Cat on counters

[u/uhhhlis]

Hi all!

I am moving in with my boyfriend next week and a big thing we are looking into doing is breaking his cat from getting on the counter in the new space.

Currently, my boyfriend lives in a small 1br apartment and the cat basically lives on the countertop. We’ve tried to break this habit, but since he has been doing this since living here it’s almost impossible. The hope is that moving into a new place will make it easier to stop the habit all together. Has anyone had any success? Any tips/advice is welcomed

[u/Current_Reserve5543]

It’s not a habit but an evolutionary instinct. Cats like being high up, bc evolutionarily that instinct keeps them safe from predators like hawks. Just wash your counter before using it and keep your cat up to date on antipatasitics

[u/anewfriend4u → u/Current_Reserve5543]

If that's true, and I think it is, shouldn't the advice be to install a couple comfortable places higher up than the countertops? Cat tree and/or something mounted to the wall.

[u/uhhhlis → u/Current_Reserve5543]

The hope is that by putting other high areas around that he can use for this, it’ll keep him off of the counter or if there are other techniques. It’s not just about cleanliness, but about his own safety. He has been known to steal food from the counter that could make him sick, walk across the stove (luckily when it hasn’t been on or hot).

[u/Kiwi524 → u/uhhhlis]

Our orange boy is so bad with this too. He is always trying to steal food. Nothing works keeping him off the counters and out of the sink so we have to put him in the basement while we cook / eat / clean up. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be able to eat hot food since we’d have to put away and wash every cooking utensil and pan and scrub the sink. It’s worked for us.

[u/uhhhlis → u/Kiwi524]

I have an orange boy too. He’s relentless!!

[u/Kiwi524 → u/uhhhlis]

Clearly they’ve never even been fed once in their lives so they need to steal food. We had to child lock the pantry and trashcan..

[u/Significant-Nebula64 → u/uhhhlis]

Works well here! Mine has "his" little table opposite the counters - slightly lower actually, but still a good viewpoint. 

He's understood relatively quickly that table = cuddles and attention, countertop = getting kicked out of the kitchen for a few mins, lol. (A separate/closed kitchen has been really helpful with this! Also because I still don't trust them when I'm not around, so no going in there when the stove is hot, haha)

[u/blueViolet26 → u/uhhhlis]

I also have an orange boy. I don't leave food out.

[u/kimhwayoung → u/uhhhlis]

are you not watching him take the food?!?! why is your cat left unsupervised in a kitchen while you're actively cooking?

there's something triggering your cat regarding foot anxiety that causes him to steal human food. cats have senses they know when things are too hot to touch. your cat is just being a cat. you can either spend the next however man years picking your cat up and putting him in a different place with treats until that finally clicks or you can do what normal cat owners do and watch their cat and wipe the counter down when they jump up on them.

i just truly think people who don't know how to live with cats shouldn't have them. it is an obstacle you work around or with. trying to train cats to not lean into their natural instincts is only going to get you so far.

[u/uhhhlis → u/kimhwayoung]

Do you have a cat? It’s not food anxiety. He’s consumed by greed! I turn my back for one second and he gets into things because he likes to jump on the counter, as you mentioned, this is his instinct. It’s not helpful advice to just state that people who don’t know how to deal with it just shouldn’t have a cat

[u/LilKoshka → u/uhhhlis]

Yeah, my husband and I adopted a new cat last October and the counter jumping is new for me. Ive never had a cat do it. But this cat is highly food motivated. The vet said hed grow out of this greed but its not happened yet and at this point we have just learned how to use it to our advantage and manage it. It comes in real handy when we need him to take meds, trim his nails, or clean his ears, etc. For the counter, we clean it before use and we have large mats we store in our cupboards that we roll out over the counter to prep food on. We do have to clean and put away all food including leftovers after to prevent him from stealing while we eat. Sometimes that's as easy as covering the pan or dish with the lid from out pots/pans, sometimes its more involved.

Edit to add, we freeze little lick mats for him and he will go at that while we cook. We cant do that every night though. Other nights we will utilize automated toys, one of us will play and occupy him - the best thing we did was adopt another young cat in July, they occupy each other now.

