keeping cats off the work surfaces

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

I've got 2 cats (1 long-haired very fluffy) and every bloody morning I come downstairs to find fur, garden debris, footprints etc all over my kitchen work-surfaces, table, cooker hob etc. God forbid I leave any paperwork out as that is guaranteed to have muddy footprints on . I'm honestly getting really sick & tired of having to clean the entire kitchen & dining room before breakfast - they often leave animal entrails to clean up & I nearly always need to hoover hair, leaves etc on the floors which I can handle but the surfaces is driving me nuts. I also childmind from home so can't just shut the door & ignore the mess & no utility room or porch so it's either in the kitchen/diner or outside.

I can't get them to use a basket (tried different types & locations, with paper etc) so they will sit wherever looks most comfortable or warmest but it's honestly getting such a pain especially as it's getting colder I can't shut them outside anymore.

Any suggestions?

I clear all kitchen and dining surfaces before bed so in the morning I automatically spray and wipe them all with an anti bac while waiting for the kettle to boil. It's second nature now, as the cat walks where he wants to walk. Even when we're around. The whole family constantly lift him off the dinner table. But in other ways he's so gorgeous. And very tolerant of our faults in return

Can you shut them in a different room at night, with a litter tray?

Keep them in at night?

Don't have any tips really, I wipe my units down with anti bac wipes every morning,

Line with tin foil?

This is amazing

www.amazon.co.uk/PDT17-14118-PetSafe-Ssscat-Spray-Deterrent/dp/B00IZGO0RU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448806143&sr=8-1&keywords=cat+ssscat

I had carefully trained my cats not to go on work surfaces but obvs what they had really learned was not to do it when I was looking. In an open plan house I don't have an option of locking them out and I could hear them jumping up and down when i was upstairs in bed. This went on for years until I got fed up and heard about this product on MN.

It's a motion sensitive compressed air cylinder. We set it up. First night - one spray - panic stricken cat leaps off work surface. Next night - cat has another go.

We have never ever heard the cat attempt to go on the work surface again - literally two sprays was all it took

Crikey that's disgusting. Could you lock them in another room?