Cats and getting on counter and tables -- healthy???

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I have one who insists on climbing all over my shelves despite my not
being very pleased about it. The other two just don't find it all that
entertaining.

I just don't think your cat that "insists" would if you were consistent
about reacting with loud "NOs" accompanied by getting up as though you are
going to "get" him or her. If you did, he or she would not "insist."


You don't know Rowan.
She's been yelled at, squirted, even scruffed to stay off the shelves. She
doesn't care. She gets up there, I yell at her to get down, she does. Rinse.
Repeat. Wipe hands on pants. *LOL* (yes, I did eventually give up - Rowan is
now almost 5)
It's just too interesting for her up there (she's a very active cat as
opposed to my other two couch potatoes). There's a hanging plant nearby that
she likes to harass. There's fun things to knock down and play with. Nothing
competes with doing as she pleases. That's just Rowan. If I don't want her to
do something, I need to make her think it's her decision. Or just give up.
Good example - towels in the bathroom. She loves to pull them down. I don't
know why. She knows she shouldn't. She never does it in front of me. I put
empty soda cans up there so when she pulled them down, the cans would fall
and scare her. She now only pulls down towels when cans are not up there.
*LOL*

So, I just keep the bathroom door closed. *heh*

If I really wanted her to stay off the shelves, I'd have to move the plant
and remove everything interesting from the shelves. Forever. *grins*
So, we do our little ritual. She gets up there, I tell her to get down, she
jumps down and does something else for awhile, then jumps up there again...
It's kinda funny now, actually, but I gave up really trying to keep her off
there 2 years ago. She outlasted me. *laughs*

Kind of like a dog, really. If you have a dog that likes to root in the trash
can, the easiest way to handle it is to put the trash can under the sink
where the dog can't get to it.

She's my "special child". The Princess. AKA Scarlett.
She's very unlike any other cat I've ever had. Maybe that's why she's my
favorite.

--
--
~kaeli~
Press any key to continue or any other key to quit
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

In article ,
enlightened us with...

Cat training can be pretty dicey. Rosalie, as I've said before, is
extremely sensitive and a gentle "no" and head shake is enough to deter her
from whatever objectionable thing she might be doing (like treating the
dog's plumey tail as a cat toy, for instance, which makes me laugh but
disturbs the dog somehow).

Just like my Isis. All I have to do is say her name in a shocked voice and
she stops immediately.

But Nickleby kind of did what he wanted and it
was hard to get him to stop -- I sometimes resorted to yelling which also
did not work. I always called him "the cat with enormous self-esteem" -- he
was absolutely impervious to correction or crankiness. I might succeed in
chasing him away (from the furniture he was scratching, for example) but he
would trot right back moments later, purring and quite pleased with
himself. He felt he could do no wrong.

And this is like my Rowan. Sometimes I wonder if she finds it funny to get a
rise out of me.

--
--
~kaeli~
The Bermuda Triangle got tired of warm weather. It moved to
Finland. Now Santa Claus is missing.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

In article ,
enlightened us with...

Anyway, thanks everyone for the great replies -- they have helped.
But to this post in particular, I disagree in that some level of
cleanliness can be achieved with some effort.


Of course it, can, silly, but you don't have to be paranoid.
I get sick once a year like everyone else. Whoop-di-doo.

Keep your house decently clean, vaccuum, wash the counters, etc like a normal
person. But you don't have to get all crazy about germs. (you flush with your
foot??)

That's all I was saying. You can't get ALL the germs. And if you could, your
poor immune system would be so out of practice, the first one to get in would
be the death of you. *grins*

Anyway, try not to be overly worried about the whole thing. Just be sensible.
Wash the counters before you prepare food. Wash your hands. Etc - like you
already do, basically. You are more likely to get sick from touching railings
in public than from your own indoor cat going on your counters.

--
--
~kaeli~
The Bermuda Triangle got tired of warm weather. It moved to
Finland. Now Santa Claus is missing.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

kaeli wrote in
:

But Nickleby kind of did what he wanted and it
was hard to get him to stop -- I sometimes resorted to yelling which
also did not work. I always called him "the cat with enormous
self-esteem" -- he was absolutely impervious to correction or
crankiness. I might succeed in chasing him away (from the furniture
he was scratching, for example) but he would trot right back moments
later, purring and quite pleased with himself. He felt he could do no
wrong.

And this is like my Rowan. Sometimes I wonder if she finds it funny to
get a rise out of me.


I think it's a sign of extreme confidence and security. I would actually
love to see Rosalie behaving this way -- any signs of increased security
are extremely welcome in a formerly feral cat.

--Catherine
& Rosalie the calicohead

"kaeli" wrote in message
...
In article ,
enlightened us with...


I have one who insists on climbing all over my shelves despite my not
being very pleased about it. The other two just don't find it all that
entertaining.

I just don't think your cat that "insists" would if you were consistent
about reacting with loud "NOs" accompanied by getting up as though you
are
going to "get" him or her. If you did, he or she would not "insist."


You don't know Rowan.
She's been yelled at, squirted, even scruffed to stay off the shelves. She
doesn't care. She gets up there, I yell at her to get down, she does.
Rinse.
Repeat. Wipe hands on pants. *LOL* (yes, I did eventually give up - Rowan
is
now almost 5)

Okay, I concede that there may be some cats who are too stubborn
to listen, even when you are at home. But that has not been my experience
with my cats.


