Cats love to be up high. Whether it’s the top of the cat tree or the top of the refrigerator, cats like to survey their territory from elevated vantage points. This is normal behavior for cats and goes back to their wild origins. Cats are hunters and climbing trees allowed them to lie in wait for prey as well as to escape for safety.
Since this love of heights appears to be hardwired even into domestic cats, it’s not unusual that counters and tables are favorites for cats. considering that not all cat owners like their cats to have access to these spaces, it’s crucial to supply outlets for this natural drive. This will go a long way toward stopping “counter surfers” from jumping on counters and tables.
The following ideas can help keep cats off counters and tables:
Remove Temptation
Don’t leave food unattended on counters. put leftovers away and rinse dishes and put them into the dishwasher, rather than leaving them on the counter or in the sink.
Double Sided Tape
Apply double-sided sticky tape to the edges of counters. Cats don’t like the feeling of the tape on their paws, and will normally be discouraged after one or two tries. You may have to keep reapplying the tape, and the sticky residue may be hard to remove from counter tops.
Aluminum Foil
Tape a strip of aluminum foil to the edge of the counter. Cats dislike both the feel of it on their paws as well as the sound the foil makes.
Don’t use spray bottles as a deterrent. Spray bottles only show the cat to be terrified of the person using it, and can damage the bond between cat and owner. This can be especially damaging if a cat is skittish or has a history of abuse.
Mechanical Deterrents
Mechanical devices like the SSSCAT (affiliate link*) deliver a blast of compressed air and/or a loud sound when the device senses a cat approaching. Unlike squirt bottles, which must never be used to train cats because they damage the bond between cat and owner (see “Watch Out,”) the cat won’t associate this “punishment” with the owner.
Provide Alternatives
Most importantly, supply vertical space alternatives to counters and tables for your cat. A small cat tree, about the same height or slightly higher than the counter, placed strategically in an area where the cat has a full view of the territory surrounding it, can stop counter surfing completely. Train your cat to use the cat furniture by using reward based treat training.
By understanding why cats like to be in high places, and working with their natural instincts, you can stop them from jumping up on counters and tables and keep everyone in the household happy.
This post was originally published on Answers.com and is republished with permission.
*FTC Disclosure: The conscious cat is a participant in the Amazon services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program created to supply a indicates for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon and affiliated sites. This indicates that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves.
Ingrid King
Table of Contents
Remove Temptation
Double Sided Tape
Aluminum Foil
Mechanical Deterrents
Provide Alternatives
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16 comments on how to keep Cats Off Counters
Mary page says:
November 9, 2019 at 12:58 pm
having trouble keeping our cat off counters
Going to try Sticky Paw.
Reply
Anne says:
May 23, 2016 at 10:38 am
Agatha (3 yr old female, very social, friendly, verbal) jumps on our glass top stove & counters at night while we’re sleeping. I tried the squirt bottle in daytime when I catch her, but I don’t like it. I’m terrified this will confuse her & damage our bond; she is a lap cat & very sweet & affectionate. how can we keep her off the stove/counter at night?
Reply
Ingrid says:
May 23, 2016 at 1:22 pm
Did you follow the ideas in this article, Anne?
Reply
Glogirly and Katie says:
October 30, 2013 at 1:07 pm
This is SO great, Ingrid! Katie has always stayed away, but Waffles is a terrorist and he’s starting to become a bad influence on Katie. : )
I’m going to try the tape and the foil for sure…and I’ll see if I can rearrange some cat furniture too.
thank you so much for this!
GG
Reply
Dorothy Abernathy says:
October 30, 2013 at 4:43 pm
Hi GG,
I pointed out a product called Sticky Paws that worked well for keeping my Orange twins off the kitchen table to Caren. You might want to check it out too. Tanull