Can a kitten be trained not to go up stairs?

[EmpressoftheMundane]

We have a new kitten. She is now 9 weeks old and has been with us for a week. I’d like for her to have the run of the ground floor, but she keeps bounding up the stairs. We have some allergies in the family, so I would prefer to keep her out of the bedrooms and to stay down stairs on the hardwood floors.

I also worry about her getting bigger and jumping up onto the kitchen countertops. She is very curious and likes the high ground.

Is it possible to train her not to jump on kitchen counters and not to climb the stairs?

Cats can definitely learn the things they are not supposed to do, and they may well refrain from doing them when you might catch them at it.

On the other hand, they don't actually care what you think, they're just paying lip service to your ridiculous rules, so they might do it in front of you anyway.

And once you are out of the house and they are alone, all bets are off.

We have spent 4 years “training” ours not to go on the dining table at mealtimes! One complies; the other takes no notice whatsoever and the only solution is to shut the door. However pp are right, she frequently scratches closed doors; and pulls the carpet up! We can’t decide if she is stupid or stubborn. We suspect stubborn!

I have lived with cats all my life, and think I have developed a mild allergy to them in the last few years, so I just take antihistamines!

If you are able to train your kitten to obey you, can you come round to my house and stop seagulls sitting on my roof and pooping, please.

Dh would proudly proclaim how well-trained our cats were because they'd never hop up on kitchen surfaces. When we had our kitchen redone, we soon noticed that our shiny surfaces would be decorated with little law prints each morning.
The penny finally dropped that they stayed off surfaces only when we were in sight. When we were away, they got up to whatever they pleased. Cats! God love 'em 😼

My daughter tried to train our cat to skip, it didn't go well.

Ah, OP, my sweet summer child...

Not a chance.

For training cats not to go on surfaces when you aren't there, if you really really don't want them to do it, the Cat sscat is amazing.

Tabby cat used to have a party on our kitchen worktop when we were in bed. We could hear her every night.

Bought cat sscat. Moaned about price. Set it up.

Cat jumps up - one squirt of air - heard panicked cat leaping into air and onto floor.
She did it again the following night just to check - same thing happened.

And then... nothing. Cat never jumped on worktops again - we know because we could hear every time she did it. Literally 2 gentle squirts of air and it cured something that had gone on for years.

Since then we have used it in different places for other cats and it's always been the same. 2 squirts only and never again.

Tin foil on the worktops will stop them jumping up.
I found a poo in my slipper most times though
Plus they just wait for it to be moved.
Now I have very many tea towels that I drape or fold for them to sit on.
Don't fight it just accept cat hair in all food and buy a second chopping board.

Don't fight it just accept cat hair in all food and buy a second chopping board.

Yep if a chopping board (mostly the bread board) is out you have to assume it's been walked over by a kitten, and get a fresh one

It depends on the cat. Some are more trainable than others. Reward-based training is more effective than deterrent-based training.

I've found if I am consistent about keeping a particular door closed, my cats won't scratch at it because the room isn't on their radar. But if it's a room they've happily been going in and out of and I suddenly close the door, they will scratch until the carpet comes up.

Hide at the top and use a water pistol, it won't hurt but will really put them off!

I forgot to say shut door means.... door with a catch on the outside and also tied together with cord 😀

We had to this if we wanted the window open as it opened onto a roof

Tin foil on the worktops will stop them jumping up.

This has never worked with my cat, he just doesn’t give a flying fig about it. But he also just really likes to sit on the counter and watch what you’re doing so it’s not worth keeping him off.

I’ve never seen my current cat on the counter but mysteriously I hear him landing heavily on the kitchen floor from a height so I have Concerns.

If you give them something higher than the worktop to sit on they’ll use that, so if you have room a cat tower with a fleece in it and some cat nip sprinkled over it will be much more appealing. They just like to get as high up as possible to survey life.

Yes, they do seem to like high ground!

Physically & morally 😼

I asked my cats.
They laughed in my face.
Cat does what cat wants × 3 in my house.

Yeah...no way, haha. Cats go where they want - the sooner you accept it the better

We had to replace all our handles with round knobs because our big male cat can open doors

Pet Behave Spray - will stop scratching sofas and jumping up onto surfaces.

Can't help with the stairs though

Yes, one of our cats can open internal door handles!

Cats can learn!
Mine both know what No means.
You have to use that non nonsense almost cross voice, we also use a load Ahahah to stop them dead.
Mine know they aren't allowed on kitchen surface and table and in the spare room.
They will chance a trip to the spare room if we leave the door open but you can see from their body language they are cautious. If the see me or hear No they turn tail and get out.

Keep bedroom doors shut.

No I do t think you can train them not to go upstairs. Mine aren't allowed on the dining table but they only move over I get within smacking distance!

Training cats. Lol.

Mine knew what no meant. He also knew he was mummy’s green eyed boy.