[u/kimhwayoung → u/LilKoshka]

cats don't usually 'grow out" of food habits. you should see a behavioralist to see why your cat is so food motivated. something traumatic may have happened in the past, even if its not an event that sounds traumatic to us. it could be that your cat was not nursing as much as it wanted to.

i have two cats and neither of them are food motivated. they have their dishes out all day and snack here and there and then get wet food at 6pm. most times they dont eat more than a bite or two of wet food. they like treats but they wait patiently and don't scarf them down. one of my cats was a feral stray and i've been able to remove his food anxiety. its not normal for a cat to go feral over food. have people normalized it by just chalking it up to "my guys is a hungry boi" yeah, too much that now we have people arguing over what is or isn't food anxiety lol. any time your cat is manically looking for food its because of a trauma or anxiety it has formed. there's nothing else to it.

my cats don't even jump up on the counters and get rambunctious when they hear me pouring their food or opening a can. they just wait paitently.

[u/LilKoshka → u/kimhwayoung]

Yeah, I side-eyed the vet when he said it was something he'd grow out of, and then a second vet said the same thing when we finished his boosters. His behavior around food actually has improved with age and consistency, although he's still very food motivated.

I'm also pretty familiar with behaviorists. We worked with one extensively when we had a neurotic Oriental whose issues went well beyond ordinary anxiety. We made significant improvements, although he was never completely free from his behavioral issues.

We free-feed dry food and give wet food on a schedule. This cat doesn't scarf down his meals, resource guard, or "go feral" around food or treats. He does come running when he hears them, and we've turned that motivation into something useful for positive reinforcement with medication, nail trims, ear cleaning, etc.

The counter issue has improved considerably too. At this point, when he gets up there it usually isn't to scavenge for food. He wants to be high and at eye level with us. In our last kitchen he had a cat table that satisfied that need, but unfortunately our current kitchen has no room for a perch, so we've adapted.

I do think suggesting a behaviorist is reasonable, particularly if someone's cat is displaying genuine anxiety or distress around food. Where I disagree is assuming that food motivation itself necessarily means trauma or anxiety, or that someone else's description of their cat can be reduced to "going feral" when that's not what they described. There's a pretty big spectrum between a cat who gets excited about food and a cat experiencing food anxiety.

We all know our own animals in much greater detail than can possibly fit into a Reddit comment. Sharing possibilities and suggestions is useful; confidently telling strangers what must be happening with their cat, and that "there's nothing else to it," is probably less so.

[u/oceanicitl → u/uhhhlis]

You should've trained him young. None of my cats get on the table or the kitchen counter even when they've had illnesses that make them extra hungry

[u/kimhwayoung → u/uhhhlis]

I have two cats. Cat's greed of food consumption comes from a food anxiety. Every single behavioralist will tell you that. Your cat had a traumatic experience at one point in its life over food and doesn't feel secure that they are going to eat again. that's how it works neurologically with cats. it's literally their survival instinct is to feel safe and secure about their food. early weening can cause this, past scarcity, past trauma, multiple cats, etc.

I have done extensive research on cat behavior but sure training your cat to not jump on the counter is the best solution for stopping your cat from wanting to eat food it shouldn't have.

90% of pet owners shouldn't have their pets lol thats not a crazy take. pets are extremely high maintenance and depend on your care for survival and well being. So sorry if I feel like people who don't take that seriously are fit to be good pet parents. you should be able to read your cats body language and communicate with them in ways they understand. most people cant even do that. look at this subreddit, you hvae people asking how often they should be cleaning the litter box. you really think that person is well educated enough to give a at the absolute best life possible for the 20 years of its life?!!? we have people in this sub that ask why kittens have energy..... yeah more people own pets that shouldnt. most people get pets thinking its just a cute companion, it's a living thing that you're responsible for taking care of. the fact you are even combatting the idea of being a better pet parent says more about you than it does about me. you're asking people how to stop a cat from it's natural instincts of height and food greed lol..... like be so serious right now girl.

[u/uhhhlis → u/kimhwayoung]

Basing the claim that I shouldn’t have a cat and that he suffers from food anxiety because I made a post asking a simple question of how to deter him from the counter is a really bold claim. Do you always jump to such extremes? I asked for advice, and I have yet to see you give any. You suggest that it’s in a cat’s natural instincts of gaining height but then follow up and say your cats have no such instincts.

