Can you teach your cat not to jump on the worktops?

[4fingerKitKat]

Don’t laugh at my naivety!

Can you train a cat not to jump up on the kitchen worktops?

My previous cats never jumped on the worktops - my new one is up there the second she thinks something interesting is going on. I currently say ‘no’ pick her up and plop her back on the floor..and repeat and repeat and repeat.

Am I on a hiding to nothing or can I train her out of it? Any top tips? Or do I give up and accept she is the boss?

No you cant unless you lock her out of the kitchen, she will only do it when you're not there anyway so it's a waste od time trying, maybe distract her with a Roy or scrunchy when you're cooking. Can you post us a pic od kitkat.

We had many cats when I was a child and none of them ever went on counter tops. My mum made sure of that, the cats were trained properly. Yes you can train a cat.

Only while you're standing looking at it.

Yes, you can.

Water spray bottle is one option

Having a workman really bellow works too. It was coincidental but the cat never looked at the work bench again.

Ours never have as far as I know.

I've heard of you put tin foil over them for a bit that stops them. That hate it so learn not to go up there even once you've removed it. We did this with the baby cot and it worked.

Yes, to a degree. Each time she climbed up, she got lifted and put backdown with a stern «no». It took time and patience and if she did go onto counters, she made sure we weren’t in sight

We're battling this at the moment too with our new 10 month old very inquisitive rescue cat.
I am saying no and putting her back on the floor but she's still doing it so far.
Only time will tell if she gets the message.

Ours know perfectly well they are not allowed so they do it behind our backs. Sometimes as I am walking towards the kitchen I hear the thud of a cat hastily getting down so they can look innocent and walk off whistling ...

Hahahaha watching with interest.. I never even tried but wish I had now because when people come here to eat I have to pretend they NEVER usually get on the counters/dinner table/lick the margarine

Cats don’t understand (or care) what no means, so telling them no won’t work . Putting them on the floor might mildly inconvenience your cat but it’s not a deterrent.

You need to make going on the work too unpleasant by spraying them, making a loud noise, putting foil on there etc.

Ultimately though you can only be sure they aren’t getting up there while you’re watching.

You can train them to do whatever you want them to do. You just need to be consistent. I've recently started to train our 15 year old cat to sit down and wait whilst I sort her food out. I have to repeat myself some times and when the food isn't forthcoming she realises why. Its still a work in progress but she's getting there!

I learnt a tip from MN to point and hiss at our puss and it worked! Takes time and she also answered back , cheeky monkey but eventually she stopped.

My Persians have never jumper on worktops!

Leo (Persian) went through a phase of jumping on the kitchen counter.. He soon stopped though. I think it was just FOMO though and once he realised there was nothing of interest up there he gave up.

You can train cats to not go on places, but they often won't listen or will just do it behind your back i'm afraid.

Although, we have trained Leo to sit at mealtimes which took time and patience but he knows to go and sit near his mat at food time. One downside to this is that he will randomly go and sit there and look at us, even though it's no where near to his meal time :) x

You can train them not to go on the units....while you're in the vicinity.

Whilst you're out all day/overnight etc they'll do what they want...and you'll never know....

Until you see tell tale paw prints or cat hair on the kettle.

If you provide cat tree taller than 5he worktop she’ll sit on that instead because it’s 5he highest point.

Mine was (still is) impervious to everything, he liked being sprayed, he played with tin foil and (still) gobs back when told to get down 🤦‍♀️ I know it’s possible to train them to an extent, he knows he’s not supposed to be there but only when he’s in my line of sight. Wilful bastard, good job he’s cute 😂

Should add that mine is Siamese, hence the permanent attitude problem.

I think ours do it when we’re not in the kitchen but not when we’re around. They did it a lot when we first got them but I hissed in their face which they didn’t like and it’s deterred them!

I eventually managed to train my rescue cat not to jump on worktops by leaving precariously balanced baking trays on the edges so each time she jumped up the trays would fall with a loud crash and she would scuttle away sharpish.
It only took about a week before she stopped jumping up to the worktops but it was a very loud week and both the cat and I were constantly jumping with the sudden noise.

Three cats ago was easy to train and learned not to go on worktops and beds, and later not to go upstairs.

Last cat and current cat DGAF and went/go where they want to.

That’s quite ingenious @TreeWizard

I’ve just moved her cat tree into the kitchen so will see if that helps.

Yes I taught my two not to. When I was training them I started by hissing if I caught them, then upped my game to squirting them with water (not on their faces). Even though one of them though dodging the spray was a game at first, we got there in the end and now they never jump up (when we’re around).