (i.e., peaceful) spots in the laundry room behind the safety of a baby gate.
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Post by chaosisapony on Aug 30, 2022 1:44:54 GMT
Nope. It's basically the only rule they have, they cannot be on the counters and that includes the bathroom counters. My oldest cat will make an attempt every once in a while and she gets a stern "no" and remembers that it's not allowed and that's that. My younger cat has never even attempted to jump up that high. He's much more a cat of leisure than a cat of activity.
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milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,570
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
Mar 18, 2015 4:10:31 GMT
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Post by milocat on Aug 30, 2022 1:45:36 GMT
Never, but my DDs cats would at her house and when they stayed at my house. The one would lay on it, sleep on it.
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Post by pjaye on Aug 30, 2022 1:45:50 GMT
I have a small kitchen and none of my cats have ever jumped on the counter, and it's too high for my little fat Devon anyway. The new boy jumped up once and I clapped my hands, and he got down and I haven't seen him up there again. I also think because my kitchen is so small, there's nothing to see/do when they get up there so they don't bother.
However whenever I've stayed at my mothers, the kitchen is much bigger, and there's a table on the other side of the counter that acts as a ladder for them (chair-table-counter) and there's often a lot of activity in the kitchen and food out - and every single one of them has got up there to check out what's going on and see if they can beg some food. There's also a large window that overlooks the back garden with lots of birds...so they love to sit and look out there too. It's always been a losing battle at Mum's, but it doesn't happen here (no big window in the sun, no back garden).
I think if I had a counter they wanted to be on, I'd give them a "spot" with a blanket and they'd be allowed to sit there and watch the action...but not wander all over.
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Post by lisae on Aug 30, 2022 1:49:20 GMT
When we have had indoor/outdoor cats, they never got on the counter. One came already trained as we adopted her when she was 3. I think she was trained with a spritzer bottle because any spritzing sound sent her diving for cover. Our current cat was an indoor/outdoor for a few years and he just doesn't like to jump up on high things. We got lucky with them but water is a powerful deterrent to a cat.
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Post by BSnyder on Aug 30, 2022 1:50:19 GMT
We have had 5 cats in our home over time. All are "trained" to stay off of the counters. 1 never went on the counter that we are aware of, even when no one is looking. 3 would stay off the counters when we are moving around the house, but we knew they were up there sometimes, because every now and then we would hear the dismount when they heard movement. That lead us to assume they were sometimes on the counter when we were gone. And, we have one that doesn't give a f**k and will sit by the coffee maker and watch what is happening in the kitchen no matter how many times scolded and scooted away. And, this one LOVES water, so that is no deterrent. It is the edge of the counter, so we gave up the battle and are sure to wipe down well when we prepare food, which we need to do anyway because we obviously have others that sometimes sneak up.
I have noticed that as the cats have aged, they care less about the counter. Our youngest, at 7, is the edge sitter. The 18 yo is NEVER on the counter and the 10 yo we very rarely hear sneaky dismounts from.
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TXMary
Pearl Clutcher
And so many nights I just dream of the ocean. God, I wish I was sailin' again.
Posts: 2,955
Jun 26, 2014 17:25:06 GMT
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Post by TXMary on Aug 30, 2022 2:08:22 GMT
I won’t say never but it’s extremely rare for them to jump on the kitchen counter. They don’t eat people food so there’s nothing interesting to them up there. The bathroom counter is another story. They love sink drinks so they do get up there.
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Post by fotos4u2 on Aug 30, 2022 2:20:19 GMT
Have had a lot of cats in my lifetime and most haven't been interested in being on the counter, but not all. We're down to 2 cats (from our max of 4 when we moved here in 2019) and have one that will jump on the counter if I'm not on top of it. Typically I have to just yell at her or redirect her--just like a toddler although she's 12 years old. The other is not interested, I've literally never found her on the counter. '
One of our other cats we rehomed to my mom last year and she was always on the counter when she lived with us, but rarely is at my mom's. But likely that's because she was being bullied and at my mom's she's the only princess.
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Post by Linda on Aug 30, 2022 2:55:40 GMT
we've had lots of cats over the years - sixteen total - currently we're at 5. Most of them I never caught on the counter, a few I caught occasionally and suspected they mostly jumped down when they heard me coming. Our two youngest now? they're just over a year...one of them is a repeat offender and her brother occasionally joins her. They know they're not allowed but Pad-Bear doesn't care. Dusty looks guilty and jumps down, she doesn't.
I wash the counter with a kitchen bleach spray regularly and always before food prep.
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Post by scrapmaven on Aug 30, 2022 2:59:21 GMT
Cats on the counter? No way! I have one cat who thinks that the counter is an overpass and the other cat goes up there when he thinks we can't see him. I have to constantly sanitize my counter.