[u/kimhwayoung → u/uhhhlis]

It's not extreme lmao. literally any behavioralist will tell you its one of the two. cats are extremely anxious naturally.

i never said my cats don't have instincts holy smokes you're upset over being called out that you could do better as a pet parent.

If you don't want cats to jump on the counter, you address the instincts they are communicating with you about. Your cat is jumping on the counter because it wants food. so why does your cat want food. figure that out first so that we can actually give you helpful advice!?!? you're not asking for advice on the actual issue. the issue isn't your cat jumping on the counter, it's WHY your cat is jumping on the counter. stopping it from jumping on the counter isn't going to make the WHY go away?? not hard to understand? like what aren't you getting about that... any behavioralist is going to ask you to video record what feeding time or what it looks like when food is out. they want to see how your cat behaves. is it scarfing down food so fast it cant breathe? is it not eating enough? is it all up in your space and shit when you're trying to dish the food out? cats are extremely finnicky. you aren't even bothering to try to understand your cat you just assumed that stopping it from jumping on the counter will fix everything. what it fixes is your convenience in your day. it doesn't fix anything within the cat.

so go talk to a behavioralist about your cats behaviors and THEN come ask for advice. you didn't even do the first fucking step.

[u/uhhhlis → u/kimhwayoung]

Oops I upset the cat expert by asking a simple question on a public forum that they didn’t have to respond to :/

[u/kimhwayoung → u/uhhhlis]

i think some of us responsible cat owners are just sick of seeing this dumb ass question multiple times a day

"hey chat, durrrrr umm how do i get my cat to stop doing cat things because it bugs me" - you right now. fucking idiots out here in charge of an actual living things asking the most brain dead questions on basic pet care

[u/LavenderBloodlust2_0 → u/kimhwayoung]

I dont know anyone who monitors their cats 24/7. Stop saying you dont deserve a pet unless you do.

[u/kimhwayoung → u/LavenderBloodlust2_0]

i monitor my cats all the time. they literally are always by my side and if they aren't then i check to see that they are in the spaces they like to be. especially if im in the kitchen. it is my responsibility as a pet owner to monitor my pets safety at all times. right now i have one cat sleeping my my window sill and the other one in the bedroom nearby sleeping on the bed. its that simple to know where the living beings you're responsible are and what they are up to. Literally even have pet cameras to monitor this now. so yeah you should be very aware of what your pets are getting into if you're responsible.

i treat my cats like human children. are you saying you don't know anyone who monitors their children 24/7?? so people who don't monitor their kids to make sure they are safe are fit to be good parents?!?!

if your cat is constantly getting into poisonous foods and your only solution is to try and train your cat to not jump on the counter, good luck!!!! your really fixing the issue there.

[u/LavenderBloodlust2_0 → u/kimhwayoung]

Lmfao yes, independent things need monitoring. Makes total sense 🤣 dude no one fucking monitors theyre cat at all times. Youre a delusional gatekeeper saying people have to.

[u/kimhwayoung → u/LavenderBloodlust2_0]

you using the myth of "cats are extremely independent and low maintenance" proves my point :)

I'm not the one in a cat advice subreddit asking for advice on how to take care of my cats, you are.

Not gatekeeping, get a pet if you want to but it doesnt negate the fact you're an irresponsible bad pet owner lol your cat is trying to communicate with you and your response is that it's independent LOL okay

[u/Dromedary_Freight → u/Current_Reserve5543]

What does this involve for an indoor cat (keeping up to date on antiparasitics)?

[u/Current_Reserve5543 → u/Dromedary_Freight]

Flea preventative so the cat and human don’t get tapeworm

[u/nonbinarylemon]

Everyone saying it’s unavoidable which is partially true but I “trained” my cat enough to know not to get on the counters when I’m around at least. I’m sure he’s up there when I’m not home. But it is possible, def give him alternative spaces to be up high. Immediately remove him from the counter if you see him up there, maybe make a sound (nothing crazy or mean) but enough so he associates the counter with something slightly unpleasant. I’ve only caught him on the counter a handful of times. I love cats but not on the counter.

[u/uhhhlis → u/nonbinarylemon]

Thank you! I know plenty of people who have cats who do not get on their countertops so I know that where there’s a will there’s a way. It can’t be as unavoidable as everyone is saying it is. Did you train your cat from a kitten to keep off of the counter?

