# Kitchen surfaces:(



## iUmka (Sep 18, 2014)

I am having a problem persuading Wimsey that kitchen surfaces are (or should be) not his territory.

What we are doing: 

Removing him from those if we catch him walking along;
Using a Nyet word (no in Russian as he is a Russian Blue);
I applied double sided sticky tape to one part of the kitchen surface (read this advice somewhere)...
but nothing doing.

I did not have a problem like that with my other cats, so I am not sure what to do.

oh, and a water spray does not work on Wimsey - he loves it!

Advice would be very appreciated.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Spraying water isn't an effective method to train a cat. He wants up on the counters to see what's up there, and to be high up. Give him an elevated space in the kitchen that he IS allowed to perch on. Then when he gets on the counter, simnply pick him up and gently move him to his own Spot.

Perhaps put a little treat there for him to find, to reinforce this is His Spot.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

lorilu said:


> Spraying water isn't an effective method to train a cat. He wants up on the counters to see what's up there, and to be high up. Give him an elevated space in the kitchen that he IS allowed to perch on.


If that doesn't work,give up and just wipe the surfaces before you use them. Life is too short to worry about it 
If you are concerned about your kitten/cat stepping on a hot cooking surface just leave a pan of cold water on it until it cools.


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## oliviarussian (Sep 2, 2010)

buffie said:


> If that doesn't work,give up and just wipe the surfaces before you use them. Life is too short to worry about it
> If you are concerned about your kitten/cat stepping on a hot cooking surface just leave a pan of cold water on it until it cools.


My feelings exactly, even if you do get them trained not to get onto the kitchen surfaces you know damn well as soon as you've left the house they are up there having a party!!!!


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## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

Agreed! I haven't even bothered attempting to train Flicka not to. I just try and focus her attention near the sink/ window area, because that's at the opposite end to the hob.


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## iUmka (Sep 18, 2014)

lorilu said:


> S He wants up on the counters to see what's up there, and to be high up. Give him an elevated space in the kitchen that he IS allowed to perch on.


He has got an elevated point, with a view of the garden, and he does use it sometimes; however, it doesn't seem to stop him wanting to explore the rest.


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## Britt (May 18, 2014)

Pooh walks on the kitchen counter all the time. I use Dettol cleansing wipes every time he has been walking around


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## iUmka (Sep 18, 2014)

Well, I am just unwilling to freak out guests and relatives (esp. the relatives).


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## Polski (Mar 16, 2014)

So don't tell them and if they witness it act all surprised and claim hes never done it before 

I don't like mine on the side but thats because my kitchen is so bloomin small I can't get 5 plates on it (I have to put one in an open drawer to dish up for 5 of us!) so a cat jumping up would mean landing in a dinner! If I had a bigger kitchen it wouldn't worry me, i'd just do what I always do and wipe down the sides with antibac spray before preparing food.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

In that case all you can is persevere, persevere and persevere. Every time you see him on the work tops lift him off and place him on the floor or his high perch. Do not shout at him, do not spray him, do not get angry with him, you won't teach him that way. If you want to say "no" in a kind but firm voice then do so, as you lift him down. 

I have found that this method usually works eventually, given lots of patience and enough time, at least it works when I am in the room, which is all you can hope to achieve realistically. As others have said, when we are out of the kitchen our cats no doubt often walk on the work tops. Basically cats love climbing! 

If your relatives see you quickly lifting the cat off the work tops and then you make a big show in front of them of wiping down the surfaces, perhaps they will be mollified. If you quickly and quietly remove the cat from the work top they may not even notice he was up there. People quite often miss such minor details if you don't point then out. 

The alternative is to shut all your cats out of the kitchen whenever you have visitors. Then it is not an issue.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

iUmka said:


> Well, I am just unwilling to freak out guests and relatives (esp. the relatives).


None of my relatives like cats, their opinion doesn't bother me at all. My cats, my house, my rules. Far easier to just wipe down the counters, mine are trained to not come up while I'm preparing food, other times it's not worth stressing about.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

I get where you're coming from. I don't allow cats on the worktops either, but the only method that works is the one that Chillminx has described. Good luck!


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## Susan M (Feb 20, 2013)

I can definitely relate to your problem, cats aren't allowed on kitchen surfaces, Orphelia is 18 months and still gets on the table, but only because she wants to see hats going on, we have nowhere I can give her a perch unfortunately, but I just keep perservering and put her down. Annelis is older and only gets up when there's a bug to catch or something, I tell her to get down and she does. No quick fix, but don't give up


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

iUmka said:


> He has got an elevated point, with a view of the garden, and he does use it sometimes; however, it doesn't seem to stop him wanting to explore the rest.


Just keep on putting him down. Eventually he may get the idea - mine did 

I didn't want cats on my worktops or tables, and they learned that they weren't allowed. I don't remember that they used to wait for me to leave the room and then disobey me


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

As others have said, repeat, repeat, repeat and he should eventually get the message!

