How to keep cats off kitchen counters? It is the nature of cats to find a vantage point like a kitchen countertop. The tops of counters, tables, and cabinets are ideal places to investigate the area. They can resist enemy attacks such as house dogs and vacuum cleaners. Cats may also be attracted to kitchen counters because they already know that they are a good place to find delicious breadcrumbs. If you want kittens to put their paws outside the counter, please do the following. Provide another lounge. Since jumping and climbing are part of the normal behavior of cats, you must provide appropriate options. Otherwise, feline friends may continue to jump on the table. Carpet, attached to the window.
It is the nature of cats to find a vantage point like a kitchen countertop.
The tops of kitchen counters, tables, and cabinets are ideal places to investigate the area. They can resist enemy attacks such as house dogs and vacuum cleaners.
Cats may also be attracted to kitchen counters because they already know that they are a good place to find delicious breadcrumbs.
If you want kittens to put their paws outside the counter, please do the following.
Why do cats want to enter the kitchen?
There is an owner
When observing cats, it is overwhelmingly that cats enter the kitchen when their owners are in the kitchen.
Cats are often said to “like one person,” but to be precise, they only want to spend time alone, and basically, they like to spend time with their owners.
Therefore, if the owner enters the kitchen, the cat will want to enter the kitchen as well. It is not uncommon for children to like watching their owners do tasks such as washing bowls.
Lots of things that cats are interested in
There are many things in the kitchen that are of interest to cats.
The food smells good, and the rattling plastic bag makes cats excited. In addition, some children are fascinated by the many cooking utensils such as ladles and spoons and play with them.
There are many things in the trash can that cats are interested in. Cats feel like playing when they have something like that.
The kitchen is full of danger for cats!
Risk of accidental ingestion and accidental ingestion
A kitchen is a place where food is placed, and there are many plastic bags and paper bags that contain them. If you leave them in the kitchen, there is a risk that the cat will eat them.
Of course, wraps and plastic bags should not be eaten, and there are many things such as sweets and bread that cats should not eat, although eating them does not immediately harm their health. Without proper management, a kitchen full of food can be a risk of accidental ingestion. In the unlikely event that you accidentally eat it, you may have to undergo surgery if it is toxic or indigestible, or in the worst case, you may die. Be sure to put away dangerous things and go to a veterinary clinic as soon as you feel something is wrong.
Burn
Burns in the kitchen are not uncommon. Fire is used for cooking, but there is a danger that the fire will be transferred to the cat’s hair when using a gas stove.
Also, since the current gas stove is equipped with a switch, there seems to be an accident in which a cat attaches it without permission. Not only is there a risk of cat burns, but there is also the risk of a fire at home.
Many people are using cooking heaters instead of gas stoves. You can’t see the fire in the heater, but it’s not safe, and the surface is quite hot because you can cook.
Since the cooking heater is flat and shaped so that cats can easily ride on it, there is a risk that a child who does not know that it is hot may get on or walk on it.
Injury
The kitchen is a place to cook, so it’s a place where you can find a lot of things to cut, such as kitchen knives and scissors, as well as chopsticks and spoons.
They can injure cats. It’s obvious that kitchen knives and scissors are dangerous, but chopsticks and spoons can also be dangerous to cats.
Is it possible to discipline cats from entering the kitchen?
Cat training is difficult
It is almost impossible to discipline a cat. Some people say that you can discipline by complimenting or experiencing something you don’t like, but in my experience, it is almost impossible to discipline like a dog.
Cats, of course, understand that they are being scolded and praised, so it is possible for a child who dislikes nail clippers, for example, to be able to do nail clippers quietly.
But cats are not as loyal to their owners as dogs. The characteristic of cats is that they want to do what they want at that time. Therefore, the moment when I was angry that I should not enter the kitchen, the owner may stop entering the kitchen because I am scared, but if I want to do it, I will repeat the same thing as many times as I want.
It can be quite difficult to discipline cats from entering the kitchen without doors or dividers on their own initiative.
The only way to prevent cats from entering the kitchen is to physically prevent them from entering the kitchen. Such as by installing doors and dividers or to prevent cats from entering the kitchen.
How to keep cats off kitchen counters
There are multiple methods you can try on your home to prevent your cat from entering your kitchen. Here 10 tips you can try
1. Provide another lounge
Since jumping and climbing are part of the normal behavior of cats, you must provide appropriate choices, otherwise feline friends may continue to jump on the table.
Carpets, cat tree furniture attached to windowsills, or kitten shelves are two options that can replace your favorite counter.
2. Make the counter less attractive
If your cat is looking around the kitchen counter for snacks, make sure to clean the counter thoroughly and don’t let the food sit idle.
If she likes to stare out of the window or take a nap in the sun, please close the blinds or draw down the curtains.