It's just too interesting for her up there (she's a very active cat as
opposed to my other two couch potatoes). There's a hanging plant nearby
that
she likes to harass. There's fun things to knock down and play with.
Nothing
competes with doing as she pleases. That's just Rowan. If I don't want her
to
do something, I need to make her think it's her decision. Or just give up.
Good example - towels in the bathroom. She loves to pull them down. I
don't
know why. She knows she shouldn't. She never does it in front of me. I put
empty soda cans up there so when she pulled them down, the cans would fall
and scare her. She now only pulls down towels when cans are not up there.
*LOL*

They can be scary smart at times.

So, I just keep the bathroom door closed. *heh*

If I really wanted her to stay off the shelves, I'd have to move the plant
and remove everything interesting from the shelves. Forever. *grins*
So, we do our little ritual. She gets up there, I tell her to get down,
she
jumps down and does something else for awhile, then jumps up there
again...
It's kinda funny now, actually, but I gave up really trying to keep her
off
there 2 years ago. She outlasted me. *laughs*

You know, Kaeli, I think the big thing is that you feed your cats on the
counters--albeit only on certain counters--so that is a big impetus for them
to get up on counters. I understand that you have to do it due to the dog,
but certainly if they did not associate counters with food the counters
might not be that attractive.


She's my "special child". The Princess. AKA Scarlett.
She's very unlike any other cat I've ever had. Maybe that's why she's my
favorite.


She reminds me of my Gnarly in the "strong-willed" department. But my
old girl was not the brightest bulb in the pack. *Sniff* Wish I could have
her back.

"kaeli" wrote in message
...
In article ,
enlightened us with...

Anyway, thanks everyone for the great replies -- they have helped.
But to this post in particular, I disagree in that some level of
cleanliness can be achieved with some effort.


Of course it, can, silly, but you don't have to be paranoid.
I get sick once a year like everyone else. Whoop-di-doo.

Keep your house decently clean, vaccuum, wash the counters, etc like a
normal
person. But you don't have to get all crazy about germs. (you flush with
your
foot??)

That's all I was saying. You can't get ALL the germs. And if you could,
your
poor immune system would be so out of practice, the first one to get in
would
be the death of you. *grins*


There is a strong belief among medical people that an obsession with
over-cleanliness is one of the factors behind the rise in asthma and other
immune disorders in the Western world - that having too few proper threats
to exercise themselves on, our immune systems have turned to exercising
themselves on harmless ones.


Anyway, try not to be overly worried about the whole thing. Just be
sensible.
Wash the counters before you prepare food. Wash your hands. Etc - like you
already do, basically. You are more likely to get sick from touching
railings
in public than from your own indoor cat going on your counters.

I'll second that. Just wash and clean as you did before and you won't be at
any risk of anything you need to worry about.

In article ,
enlightened us with...

Okay, I concede that there may be some cats who are too stubborn
to listen, even when you are at home. But that has not been my experience
with my cats.


It was never mine either until Princess. *smiles*
So, I think it's pretty rare.
I've had cats my whole life and never one this stubborn. *LOL*


You know, Kaeli, I think the big thing is that you feed your cats on the
counters--albeit only on certain counters--so that is a big impetus for them
to get up on counters. I understand that you have to do it due to the dog,
but certainly if they did not associate counters with food the counters
might not be that attractive.


Oh, I never said I had a problem with them on the counters. I don't. I don't
like them on my shelves (as in book shelves). They knock the knick-knacks
over. I have candles and little stones and stuff all displayed pretty and the
like.
It's not a massive battle or anything, I just prefer they don't go up there
so nothing gets accidentally broken. 2 out of the 3 are fine with that.
Princess would prefer to play with the kick-knacks.

--
--
~kaeli~
When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

"kaeli" wrote in message
...
In article ,
enlightened us with...

Anyway, thanks everyone for the great replies -- they have helped.
But to this post in particular, I disagree in that some level of
cleanliness can be achieved with some effort.


Of course it, can, silly, but you don't have to be paranoid.
I get sick once a year like everyone else. Whoop-di-doo.

Keep your house decently clean, vaccuum, wash the counters, etc like a
normal
person. But you don't have to get all crazy about germs. (you flush with
your
foot??)

g T Once upon a time there was an OT thread a mile long (no, make that 10
miles long!) in another ng I frequent about foot-flushers Vs. hand flushers.
Even became a tad acrimonious at times! ;-)

Cathy

"Cathy Friedmann" wrote
g T Once upon a time there was an OT thread a mile long (no, make that
10
miles long!) in another ng I frequent about foot-flushers Vs. hand
flushers.
Even became a tad acrimonious at times! ;-)


What I hate are the "sprinklers." If everyone just sat down
on the damned seats they would probably be a lot cleaner.

"kaeli" wrote in message
...
In article ,
enlightened us with...

Sorry for the crazy questions, but though my roommate grew-up with
cats, she couldn't answer these questions. The cats get on the
counters and tables we use to fix food on and eat on, and though I've
made it a habit to clean everything before preparing foods or eating,
it just kind of grosses me out a bit. I'm generally a clean freak


Don't be a baby. If you knew how much was on your hands, clothing,
bedding,
and carpet, you'd stop worrying about the cats or drop dead from shock.
One
of the two.

In line w/ this...

http://nytimes.com/2004/11/09/health/09essa.html

Cathy