How to Keep Cats off Counters

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Cats are favorite pets for millions of people around the world. However, one thing that is not ideal about having cats in our home is jumping on your kitchen counters. This can be an issue as you don’t want litter box content and other litter to get on your countertops or food. You are also looking to protect your kitty from dangerous things such as toxic foods, knives, and hot items that might be found on kitchen counters. If you don’t want your cat jumping up the counters, here is an exclusive look at various tips on keeping cats off counters.

Why Do Cats Jump on The Counter?

Before the tips on keeping cats off counters, you should understand why cats like climbing. Cats are naturally curious. Your cat companion probably does not like to be left out on anything. Kitties like keeping track of everything going on in their territory. The countertops are not an exception, and often want to see what happens. Kitchen counters smell great and often have tempting food for the cats. Also, a carelessly cleaned countertop might be the home to spills and crumbs that a cat may enjoy nibbling on. Cats also like fresh running water in the kitchen sink. Countertops might offer window views. Cat loves gazing out of the window, surveying what goes on outside. If the countertops are positioned where the cat can effectively observe what is going on outside the window, this might be a possible reason why your cat likes going up there. We spend the most time working on kitchen counters. One of the traits that make cats the favorite pet for many people is their love of spending more time with humans. When we spend more time on the kitchen counters, your cat will most likely jump up on the counter to hang out with you as you prepare to shop. Also, cats love heights, and countertops are high enough. Keep in mind that almost all cats like climbing, so this is more of redirection but not stopping them from climbing entirely.

Tips To Keep Cats Off Counters

Now that you understand why cats love jumping up countertops, here are some tips to try and keep the cats off counters.

Use sticky tape to the counter edge

Cats don’t like sticky surfaces and tape. Once they feel the tape on the counter edge, they will probably be discouraged after one or two tries. The disadvantage is that you might have to keep reapplying the tape regularly, and the adhesive might be difficult to clean up afterward. Also, the cat might outmaneuver you and find a way of getting on the counter by evading the edge.

Maintain the countertops clean

Another way to keep your cats off the counters is to remove temptations in food and toy-like objects from the countertops. This is by not leaving crumbs, food, or other treats on the counter that your cat might be drawn to. Also, store extra food in the cupboards and fridge to avoid the cats going to the countertop foraging.

Address the faucet

If the cat is regularly drinking at the faucet, you should consider figuring out stressors around the cat’s water bowl, such as being near a litterbox or a highly trafficked area and remove the stress. Your cat might prefer fresh, cold water from the faucet; therefore, consider replacing their water several times a day as well as adding an ice cube to maintain it as cold as possible. Also, you should not leave the faucet running as it is wasteful and tempting for your cat. You can also buy a kitty water fountain, which will keep the water in the bowl running to provide the same appeal as a faucet.

Place a strip of aluminum foil along the counter.

Another technique to keep cats off your counters is placing a tape strip of crinkled aluminum foil along with the counters. According to VCA Animal Hospital, booby-trapping is a technique that can deter cats from countertops. The feel, as well as the noise of the aluminum foil, is what deters the cats. However, keep in mind that this method might be disruptive to the way you use countertops as well as being wasteful.

Removing bar stools and other climbing aids around the counters

Do you make it easy for your kitty to get up the countertop? If stepladders, barstools, trashcans, rolling carts, or anything else that may serve as a launching pad, you should keep them out of range. You can consider returning them to their original position down the line once you have stopped the trespassing habit of the cats.

Set up another window view area

Cats like to watch the outside nature, and some might be attracted to the window view from the counters. Setting up a cat tree or a window perch by a window can offer a more relaxed place for the cat to watch outdoor activities. Pets stores also offer a variety of kitty shelves for attaching to the window sill for your cat or even use cat deterrents.

Distract them before pouncing on the counter

If you sense the cat is about to jump on the counter, try and lure them away from doing so with their favorite toy or food. You can use a toy containing small amounts of kibble to cater to the instincts of cats for going in search of more food. However, timing is critical when using distraction to keep your cat off a counter.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now understand why cats love jumping up the counters and how to try and keep them off the counters. However, when training your cat to stay off the counters, it is vital to be patient, understanding, and loving. Treating the cat angrily or roughly won’t be fair because they are just being themselves, and it might stress her resulting in other undesirable behaviors. However, if nothing seems to be working despite your effort and consistency, it might consider calling in a feline behavioral therapist. They will help develop new behavior modification techniques to help keep your cat off the countertop.