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Off the counter

Melonie

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Any tips on keeping the cats off the counters and kitchen table? I cannot leave anything out of they get into it. All bread and whatnot is locked up. I can't leave dirty dishes in the sink. The will even lick the dish soap. They are always up there. They act like they are starving when they are free fed and get canned everyday.
If I cook dinner and go to the bathroom or something they are all up there licking out of the pan or bowl. They ate a whole plate of spaghetti while I had answered the front door. I am sick of naughty cats. At this point between the scratching and the getting on the counters and being naughty they are making it so they have to be locked up most of the time. I can't leave them out when I am not at work, I can't leave them out when I cook or eat or do dishes. I can't leave them out at night. So that leaves?
 

ckutkuhn7

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oh goodness,,,might be squirty bottle time for some tough love training. Or maybe those kitty hiss can things - I'm sure someone here on the lair knows what Im talking about. I would try that before the squirty bottle.

I know how you feel tho, I was making a pitcher of cold brew tea today and left the pitcher in the sink with the lid off - I was sitting watching TV while it was "brewing" and happen to look up and see Snuffie in the sink trying to fish out my tea bags with her paws. Both front legs, elbows deep in my tea!!!!!!!!!!! I got up and was going to take a photo before schooing her off but she heard me and knew she was in trouble and hopped down. Halarious look on her face tho - BUSTED! LOL

I normally let her on the counters and table. We never sit and eat at the table anyhow and if we do I give it a good scrub and as for the counters I always give a good wipedown prior to cooking/working and she knows not to get up there when I'm in there so I haven't had any issues. The main reason I don't make her stay off the counters - there is a window right off the counter and she can sit there and watch her morning birds get their worms..she loves it and I just cant tell her no. lol
 

holly_savage

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Sorry I am of no help...

Hibou scratches the chairs all the time. And we went with that double sided tape stuff...well we'd have to cover the chairs, and we have 4 of them!
Kokka is good and only scratches the scratching posts / things we have provided.

As for the counters...Kokka can't reach (yet) and Hibou is up there all the time. We've given up trying to stop it and just make sure we don't leave things out that she likes.

SO we are bad parents, and mostly let them do what they want...it's less work to put things away than to keep them off the counters.
 

ckutkuhn7

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SO we are bad parents, and mostly let them do what they want...it's less work to put things away than to keep them off the counters.

Well I don't think your bad parents - I do the same thing. Its easier for us to be responsible and keep things put up then to get after them 24/7.
 

Melonie

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Mostly I am worried about them getting burned on the stove top. It just is frustrating that they are always getting into stuff like I starve them. We always sit at the table to eat so its annoying to have 3 cats sitting there eating off your plate. They know they can get food from my son easily and are always stealing things from him. When I used sticky tape they just found every little spot that didn't have any on it.
 

ckutkuhn7

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Mostly I am worried about them getting burned on the stove top. It just is frustrating that they are always getting into stuff like I starve them. We always sit at the table to eat so its annoying to have 3 cats sitting there eating off your plate. They know they can get food from my son easily and are always stealing things from him. When I used sticky tape they just found every little spot that didn't have any on it.

I'm not a big advocate of this but I do think I'd try to squirt bottle. It can make your cats scared of water but it sounds like you really have your hands full and I would rather tough out a bathtime then have kitties swarming my plate like starved youngins or getting a awful burn from the stove. Be careful squirting them around the stove tho - it could just make them jump right where you dont want them too! Just my two cents..........
 

Melonie

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I am guilty of squirting them with the spray thing from the sink, so now they still get on the counters but if I even seem like I may be heading that way they all scatter. I have had cats before that never got on the counter ever!
 

ckutkuhn7

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I am guilty of squirting them with the spray thing from the sink, so now they still get on the counters but if I even seem like I may be heading that way they all scatter. I have had cats before that never got on the counter ever!

