Cats are notoriously hard to train. No matter what you do, it can feel like your cats just won’t listen to you. If you’re having trouble keeping your kitties off your kitchen counters, here are a few tips to teach them to stay away!
No Negative Reinforcement
Don’t try to use negative reinforcement to train cats. While pushing them down, using a spray bottle on them, or yelling at them can all get immediate results, it’s not a sustainable form of training. All this does is stress your cats out and won’t address the underlying behavior.
Aluminum Foil
Cats don’t like walking over certain textures. One such texture is aluminum foil! You can try setting up sheets of foil around your counters to discourage your cats from jumping up there. Once you’ve broken their habit, you can remove the foil.
Different Smells
In addition to different textures, you can try mixing up the smells on your counters to ward off your cats. Using cat-safe essential oils in a diffuser can throw off your kitty’s sense of smell and make them less likely to climb up on the counters.
Block Sunbeams
Some cats like climbing up onto high places to find nice, warm sunbeams to lay in. Try blocking the sunbeams that hit your countertops and opening blinds or drapes in other parts of the house to give your cat a better place to sunbathe. This will give them plenty of great alternatives and discourage them from getting on the counter.
New Toys
Your cat might be climbing up onto the counter because they’re bored, and they get your attention when they do it. You can help address this boredom by getting them some new toys. Consider getting them puzzle toys that drop treats when played with, too!
No Food
Don’t keep food on the counter where cats can easily access it. Try storing food in a bread box or in cabinets away from curious kitties. Many cats only get on the counter to get to the yummy human food they find up there!
Faucet Tips
In addition to food, some cats climb the counter to get to the kitchen faucet. Cats are naturally drawn to running water, so one way you can keep them off the counter is by keeping their water fresh and not letting your faucet drip!
Move Step Ladders
Don’t keep any chairs or stools near the counter that make it easy for your cat to jump up up there. If you make it more difficult for them to access the area, they’re less likely to go there.
Read More: Helping Your Kitty Cope: 10 Tips for Easing Separation Anxiety
Provide Alternatives
Cats like hanging out in elevated areas. Make sure they have plenty of perches in the house! Consider getting them a cat tree if they don’t already have one. If you have multiple cats, consider getting a few cat trees so everyone has their own private perches!
Read More: 10 Ways to Stop a Cat from Scratching the Furniture
Clicker Training
Another option for training cats is to use positive reinforcement through clicker training. When your cat gets on the counter, tempt them back to the floor with a treat or a favorite toy. When they get their reward, use a clicker to make a distinctive sound. Eventually, they’ll associate the clicker sound with getting off the counter and you won’t even need the reward!
Read More: How to Discipline a Cat the Right Way
