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2:25 pm
November 14, 2010
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I have a 6 month old kitten, Freddie, who I have fallen in love with. I'm a dog person, but now have Freddie in my life. This is the first time I've had a cat, nor does anyone I know have a cat. Soooo…if anyone is willing to give any advice on how to keep my kitten off my kitchen counters, I would appreciate it.
It doesn't bother me from a lifestyle standpoint, I just worry that while I'm at work, he will get into something that will harm him on the counters. And no, I can't put everything away, I do still need somewhere to put the toaster, and my dehydrator, and I have a knife magnet on my wall. Today was the first day he got up onto my counters (he's been eye-balling them for awhile) and tomorrow I go back to work…so any suggestions would be appreciated.
2:41 pm
February 10, 2009
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Well, the short answer is… no.
A lot of people use a squirt gun and squirt them when they go somewhere they aren't supposed to… and it works! While you're nearby… they learn really well when they can get away with things.
Mine are half grown teenagers just now and they're intrigued with the sink and counter. I have no way to lock them out of the kitchen area, so when I catch them, I speak sternly and snap my fingers, and they look at me appraisingly, then grudgingly jump down.
Many cats get bored or lazy enough that they just quit getting up there. Unplug your toaster, don't leave anything edible out, I doubt he'll bother the knives on the magnet, I have one too, but they only ever sniffed it.
I wipe the counter well before I do anything where food might touch the counter, and keep chemicals and such locked up much as if a child were around, which a kitten is really, a furkid.
One of my favorite stories is how my cousin's cat wasn't supposed to go anywhere except the kitchen and back room or the basement of the house. My uncle barely tolerated her and that was his rule. That cat used to lay in the sunshine in the front window till he drove in the driveway, and by the time he got to the door, she'd be sitting under the chair in the corner of the kitchen as if she had no clue what the rest of the house looked like. He was the only one who knew that cat had the run of the house as long as he wasn't home.
2:41 pm
November 4, 2009
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The best way I have found to keep them off of stuff is to scare them off. When he goes somewhere that you don't want him to go, startle him. When you see him, clap your hands loudly and sharply and simultaneously make a sharp, loud hissing/spitting sound, similar to what cats make. Animals communciate through emotion, so do it like you really mean it…he has to take you seriously or he will learn that you don't mean business and ignore you. Eventually, if you are consistant and do it every time you see him where you don't want him to be, he will learn that he will have an unpleasant experience when he does it, and stop doing it. The other thing you can do is get a water sprayer and spray him when he goes on the forbidden places*. But the same thing applies…spray him while simultaneously making the hissisng/spitting sound. Some people favor a loud, sharp "NO!!!", but I like to impress upon my cats that I am the "boss cat", so-to-speak, by hissing at them like another cat would.
* Although a water bottle isn't always in reach, while your hands and your voice are. Eventually you won't need to clap…the hiss/spit sound will be enough, and (hopefully) eventually he will stop going where you don't want him to go.
2:46 pm
February 8, 2009
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Water bottles get my vote – they worked for my stone deaf Taz. Be sure that they adjust to a fine long stream and get accurate with your aim 
It didn't take long either – I still only have to pick up the bottle and aim and he cowers a bit. Of course, he has to be LOOKING at me first lol.
AND of course they only work for things YOU see them doing…..
dede
3:09 pm
November 14, 2010
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I tried the water bottle with my dogs, and they all loved it…the vet said, put lemon in it, and my guys all treated like I was giving them a glass of lemonaid! Freddie the cat loves water….climbs in the shower with me every morning, so the water bottle is lost on him.
The clapping I have tried…he just looks at me like I'm giving him very slow applause!
Since I only know dogs, I have raised Freddie somewhat like a dog….but there is definitely cat blood in his little ginger body!
I'll try the hissing next….thank goodness there won't be anyone around to listen to me, they would think I've lost me marbles
3:31 pm
April 12, 2010
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Water bottles are great. If that doesn't keep him off, a sharp smack on the nose with a loud NO! will do it after a few times. If you think that sounds mean, remember what other cats do to teach another cat who's boss. They Hiss (yell) and smack the other cat on the nose. You don't have to do it hard, just enough to get his attention. If you yell NO everytime you use the water (or whatever you use) eventually you can even just snap your fingers or say no without yelling, and they'll listen.
3:42 pm
May 6, 2010
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Cats are curious creatures. They will investigate anything that is within their reach and will leave it alone if they feel it is not worth their time and effort. Anything new brought into the house gets a sniff. My cat knows that certain areas are off limits to her. I also know that she will abide by that when we are around, but do her own thing when no one is around.
Cat's are famous for their 'Are you talkin ta me?' attitude. My cat believes that we were put on this earth only to serve her. She lets us live in this house only to cater to her needs. No one in the house will get any rest if she can see the bottom of her food bowl!
You just need to figure out what type of dicipline works for you cat. It will take a little trial and error. This hissing thing didn't work for my cat (I think she was laughing at us), but a loud 'Hey!' along with a clap startled her enough to stop doing what she was doing.
5:33 pm
January 10, 2010
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I've found that the water squirt has worked well, and after a week or so I've never had any more trouble with the cat on the countertop (or up the Christmas tree!) - even if food is left out. I do clap my hands and shout NO if I catch any neighbours cat near the pond 
- this doesn't apply to Sid though as she's never shown any interest in it at all! I would be tempted to keep some scrunched up balls of paper the throw whilst making a loud noise, then even if you hit Freddie with one it wouldn't hurt, though with my aim it'd be a miss every time 
Give Freddie a cuddle for me please – I have a real soft spot for ginger cats 
7:36 pm
February 10, 2009
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Cuddles are good and If nothing else the scrunched up paper will distract him from wanting to be up on the counter! He'll have a scrunchie paper ball to play with! My last old boy used to play fetch with things. He actually learned to chase them and bring em back. It started with hair ties, and then proceeded with bottle caps and actual cat toys. He learned to fetch and it was fun for us both. If you're a dog person, see what you can do because cats can learn dog tricks with the right attitude… or is that cattitude? 
7:47 pm
June 1, 2010
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I've only had 1 counter-interested cat. I sprinkled some ground black pepper on the counter. He got up there twice, got a snout full and jumped off the counter. To my knowledge it continued to work, even when I was not home, and long after I stopped sprinkling the pepper.
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