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Cat Forum / General Topics / February 2007Cat Refuses to Stay Off Kitchen Table
I have a cat that is adament about hopping up on the kitchen table--not when we're eating, but often-times all other times she is HELL BENT on doing it. Tonight was the last straw. I heard a crashing noise and got-up to find that a plate on the table had crashed and hit the floor and broken--a plate that cost about $5 a piece. Every single time we catch her even NEAR the kitchen table she gets the water gun. She KNOWS she is not allowed there. She KNOWS. She just stubbornly refuses to do as we say. That did it. Now she's banished to the bathroom for the entire rest of the night to make sure she can't get into anything else. Is there anyway to really drill it into this cat's head--STAY OFF THE TABLE!! Period. I refuse to "cat-proof" it (meaning keep it clear under the assumption she's just going to keep doing it). I simply am not going to tolerate this disobedience. She KNOWS it's wrong, she's just pigheaded. She's going to find out really quickly--she's pig-headed, but I'm a lot bigger and I'm not going to give a single millimeter. Any ways to make her understand? LRH Okay well I broke down and let her out after awhile; I couldn't keep her locked up indefinitely. So she won't be spending the entire night in the bathroom. But I am considering--if need be--buying a flea collar and a dog leash and keeping her confined to a leash during the night if she can't straighten up and keep her tush off the kitchen tables. I'm serious about her not going up there, EVER. I did see some sites which suggested putting loose aluminum cans near the edge, or sticky carpeting tape. Is this what's commonly done? LRH << I did see some sites which suggested putting loose aluminum cans near the edge, or sticky carpeting tape. Is this what's commonly done >> "Aversion therapy"! Something unappealing to the cat but that does him/her no harm..... www.mimiforsyth.com > Okay well I broke down and let her out after awhile; I couldn't keep her > locked up indefinitely. So she won't be spending the entire night in the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > LRH You may find that this is a losing proposition. Despite what you think now, you may find yourself on thelosing side of this argument. After all, what will you do when you are out of the house? However, here is one thing you might try. Buy a couple of strips of that clear plastic carpet protector -- the kind that has little points as carpet "grippers" underneath. Place that on the table, pointy-side *up* whenever you are not using the table. It would take awhile, but this may discourage her from using the table. MaryL >You may find that this is a losing proposition. Despite what you think now, >you may find yourself on thelosing side of this argument. After all, what [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >MaryL Lets try this with you and see how you like it. Every time you do something you are not supposed to make you walk on a strip of nails. > >You may find that this is a losing proposition. Despite what you think now, > >you may find yourself on thelosing side of this argument. After all, what [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Lets try this with you and see how you like it. Every time you do > something you are not supposed to make you walk on a strip of nails. Actually, I agree. My cats are my babies and I have never found it necessary to do this. On the other hand, it really does not bother me to have them on the table. I simply clear the table between meals, then wipe the table or use place mats for eating. I do not try to keep my cats out of areas unless I think it would be dangerous to the cats (such as the surface of a hot stove, and I always keep a pan on hot burners for that reason); and they are wonderful cats that almost never create any problems. The reason I made this suggestion is that the OP sounded so frustrated that I was afraid her "solution" would be much worse -- she has talked about restraining her cat on a leash for extended periods, for example. I'm glad you responded, though, because I should have included this additional bit of information to the OP. That is, check the "points" and make sure you get the type that is not overly-sharp. Some are so sharp that I think a flying leap to land on them could even be injurious. MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly: >'o'< http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly) http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in") > > Lets try this with you and see how you like it. Every time you do > > something you are not supposed to make you walk on a strip of nails. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > her "solution" would be much worse -- she has talked about restraining her > cat on a leash for extended periods, for example. I used a plastic carpet strip with my cats. I did it points down because she didn't like walking on the plastic but the points were hardly sharp enough to do any damage. They are rubberized or soft plastic and they are rounded. If they could do damage they would also damage the surface so..... Can't imagine where whayface is getting her household items but she may want to shop elsewhere. As for keeping cats off of the table. I don't want my cats up there. It's an eating surface and I wouldn't put my feet up there so why should she? There is nothing wrong with having boundaries for your own comfort as well as the cats. I don't beat my cat if she does jump up there but I don't allow it either. AG > As for keeping cats off of the table. I don't want my cats up there. > It's an eating surface and I wouldn't put my feet up there so why > should she? There is nothing wrong with having boundaries for > your own comfort as well as the cats. I don't beat my cat if she > does jump up there but I don't allow it either. Exactly. The table is a "boundary," not just when I'm eating but because we aren't always clean-freakish enough to immediately clean behind ourselves and we don't want damage because they're hell-bent on going up there. There usually isn't scraps of food (chicken bones etc) up there, but frankly, even if there is--so what? If it's out of bouds and off-limits, it's out-of-bounds and off-limits. PERIOD. There wasn't at the time she jumped up there last night and broke a plate; she's just being plain stubborn. And again, **my** stubbornness and determination that things are going my way or else knows no bounds (shy of abuse naturally). I appreciate the tip about the water--about it having to be a surprise and not then associating it with the owner. I never thought of that, glad you mentioned it. That may explain some of it, because when using it we've had a tendency lately to show them the spray device and watch them run--and think we were doing it the right way. Now I know we weren't. I'd like the idea of a motion sensor thingie--heck, if they had one, despite the mess it would cause, I'd like one that when motion has been detected it sprays a garden-hose of water--not a water-gun, but a garden-hose amount of water--onto the offender everytime they jump up there. They'd surely get the message then. Whatever works, that's what I'm interested in. Thanks for the tips. In article <2mkrr5Fnqhb8U1@uni-berlin.de>, noone@noone.com sez the following stuff in this here li'l ole news'froup...! > > As for keeping cats off of the table. I don't want my cats up there. > > It's an eating surface and I wouldn't put my feet up there so why [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Whatever works, that's what I'm interested in. Thanks for the tips. the thing is, though- what DAMAGE will a cat do in jumping there? None. Unless he is piddling there, then certainly, while it may not cause damage, it would smell. The spray I mentioned to you would prevent the cat from jumping up there whether you are home or away, and solve the problem, resulting in two happy campers: you, and your cat.  SignatureWARNING: La religione Cattolica maledica la vostra anima da falso insegnamento. Fuga mentre dio ancora vi dà il tempo. ______________________________________________ Please visit my website at http://www.romath.com and sign the Guest Book!! AND-- send in YOUR encouraging TRUE stories to 'encouragement@romath.com' << cat on kitchen table >> > the thing is, though- what DAMAGE will a cat do in jumping there? Let's see: knocking over the condiments, drool in the sugar, muddy paw prints on the tablecloth, noseprint in the butter, fur everywhere... And there's the precedent, too; you don't want kitty jumping up while you're eating. Yes, you may have a well-behaved, clean cat... I know some well-behaved, clean people; doesn't mean I want them squatting naked on my kitchen table (well... very few of them anyways). > None. > > Unless he is piddling there, then certainly, while it may not cause > damage, it would smell. Dunno, I think cat pee is probably pretty damaging to finishes. And "remove cat piss from table" isn't one of the things you're supposed to have to do to prepare meals. Though that's not the problem anyways. > The spray I mentioned to you would prevent the cat from jumping up there > whether you are home or away, and solve the problem, resulting in two > happy campers: you, and your cat. Might work; I haven't that problem (the table's usually piled pretty high with stuff; any cat that jumps up there, the result is a minor landslide and a cat pelting out of the kitchen) pat Hey! Our cat used to do the same darned thing! We would squirt water at it, yada yada yada, to no avail. She hears us coming and jumps down. So, finally, I bought a 22 caliber pistol, and loaded it with bird shot. The shot only goes a hundred feet or so, and does not damage the walls that badly. Knowing that I have this pistol next to me is a great comfort....when the cat gets up on the table.....BAM! The frickin fur flies. It usually takes a couple of hours to clean up the blood and urine, and we generally end up picking shot out of her butt for an hour with tweezers and a magnifying glass, but I think she is really catching on. We did have an unfortunate event 2 nights ago, however. We have kind of a room dividing screen that covers about half the view of the table from my chair in the living area. Well, I swear all I saw was the cat jumping up on the table. I emptied the gun, I was so angry. What I did not see was that on the other side of the table, behind the room dividing screen, my mother-in-law was sitting drinking tea and shoving cookies in her mouth. The doctors say it should only take a few surgeries to get the muscles on the left side of her face to stop twitching. On the upside, she won't be sneaking cookies behind the room dividing screen anymore! Plus, it was nice to have a few nights to ourselves while she was in the Intensive care unit, bouncing perilously between life and death. Also, while in the emergency room, we learned some new methods for getting the shot out of flesh. All in all, I would say things are coming along nicely with our new training program! >Okay well I broke down and let her out after awhile; I couldn't keep her >locked up