Advice needed before my boyfriend loses it!

[Taz_Zoee]

I've mentioned it in another thread. Jax will not stay off the kitchen counters. We've tried the squirt bottle. It worked at first then he just sat there and licked the water off himself.
If I'm home and walk into the kitchen he knows and will jump down (not quick enough though). And my boyfriend works at home and does his work at the kitchen table. He is constantly yelling and pounding on the table to get Jax off the counter. It happens so often, he'd get a work-out if he got up and went over to him EVERY time. Nothing phases this cat. NOTHING! And I'm not going to beat the little thing, of course.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what we can do to discourage him from getting on the counter? Oh, he does it anytime, not just when there is something of yummy interest involved.

My previous experience with this (with Taz) was he was sneaky about getting on the counter. I would only see the paw prints on the glass stove top as evidence. Paizly doesn't really ever get up there, but if she does she jumps down if she even hears someone coming in. I've gone stomping into the kitchen when Jax is up there and he'll cower down in the ready-to-jump position, but won't actually get down until I'm on top of him.

Thanks!! And if I get some ideas, I promise I'll update the photo thread of him. It's long overdue.

[Kfamr]

You know those clear plastic runners for carpets that have grippers on the bottom? Try putting those, gripper side up, on the surfaces you dont want him to jump on. Most cats don't like the feeling of the grippers (but it doesn't hurt them) so they avoid them and the surfaces after a while.

[moosmom]

Aluminum foil with on the counters along with soda cans filled with pennies. They hate both sounds.

[katladyd]

Yep, aluminum foil works every time!

[Laura's Babies]

^Worked for me to keep them away from behind my computer desk too! ^

[kitten645]

I've tried foil and no dice. Some cats don't care. At the risk of cruelty accusations there are "scat pads" that deliver a mild shock when the stand on them. I do have a motion activated alarm that sounds when they jump but it's more on a sofa situation. Maybe you could spray the counter with a citrus smell. They are supposed to hate that though my foster ignored it. Just some suggestions...pics pleez? LOL

[Taz_Zoee]

I don't know about putting plastic stuff all along the kitchen counter. Although, I wonder if you can cut it and just lay it along the edge. It wouldn't have to be there permanently, right?

And what do you mean with the aluminum foil? Do what with it? Lay it out all over the counter? If that's the case, I don't think Bruce would go for that. But I could always suggest it if he wants him to stay off the counter.

I thought of the noisy soda can, but Taggart is so jumpy with loud sudden noises and so is Zoee sometimes. And honestly, I think after he learned it won't hurt him he wouldn't even care. I've gone up to him while he was on the counter yelling right in his face and blowing on him. He hardly moved. And when I say yelling, I just said OFF!

Thanks for the ideas!! Keep 'em coming.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Aluminum foil with on the counters along with soda cans filled with pennies. They hate both sounds.

My silly cats love aluminum foil!!! I've given up on keeping them off the counters. I've squirted them with water until they dripped. They love it.
I just lock them out of the kitchen and wipe down everything before I cook anything. They aren't allowed back in until all food is put away and dishes are done. Might not be the best solution but it works for us.

[Taz_Zoee]

It's not the dirty paws and food preparation that bothers me. It's just the idea of the cat up there where food is prepared in general. I don't know why. Maybe it's from growing up with no animals aloud in the house AT ALL. We never had animals in the house until my sister was an adult and brought home the min pin puppy. Now none of the animals live outside. Oh, except the horse.

I can't close the kitchen. There are no doors! LOL Like I said, I'm going to give these suggestions to Bruce and see what he thinks. Even if it doesn't keep him off the counter forever, it might just help while Bruce is in there working so he won't have to wrangle him all the time.

[Craftlady]

I have some feeding dishes placed on the kitchen counter (out of Coco's reach, he LOVES cat food, silly dog). They hop on everything, other counter and refrigerator top. I just clean off the surfaces with handy Clorox wipes when I am ready to prepare food. It would be a losing battle with my gang of 6 if I tried to keep them off of stuff.

Foil never worked, they loved the touch, sound.