Won't stay off the counters

[dragonchilde]

I adore my cats. I pamper them. They're all so sweet! but my youngest, Noodles, has started becoming an absolute NUISANCE! He's so destructive. It's worse at night, but he does it during the day as well.

He gets on EVERY surface in this house and knocks things down to play with them. The kitchen counter (EEW), the bathroom counter, the table, coffee table, everything. Last night, when my husband stepped outside to check the grill, he jumped into the sink, stole one of our steaks, and ran off with it to share with the other cats! We are very poor, and just plain can't afford to replace things like steaks! That hurts us, a lot. He also turns over the trash can (he did it FOUR TIMES the other day.) We've put the trash on the back porch, and try to keep the house clean, but this morning there were cups on the floor, a hat from another counter, and several things knocked off the coffee table.

The problem is that we can't catch him to discipline him. My first thought was a supersoaker, because he hasn't figured out that water from the sky = us. The problem is, if he hears us coming at ALL, he runs. It's a small house, and there's just no way to sneak up on him. As soon as he hears a door open, I hear the "thud" of him jumping from the counter.

And I can't be up all night to try and catch him. We are planning on setting up the back porch as a night prison for him and his big brother (who doesn't do anything, just takes advantage of what Noodles does), but that's not going to stop it during the day. I can't keep them back there all the time!

Please, does anyone have any idea what we can do? We tried tape on the coffee table, which helped, but I can't tape every single surface in my house.

[neko1]

Ah the counter "thud". My cats are notorious counter kitties. They don't knock anything down but they love to sit on the stove and look for scraps of food. They see us preparing food on the counter and as soon as we turn our backs, boom! they're up on the counter. Every morning when I get up and open the bedroom door, I hear the "thud".

The water bottle thing never worked for us either because they would always jump off as soon as they heard us make the slightest movement. And when they jump off, they run. They know they're not supposed to be on the counters, but they're cats and they do what they want. :o

[Jessika]

There is a product you can buy called "scat mats" or "x-mat"

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=10301&N=2002+2017

More training products:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2002+2017

It's basically a little plastic sheet with raised bumps on it and when the cat jumps and lands on it they DO NOT like the feeling on their little paws so it makes it an undesireable place to be!

I have not personally used these products so I can't say how well they do or do not work from a personal perspective but they look promising!

[Cubby'sMom]

Oh I know how stressful this is. My cat is extremely clumsy, especially with his tail. He'll jump up onto my dresser and he usually knocks something over every once in awhile. I've read that cats don't like the smell of citrus, maybe you could use that to keep your cats off the counter?

[Glacier]

We used to use a scat mat. It was very effective until Onyx peed on the battery pack. It was turned off at the time, so it didn't hurt Onyx, but the scat mat is dead!

Not we use SSSSSCAT Spray. It's basically a can of compressed air. There is a motion detector on the top of the bottle. When it senses movement it emits a high pitch squeal, if the cat doesn't leave, it lets out a blast of compressed air. Doesn't hurt the cat at all, but it's very effective. We leave ours set to just make the noise now and it still works.

[Medusa]

Dr. LeBeau claims that cats don't like aluminum foil and that, if you put it where they'll walk on it, they'll stay away from that area. You might try taping sheets of it to your countertop for a while and see what happens. I doubt that it'd work for me. I used to roll it up into a ball for my cats to play with. :rolleyes:

Blessings,
Mary

[Jessika]

Dr. LeBeau claims that cats don't like aluminum foil and that, if you put it where they'll walk on it, they'll stay away from that area. You might try taping sheets of it to your countertop for a while and see what happens. I doubt that it'd work for me. I used to roll it up into a ball for my cats to play with. :rolleyes:

Blessings,
Mary

Yeah but a ball of aluminum foil is not the same as them walking on it, so that's a good idea and just might work! :D

[JenBKR]

Both of mine love the kitchen counter, and occasionally, the kitchen table :eek: I tried spraying Pam on the counter (I heard that the texture would deter them); they licked it up (I think they actually liked it!). I put aluminum foil, they played with it. I tried to squirt them with a water bottle, they'd run but then come right back. Then I tried two sided sticky tape. I put some on the counter, and when they jumped up there they got stuck to the tape and had trouble getting away. After a little while they quit walking all over the counter all the time. They do still get up there every once in a while (they love to lay in the window behind the sink) but it is much better.

[Medusa]

Hmmm...never thought of that. I may have to try it. When I squirt Coco Puff, he just squints and braces himself as if to say "Go ahead. Hit me w/your best shot." :eek:

Blessings,
Mary