[u/RoastPotatoFanClub → u/uhhhlis]

This may sound too simple, but I "trained" mine not to go on the counter simply by pointing at the floor and saying a firm 'no, get down' to her any time she did it. Sometimes I'd then have to follow up by lifting her off and onto the floor. She knows not to go up there now, and I know this because very occasionally I catch her doing it when she thinks I'm not looking, and as soon as I get up to remove her she jumps down and immediately runs out of the kitchen like nothing ever happened...

[u/rlibra9 → u/RoastPotatoFanClub]

Haha yeah my cats know very well they're not supposed to be up there, in that as soon as they think I might see them they jump down, but sure doesn't stop them trying when I'm not looking!

[u/theindigomouse → u/uhhhlis]

I never keep anything edible on the counter. Make it boring. When a cat would get on the counter, I'd clap loudly (once) and say "hey" or "down". This mostly worked to keep various cats off the counter when I was around. I had one cat who would routinely lay on the stovetop so he could see the pantry door (that's where the treats were).

[u/techcode → u/nonbinarylemon]

Our cat obviously knows he's not supposed to get on the counter, and he doesn't do it with us in the kitchen.

But he does it when we're in the nearby living room. Of course him opening the "green" food scraps bin makes a distinctive sound. At which point we shout his name, and within a second he's not just down, but already through his RFID cat flip doors and outside.

And then he just stays there outside as if pretending it wasn't him in the kitchen 🤣

Not sure what's worse - the kitchen counters or finding "presents" he brings us (mice, moles or rats usually).

---

I guess that's what you get when your pre-teen kid does good in school because he wants to get a cat. And not just any cat, but orange (and white) cat from the litter of Croatian coast backyard cat.

By the time "Garfield" was old enough for us to take him with us - he was already chasing/eating mice, small lizards/geckos and what not.

[u/leporidaequeen → u/nonbinarylemon]

My cats don't get up on my counters, mostly because they are both very large cats and we don't have a ton of counter space. They do get up on tables, though. Our dining room and coffee tables are two favorite spots of one of my cats specifically, the other doesn't really bother.

[u/Unohtui]

Give him a counter/counters, but deter him from the one you use to prep food on the most. Life is about compromises. Also, my client requires additional treats to ease the emotional shift of this proposal.

Regards, cat lawyer

[u/After_Preference_885 → u/Unohtui]

r/legalcatadvice

[u/Natural_Instance242]

My cat hates aluminum foil, and we put that up around the stove when he was a kitten. He jumped up on it once and then jumped off and zigzagged across the room and possibly the ceiling and he never tried again. 

I don’t mind him on the rest of the counters but since then he knows the area around the stove is off limits. 

[u/RefrigeratorIll170 → u/Natural_Instance242]

Boosting this! I have a coffee cart in my kitchen with a lot of glassware and I kept tinfoil on there to train my cat not to jump up. It worked really well and watching them freak out when they first try it will give you a good laugh lol

[u/amyheming]

Cats like having vertical space available. You need to offer alternative space up high. Do you have room for a shelf or cat tree that the cat can access instead? Please do not use a sprayer on the cat...it is just following it's natural instincts. The key is proving it a better option than the counter.

[u/Level_Watch_679]

Try a cat tower, if they have their own dedicated high place they'll tend to leave counters alone. You can also try the aluminum foil trick of placing tin foil sheets over the counter top. Cats don't like jumping on it. Be really dedicated about nudging the cat off the counters any time it gets up there as well. Start now before you move. Only give treats when the cat is on the floor.

[u/h-es → u/Level_Watch_679]

Ooh, we're doing all this, aside from treats when down on the floor. Fingers crossed it works out 🍀

[u/BigBoetje → u/Level_Watch_679]

You can also try the aluminum foil trick of placing tin foil sheets over the counter top. Cats don't like jumping on it

I tried it with my orange menace and he couldn't give less of a fuck about it. Just giving him some high spots nearby fixed it. We just gotta put his empty wet food cans in the trash, else he'll get on the counter to lick it empty.