indefinitely. So she won't be spending the entire night in the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >LRH A leash? Will practically guarantee a strangled cat. Suggestion: sanitize your counters before using them and quit worrying so much. Any reason you have a cat and not a stuffed toy? To keep a cat tied up to a leash for any length of time is cruel and should not be tolerated. > Any reason you have a cat and not a stuffed toy? To keep a cat tied up to a > leash for any length of time is cruel and should not be tolerated. It wouldn't be necessary if she'd do as she's told and STAY OFF the table. She knows she's not allowed, for it I or my spouse come in the room and see her she immediately jumps down knowing she's been "caught." As I "told her"--I say that in quotes because obviously animals don't understand English--but anyway as I "told her" the other cat (who has NEVER been leashed) was allowed to roam because he has learned to not hop on the table and minds us better. He earned the right to go where he pleases; as long as you are going to be stubborn, you deserve this. I'll do it again if need be. If the other solutions work, fine--I don't want any hostilities as I like it MUCH BETTER when we're all being loving towards each other which we are most of the time. But the kitchen table is off-limits, and I'm not giving an inch on it. Period. >> Any reason you have a cat and not a stuffed toy? To keep a cat tied up to >a [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >each other which we are most of the time. But the kitchen table is >off-limits, and I'm not giving an inch on it. Period. You obviously were raised this way. However, you are not dealing with a child -- this is a cat. No matter how much we "baby" them and love them, they are still little animals Be glad for what they do learn but don't expect them to be actually children. In article <PX2Nc.58$8k.48@fed1read03>, noone@noone.com sez the following stuff in this here li'l ole news'froup...! > Okay well I broke down and let her out after awhile; I couldn't keep her > locked up indefinitely. So she won't be spending the entire night in the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > LRH Well, I am pleased to hear you let her back out of the can... But I do strongly suggest you try the spray method I posted about just before this reply to you. It DOES work. SignatureWARNING: La religione Cattolica maledica la vostra anima da falso insegnamento. Fuga mentre dio ancora vi dà il tempo. ______________________________________________ Please visit my website at http://www.romath.com and sign the Guest Book!! AND-- send in YOUR encouraging TRUE stories to 'encouragement@romath.com' > I have a cat that is adament about hopping up on the kitchen table--not when > we're eating, but often-times all other times she is HELL BENT on doing it. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > She's going to find out really quickly--she's pig-headed, but I'm a lot > bigger and I'm not going to give a single millimeter. When we moved to the new place, the cat that always insisted on jumping up onto the kitchen counter did her thing... and landed in a sinkful of dirty dishwater. Which has nothing to do with it but gives me a couple ideas... you could: - water the kitchen table between meals (if the surface can handle it) - buy one of those singing trouts or barking dogs; novelty toys which have a motion detector and make a noise when something comes close; that'll spook her right off. And of course make sure she does have something high up that she's allowed to sit on to "survey her world". pat In message <p66Nc.1226918$Ar.420829@twister01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com> rpl <plinnane3NO@SPAMyahoo.com> wrote: >- buy one of those singing trouts Talk about cruel and unusual punishment... :) SignatureIf you've had half as much fun reading this as I've had writing it, I've had twice as much fun as you. The squirt of water has to come out of nowhere...like an act of God. Once they can link the water to you and the squirt gun it stops working. Part of that "aversion therapy" another poster mentioned. I used to put aluminum foil down on surfaces I didn't want my cat on. I don't know if it's true of all cats but she didn't like walking on it. I also found that a plastic carpet runner would keep her off the pot shelves. Keep at it, she will eventually learn...errr..probably. Until then I might suggest not leaving anything out that she can damage. It's like having a two year old. Yeah you want them to learn and mostly they will but why continue to tempt fate? AG > I have a cat that is adament about hopping up on the kitchen table--not when > we're eating, but often-times all other times she is HELL BENT on doing it. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > LRH > I have a cat that is adament about hopping up on the kitchen table--not when > we're eating, but often-times all other times she is HELL BENT on doing it. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > LRH Hi, I hope you won't take this the wrong way...but, it sounds like you think you have a dog. Cats do not obey like dogs. They are smart though...my cat will only jump on the table when I am the only one here with her...never when other members of the house are here. Also, perhaps she is bored. Do you play with her enough? Maybe she needs more attention. Also, please never leave her alone with a leash on her....that could end up tragic. Shirley > > I have a cat that is adament about hopping up on the kitchen table--not > when [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > never leave her alone with a leash on her....that could end up tragic. > Shirley Why does everyone assume cats are not trainable? Why do we have to let them do whatever they want to do in order to be considered good pet owners? Puhleez. I agree that tying up a cat is a bad idea. Leashes should only be used when you are right there with them (and then it should be a harness) but there is absolutely nothing wrong with training a cat to stay off the table. NONE of my cats jumped on the counters or the kitchen table..not for very long anyway. I wasn't cruel, didn't tie them up or beat them ... I just put stuff up there they didn't like landing on and after a while they didn't even try. It's fine if you want to give your cat the run of the house..if you choose to live in your cats house and work around whatever it wants but I don't. My cat has to compromise to my needs same as I have to compromise for her (like giving up whatever portion of the bed she wants). AG [shwn at the end of this message] I agree with everything you say there, although we keep our bedroom door closed as none of the 2 cats are allowed in there at night. We don't mind them being in there "boundaries" wise but it's more that they interrupt our sleep and we don't want our sleep interrupted. If they could be in there in a way that they like AND that doesn't cause us to be awakened, I'd have no problem with it. But you're right--to be a responsible pet owner doesn't mean giving the animal the run of the house. We don't "co-exist" with them, we OWN them. This isn't San Francisco or some other loony-bin city I'm writing from--thank goodness. As for the leash, I'm asking seriously not as a smart-aleck--why is that dangerous? I should've suspected something given that you hear about dog leashes all the time but you NEVER hear about cat leashes. What is it about cats which makes it different? I really don't get any kick or whatever out of tying her up, but it's just that I am totally serious about not wanting her up there--no matter what is on the table, especially since it's not like there's 15 open cans of tuna up there or something. I just want her to stay down, period--regardless. The other one has learned, so can she. Tips? > Why does everyone assume cats are not trainable? Why do we have to let > them do whatever they want to do in order to be considered good pet [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > AG > [shwn at the end of this message] > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Tips? The thing with cats and leashes is they are more agile and limber than dogs. They also tend to freak out a bit. It's common for cats to get their collars hung up on stuff (hence the break away collars) and even more common for them to get leashes tangled up. It's just a real good way for them to injure themselves. You're better off closing one in a room or in a crate than tying one up, although locking them up doesn't usually work as a "training" tool. Try putting foil on the table. You won't have to always keep it up there, just until she decides it's no fun to jump up on it. If the foil doesn't work, keep trying different mediums until you find something she doesn't like. BTW.. I had a cat you was afraid of this stuffed dog. I don't know why.. too realistic or something. He was a freak though. Anyway, if there is something your cat seems afraid and is suitable to put on the table you can try that until she learns. AG <...> > But you're right--to be a responsible pet owner doesn't mean giving the > animal the run of the house. We don't "co-exist" with them, we OWN them. No argument there. "co-existing" might describe living in the backwoods, somewheres; "ownership" has all sorts of obligations for humans. <...> > As for the leash, I'm asking seriously not as a smart-aleck--why is that > dangerous? How often have you walked into the room and seen your German Shepherd crouched on top of the bookshelf? Does anybody's pot-bellied pig like to snooze on top of the tv ? While there undoubtedly are cats smart enough to say to themselves "hmm lets see; it's 4 feet from here to the back of the sofa then 3 feet to the table behind it and the leash is 5 feet long so I won't bother", I wouldn't count on it. A dog might get tangled up, but it won't hang itself. Even collars for cats are the "breakaway" kind, designed to come apart under stress. > I should've suspected something given that you hear about dog > leashes all the time but you NEVER hear about cat leashes. What is it about > cats which makes it different? There's a few people who participate in this newsgroup that do walk their cats on leashes; I doubt any of them would leave them tied up though. > I really don't get any kick or whatever out > of tying her up, Hope not, that'd put you in a different newsgroup, at the very least. I doubt that that works well anyways; while intelligent, the cat probably is not able to put two and two together like that and you don't want to get into the habit of having to physically prevent her from jumping on the table. You have to understand; to the cat it's not a dining room table, it's a large flat surface with a good view where it can hang out without having to worry about getting stepped or sat on, tripped over or moved because somebody else wants to sit there. Maybe she's only doing it to get attention; heck I don't know; your cat. > but it's just that I am totally serious about not wanting > her up there--no matter what is on the table, especially since it's not like > there's 15 open cans of tuna up there or something. I just want her to stay > down, period--regardless. Providing her a place where she can be "up" without greatly interfering with you might be an idea. pat > <...