Cats on worktops

viv.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas as I am all out!

My cats have taken to walking on and sitting on the worktops in my kitchen. I clean the tops 2 / 3 times a day but they keep going up there and sleeping and leaving hair everywhere. No idea why they have started doing it.

Anyone got any ideas?

tattycath

Sorry - no idea why they do it but it is a pet hate of mine-I used to visit a friend (years ago before she moved) and she had 4 cats and they all sat on the worktops in the kitchen and left fur and pawprints and everything-sorry but cats on worktops turn my stomach.
Maybe they're hungry, or have seen you preparing their food on there. Or maybe they see it as a vantage point for seeing what's going on around them?

Sagz_2

I think I'd try a two pronged attack:
First give them a nice comfy alternative - preferably in the sun!
Then get a plant spray / water pistol and give them a squirt whenever you catch them up on the worktops.

Or of course the really simple method - close the kitchen door

missindecisive

I really hate this too..we have a cat and she never does it- well atleast while there are humans in the house aswell as her! we just trained her from an early age not to do it- they are fairly intelligent and really don't like being told off in a grumpy voice, or if that does'nt work the water pistol will ! :beer:

Mayflower10cat

If they've only just started doing this, you should have a half decent chance of 'un'training them! As someone has already said - providing an alternative high perch (old stool, windowsill, unused shelf) will help you redirect them. Try making the surfaces feel unpleasant - there's a product called 'sticky paws' which is helpful in stopping cats scratching furniture. Improvise with strips of double sided sticky tape on the worktop. Or, crackly sheets of aluminium foil left on the worktops should deter them, too. Good luck!

Humphrey10

Our dog used to jump on tables. We said 'no' when we saw her on there, she learned pretty quickly that we didn't want her on there, so she just waited until we were in another room before jumping up! The only thing that stopped her was getting old, I don't think she is able to jump that high now.
OP I hope you have more luck with your cat!

Money_maker

Aluminium foil worked for us too when ours wanted to sleep on the dining table. Try it - it's cheap.

geri1965_2

Mine very rarely go on the worktops - they tried it when they were younger and got a stern "down!" which they responded to quite well. I second the plant sprayer approach, I use this to keep them away from under my feet when I am cooking.

digitalphase

It's also a pet hate of mine. It's so unhygienic.

Mine don't go on there that much, if they are caught they soon get down as they know they are in trouble.

A sprayer with water works quite well, but one of my cats is very thick and when he knows he's in big trouble he will do a 'dead weight' thing where you could empty a whole bottle of water on him and he'd just stay there looking at you.

Tigsteroonie

Our current Tigger doesn't go up on the worktops, I think he'd been trained out of it before we "rescued" him. My four cats back up in Scotland would go onto the worktop though ...

I got around the hygiene issue by never putting food directly onto the worktop, I always used chopping boards which were cleaned and stored away in cupboards when not in use. And the cats knew better than to jump up there when one of us was around!

jennikitten

Try using some kind of citrus scented cleaner (or failing that, a squeeze of lemon/lemon juice) or something else they hate the smell of on the worktops.

Also might want to look at where they normally sleep/sit - has it changed in any way? Hotter/colder/brighter/darker/less accessible or something? I know my cats shift around according to how hot it is and what the light's like - and they've been doing it more now days are getting lighter and warmer.