# Kitten training - kitchen worktops etc



## davidjw53 (Jan 29, 2015)

Hi there, I have 2 kittens called Dixie and Domino, both nearly 8 months old and have been having a few problems behavior training problems. Domino from about 4 months old started jumping up onto the kitchen worktops, which is obviously not safe for her or anyone else as you can imagine. I brought some motion sensor air cans and set them up when I went to bed etc and that seemed to stop her doing it. However today I came home to find she had been on there and had eaten some defrosting food that I had left out this morning. Has anyone got any suggestions on how I can permanently stop her from doing this? Thankfully Dixie hasn't done it at all but she is the naughty one! I find that she is very aggressive when it comes to food other than her usual cat meat.. she will almost claw you to death to get treats or bits of chicken etc and will often try to steal food from you or off the tables. One last thing.... both of them are very reluctant to go outside - they get scared by a small gust of wind! Can anyone help me out here with some advice? I'd appreciate it. Dave


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Hey Dave and welcome 
You won't be able to leave any food unattended, I leave anything that needs defrosting in the microwave for safety. Nothing must be left on worktops that encourage the kittens to jump up for it. I wouldn't recommend using any gadget, just calmly remove kitten from worktop whenever you are around and say NO in a stern but not cross voice and repeat repeat repeat 
If it's workable you can shut them out of the kitchen when you are out.
Just double checking - both kittens are neutered and chipped? If so I'd wait til spring when they are bit older, bigger and more likely to want to venture outside - don't force, they will do this in their own time.
Good luck - would love to see a photo of Dixie and Domino


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

You can't.... I had to stop leaving the butter dish out once a foster showed my own cats it was nice to eat, and I never leave food, sharp knives and so on out. Ideally you defrost food in the fridge for eating qualities, if not I find my microwave is cat-proof.

Your kitten being aggressive about food might be hungry. They are still at the stage where they need to be fed as much as they will eat.

Hopefully they are both neutered by now.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

I agree with M14 and OS ^^. Like them I also defrost meat inside the fridge. Or else on top of my (very tall) fridge, but never on work-tops.

A kitten who is aggressive about treats or snatches food from humans is in my experience a very hungry kitten! 8 month old kittens need feeding 4 times a day, and will eat as much as 400 grams a day (e.g. more than 4 pouches of wet food each). They need to pack in a lot each day as they are growing so fast and need the nourishment. 

But they do need high protein foods, so feed a high protein canned diet such as Hilife Kitten food, Natures Menu Kitten food, Wainwrights Kitten Food to satisfy them. 

Again I agree with what has been said - your kittens are still too young to go outside, and are not interested when the weather is cold. I'd keep them in until they are a year old and Spring is here!


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

If you've the patience, no harm in trying to train her not to get on the worktop but, as others have said, it's often to avail. I've trained one or two of my own not to get onto worktops. When I'm not in the room 

Anything not cat-safe in this house doesn't get left on the tops. Food left out is viewed as an open invitation to an extra meal and you'll frequently find the loaf in the microwave or a half eaten cake in the crockery cupboard which is quite a nice surprise when you'd thought it had all gone.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

It's a nice surprise finding things like that so long as they've not gone mouldy!

My cats jump up on top of my fridge from the worktop so it's not a safe place to leave food. It's also warmer up there than lower down, I don't bother about a lot of food safety but I do defrost slowly in the fridge or quickly using short bursts from the microwave - not middling in a warm place. I don't want the outside warming enough to start growing 'stuff' while the inside is still frozen.

PS I think you might be able to train a cat to stay off the worktop when you are present, but (metaphorically) while the cat's away the mice will play...


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Pointless and not worth the hassle.
Leave nothing of value/edible or dangerous and wipe down before use , all that is needed really .
Being totally honest here I actually quite like having Meeko up on the w/tops,at least I know where he is


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

Welcome to the joys of owning cats! 
I've never bothered to even try, might as well try to teach my cats to do the dishes as stop them being cats and exploring everything, you've heard about curiosity and cats?!
I just don't leave anything on the worktops food wise and always clean them before I do anything in the kitchen, mind you I have dogs that counter surf as well so am attacked from all angles!


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

chillminx said:


> Or else on top of my (very tall) fridge, but never on work-tops.