> > > Providing her a place where she can be "up" without greatly interfering > with you might be an idea. > > pat This is a good point. Does the cat have a cat tree? They provide a cat with the high "vantage point" favored by cats and also provide good exercise (and play). MaryL > > <...> > > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > with the high "vantage point" favored by cats and also provide good exercise > (and play). I was going to say the same thing. The first thing you are supposed to ask yourself when "untraining" a bad behavior is why. If there isn't anything on the table that the cat could be interested in than the chances are she just wants to climb. Doh! When I was teaching Sasha I would just lift her off the table and put her in her cat tree. (I didn't want to yell or squirt her because she was a rather skittish rescue) I haven't seen any trace of her on the table in a long time. Good call Pat. AG | > <...> | > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] | | MaryL Our cats like to sit on placemats. It's not hygienic, so I put them away. Problem solved because they don't like the bare surface. In the kitchen I'm near water so I wet my hands and flick the fingers at the cats. They don't like that. Now I don't even have to wet the hands anymore, the movement is enough to scare them off. Carola > I have a cat that is adament about hopping up on the kitchen table--not when > we're eating, but often-times all other times she is HELL BENT on doing it. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > LRH I had a similar problem with my kitten climbing onto the computer desk. What finally worked is a jar with some pennies. I just shook the jar and the noise scared the cat, who eventually lost interest in hopping up. Adam In article <2mjla6Fnjju7U1@uni-berlin.de>, noone@noone.com sez the following stuff in this here li'l ole news'froup...! > Any ways to make her understand? Spray the table with 'cat-be-gone' or other ismilar spray which gives off an odor (to the CAT only) which cats detest. Locking him in the bathroom all night will not only make the cat miserable, but is cruel. SignatureWARNING: La religione Cattolica maledica la vostra anima da falso insegnamento. Fuga mentre dio ancora vi dà il tempo. ______________________________________________ Please visit my website at http://www.romath.com and sign the Guest Book!! AND-- send in YOUR encouraging TRUE stories to 'encouragement@romath.com' >Subject: Re: Cat Refuses to Stay Off Kitchen Table >romath@idunnoromath.com >Newsgroups: alt.cats >Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2004 13:40:35 romath writes: >In article <2mjla6Fnjju7U1@uni-berlin.de>, noone@noone.com sez the=20 >following stuff in this here li'l ole news'froup...! [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >and sign the Guest Book!! AND-- send in YOUR=20 >encouraging TRUE stories to 'encouragement@romath.com' My girl cat sometimes gets on the table. When I catch her, I give her kisses on the side of her little velvet face. If I see her on the table, and, she jumps off and runs away, I tell her: "You owe me kisses". And, she knows what I am saying, too. She doesn't mind kisses, unless she gets them for being caught on the table. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ==================================================== "Don't mistake kindness for weakness" Please visit CORRECTIONS BULLETIN BOARD: http://nadacomin.0catch.com/ >In article <2mjla6Fnjju7U1@uni-berlin.de>, noone@noone.com sez the >following stuff in this here li'l ole news'froup...! [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >Locking him in the bathroom all night will not only make the cat >miserable, but is cruel. Set some empty cans balanced right on the edge on the table so the cat will knock them off if he even brushes against them. Even better is to use a can with a lid (like a coffee can) and put some coins inside. No one's mentioned what I just suggested in another thread. ScatMats! These are low voltage (9v) mates that produce a *mild* shock when walked on. They don't hurt but sure do discourage cats when placed on areas they should not be on. I used one on my kitchen table for about a week and eliminated the table-sitting altogether. I got two of these from eBay. No one's mentioned what I just suggested in another thread. ScatMats! These are low voltage (9v) mats that produce a *mild* shock when walked on. They don't hurt but sure do discourage cats when placed on areas they should not be on. I used one on my kitchen table for about a week and eliminated the table-sitting altogether. I got two of these from eBay. No one's mentioned what I just suggested in another thread. ScatMats! These are low voltage (9v) mats that produce a *mild* shock when walked on. They don't hurt but sure do discourage cats when placed on areas they should not be on. I used one on my kitchen table for about a week and eliminated the table-sitting altogether. I got two of these from eBay. If you see him up there spray him with a water gun and say "NO" as if you really meant it....that might work.................Janet > >In article <2mjla6Fnjju7U1@uni-berlin.de>, noone@noone.com sez the > >following stuff in this here li'l ole news'froup...! [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > will knock them off if he even brushes against them. Even better is to > use a can with a lid (like a coffee can) and put some coins inside. |
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