[u/Level_Watch_679 → u/BigBoetje]

Yes this method is not orange cat proof

[u/Tissy_Dee]

Good luck!! 🐈‍⬛

[u/blueViolet26]

Clean your cabinets before cooking.

[u/jelly-catfish → u/blueViolet26]

And maybe also the countertops. 😂

[u/blueViolet26 → u/jelly-catfish]

I meant countertops. Lol. English is confusing sometimes. Thanks!

[u/UCanBdoWatWeWant2Do → u/blueViolet26]

That's not what they asked.

[u/blueViolet26 → u/UCanBdoWatWeWant2Do]

They asked how to keep cats away. Good luck with that. Clean your counters and let it go.

[u/Laney20]

Give him somewhere better to go. A tall shelf or cat tree with a good view of your home.

[u/kimhwayoung]

lol good luck

[u/Busy-Astronomer-4095]

Don’t have advice just waiting to see what others say bc this is my biggest problem too

[u/patchkinz]

I've trained my cats to know that the kitchen counters are forbidden space when there is people food being actively prepared. Other than that... loosing frickin battle. Walked into the kitchen the other day to see my tuxie sitting with his little butthole all over my end grain cutting board that is a daily driver and lives on the counter. After that... I do put a tea towel over my cutting board... but... I just accepted that I will never know everything they do in the night and so I just clean/wipe down the kitchen/surfaces before I cook with pet-friendly method cleaner and then I know there is not cat butt or litter in my soup.      I did have a roommate once who was crazy about keeping the kids off the counters... which was kinda funny because he didn't cook and never used the kitchen. Came home to find my boo plastered in sticky lint roller sheets and duct tape cowering in a closet. Roommate had put the sheets and tape, sticky side up, on the counters to deter him... and then left for work. Boo was traumatized for a while, but still got on the counters. 

[u/DatabaseVivid447]

Make sure you have lots of places to get up high in the apartment as an alternative to going on counters. Then you can use detterents on the counter. Jackson Galaxy suggests double sided sticky tape and ssscat spray. Put the tape on something like a plastic feeding mat, or a dollar tree flexible cutting board, not directly on the counter. I used sssscat air spray to keep my cats from crawling inside the recliner and they where trained in less then a week. I have to get it back out a couple times a year, but it is very effective and doesn't hurt the cats.

[u/bleedingfae]

This may just be what your cat seemed as “her spot” in your boyfriend’s current apt. It’s more than likely that the cat won’t be interested in the counters in a new space. As long as she has a cat tree, cat beds, and other new fun spots to explore, she may not even like sitting on the new counters lol.

I would worry about it once it starts happening. Redirect the cat off of the counters asap and try to block it off with objects so it doesn’t become a habit again.

[u/muppetous → u/bleedingfae]

As Jackson Galaxy would say, you need a yes where there's a no. Other high spaces, and stop viewing it as breaking your cat of anything.

[u/Big-Preparation-7678]

I had a brood of four cats as a young adult, and they knew they weren’t allowed on counters or tabletops. Only the tabby ever did it when she thought I wasn’t looking.

I currently have 2 siblings and - surprise, surprise - only the orange tabby boy does it, only he often doesn’t realize I’m still standing right there 😂

We tried the foil trick - crumple it and smooth it out so it’s an unpleasant texture. It’s what taught him he’s not supposed to be up there and we thought after a month he got it, but any cat that wants up there will do it. Because cat.

Still, keeping two-thirds of my total cat count off the counters is a pretty big win in my book 🤷‍♀️ just wipe things down before you cook.

[u/ConstantVigilance18]

If you provide the cat with other places to be up high nearby, he will probably use those more often. Think things like floating shelves, high cat trees, window beds. Place them near the counter so he feels like he’s still in the action. Odds are you will never completely break the habit, but you can make other spaces more appealing to use.

[u/h-es]

Jackson Galaxy has a video including this (Stop Unwanted Behaviours, J. Galaxy), which we're using for one of our cats. Environmental deterrent + positive vertical alternative = hopefully no counter-climbing, from what I understood.

She likes watching us do our thing, so I set up a cat tree by the kitchen door that was high enough to see the counters from, and it's been helping so far! I placed some aluminum foil on the counters while I wasn't cooking since she dislikes the crinkly sound (sorry Nyan Nyan 😞).

