Scat Mat....opinions

[moosmom]

I read somewhere where you take a sink mat and cover it in double sided tape and put it on the counters. The cats do not like the stickiness on their paws and will not likely jump back up once they know it's there. Alot cheaper than the scat mat and it works.

Another suggestion is taping aluminum foil on the counters. Put pennies in a soda can and leave them up there. Cats don't like the noise.

[mruffruff]

A less expensive mat is called a Sofa Scram. DrsFosterSmith.com have them. They emit a loud sound when stepped on instead of a little shock that Scat Mats use. The Sofa Scram costs $29.99. Mine works as long as the cat isn't smart enough to step around it

[happylabs]

What is the purpose of it?

[mruffruff]

When a cat steps on it, it scares them off. I use mine on the kitchen counter. They learn that it isn't a good place to go and you should be able to (eventually) remove the mat.

[happylabs]

When a cat steps on it, it scares them off. I use mine on the kitchen counter. They learn that it isn't a good place to go and you should be able to (eventually) remove the mat.

Oh...okay. I don't need one then. Knock-on-wood...none of my cats have ever gotten onto the kitchen counters or had an interest in it.

[Catlady711]

I tried a Scat Mat from Dr's Foster & Smith back when Pooky & Bear were about 6-7 months old (2002). I think I paid like $60 or so for it at the time.

It worked really great at first and I thought 'ah ha' no more kitties on the counters. But then I started seeing them up there, walking right across the mat!! I checked, nope batteries a-ok. I finally turned it up to the highest setting figuring they were just used to the darn thing. You'd think the Doberman setting would sufficiently keep a cat off a counter right? NOPE.

Turns out Pooky & Bear were too smart. Bear has dainty feet, despite his large size, and was able to walk within the 1" space between wires. (the cat has to contact 2 or more wires to get zapped).

What had me baffled was how Pooky was managing to get across it with those huge, extra toed mitts of his. Well apparently he had so much FUR between his toes it insulated his pads from the wires. As far as the mat was concerned it didn't detect a cat on it, and I couldn't bring myself to trim the fur as I've always thought it was cute.

Fortunately Dr's Foster & Smith has a great return policy and since it was within the return period I simply returned it for my full refund, less the shipping cost I originally paid. Given that return policy I wasn't out alot of money to try it and see if it would work.

[Catsnclay]

It worked really great at first and I thought 'ah ha' no more kitties on the counters. But then I started seeing them up there, walking right across the mat!! I checked, nope batteries a-ok. I finally turned it up to the highest setting figuring they were just used to the darn thing. You'd think the Doberman setting would sufficiently keep a cat off a counter right? NOPE.

Turns out Pooky & Bear were too smart. Bear has dainty feet, despite his large size, and was able to walk within the 1" space between wires. (the cat has to contact 2 or more wires to get zapped).

Ah, see this is what I am afraid of too. Majerle is smarter than the average bear......spraying him in the face with water.....he LIKES it!!! Needless to say, that didn't work. Then I tried the rolled up newspaper, smacking it on the counter when he got up there......nope, didn't bother him at all, thought we were playing!

Apparently Majerle thinks the only way to get around the kitchen is to jump from counter top, to Island, back to another counter top...... who exactly taught him this is unbestknown to me since both Yoshi & Taz knew better from day one, plus it doesn't hurt that they are terrified of the water bottle.

Majerle is just a few months away from being a year old, and out house has been turned upside down trying to train him, or better yet he has taught us what HE wants to do in such a shor time.

I am either getting too old for a kitten or Majerle just likes to gaslamp me!!!! Either way I wouldn't trade him for the world.......then again ask me that when he is acting up........