How to keep cats off of tables?

Hi

I adopted 2 cats yesterday from a pet adoption thing at our local zoo.
I adopted a male and a female and they both are 6 months old. They are
great but we have been having a war over the kitchen table. I must have
taken them both off of the table 40 times today when I was trying to eat
lunch and dinner. They have dry food that is out all the time but they
want to see what I am eating when I sit there.

I have heard about a spray bottle or water gun to try and keep them off
the table but have not tried that yet.

I know it will take time to teach the cats but does anybody have any
suggestions or ideas that have worked for them to teach cats to stay off
tables?

Thanks for any help

Steve

"steve84" wrote in message
...
Hi

I adopted 2 cats yesterday from a pet adoption thing at our local zoo. I
adopted a male and a female and they both are 6 months old. They are
great but we have been having a war over the kitchen table. I must have
taken them both off of the table 40 times today when I was trying to eat
lunch and dinner. They have dry food that is out all the time but they
want to see what I am eating when I sit there.

I have heard about a spray bottle or water gun to try and keep them off
the table but have not tried that yet.

I know it will take time to teach the cats but does anybody have any
suggestions or ideas that have worked for them to teach cats to stay off
tables?


Clap your hands loudly and yell "NO" every time they try to get on
the table. Forget the water, it is not necessary. Cats hate loud noises
and they hate your disapproval, at least when you express it loudly.

"steve84" wrote in message
...
I know it will take time to teach the cats but does anybody have any
suggestions or ideas that have worked for them to teach cats to stay off
tables?

Get rid of your tables.

My cats are pretty good about staying off the table when I'm eating but they
love to sleep on it when I'm not in the kitchen. I remove them every time,
but it doesn't stop them. I've pretty much given up on keeping them off the
table and as long as they're not in my plate when I'm eating, it's not a
huge problem. I do remove them when I find them there just to let them know
I'm not happy about it, but they always go back.

--
Liz

"steve84" wrote in message
...
Hi

I adopted 2 cats yesterday from a pet adoption thing at our local zoo. I
adopted a male and a female and they both are 6 months old. They are
great but we have been having a war over the kitchen table. I must have
taken them both off of the table 40 times today when I was trying to eat
lunch and dinner. They have dry food that is out all the time but they
want to see what I am eating when I sit there.

I have heard about a spray bottle or water gun to try and keep them off
the table but have not tried that yet.

I know it will take time to teach the cats but does anybody have any
suggestions or ideas that have worked for them to teach cats to stay off
tables?

Thanks for any help


None of that will work. Do what I do, set a place for them. Pour them a
drink. Teach them to use utensils. Let them on the table. So what? Just
wash it down when you are done. If you ca't beat them, join them.

Paul
Steve

Don't do what we did.
After the 40th time of taking Mr. Bonkers off the table and putting him on
his chair, we would open the door to the three season room and he would go
out there and leave us to eat in peace. What did he learn? To go outside ,
you jump on the table. AAARRGGHH!!

40 times of saying no and being picked up didn't sink in but 1 time of
going out the door did.

Go figure.

To his credit, he eventually did learn that he gets a treat if he stays on
his chair. All bets are off when you leave the room though.

I think it was more getting older than any training that keeps him off the
table (he got big enough that he could stand up and see whats on the table
rather than jump up there).

"steve84" wrote in message
...
Hi

I adopted 2 cats yesterday from a pet adoption thing at our local zoo. I
adopted a male and a female and they both are 6 months old. They are
great but we have been having a war over the kitchen table. I must have
taken them both off of the table 40 times today when I was trying to eat
lunch and dinner. They have dry food that is out all the time but they
want to see what I am eating when I sit there.

I have heard about a spray bottle or water gun to try and keep them off
the table but have not tried that yet.

I know it will take time to teach the cats but does anybody have any
suggestions or ideas that have worked for them to teach cats to stay off
tables?

Thanks for any help

Steve

I can understand your wanting to eat an uninterrupted meal. One thing
you can do is not leave out dry food, but give them two scheduled
mealtimes per day (preferably canned but that's another topic). Before
you start eating, feed them. They will eat, you will eat. Everyone is
happy.

If this doesn't work, you can tell them "no" and gently remove them
from the table a couple of times. If they persist, shut them in
another room while you eat and let them out when you are done. Please
do not use a squirt gun, which will only scare them. You don't know
their history and it's possible their previous owner(s) let them on
the table, so some retraining and patience may be needed.

steve84 wrote:

but does anybody have any
suggestions or ideas that have worked for them to teach cats to stay off
tables?

Line the top of the table with uncrumpled tinfoil (it rattles louder).
Most cats seem to hate that type of surface and avoid it.

-mhd

wrote in message
...
steve84 wrote:

but does anybody have any
suggestions or ideas that have worked for them to teach cats to stay off
tables?

Line the top of the table with uncrumpled tinfoil (it rattles louder).
Most cats seem to hate that type of surface and avoid it.


Where have you been?!

On Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:05:23 -0400, steve84 wrote:


Hi

I adopted 2 cats yesterday from a pet adoption thing at our local zoo.
I adopted a male and a female and they both are 6 months old. They are
great but we have been having a war over the kitchen table. I must have
taken them both off of the table 40 times today when I was trying to eat
lunch and dinner. They have dry food that is out all the time but they
want to see what I am eating when I sit there.

Just yell "hey!" every time they go on the table and growl "don't do it!"
when they're contemplating it. If "hey!" doesn't get kitty off the table then
go over to the table and pick kitty up and put kitty down on the floor.
Repeat until kitty gets tired of jumping up or your arms fall off.

Find something else to keep their attention.
And understand that cats can be very stubborn. You have to be even more
stubborn.

"cybercat" wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
steve84 wrote:

but does anybody have any
suggestions or ideas that have worked for them to teach cats to stay off
tables?

Line the top of the table with uncrumpled tinfoil (it rattles louder).
Most cats seem to hate that type of surface and avoid it.


Where have you been?!


Bummed out mainly.

I moved on July 1 and my 7 years old big smokey grey Gus died of
stress that day. After letting him out in the new place to slink
around to explore I found him dead in a closet 20 minutes later. I was
so looking forward to the joy he would have got with the many windows
that have deep window ledges to sit in. Now my 17 year Zak is in renal
trouble and is totally fighting any attempt to administer Sub Qs.
Instead of feeling the need to share this I just withdrew.

-mhd