What do you allow your cat to do?

[Champagneforeveryone]

Growing up (in the 80's) we had a cat who never went upstairs or on the furniture. He was fed from specific bowls which were washed up separately using a separate cloth, because of the "germs".

I suppose times were different, flea and worm treatment wasn't so prevalent or effective.

We have recently rescued ChampagneCat from the RSPCA. It has to be said that DH is the biggest culprit and is utterly besotted with her. However as a family we allow her upstairs as well as down (we have dogs and initially this was her safe space), have no issues with her sleeping in our beds, have never prevented her from walking across the dining table or the windowsills, and (to my mother's utmost horror) feed her on the kitchen worktop so she's out the dogs way.

DH works in a lot of houses and seems to think this is totally normal. I have no huge issues (though I hope she's smart enough not to walk across the hob) As previously mentioned DM is silently scandalised.

So who is right?!

Bad Kitty sleeps on our bed until nautical dawn, when she licks my eyelids. We tried shutting her downstairs and she sprayed every surface and pulled the skirting board off the wall before she figured out the door handles.
Sweet Oul Tom sleeps in the middle of the lawn, and waits politely at the back step for his food, which he prefers to eat outside. We think Bad Kitty may have told him he is not allowed in.

Mine go everywhere and do what they want apart from the kitchen counters. One likes to sleep under the duvet with me but does get shoved out if being annoying.

Had cats all my life and never done it any other way. I'm chilled, they are chilled. It's all good.

Our cat allows us to sleep in his bed and sit on his couch and we can use the bathroom as long as he's not in there.

He also provides guidance as to where the kitchen is when anyone looks like they're heading that way, and welcomes us home through the medium of song, particularly if we've been out for a while.

He's not a bad landlord all in all.

Hah.

As if mine would listen.

They go where they want. And do what they please.

Both are very gentle, affectionate and happy.

But I don't allow them to eat from our plates though.

And if I see them on the kitchen sides I tell them to get down. But I clean the sides plenty anyway.

Cat has own feeding bowls, washed in the dishwasher.
Allowed on the sofa (and in fact also has a favourite armchair with own blanket on, - rest of the family no longer use that armchair).
Allowed on the beds - but actually only goes on them at night. What is the point of monopolising the pillow, or taking up as much space as you can right in the middle of the duvet when you are the only one using it anyway?!

Not allowed to scratch the furniture.
Not allowed in the living room overnight.
Not allowed on the arms of the sofa.
Not allowed on the kitchen surfaces or kitchen table (but kitchen chairs allowed) - this rule is followed when we are around, but I don't doubt is flouted when we are asleep or out.

Oh but yes own bowls for them. And I wash their bowls last. As don't want cat food in the water with our stuff.

(As you can tell the cat food grosses me more than any germs.)

Same as @Trisolaris. My cats are allowed everywhere but the kitchen worktops and dining table. I'm sure they go on both. We shut them in the kitchen/utility over night (they like to sleep on the sofa or dining chairs) as we have a young son and I feel that's for the best but each has claimed a bed right now to snooze on during the afternoon. If it makes a difference, they are currently house cats for their safety as we live on an estate that's under construction.

Um, rules.....he wasn’t allowed out overnight. We have a dishwasher anyway so bowls went in at night.

Actually we do have a rule

ChampagneCat is not allowed out at all at the moment. Firstly because she was new, and then because DH was fretting she might get carried off by a heron or something and she herself has showed no inkling to go outside. Maybe in the spring when DH is at work

She has her own bowls, a rather fine set of Jersey Pottery ones at that I chuck them in the dishwasher as well as I'm far too slatternly to consider the "germ" aspect.

I cover the hob after cooking with a big roasting tray because my dull cat has jumped up while it's still hot a couple of times.

I had to change it from touch controls to knobs because he would sit there cooking himself totally oblivious until I lifted him off in a panic.

Got 2 cats (brothers), in and out through cat flap at will. Certainly can't coordinate them. One in most of the day, one out ... might be back at 7pm or 11pm or later, very hungry. Leave 2 meals out for him. Feed him in the morning before he's off again. Feed his brother several times a day.
Go everywhere except bedrooms - except when they manage to sneak in / open the doors and wake me by jumping around at 4am.

Muddy footprints over all the furniture, like to sleep on high narrow window ledge . Often fall off!

One very sociable, one barely knows us indoors, acts skittish,- but friendly outside! Why? Both follow me on my walks / take me for a walk.

