Posted: 2/15/2026 10:15:58 AM EDT
| Do any of you have a way of keeping them off the kitchen counter? We recently got two young ones and they haven't learned to listen yet. If I catch them, they get a quick smack or scruffed up off the counter. But, basically, they don't give shit. |
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Honestly, we've given up. We just recognize that we don't put food directly on the counters. Plates, cutting boards are always used. And they actually are pretty good at staying out of our way when we're actively prepping our meals. They just like to explore. One cat is always searching for "bootleg water." Fuckers are 15 years old and they can still jump up. ETA: The only way a squirt bottle will work is if they don't see you squirting. Otherwise they just learn to jump up when you're not around. |
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I know this is going to sound retarded But hiss at them. Aggressively. My ex had cats and im not a cat person. I tried a few things and nothing worked. Until one day I just leaned in at one and mimicked a hiss while the cat was on the counter, and he went running. I just repeated that for a little bit and they stopped. Its a language they understand. |
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I read the title "Cats on the counter" and the "Cats in the cradle" song instantly jumped in to my damaged brain, and I started thinking "Cats on the counter, broke my coffee cup. Little shit knocked it off and broke it all up. Got out the broom to sweep up the glass, Cat, you're such an ass, yeah, such a little pain in the ass." I had my own cat once as an adult (had some growing up but most were outside cats, Mom wasn't a fan of them) but never had an issue with it getting up on counters while I was home, though I'm sure during work or sleep it was up there. The foil trick is what I've read about but never tried it. I wonder if randomly placed cucumbers would work.   Cats Scared by Cucumbers Compilation |
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Spray bottle and hissing are both solid suggestions. One of my cats is a savannah and she'd stare straight into the spray with her ears back and have a "is that all you got?" attitude. She'd jump and run to the other side of the house if I hissed. There are motion detectors that used canned air to simulate a hiss, they sort of work but are pretty expensive, but it's an option for keeping them off the counters at 2AM. We just assume the counters are dirty. I ended up putting a security camera temporarily in our kitchen to confirm one of our cats (they're both old now) was still getting up there, and he was. He knows it's wrong and will only do it during the wee hours. |
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Originally Posted By RR_Broccoli: They make cat sensing sprayers that do water or air jets. Never used one. Like others said, you sorta can't keep them from getting on whatever they can jump to if their personality leads them to it. I've had cats for decades and never had a problem training them to stay off counters and tables until we got our latest Orange Cat. This guy knows he's not supposed to be on the counter but he's bullheaded and gets on them anyway. The motion sensing air poofers are the only thing that deters him. After a while I stopped replacing the air canisters, just the noise of the dispenser cycling sends him running now. |
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"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
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An air poofer would not work with my cats. I have an automatic air freshener on the wall next to my safe and the cats have learned to ignore it. The thing can spray while the cats sleep on top of the safe. Water bottles only work when you are in the room to spray the cat with it. I had one cat that would look at me with squinted eyes just daring me to squirt her. |
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Originally Posted By gtsteve03: We tried laying aluminum foil on the countertop to deter them. It only sorta worked. Maybe try a water spray bottle and give them a squirt when you see them on the counter? Back when I had cats, those two things taught ours to stay off the counter. |
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