There are many simple ways to make the counter less attractive.
Try to place the bakeware on the edge of the counter so that when your cat jumps up, it will fall on them. The bed sheet will move and may fall, making noises, and the cat will learn to associate with the counter.
Countertops lined with tin foil, upside-down plastic carpet protectors or placemats covered with double-sided tape can also play a deterrent effect. After a few weeks, when the cat learns that the counter is no longer a comfortable lounge, you can remove these items.
ASPCA also recommends the use of “environmental punishers,” such as The Snappy Trainer or ScatMat. These devices can stop cats from jumping on the counter even when you are not at home, so your pet will not learn to just wait until you are away.
3. Use partitions to prevent intrusion
If your kitchen doesn’t have doors , one way to keep your cat safe is to use partitions and dividers to physically keep cats out.
It seems that some people who are good at DIY make their own partitions, but it may be difficult for amateurs because there are many places in the kitchen where you have to make partitions and the size is large.
4. Do not leave food
Don’t leave foods that cats don’t normally eat, such as sweets and bread, and make sure they are stored in drawers or cupboards.
Some cats are interested in human food and may tear the bag and eat it. And even if you’re not so interested in human food, you may end up playing pranks in your spare time.
For the health of cats, we recommend that you do not leave food in the kitchen and store it properly.
5. In a cage while cooking
Some cats climb the counter while cooking. It is difficult to discipline and understand that you should not climb, so it is a good idea to keep such children in cages while cooking.
Cooking is something we cook every day, and if the cat gets frustrated each time, neither the owner nor the cat will be happy.
There is no particular problem even if you stay in the cage while cooking, so I think that I can live happily if the owner gives priority to cooking comfortably and not scolding the cat.
6. Wash immediately
Don’t leave food-smelling things, such as leaving the wash in the sink.
However, there are some children who are fascinated by the treatment even if they are treated properly. So it is recommended to spray a bitter-tasting spray on the sink to prevent the cat from getting into the sink.
7. Use balloons
I will leave the dinner of my roommate, who comes home late at night on the counter without putting it in the refrigerator. So I made a barrier on the counter using balloons so that the cat would not go up to the kitchen counter.
Tape a large balloon as shown in the picture from one end of the counter to the other. I thought I couldn’t jump over the balloons because I was blocking them with balloons, but the cat climbed through the gap between the balloons!
However, the next day, when the balloons were lined up on the entire counter instead of as a barrier, they didn’t come up.
This balloon countermeasure can be used not only in the kitchen but also in places where you want to avoid cats, such as on furniture or sofas that you do not want to climb.
However, while this measure is effective, the disadvantage is the storage location for balloons.
I want to continue for a week or two until the cat remembers, “I can’t climb here,” so having balloons here and there in the daytime can be quite annoying.
8. Use bells
Place the bookends on the edges of the kitchen counter and tie them with thread or string.
If you attach a bell to the thread, even if you can’t block it with the thread, the bell will tell you when the cat climbs the counter.
However, even if you are surprised at the sound of the bell at first, it will not be very effective as you get used to it.
I was expecting it because the cat actually avoided the thread and jumped, and it didn’t take much time. But it was less effective than the balloons and ended up with a disappointing result.
9. Use double-sided tape
Use double-sided tape or single-sided tape on a board or corrugated cardboard with a sheet of double-sided tape.
Just put this where you want to avoid the cat.
Cats feel very uncomfortable when they stick to the tape and can’t walk.
Like balloons, it can be used anywhere you don’t want a bed, sofa, cat or dog to come.
In the case of my cat, it’s the bedside of the bed. With this, cats will never sleep on it.
This was very effective.
10. Use aluminum foil
This is my roommate’s idea, and I haven’t tried it yet, but cats don’t like the sound of aluminum foil.
If you tape the aluminum foil on drawing paper and leave it in the kitchen, you will hate the sound and avoid it.
Ideally, all of these measures should last for a week or two.
I thought about continuing to take measures against balloons. But balloons inevitably got in the way during the daytime, and now I put double-sided tape on corrugated cardboard and put it on the entire counter.
I haven’t mentioned it so far, but I think that the results of each measure will differ depending on the character of the cat.
If you have the same problem, please try various things.
What not to do
Do not push, hurt, drive away or spray the cat with water. You can hurt your pet, and cats usually learn to fear you-not at the counter.
In addition, if your kitty is particularly annoying, don’t use an environmental punisher. The cat may not even want to enter the room, which may cause anxiety.
Manage your kitchen well for your cat!
The kitchen is a place where there are many things that cats are interested in, but in reality it is a place that is not a little dangerous for cats.
Unless you have partitions and doors, it’s inevitable that cats will enter the kitchen. With that in mind, let’s strengthen safety measures.
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