AIBU to think I can train my cat not to climb on the kitchen workbenches?

[schooldisco]

We have a 5 month old kitten. Every time she jumps up on the kitchen worktops we solemnly say "no" and if she doesn't get down straight away we pick her up and put her down on the floor.

Will this sink in eventually or am I on a hiding to nowhere?

Spray her with water she will soon get it

You think you are in charge of the cat?! Hahaha!

YABU - you can only train her to not climb on kitchen workbenches when you're there.

YANBU. Stay calm, kind and consistent, DK will get the message eventually.

Actually, she's probably got the message already, but they're wilful little buggers.

(And what nocoolnamesleft says.)

It's quite possible that the cat will manage to train you into thinking that she doesn't climb on the worktops. What happens when your back is turned is quite another matter, of course!

You are deluded OP.

She is laughing up her furry sleeve at you.

It's her cat version of Throw My Teddy Out Of The Pram and Wait For Gullible Adult to Return It - And Repeat Ad Infinitum.

Hahahah. Mine is a lovely well behaved cat until we go out and then it's muddy paw prints across the sheets, the fish tank, sleeping on top of the wardrobes, partying in the bath...

Sticky paws? Apparently they dislike it.

I just keep a spray bottle of milton on the bench to use before cooking and junk now. I caved big style

Your cat will never understand this. But don't worry, soon you'll be turning the kitchen taps on and watching her drink and wash whilst she sits on the kitchen work surface, flicking tap water all over the place. And you'll be happy and think she looks cute.

YABU and fighting a losing battle. Life is too short. It's easier just to buy antibacterial wipes.

Bless you, poor sweet fool.

I thought I'd trained mine to do it, until I caught him jumping up, breaking open a large box of his food pouches that we'd not put away yet, grabbing one and merrily trotting off with it in his mouth...

He saw me and froze, then slunk forward, dropped the pouch at my feet, and went and hid upstairs. He knew he'd done wrong.

I believe that kittens learn from negative reinforcement, i.e. sticky paws. I read up on it when I took my first mog in. The idea would be that you put something sticky down on the work surfaces when you are not using them. They get the message pretty quickly. I think wallpaper with double sided sticky tape was suggested.

My second cat was well trained from when her previous owners got her, and she has impeccable manners - cat number one, not so much, however, age & previous circumstance has been a limiting factor in how we get along with her (she's about 17, and had lived in a field for most of her life prior to us contacting the rehoming centre).

When I was little, we had a cat, he didn't jump onto surfaces, I have no idea how my parents trained him out of it, or whether they needed to.

Well it's worth a shot.

Ahhaaahaaahaaaha, ahhhhaaha, you have a cat.

Train a cat huh? Good luck with that.

Put large metal utensils on the edge of the work surface. The cat will knock them of when he jumps up, this should make a loud noise and out them off.

I have no idea how they have done it, but my parents have had two cats and both of them they have trained to never go on someone's lap unless there's a blanket there, and never to go on the kitchen surfaces.

I should probably tell them to write a book on it...

Our kitten never goes on counters or the dining room table when we are there. He knows it's wrong.

We used one of those pressurized air squirters that you use to clean your keyboard to 'teach' him.

But I still have paw prints all over the table when I come home, and when I approach the kitchen I hear a telltale of a cat dismounting

We have an older cat who has never, ever gone on the counters. She's just not interested.

Good luck op!

My cat has never been on my kitchen work tops, he's rarely allowed in the kitchen and knows not to to jump up on the work surfaces. I must have a perfect cat .

Welcome to the world of cat owning. I've been owned by too many to count, maybe 18 or 20 in my life before t3kittty, and I can vouch that they do just as they please. Prior to t2kitty I have never had a cat that lived on the worktops and deluded myself that it was my good training. Hah!!! see
HamptonHumpty's comment .... that is what t3kitty did to me....little ratbag, but so sweet....

Cant you just keep her out of the kitchen?

I had a cat years ago and I used to clap loudly when he jumped on the worktops.

It worked wonderfully and I was very proud of myself until a week later when he perfected a fuck off look.

He was just toying with me...

nocoolnames has got it in one. I hear my cat jump off the table/work surfaces as I come down the stairs. Also when I come home I see her sitting proud as punch on the dining table through the window, I put my key in the door and she jumps off. They're more clever than we think you know!