Mine are allowed on one bit each - Archie has his 'spot' in front of the microwave and Mia's is on the dresser

Archie sometimes tries to venture to the other side if something tasty is on view but a strong 'off' and he jumps straight down - Mia never ventures onto the rest of the worktops


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Just spotted this tip on Yahoo:

*Fed up of your cat walking all over the surfaces and falling asleep on the kitchen table (just ours?)? Cats hate the feel of crushed eggshells on their soft paw pads so careful sprinkling will soon teach your kitty to avoid the areas you don't want her paws on.*

If you try it, let us know if it works


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Personally, given a choice between paw prints or spreading crushed eggshells on my worktops I would choose the paw prints every time, as they are so easy to wipe off! :lol: But the OP may well feel it's worth a try if it keeps the rellies happy.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

chillminx said:


> Personally, given a choice between paw prints or spreading crushed eggshells on my worktops I would choose the paw prints every time, as they are so easy to wipe off! :lol: But the OP may well feel it's worth a try if it keeps the rellies happy.


I presume it would only need to be for a short while. If the cat jumps up and doesn't like the feeling, then hopefully they will be fooled into thinking the eggshells will always be there and decide the worktop is not the nicest place to be 

Cat's aren't stupid - are they? :frown2:


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## georgypan (Mar 31, 2014)

I've never succeeded in stopping a cat from getting onto the work surfaces so now I just wipe down with hot soapy water before using them, umpteen times a day. I do put them down when I see them, and they always jump down when I catch them up there, but of course they are going to be all over the work surfaces when I'm not around or overnight, so I take the path of least resistance.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

Life it too short to worry 

.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Cookieandme said:


> Life it too short to worry
> 
> .


:thumbsup: Aint it just


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## Ely01 (May 14, 2014)

When Oleg was a kitten I got tired of him using me as a tree to ruthlessly climb onto the surfaces (ouch!) so I decided to let him and even help him up.

He's allowed up but not allowed to touch any food in preparation, or he gets pushed away. 

I do clean the surfaces several times a day and that's it.


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## huckybuck (Jan 17, 2014)

Ours eat off the work surfaces as I've never had a problem with it - some of my relatives look on in horror but live with it. They do raise an eyebrow when Grace tries to take the food from their plate when having dinner at the table or when Huck decides to sit in the bread basket with the bread 

We put the house up for sale recently so of course I removed every piece of evidence that the cats were allowed on work surfaces..when the potential purchasers came round to view Grace jumped straight up to see if they would feed herthen Huck and Holly both followed  - I couldn't explain my way out of that so just admitted they had their food off the island!! They still put in an offer of the asking price lol!


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## Soozi (Jun 28, 2013)

Sheets of tin foil might deter him at least while you are out! just spread sheets along the work tops like you would if you were covering with newspaper say! worth a try.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Buffie, gorgeous photo of HRH Meeko


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Cookieandme said:


> Life it too short to worry
> 
> .


Yep I have given up. Elsworth is a pest and is always on them and now the girls are copying him.

None of them are allowed on the surfaces when I am cooking mainly because they will steal something or hurt themselves on hot or sharp things.


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## Sophiebee (Jul 9, 2013)

I just leave them to it and am resigned to constantly cleaning the worktops, lokis always up there  Duchess cant get up there though as she isnt too good at jumping!


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## georgypan (Mar 31, 2014)

Sophiebee said:


> Duchess cant get up there though as she isnt too good at jumping!


Now that you say that Sophiebee, I've noticed that Henry isn't getting up nearly as much now that he's getting bigger and he is a BSH like Duchess. Maybe it's a breed/weight thing? Bluebell is prowling the work surfaces as usual, but neither of them seem to be climbers. They stay on the ground in the garden and only occasionally do I see one of them on the fences.


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I have totally failed in this respect too. It does not bother me from a hygiene point of view, but the safety aspect does concern me as Millie gets far too close to the gas rings for my liking. I often end up with her tucked under my arm as I cook!
Britt.....just check the wipes you are using as standard Dettol is toxic for cats, I am not sure about the wipes.


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## Ely01 (May 14, 2014)

Paddypaws said:


> just check the wipes you are using as standard Dettol is toxic for cats, I am not sure about the wipes.


****, is it?
I've bought some Ecover products recently (them ok?), don't think I've got a spray tho so I've been finishing off a spray of Dettol that was in the cupboard and been using it for the surfaces.
Woopsy woops. 
Oleg still alive but...


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## georgypan (Mar 31, 2014)

Kim and Aggie always said that hot soapy water is as good as anything for cleaning work surfaces and I use it mostly, but sometimes I use wipes as well. I'll have a look to see what type they are just to be on the safe side.


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