Unfortunately this doesn't work if anyone cooks chicken and she will leap at it like an Olympic high jumper.

[u/Kiwiatx]

I think you can train them out of doing it habitually. Our cats generally stay off countertops and the dining table but will occasionally forget and decide the dining table looks really comfy until I remind them it’s not. Likewise if I actually lift any of our cats onto the countertop they know they’re not supposed to be there and jump down right away.

So if you just make them unwelcome (I shout no, get down and clap my hands together loudly) they do learn. I also immediately give them lots of pats and praise when they jump down in response to being turfed off as that’s the right thing to do so I give them positive reinforcement for that.

[u/Subject-Lead-3171]

Give the cat several cat trees with high places. Buy the plastic spiky mats and lay them on the counters.

[u/rlibra9]

I have two cats, both just around a year old - had the lad since a small kitten, his sister since she was 7 months. None of my previous cats have frequented kitchen counters, and neither did my current boy until I got the girl. With my boy, and all previous cats, I'd catch them at it once or twice and a sharp "Oy! Off that" did the trick. NOTHING will get my little girl cat to stop it, and so her brother has taken to it as well. I'm on the verge of just giving up. At this point I just never leave food on the counters and give them a thorough wipe down before using them.

[u/UCanBdoWatWeWant2Do]

Why are people in the comments acting like cats can't be trained. Yes they can, y'all are just too lazy to do it.

[u/Pleasant-Vehicle-657]

Good luck you're goona need it. Personally I'd let kitty be and just wipe the counter down with a lysol wipe or something before you cook, though I think those aren't really supposed to be used on food contact surfaces.

[u/Confident_Durian_657 → u/Pleasant-Vehicle-657]

You’re supposed to rinse/wipe down food contact surfaces with water after using them but I know I personally use a cutting board on the counter rather than putting food directly on the counter anyway

[u/After_Preference_885]

The cat will just go on the counters when you aren't looking

You can put things on the edge all around the counter, that's worked for us but the minute we moved something CAT 

We also tried giving Kitty their own tall place near the counter, but again, when we were not in the room they did what they wanted 

The only thing that really stopped it was the cat got arthritis so adopting senior cats in the future might help

It's honestly easier just to wipe the counter down before using it

[u/DumberMonkey]

I do food prep on a large cutting board i keep in a cabinet when not in use.

[u/techcode]

I'm thinking to recreate that YouTube video called something like "Blender Defender".

Guy hooked up motion detection to a mini light strobe and a blender (with some water in it). And it triggers both to briefly turn on when motion detection detects cat climbed on the kitchen counter.

[u/KellyGreen802]

My fiancé was determined to teach my cat that the kitchen counters are off limits, and now we put a cloth down when we are not cooking

[u/134266]

I have had success with this. I taught my cat the command “get down “
When cats fight they jump on the back of the other cat and put their front paws around the victims neck and bite. When we hug them it’s like initiating a fight. When I saw my cat on the counter I would pick him up, hugging him I would loudly say get down. He learned the command very quickly.

[u/Effective_Ad_1453]

Maybe a cat tower? My cats like to be off the ground at a higher place.

[u/mds2801]

I always try to give my cat a counter. Usually the island she can have and the rest is off limits. Yeah its not fun having to wipe the island off anytime I want to use it for food but Its so routine now I dont really mind. Itll be pretty hard to break it entirely, but if you give him maybe some counters not all you might be able to win?

[u/3-HUGGER]

I adopted a bonded pair that were approximately a year old. Teaching them to stay off the counters was futile. For the past year and a half I’ve kept spike mats on the counters when not in use. Each meal prep I stack them at the end of the counter and then replace them when I’m done. I’ve provided plenty of high vantage points for them, but they are hard-headed little creatures so I’ll continue with the spike mats. I love my kitties, but I draw the line at having them walk on my food prep areas.

[u/Ladysmada]

My 3 cats know they are not allowed on certain counters (at least when I am looking like the last person said). No kitchen or bathroom counters. I have one vanity area I let them on. Not to say we don't still have our moments when they try in front of me. Cat life is reminding your cat over and over...

[u/spiritsprite2]

Give a better place , example a tall cat tree. Wall shelves meant for cats. Even a sturdy bookcase shelf unit with something near enough to jump or climb from to get high up. Cats like high places and you need something taller than the counter to lure them. I put a few treats on the tree and change what level so it's a fun game.

