Kitty likes to jump on the counter

*~*SooZy*~*" wrote:

A more practical approach would be not to make a big fuss if the cat is on
the counter so long as you're not using it, and clean the counter before
you
use it. You normally want to do this anyway. Then pretend to be
surprised
if the cat jumps on the counter when you have guests.

Bill



LOL nice one Bill


That's what we do, and then add "I don't know why she did that; she never has
before."

Mira wrote:
her I gave her a squirt. You can find squirt guns that shoot 30 feet.
:-) Cats are generally smart and can learn that some places are fine
for jumping up on and some are not.

They also learn that it's best to go on the counters when you aren't
looking.

Alice

--
The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren't
worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes 'em testy. ...Bev
|\ _,,,---,,_ Tigress
/,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress
|,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-'
'---''(_/--' `-'\_) Cat by Felix Lee.

Mira wrote:
her I gave her a squirt. You can find squirt guns that shoot 30 feet.
:-) Cats are generally smart and can learn that some places are fine
for jumping up on and some are not.

They also learn that it's best to go on the counters when you aren't
looking.

Alice

--
The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren't
worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes 'em testy. ...Bev
|\ _,,,---,,_ Tigress
/,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress
|,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-'
'---''(_/--' `-'\_) Cat by Felix Lee.

In article , p4pam1971
@rgv.rr.com enlightened us with...
I've owned my cat for three months now. Before, he was simply too young to
reach the kitchen countertop, so he'd clamber up on shelves every once in a
while. Now he's a bit older and more agile, so my husband and I catch him
up there quite frequently. I don't approve of this behavior as it is not
very sanitary. Also, there is no food left on the counter so I'm not quite
sure what he's looking for. I'm frustrated because I love my cat, but would
love even more to break his bad habit. Any help?


Good luck.

The problem with you shooing him off is that he knows darn well the only
reason not to go there is you. When you aren't there, he'll go there.
So, you need something he doesn't associate with you. He must decide he
doesn't like it there. Remove all items of interest (not just food) from
the counters for a little while and place something he won't like on the
counters, such as aluminum foil, double-sided sticky tape (like that
stuff people use to keep cats from scratching called Sticky-Paws), or a
scat mat (static electricity gives kitty a VERY mild shock like when you
walk across the room and touch the doorknob in the winter). Some places
also sell a mat with hard knobs on the top that make walking on them
unpleasant.

Keep in mind some cats are really smart and will just stay off the
counters when such material is there but go up there when it isn't. Most
cats, however, get out of the habit in a month or so. This is especially
effective if after the first week, you vary whether the unpleasant thing
is there and NEVER have anything the cat actually wants on the counter
(at least for the first month). The cat gets nothing out of it ever and
is sometimes unpleasantly surprised. He'll soon stop trying.

Also keep in mind that cats like to climb - does he have something he
CAN climb, such as a kitty tree?

Note that this takes time, patience, and consistency. Many of us give up
and just disinfect the counters prior to mealtime.

-------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
The secret of the universe is @*&^^^ NO CARRIER
The more ridiculous a belief system, the higher
the probability of its success.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
-------------------------------------------------

In article , p4pam1971
@rgv.rr.com enlightened us with...
I've owned my cat for three months now. Before, he was simply too young to
reach the kitchen countertop, so he'd clamber up on shelves every once in a
while. Now he's a bit older and more agile, so my husband and I catch him
up there quite frequently. I don't approve of this behavior as it is not
very sanitary. Also, there is no food left on the counter so I'm not quite
sure what he's looking for. I'm frustrated because I love my cat, but would
love even more to break his bad habit. Any help?


Good luck.

The problem with you shooing him off is that he knows darn well the only
reason not to go there is you. When you aren't there, he'll go there.
So, you need something he doesn't associate with you. He must decide he
doesn't like it there. Remove all items of interest (not just food) from
the counters for a little while and place something he won't like on the
counters, such as aluminum foil, double-sided sticky tape (like that
stuff people use to keep cats from scratching called Sticky-Paws), or a
scat mat (static electricity gives kitty a VERY mild shock like when you
walk across the room and touch the doorknob in the winter). Some places
also sell a mat with hard knobs on the top that make walking on them
unpleasant.

Keep in mind some cats are really smart and will just stay off the
counters when such material is there but go up there when it isn't. Most
cats, however, get out of the habit in a month or so. This is especially
effective if after the first week, you vary whether the unpleasant thing
is there and NEVER have anything the cat actually wants on the counter
(at least for the first month). The cat gets nothing out of it ever and
is sometimes unpleasantly surprised. He'll soon stop trying.

Also keep in mind that cats like to climb - does he have something he
CAN climb, such as a kitty tree?

Note that this takes time, patience, and consistency. Many of us give up
and just disinfect the counters prior to mealtime.

-------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
The secret of the universe is @*&^^^ NO CARRIER
The more ridiculous a belief system, the higher
the probability of its success.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
-------------------------------------------------

From: "Bill"

A more practical approach would be not to make a big fuss if the cat is on
the counter so long as you're not using it, and clean the counter before you
use it.

I keep a spray bottle of vinegar and water on hand, and then just clean the
counter with it before I use it.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: "Bill"

A more practical approach would be not to make a big fuss if the cat is on
the counter so long as you're not using it, and clean the counter before you
use it.

I keep a spray bottle of vinegar and water on hand, and then just clean the
counter with it before I use it.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: ospam (Yngver)

LOL nice one Bill


That's what we do, and then add "I don't know why she did that; she never has
before."

The other night when my sister was over, she said "oh your cat is on the
counter. I guess I'm not using to seeing animals up high since I have a dog."

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: ospam (Yngver)

LOL nice one Bill


That's what we do, and then add "I don't know why she did that; she never has
before."

The other night when my sister was over, she said "oh your cat is on the
counter. I guess I'm not using to seeing animals up high since I have a dog."

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: ospam (Yngver)

(PawsForThought) wrote:

The other night when my sister was over, she said "oh your cat is on the
counter. I guess I'm not using to seeing animals up high since I have a
dog."

Did she mean it in a disapproving way?


Oh no, not at all. She gets a real kick out of my cats. She just meant that it
was so strange to see an animal on the counter.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm