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?

Yes you can - mine are both trained not to jump on kitchen work tops. Trained by placing them down each time they did it and rewarding them on ground. They learned pretty quickly and I have only caught them up there now a couple of times in 5 years.

It was both a safety thing and hygiene.

Training them not to pee round house or jump on doors...that's a completely different ball game! Never mastered that one...

Tape tinfoil or put two sided tape on the surfaces for a while. That is what we did for our 2 and it worked.

Plus, the spray bottle of water.

Example.

I honestly think your best bet is a quick wipe with anti-bac spray every time you use the worktops. Even if you think you have trained your cat, you never know what they get up to when you're not around.

Mine never did, but she was a bit daft. I'm not sure she realised there was an 'up'. She clamber onto your knee if you were sitting on the floor, but if you were on a seat she'd sit and look at you until you lifted her up to join you