Mumsnet Talk

My cat goes everywhere in the house - but NOT the kitchen worksurfaces. I can't remember what we did that discouraged him. I do remember just pushing him off with a stern "No" everytime he tried as a kitten - and we may have left the sides booby trapped with a few things that made it difficult for him to jump up (but didn't make for a tidy kitchen!)
We also got some 'stay away' spray and sprayed some on a piece of kitchen roll and left that on the bits where he would most try and jump up.

If Im cooking, then the dcats sit up on the breakfast bar and watch me. Any little paw that gets gingerly put down if im chopping or have the hob on etc, gets put back. Now they are mostly content to watch from a safe distance. Since they do go everywhere, I make sure I put everything away, surfaces are all clean, and the gas rings are locked. I kiss them, stroke them, they sleep with me and so on, so I figure a paw on a surface which will be disinfected and wiped is no different to a paw on the shredded sofa. Ive never had much luck teaching my cats to do anything other than use a litterbox, Im impressed, Cosie!

Ive always wanted a siamese of the old fashioned, chunkier type, but was worried they would be too noisy. My ragdolls, however, chatter, miaow throught the night, chirrup and provide 24 hour commentary, so I figure it would make no difference!

This is why antibacterial spray was invented.

My two girl cats obey the no kitchen work top rule. My boy cat totally ignores it. I hiss, clap hands, flick water, turf him off every time, yet he still goes there. This evening he even jumped on top of the kitchen cabinets and peered down from us from up by the ceiling.

If any of you can tell me how to stop him then you're miracle-workers!

catkitson

Ordinary germs don't worry me. (In the household I was brought up in they were darned near obligatory!) I 'sort of' toe the line on raw meat and that's about it.

How I teach them? I guess I don't really know. You have to remember that I've mostly lived with Siamese (got my first one for my 9th birthday) and they're as easy to train as a sweet pea. They want their 'person' to love them and if there's any hint of ......disfavour..... they'll go the whole extra mile to make up for it.

In my (long) experience, all you have to do with Siamese is say 'NO' - and (*importantly*) mean it. It's good not to have too many House Rules (I only have about 3) so that they don't get discombobulated but you have to enforce them quite rigidly.

PS - It worked for The Lodger as well. (More or less.) I think that confidence/certainty is the key. If you say NO that's one thing. But many of the people I've known have said No in a ' No you bad boy, mummy loves you, naughty boy kiss, kiss what are you doing now ?' sort of way.

Freckled

If I had to advise, I'd say - Say NO, then if he jumped up, bat him off the surface. Then pick 'im up and throw put him out of the kitchen (saying NO) and just ignore any plaintive cries while keeping the door closed.

Repeat as needed. They learn fast. (You're not excluding your boy cat. Do that thing and be real tough about it.)

You need to use the 'exclusion' rule. If he wants in, he obeys the House Rules. If not, he goes out in the hall.

You have to really mean it though.

Reading thread with interest. i have a Bengal kitten and am amazed at how she ignores stern 'no's' and we have to throw her off kitchen worksurfaces and table constantly.

Am trying masking tape tonight

My (20) cats walk all over all surfaces and it's never done me any harm. When I want to prepare food I just clean the bit of the worktop I'm going to be using (or not as the mood takes me). I really wouldn't worry about it.