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My cat Richie is a countertop hopper extraordinaire. In truth, I’d wager he spends as a lot time on the counter or kitchen desk as he does on the numerous cat timber and scratching posts in my home. Over the years, I’ve tried all types of issues to maintain my cat off counters and different surfaces. Aluminum foil, air-puffers, new and weird cat furnishings: if an knowledgeable recommends it, we’ve tried it.
In this put up, we’ll share a few of the hottest strategies to maintain cats off counters. But first, we’ll have a look at why cats leap on the counter within the first place. Read on to resolve the thriller of the counter-hopping cat!
Why Do Cats Jump on the Counter?
Climbing is a pure expression of your cat’s instincts. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, cats could climb to hunt larger floor once they really feel wired: “High vantage factors enable your cat to watch the world from a spot of security and escape if it feels the necessity to take action.” If your cat appears nervous once they hop on the counter, it might be time to discover what is likely to be stressing them out.
On the opposite hand, some cats leap on the counter just because they’ll, and it feels good! Felines are bodily constructed for climbing, with springy again haunches and claws constructed for pulling them up timber, hillsides, and different surfaces within the wild. In an interview with WebMD, veterinarian Dr. Aimee Simpson explains, “Cats have massive muscle tissue of their hind limbs that enable them to increase and lengthen, and a versatile backbone with shock-absorbing discs for a swish touchdown.” Stretching, reaching, and leaping onto the countertop could also be an expression of your kitty’s athleticism.
But all that doesn’t clarify why some cats desire counter tops to cat timber and different surfaces. It’s doable your cat jumps on the counter out of plain previous curiosity. My cat Richie has all the time been obsessive about human meals, and I usually discover him on the countertop making an attempt to wash up a grimy dish or nibble a chunk of fruit ripening on the windowsill. He’s not making an attempt to be “naughty,” he’s simply being his quirky, curious self.
iStock/Natalya Vilman
How Do I Stop My Cat From Jumping on the Desk (or Countertop, or Kitchen Table…)?
One of the primary steps to preserving your cat off the counter is to make the counters much less interesting to them. Experts on the Anti-Cruelty Society clarify, “as accountable pet homeowners, we need to give our pets one of the best probability doable to behave properly.” That means setting them up for fulfillment by eradicating the temptation to leap up within the first place.
For some cats, which means cleansing up meals scraps earlier than your kitty can sniff them out, putting in child-proof latches to maintain them out of cabinets, and (ugh) doing the dishes in a well timed method. Puzzle feeders and lick mats are useful instruments to redirect your kitty’s food-seeking habits.
If your cat is extra pushed by curiosity than starvation, then it’s sensible to supply different elevated areas they’ll discover. Cat timber, window perches, and wall-mounted cabinets are all nice choices. In truth, for the extra-curious cat you may need to present all three!
Check out these posts for strategies of cat furnishings to maintain your climber pleased:
1. Top Cat Furniture for Apartment Dwellers
2. 19 Modern Cat Trees to Buy Immediately
3. Your Kitty Will Cuddle Up Into These Cozy Cat Hammocks
Does Aluminum Foil Keep Cats Off Counters?
Author’s cat, Richie, on the kitchen counter
One of the commonest “dwelling cures” for counterhopping is placing aluminum foil on the counter tops. Common knowledge says that kitties don’t like the feeling of foil below their toes, and can keep away from surfaces in consequence. In actuality, your expertise could differ. My cats have mastered the artwork of knocking foil sheets out of the best way, however some individuals have nice success with the foil trick!
Covering the counter with an disagreeable materials is usually known as “booby trapping” your cat. As defined on this article from VCA Animal Hospitals, “booby trapping” can deter cats from undesirable habits. The thought is to make the floor disagreeable for them to stroll on, which is able to hopefully make them discover alternate spots (like that stunning cat tree you bought them). Foil is just one choice; I’ve additionally used plastic carpet runners (with the nubby facet up), plastic sheeting, and double-sided tape to maintain my kitties off the counter. You also can strive establishing stacks of cans or different light-weight objects that may make noise when knocked over, though some cats get pleasure from this sort of impediment course!
What Scent Will Keep Cats Away?
If altering the floor doesn’t work on your cat, you may marvel if there’s a scent that may maintain them off of the counter. There are merchandise that use pheromones to assuage and deter kitties, such because the Sentry Stop That! Spray, the concept being that the pheromone scent will deter cats from a floor.
Cat-safe pheromone sprays don’t damage, however they do have to be used appropriately to show cats to redirect their curiosity. Think of them as a device, not a punishment. As the Anti-Cruelty Society explains, “The use of bodily punishment will NOT assist in coaching your feline pal, however somewhat will make her worry you…keep away from yelling at, hitting, or spraying your cat with water.” To keep away from your cat forming fearful associations with you, you may strive a motion-activated air blower. Products like Ssscat shoot a cat-safe blast of unscented air when kitties cross their paths. These is usually a helpful “booby lure” deterrent, though Richie shortly realized to easily stroll round them in his quest to achieve the countertop.
My favourite scent-based deterrent is the Feliway pheromone diffuser, which releases a chilled scent (just about undetectable to people) which will soothe kitties who climb out of tension.
Be Persistent and Provide Alternatives
Cats love to leap and discover. It’s merely of their nature to stand up excessive! In basic, the easiest way to maintain your cat off the countertop is to verify they’ve entry to alternate surfaces. If your kitty prefers the countertop to the cat tree, it might take a while to coach them to redirect to a different floor. Be affected person, and do not forget that your cat is simply being a cat In the meantime, be sure you have an excellent non-toxic cleaner available to wipe up these paw prints!
Further Reading
- Save Your Furniture! Try One of These Anti-Scratch Sprays for Cats
- Take Your Kitty to the Next Level with These Amazon Cat Towers
- Can Cat Calming Pheromones Soothe Your Anxious Kitty?