I guess it's very stressful keeping track of an ill trained human.

OP if your cat’s not allowed out then there’s much less chance of her being a hygiene risk, I’d have thought?

Our Dcat has the following rules:

• Not allowed on worktops (except when we’re not there, when I’m sure she does)
• not allowed to scratch carpets or furniture (see above)
• not allowed upstairs at night (she’s usually out and about till midnight anyway)

erm.... that’s it. We used to shut her in at night, but she just stopped coming home in the evenings, so we couldn’t unless we were going to wait up for her 🤷‍♀️ I guess we could put her catflap on “in only” but once she comes in at midnight she tends to stay in and snooze till morning anyway.

I'm afraid ours do more or less what they like - their only restriction is that we keep some doors closed when the rooms are not in use.

The cats I have had and now have aren't/weren't allowed on the dining table or kitchen worktops but have free roam of the house. The cat bowls are rinsed then washed in the dishwasher with everything else. There's nothing nicer than a purring kitty on the bed.

My cat anything she darned well pleases. I'm just the housemaid and the nice warm lap. She's too old to jump up on anything now though so I have made her some steps

Our female thinks a closed door is an abomination.
DD closes her door overnight otherwise female cat goes in and pesters her .......so she goes and pesters DS and sleeps on his plastic drawer unit .

Male cat sleeps on our bed during the day then jumps up at 3am to purr loudly .

We only have one rule for them: they come in at night .

No worktops - yet kitty paw prints on the hob tell me they disregard this rule when I'm not there..

No scratching furniture

In at nighttime

They are allowed all over the house and I love them on the bed at night too. One loves to sleep in the bath. Weirdo that he is.

My cats growing up weren't allowed on the furniture (got moved to basket or the windowsill), upstairs, and were put out at night. They all lived to grand ages so can't have been terrible for them. I just hate the thought of them fighting at night/ being cold/ oh and them bringing in a massive bloody rodent at 4am

I very generously pay the mortgage for my boy’s home!

In return, he’s actually quite respectful (not through any “training” on my part). Very rarely jumps on the worktops - and my range cooker was specifically chosen as it has a glass lid that closes on the hob, just in case, as didn’t want hairs on there.

He has free run of the house - spends most of it snoozing in one of the bedrooms. Never climbed curtains/Christmas trees etc. His breed is known more as a runner rather than a jumper/climber - so occasionally he goes on a bonkers zoomie round the garden then shoots in, up the stairs, circuits up there then back down and shoots out again !

Basically, he can do what he wants here - I wouldn’t have got him otherwise. Definitely think the first 3 years can be a bit more hit and miss, but they do chill out quite a bit - or I’ve been extremely lucky!

Mine do whatever they want, my house is cat trashed but I don't really care, so long as they are happy.

My cat is ‘allowed’ to live her life. Who the fuck am I to restrict her?

No scratching furniture or carpets, no attacking the dogs, no stealing food from
peoples plates. Separate bowls and locked in a specific place at night so everyone can sleep safely without being playfully attacked. Free reign round house in the day including worktops, if baking or prepping meat she has to be shut out of the kitchen
She is a lovely cat
Do be careful of the cooler a previous cat of ours burnt his paws by walking over the hob.

They are allowed anywhere except the kitchen surfaces. I'm having to be really stern with my 7 month kitten about not jumping into the washing machine or kitchen cupboards when I open them and should probably ban her from the kitchen so she doesn't end up hurting herself.

Kitten loves the bathroom sink, meows to get in and then jumps up for a drink from the running tap, I frequently have to delay spitting out my toothpaste so I don't interrupt her.

My dearly departed boy was a massive moocher and would sit next to my plate while I ate and I foolishly let him swipe food. Luckily my other two don't care about human food.

My little love bug is allowed everywhere, with the exception of the kitchen counters and dining table. I am completely besotted with him and about as strict as a wet noodle though, and thus elated that he rarely attempts to get up on them anyway.

But I don't allow them to eat from our plates though.

If my mother only knew she's never eat here again.

DCat does whatever the hell she wants. She's stolen my big throw which is now draped across the back of the sofa and where she spends all day. She can go upstairs but chooses not to really. We do shut her in the kitchen at night otherwise she'll sit on my face at 3am. She goes on the worktops because that's where we feed her since we made the awful decision (her words) to get a dog. We just wipe them down before preparing food and shoo her away when we're actually cooking.