How to keep cat off work tops?

[MummyPig24]

Our cat is shut in the kitchen at night with his bed, litter tray, food and water.

We have tried letting him have the living room as well but he just comes upstairs and scratches doors, pulls up carpets and harasses us so we can't sleep.

Despite having a tent bed thingy which he must go in as it's furry inside! He gets up on the worktops and sheds fur absolutely everywhere. It's unhygienic, and a pain in the butt to clear up every single morning. Baby 3 due in a few weeks and it's going to be even worse if we have bottles and things on the work top. And even more of a reason we don't want him sleeping in our room.

How can we stop him from getting up on the worktops?

Persistence and time. My cats still try it but hardly ever now - I shout "down" and they hop off. Overnight - I rarely see evidence that they've been up there so if you can crack day time then you'll probably have sorted nights.

Otherwise - all I can think of is some sort of spray on the worktops which is safe etc but which cats hate. I want to say something like weak tea-tree oil but I'm guessing, really.

They hate the smell of Vicks obviously you don't want that smeared all over your work tops but there may be a way to put a little bit on corners underneath? Or on the cupboard doors somewhere you're not going to touch when opening them?

When you find out, let me know.

I was adamant my (now died of old age) cat didn't go on the worktops but one night set up a web cam and, er, yes she did! She was just clever not to do it when we were up.

Do you have room for a cat-friendly cat play station so he can get up high? Cats are natural climbers and prefer to be off the ground if they can(which is why he likes your worktops!)

I don't have room for a play station but have stopped sweating it when they go on the breakfast bar and only make a fuss if they go on the other tops. They learned this v quickly. They are also allowed on the breakfast bar chairs, which are popular for sleeping. Only one likes a cat bed on the floor (though there are enough for all of them).

He doesn't do it in the day time. He's tried it a few times and he definitely would if there was food up there. Then he would eat it all the fat pig. But we are very careful not to leave food out and especially at night we make sure there's no food or traces of food. Yet the bugger seems to just be sitting or sleeping up there!

Chop his feet off....

Joke

One of ours does is (but not the other, who is angelic, at least whilst I'm around). I do a LOT of yelling and saying no, but nothing works. It's VERY annoying ]hmm]

I feel like it sometimes Minnie.

My aunt says put foil on the Worktop so I've done that tonight. Will report back if it works but that may end up expensive wasting foil.

I will google that spray, thank you.

A friend of mine advised that cats hate the feel of kitchen foil, and when she covered her worktops with kitchen foil for a day or two they learned not to jump up.

I haven't tried this yet - nothing phases my cat and I have a feeling she would work out how to remove the foil.

Remove the work tops over night. That's the oy thing that would stop mine. This is a cat who knows she's not allowed out after dark and comes when you call her.

Here's a number of options of things for you to cover your worktops with:

How would I remove the worktops?!

Thank you for the YouTube link.

Remove worktops overnight? As in dismantle my kitchen?

I think I'll try the tin foil first.

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If you can't train him not to go up there overnight I can recommend E-Cloths.

The foil did not work. Thinking about a radiator bed for him, might tempt him to sleep there rather than the work top.

Why the work top....? Near heat...? Likes to look out? Can you clear a window sill over a rad?

Otherwise just keep wiping. Tbh your house is probs cleaner than most because of this. Whilst it's making u grit your teeth I doubt it's more as you're wiping all the time.

He tends to always go for the surface with the microwave, toaster and bread bin on, which isn't near a window. The window is by the sink and as far as I know he has never sat up there. Very occasionally he will go on the one by the cooker.

I don't know why he gets up there, it's opposite the radiator. I spray anti bac and clean with a damp microfibre cloth every morning when I go down. And invariably I find more cat hair later so I feel like I am constantly wiping.

I think it boils down to him wanting to sleep with you and roaming everywhere in high dudgeon because you won't allow it. Is there no way you can put a bed in your bedroom ? Say a cardboard box on the floor near the bed with eg a fleece or blanket in it to make it snuggly.

Combine that with regular/daily grooming to help with his hairiness and I think you'd be closer to a result on this one. (That would probably work out as less work for you overall.)

(My own boys are trained not to go on surfaces and don't - but they are allowed to sleep upstairs - a privilege, the potential withdrawal of which, works wonders for overall discipline.)

I think you are right, he would love to sleep in our bed. But we have had problems with fleas in the past so dh is very reluctant although they are under control. He really doesn't want the cat in the bedrooms and I'm happy with that to be honest as he does shed everywhere and the ever present threat of fleas terrifies me!

We must groom him more I agree.

I've watched the program my cat from hell and they have used an air spray which is triggered when the cat goes near it. Something like this www.amazon.co.uk/PetSafe-PDT00-13914-ssscat-Spray-Deterrent/dp/B000RIA95G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395597481&sr=8-1&keywords=air+spray+cat

They hate the smell of Vicks obviously you don't want that smeared all over your work tops but there may be a way to put a little bit on corners underneath? Or on the cupboard doors somewhere you're not going to touch when opening them?

My cat loves Vicks. She goes crazy for the smell!