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Post by pjaye on Aug 30, 2022 3:52:41 GMT
I have one cat who thinks that the counter is an overpass That's the coffee table here. They can walk under it, or next to it on both sides, but no, if they are going to the window the preferred option is to jump up and walk across it. Even the new boy has been caught sitting on the table several times. Hand clapping and "off the table!" barely gets a glance in my direction. Drives me nuts.
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Post by leannec on Aug 30, 2022 3:58:40 GMT
You need an "Of course!" option! Mine would only do it when I wasn't looking because they didn't give a shit. They preferred the kitchen table though.
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Post by Jen in NCal on Aug 30, 2022 4:21:11 GMT
I need an "other". I have 5 cats. One older and 4 1-year old kittens (not fosters; I'm working on my crazy cat lady status) The older cat no longer gets on the counter but does get on the dining room table, which is in the same room. In her defense, I don't eat at the table and it is piled with junk. She gets her special morning treat there. Three of the kittens do jump on the counter. Again, never used as I don't cook. When the counters are by some miracle clean, they are less likely to get on the counters and never when they are completely cleaned for baking. I think Poppy would stop but I occasionally forget to move their special morning treats to the top of the fridge and she goes looking for the bag. Yes, the morning treats are different for those 3 than the old lady or the 4th kitten. The old lady and the 4th kitten don't get the same treats either but that is a whole other thread.
The final kitten does not get on the counter. She doesn't seem to have any interest in getting on the counter or the dining room table. She doesn't have much interest in jumping on anything. The bed is high enough for her. She does, every now and then, get a bug up her butt and climb the drapes.
I love alone and, like I said, don't cook or use the dining room table so I don't really care.
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Post by Jen in NCal on Aug 30, 2022 4:22:01 GMT
I have one cat who thinks that the counter is an overpass That's the coffee table here. They can walk under it, or next to it on both sides, but no, if they are going to the window the preferred option is to jump up and walk across it. Even the new boy has been caught sitting on the table several times. Hand clapping and "off the table!" barely gets a glance in my direction. Drives me nuts. I'm the overpass in my house. Why jump on the arms of the couch to get to the window from the ottoman when I can jump on mom's belly instead?
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Post by hopemax on Aug 30, 2022 4:23:12 GMT
Ours have been "if the human's aren't looking, why can't we be on the counter?" The current one likes to sit in the corner closest to the sliding door, especially in the summer when the door is open. We reprimand him when we catch him, but if he thinks he can get away with it... The older one we said goodbye to last year, he only had a brief period where he was light enough, and his joints were good enough to jump that high. It wouldn't be very often... but we'd always hear him when he jumped down, because it was a loud thud.
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Post by phoenixcov on Aug 30, 2022 10:36:55 GMT
Rio my re-homed Siamese girlie has been caught on the work surface several times when someone was in the kitchen, and seemed surprised when told to get down.
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maryannscraps
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,791
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
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Post by maryannscraps on Aug 30, 2022 11:04:50 GMT
None of mine have never been interested in jumping on the counters. There isn't anything there that they want. They prefer the tall cat condos in front of the window. Or a lap sitting on the couch.
I'm not saying it's never happened, but I don't see it.
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J u l e e
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,531
Location: Cincinnati
Jun 28, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
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Post by J u l e e on Aug 30, 2022 11:11:51 GMT
I get that lots of people hate cats, but the “cats all over countertops” seems like an urban legend. I’ve had cats all my life and if fed elsewhere, they almost never even come into the kitchen, except to walk through it to get to another room with a better window. If they have other surfaces they like (cat condos, ledges, window sills), kitchen counters are just not all that interesting.
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Post by Zee on Aug 30, 2022 11:23:37 GMT
Whenever they feel like it wasn't an option, but that's what happens at my house. I don't care at all. If I'm prepping food I make them get down and I clean the counters before cooking or baking, but they are going to get up there when I'm not looking whether I like it or not so whatever.
I love them and don't mind sharing space with them. But I also wouldn't bring cat fur treats to a potluck, everything is clean!
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Aug 30, 2022 11:47:57 GMT
we use a spray water bottle... and they (usually) don't do it when we're around. But I'm 99% certain they've done it when we're not home, lol.
One of our cats gets very *hangry* and she will get on the table / counter / etc. RIGHT in front of us to let us know she's not happy with the (empty) state of her food bowl.
eta: one of our previous cats, Zola, paid a LOT of attention to what was on the countertop. If there was a rubber band, a twist tie, a bottle cap, etc. she would VERY carefully get up on the counter, walk around/over whatever else was there, get that rubber band, etc. and jump down so she could play with it on the floor. It was like she had 'kitty toy ESP' or something, lol.
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Post by annaintx on Aug 30, 2022 14:00:04 GMT
One of my cats thinks he is the centerpiece for the table at every meal. 😳🙄🤣
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