Kittens on worktops

[Teenmam]

Any ideas how to stop this? Tin foil, sticky tape and baking trays haven't worked! Or do I just give up?

Why is this such a big deal for some? Wipe the counter down or just accept that you shouldn’t have cats. If you spray them they will grow to dislike you. If you let them burn their paws you are a monster.

Is this a cat thing then? because my female cat does this and I worry about her swallowing it so take any small bits she finds of her but she loves it.

One of my cats jumps on the worktops, although not as much as when he was a kitten, when it was constant. I would put him down but nothing really worked so I gave up.

Our cat food is in the kitchen as there is nowhere else to put it. We’ve had 3 and the only time we’ve had a problem was when we left food out, not thinking they’d go up there. Current cat can’t be bothered but that said we never prepare any food without cleaning down the worktops first as obviously we don’t know what she does when we’re not in.

Mine is passionate about the sticky tabs on pocket packets of tissues. We have to keep them put away or he eats them which I don’t think can be good for him

I think he just wondered if the bread rolls were something interesting! The Tupperware tub on the shelf is his treat tub and had to be implemented after we adopted him and realised he would claw open packs of Dreamies etc, wolf the lot, then throw up 🫠

Kitty never goes on worktops either.

The induction hob is covered & switched off at the wall when I’m not using it, & all food prep is done on chopping boards that live in a drawer. All fine.

I remember taking a leg of lamb from the oven and telling my husband 'Now make sure we keep the counters wiped because New Kitten might be attracted to the smell...'.

Turned around and New Kitten was standing ON the leg of lamb, chomping happily at it, like something off the African veldt... 🤦‍♀️

Gorgeous cat, @EmpressaurusKitty ! 😍

Thank you @Gribouille!

Accept that they need to know what’s going on in their territory. They’re very small, fragile predators so their instincts are a mix of hunting and being scared of potential threats. Closed doors or inaccessible worktops may be harbouring threats.

Mine are allowed to sit on the fish tank or the microwave, and any time they go anywhere else they get a firm no whilst they are gently moved. I don’t believe in scaring them (a mist spray is scary, that’s the point).

But I can’t see what’s happening when I’m out of the room, so most food prep gets done on chopping boards that are kept leaning upright when not in use, and if I need the worktop itself for bread or similar then you’d clean it first anyway, wouldn’t you?

They need to be up high where they can see what’s going on.

Although if anyone has any tips on how to stop our semi feral 8mo kitten from continually attacking the older cats…. Or how to protect every soft furnishing in the house getting shredded!

One of the cats watching her special human cooking the kids’ lunch. She got a tiny scrap of fish from a fish finger ❤️

Ours go on the dining room table too.. obviously if we are eating I lift them down. But its where admin, honework, lego building is done and they just like to be a part of everything. Especially like laying on the laptop or any paperwork I am trying to do!

My youngest has eotas in the home so the cats are always trying to join in, have sone funny pictures of them sticking heads in corn flour and getting involved with ooblek. They are super curious and have to be in my face and involved in everything.

This is them exploring the cat cakes we made to celebrate having the cats for a year.

The kitten is attacking as a way to play and it’s important for their learning and development. The older cats really need to step up and smack the kitten to teach some manners. That’s how they learn the pecking order. Humans shouldn’t do that of course. My only recommendation for soft furnishings is to have a variety of scratching pads, posts, and toys. They like to stretch and scratch a vertical post, and a horizontal pad. Give them a slipper or small cushion of their own, sprinkled with cat nip. With cats it’s all about redirecting their natural behaviour and never punishing them.

Not getting too close to the gas hobs but we hated this oven/grill because it gave the cats a place to have access to the grill. Stupid design anyway.

I use the P&F citrus spray in the kitchen and my two cats never go on the worktops. They do like to be up high though, and sit on the kitchen stools for their Dreamies!

Our cats do occasionally get in the work surface to get to the window if it's open but generally don't bother too much

I don't stress it too much, we prepare food on boards anyway

I think it is a cat thing.

Mine doesn’t often chew it, he kind of noses at it and occasionally licks it but in a very excited manner, almost like catnip. If he does chew it he doesn’t seem to chew bits off, it is more just biting down on it.

Sorry but this picture makes the cat look like he has a little willy 🤣 am I immature? Dont answer that.

He is a boy, but that is his tail 😂