Yea I understand that! lol

I had hairy cats (DSH) for years and they never got on the counters nor would I allow it. Since Snuffie is hairless and I keep everything put up from her I don't really mind if she sits up there and looks out the window,,she needs to stay away from my tea tho! lol
 

Melonie

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There is only my son and I that live here and honestly we rarely have dirty dishes and so usually I let them in the sink for a few days because I HATE dishes and I hate washing like 1 or 2 every day so I get annoyed with them licking the dirty dishes and now I think I know why they all had the squirts if they enjoy drinking soapy dish water. :ThumbsDown:
 

holly_savage

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the stove thing makes me nervous too. We have a gas range and I happen to catch Hibou on the counter the other day as I was cooking up some KD. The blue flickering flames were getting her attention, but as she cautiously got closer, the heat deterred her and she jumped down. I hope Kokka is as smart when her time comes...mind you she is definately more bold than Hibou.
 

ckutkuhn7

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the stove thing makes me nervous too. We have a gas range and I happen to catch Hibou on the counter the other day as I was cooking up some KD. The blue flickering flames were getting her attention, but as she cautiously got closer, the heat deterred her and she jumped down. I hope Kokka is as smart when her time comes...mind you she is definately more bold than Hibou.

YIKES! Yea that is scary. My parents were here a few weekends ago and Snuffie decided to sniff out the coffee pot and touch her nose to it. Thankfully she jumped quick enough it didnt blister or anything but I was worried for a few hours...she doesnt go near it now and I haven't even used it since. lol

I always put someone on Stove duty if I have to leave the kitchen while Im cooking, I rarely cook when Im home alone so Im thankful to have that luxury.
 

Melonie

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I have one cat that is so weird he LOVES anything hot. He used to try and sit up under my bearded dragons light that was like 100 degrees. He sits under my bedside lamp and I have caught him sitting right on the oven when I was baking something because it was warm. He acts like he is freezing all the time. I get cold really easy so my house is always on the warm side. It is 85 degrees out right now and my AC is off.
 

ckutkuhn7

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I have one cat that is so weird he LOVES anything hot. He used to try and sit up under my bearded dragons light that was like 100 degrees. He sits under my bedside lamp and I have caught him sitting right on the oven when I was baking something because it was warm. He acts like he is freezing all the time. I get cold really easy so my house is always on the warm side. It is 85 degrees out right now and my AC is off.

Geez,,,is he a hairy kitty? If so maybe he has low blood pressure?? lol Just a thought. I doubt he does, maybe he is just strange and takes after you. lol

We have been in a heat wave this week and our AC has been down. Thankfully we should have it back sometime tomorrow. Its about 85 or 90 in our house right now. We have fans and what not but we have been melting all week. The humidity is what is making it so hot. I've been worried sick Snuffie was going to over heat but as far as I can tell she is loving it! Crazy cats!
 

Melonie

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Nope all my kitties are naked minus the neighborhood stray that I give a can of wet food to every morning lol. There really is no such thing as humidity in Wyoming.
 

holly_savage

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We've been having a heat wave too. But our central air is working just wonderfully! (Sorry to rub it in Christina)..lol

But just going out to the car is absolutely disgusting! Can't wait for the humidity to break!
 

ckutkuhn7

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We've been having a heat wave too. But our central air is working just wonderfully! (Sorry to rub it in Christina)..lol

But just going out to the car is absolutely disgusting! Can't wait for the humidity to break!

I'm trying to not be jealous *wipes sweat from brow*. LOL

I've made it this far, the AC will be back in tomorrow night,,the end is coming soon. Watch,,we will get it put in and since we are in Ohio and having crazy weather we wont need to use it! lol
 

Nofuratu

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so maybe this is too difficult with multiple cats and a youngster.....

but this worked for us with 3 older kids and one cat that begs..

Nofuratu used to just dive right into the dish of whatever someone was eating...just plonk his face right in there with no warning, when he was a kitten!!!