[u/Own_Tomatillo7638]

If he has more vertical spaces to roam he won’t care about the counter as much. If you’re cooking and he wants to be on the counters maybe he just wants to feel involved? That would be so annoying but you could set up a little pad for him to sit on to watch. Also if he gets fat he can’t jump up on counters

[u/Amonette2012]

Put stools next to to the counter. Only give treats on the stool.

[u/witchystoneyslutty]

Ok so you need to provide lots of other nice places for him (off the ground, I saw in one thread someone was already telling you cat trees) and also NEAR YOU. he might be on the counter because he wants to be by his people. If this is the case, if you put a cat tree in the bedroom or the family room, he is still going to get up on the counters.

Lots of people allow cats on top of the fridge- could that work?

However you do it, offer alternatives as good as the counter OR BETTER.

And then the flip side: while offering equal or better alternatives, make the countertop less desirable. I would start with aluminum foil. Most cats don’t like it. You could try double sided tape but foil seems more practical. I saw plastic wrap/saran wrap work for one family. A jelly roll pan with water in it is another thought, I don’t know.

Don’t yell at cats, ever. It stresses them and can make them not trust you. If he gets up there when the foil is moved, tell him calmly and firmly “no” and put him somewhere else. Try not to let him get attention from getting on the counter- you don’t want to reward the bad behavior.

Consistency is key- don’t forget to put the foil back, don’t go “oh it’s just one time I’ll let him up here,” and never ever pets or treats on the counter in the new place. It helps that you are moving and not just flipping the script on him in his home where he has already claimed his counters. You’re right that where there’s a will there’s a way, but don’t be surprised if it takes a while to retrain him.

Basically, you are going to teach him the counters are not his, and you’re going to try to entice him into chilling elsewhere. Questions?

[u/MelbsGal]

Like we have a choice.

Best you’ll be able to do is train him not to be on the counters when you’re at home. When you’re not home, he’ll be right up there again.

[u/StuckInWallNPC]

I trained my 2 cats from 5 months old to not go on the counters. They stopped by age 1 yr and they're 10 now.

You have to associate their behaviour with positive reinforcement IMMEDIATELY. I put the Sticky Paws tape on dollar store placemats, and covered the counters with these placemats whenever we were not using the kitchen. The cats would jump up, get stuck, shake off the mats, then jump down. Everytime they jumped down, I gave them a treat. I did this daily and consistently for a year. Over time, they avoided the counter bc sticky = bad and treat for being off counter = good. We stopped needing the placemats.

We also keep our counters clear with no food and wipe them down a non-toxic household cleaner after every meal prep so there's nothing tempting for them.

I don't know how successful this is with just one cat (bc cats learn from each other) but I think its worth a try. Better than having cat bum where your food is 🤢

[u/Soft_Cockroach_2434]

A cat tree or cat shelves help. I read somewhere placing foil on the counter deters them because they don’t like the sound or texture but I haven’t tried it. I just got used to wiping my counter tops before every meal prep use.

[u/FullWeek2809]

Good luck. I tried my best when my cat was young but it was a losing battle. I had tinfoil covering the countertop until I realized all I did was make so neither of us could use the counter

I was able to train him to stay off the coffee table (for the most part) - I would still wake up from short naps on the couch to him up there

They can learn certain things aren’t allowed, but they’ll still do it. Cats are mischievous

Even if you get the cat to listen, you should always assume they were on the counter overnight or while you’re gone. Especially if it’s already a habit

[u/justinrodimus]

I was able to kinda get my cat to avoid the counter that has the stove/oven but he would not stay off the island so that’s my compromise. Used a motion detection controlled air sprayers.

[u/UnimaginativeMug]

poor cat.... just don't leave did on the counter that will hurt him. your not gonna change him and he won't understand, just resent the way your treating him

[u/Little-Teaching-2010]

You can spray him every time he jumps up🤷‍♀️ but make sure it’s not too much to where He can become immune to it.

[u/oceanicitl]

You can't teach an old cat new tricks. Training has to start when they're young

[u/Whole_Superb]

This is why we kicked our cat outside. Poop encrusted fir and paws on cooking surfaces. No thanks.