Cat litter - merged

Garry2

Cats really love work surfaces, although the best thing I've seen in the kitchen was when I came in late at night and one was fast asleep in the dish rack on the draining board.

One thing cats hate is the strong smell of orange peel, I know you can buy strong citrus cleaners so you could try switching to one for them for a while, instead of what you usually clean your surfaces with.

Kimberley

Can't you keep them out of the kitchen altogether? I think it's most unhygenic :eek: Yuk! whatever you do ensure no food goes directly on the tops, butter bread and prepare all foods on either a chopping board or plate and disinfect regulary :rolleyes: Just the thought of it makes me cringe Cats walk in grass, maybe poo/cat litter and mud and then on your tops..OMG why do you guys allow this......

isualive

I have two cats and only one of them likes the worktops. He is often asleep next to the microwave. I always shoo him down, but i think he believes it's his god given right. He also loves to play in the bath and sink. I now keep the bathroom door shut, but the kids don't always follows suit. For some reason when he comes in with filthy paws he likes to run into the bathroom and skid in the bath, jump in the sink etc. The mess is horendous. When i catch him in the act i put the shower on lighly hoping to deter him in future. It hasn't worked.

Bendybops19

Coconut mat....maybe its the smell he likes??

Theres nothing wrong with litter trays inside, in fact, most people still have them even if their cats go outside. It gives them the choice, they wont want to go outside to go to the loo if its raining or too cold.

lotstolearn

Have you thought that the problem might be that there is a Tom or Toms marking your front door on the outside which is making your cat mark the inside as his territory? It sounds as though you might have a particularly territorial cat there especially as he was 'attacked' so quickly. Maybe if in addition to changing your front door and putting a litter tray there you also tried to see if there was something to deter a cat marking outside, it could help him. Of course another neutered cat in your home might help too if yours would take to another one. You don't say how old he is, or if he was nervous at all in your old home.

By the way I do understand your problem I have an 8 year old female who does this in various areas of the house every few weeks or so necessitating the need for washable furniture and furnishings and tom's, only one of which ever suffered from this very occasionally, though several who have been terrorised by 'full' toms patrolling their boundaries. I've found the best way to handle this is to allow the roaming toms to follow their path and put a few biscuits out for them (and I do mean just a few) in the morning which has then stopped them attempting to come into the house for food. They then go on their way leaving my home and cats alone for most of the 24 hour period. Not a really satisfactory solution but it does work in the main.

I've a coconut mat at the front door too - think I might take it up after reading this thread - it's one of Thumper's favourite marking points if she can get to it!

Good luck with your problem Kylie.

scoobysue_4

i guess i have just been very lucky as my cat has never attempted to go on worktops, but i have always kept her food and water bowls in the same place for many years (shes 15 now) and she has never bothered going anywhere else. however, i do have a friend that has this problem and she keeps a spray bottle of water close to hand and sprays them, it seems to work most of the time.

HelzBelz

Kimberley wrote: »

Can't you keep them out of the kitchen altogether? I think it's most unhygenic :eek: Yuk! whatever you do ensure no food goes directly on the tops, butter bread and prepare all foods on either a chopping board or plate and disinfect regulary :rolleyes: Just the thought of it makes me cringe Cats walk in grass, maybe poo/cat litter and mud and then on your tops..OMG why do you guys allow this......

Allow? have you never met a cat?:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Kimberley

HelzBelz wrote: »

Allow? have you never met a cat?:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

It's the owners who let the cats on the tops, with my mums if i see her cat on the top he goes flying. It is most revolting and unhygenic.

Sharifa_2

Yes it's not pleasant but cat owners fight an ongoing battle if they have a persistently stubborn moggie. If anything, cat-owners are MORE likely to have superclean work-surfaces if they can't guarantee the cat hasn't been up there when they're out.

Kimberley

Sharifa wrote: »

Yes it's not pleasant but cat owners fight an ongoing battle if they have a persistently stubborn moggie. If anything, cat-owners are MORE likely to have superclean work-surfaces if they can't guarantee the cat hasn't been up there when they're out.

It doesn't matter how much they clean the top even by disinfecting it and the owners can prevent it, when i'm at my mums her cat goes flying if i see him on the top, he doesn't get back on while i'm there :rolleyes:

I have a cat but he never gets on the top for that reason Still i guess i'm in a better position by having a door to the kitchen