Now he's three and he knows that if he sits and waits he will get something nice at the end or get to lick the plate....even when we eat our yogurt at night which he finds irresistable he will wait till we're done.....of course this took 2 years of shooing him away from our plates first....and we dont have a young child to steal food from...

he still doesnt ask before he takes a drink from our cups, but no one in the family cares about that and if he doesnt finish the drink, they just drink after him like its no big deal....

Adventures of A Naked Cat
 

LLevenson

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Arias is not a big counter surfer....he only gets up there to either a) get to the window b/c it gets the most morning sun or b) get on TOP of the refrigerator to gaze down upon the minions (me & my hubby! ha!)

We did have an cat behaviorist come over b/c we needed some help with some of his behaviors that were driving us crazy (mainly using his mouth for everything- playing, wanting attention, etc). SO she had us clicker train him and it has worked really well. In our kitchen, he used to sit on the counters to watch us and she had us move a bar stool into the kitchen that was ALL HIS (spoiled? yes!). We train him on the stool and give him treats there. I had a small cat bed in there but she suggested the stool b/c it's high enough that they can see everything and you know how cats like to be up high. It didn't take him long at all to realize that a) the stool is all his (whenever a guest comes in and sits on it while we are cooking, Arias jumps up on the unsuspecting guest's lap....they think it's cute that he wants to cuddle but I can tell by the look in his eye that he's just letting them know he's top cat!) and b)when he sits on the stool he gets TREATS!!!

it does take some time, and w/ multiple cats you obviously would need bigger than a bar stool! Maybe there is an area where you can have their "sit spot"? I can give you more info on how to go about doing the clicker training--it's very easy and Arias seems to really like the attention and treats.
Good luck!
 

MissMySphynxBoys

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. SO she had us clicker train him and it has worked really well. I can give you more info on how to go about doing the clicker training--it's very easy and Arias seems to really like the attention and treats.
Good luck!

I never thought about clicker training for cats. It makes a lot of sense especially with a breed as smart and eager to please as the Sphynx. Please share your tips here somewhere. I would certainly be interested in reading them.
 
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havingalook

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I am guilty of squirting them with the spray thing from the sink, so now they still get on the counters but if I even seem like I may be heading that way they all scatter. I have had cats before that never got on the counter ever!


They see you doing it though.
You need to be hidden if you are going to try the squirt bottle. Then they won't associate it with you, they'll associate it with what they are doing.

Good luck.
 

Cathie

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As bad as it sounds, we don't use squirt bottles, we use air soft pistols. The ball goes a far farther distance, and it does not scare them away from water. I never really have had a problem with them trying this in the old house, but when we moved they decided to try it. (it could have been they were just to small inthe old house, 4 and 5 lbs) Here in California, we just shot them with the pellet gun, and have not had a problem. Yes, it does hurt, but itdoes not break the skin and they soon realize that they are doing something wrong, and mom or dad catch catch them, but the pellet can. All I have to do is pick up the pistol now and they stop. If not, when the slide goes back they do because they know whats comming next.
I only have a problem with them up there at nights now. And they don't really get into anything because it is all put away. But I see kitty prints on the counter in the mornings so I know they are there.
 

ckutkuhn7

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As bad as it sounds, we don't use squirt bottles, we use air soft pistols. The ball goes a far farther distance, and it does not scare them away from water. I never really have had a problem with them trying this in the old house, but when we moved they decided to try it. (it could have been they were just to small inthe old house, 4 and 5 lbs) Here in California, we just shot them with the pellet gun, and have not had a problem. Yes, it does hurt, but itdoes not break the skin and they soon realize that they are doing something wrong, and mom or dad catch catch them, but the pellet can. All I have to do is pick up the pistol now and they stop. If not, when the slide goes back they do because they know whats comming next.
I only have a problem with them up there at nights now. And they don't really get into anything because it is all put away. But I see kitty prints on the counter in the mornings so I know they are there.

Just my opinion but that sounds awful.
 

Melonie

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I used to work in a vets office and saw a dog die because on of those hit it in the eye and the pellet went into the dogs brain.
 
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