April's favorite place


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## LostSoul (Sep 29, 2012)

Welcome to the joys of being owned by a cat!
i was very proud of my 2 girls for never going on the kitchen side...until i got up early one morning and there they both were sprawled out looking very comfy, pea on the side and cookie asleep on top of the microwave. Pea hardly gets up there but thats because shes lazy and its too much effort for her, since seeing Cookie there shes taken that as shes allowed to be here when ever she wants, luckily she does stay away when foods about and shes so fussy with her food i can leave things around and know she wont touch them
but Finn is a different story, hes 7 months old and i try to keep him down but its a never ending task, i tell him no and put him down and by the time ive stood back up hes back on the side looking at me...nothing can be left, he'll eat it whether its edible or not, the toaster has a bit of wood over it because he loves sticking his feet into the toaster...which luckily i do always keep off unless im using it. I left the microwave open for 30 seconds he was half inside, i know he'll get better as he gets older, ...and if im baking and leave the flour unattended for 10 seconds this happens.








he dives in head first!!!


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## shortandfurry (Jan 30, 2013)

There is really no point even trying to train kittens/cats not to jump up on kitchen worktops. Cats like to be up high, especially if there's a chance of sneaky food.
I'm not sure why you think this is unsafe for the cats or anyone else?

Leave frozen food to defrost in the fridge (you should always do this anyway) let leftovers cool down in the microwave or a cupboard. Rinse off plates/knives/boards etc.
Basically you'll just have to get used to not leaving any food or scraps out, or sharp knives etc. Wipe down before & after preparing food - should also be done anyway, especially in summer.

You can put the cats on the floor with a stern "no" when you're actually working/cooking in the kitchen, or shut them out if they're a real nuisance. I just have Jasmine to contend with in the kitchen usually, Lily isn't as good a jumper as her so tends to get no higher than the stools, and just watches. Jasmine will try to help me cook though, so I have to keep her off the hob when it's hot.
It's one of these totally flat glass-type hobs and I know they walk on it a lot because it's always covered in pawprints!

I have a whiteboard in my kitchen and I always leave myself a reminder of where leftovers are because I've been known to forget. My husband did the worst one though, he was defrosting a pizza and put in the grill to keep the cats off it - forgot about it, went to work, I found it a week later all mouldy and stinky.


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## Citruspips (Jul 6, 2011)

Mine have learnt never jump up when I'm in the kitchen but I know at night it's a different story. 

I'd just aim to let be known you don't approve which means you should have no problems when your around preping food etc but just accept it's a waste of time trying to stop the jumping up if you're not there.


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## Aubrie30 (Aug 10, 2014)

My mum's cats never jumped on the kitchen work tops. She could leave raw chicken up there and they still wouldn't try to get it. I have no idea how she did it!

Rupert on the other hand, is always on our work tops. I never saw the point in being annoyed by it. I don't leave food out and I wipe them down twice a day.


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## Bluefluffybirmans (Jun 9, 2014)

Same Aubrie30! 

My childhood cat, never on work tops ever or any where naughty really, my two are like a blimming yoyo, one down, one up, one down etc! Plus I shut them in the kitchen at night so have no hope of stopping them when I'm not there. 

I just wipe the sides down regularly and always before cooking. I have an induction hob too, so at least I know they can't do anything even if it was turned on by them by mistake!


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I used to have lots of rules....no cats on the bed at night, no cats on the kitchen surfaces. blah blah blah
One by one, my cats have trained me out of what I used to think was important.
I actually draw great comfort from seeing posts on here from people who are quite clearly far better housekeepers than me and have really lovely homes.....and yet are happy to let the cats up on counters etc.
By all means have a go at training the cat, but don't be surprised or disappointed if they triumph in the end.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

Paddypaws said:


> I used to have lots of rules....no cats on the bed at night, no cats on the kitchen surfaces. blah blah blah


You should have bought a dog


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## Citruspips (Jul 6, 2011)

I used to have lots of rules....no cats on the bed at night, no cats on the kitchen surfaces. blah blah blah


That's the story of me and my three children


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Mine are trained not to come on the counters or table when we're preparing food or eating, that's a good enough compromise for us, trying to keep them off at all times just isn't worth it especially when they'll go up when we're not around anyway. 

Food is only defrosted in the fridge, leftovers put away properly. Pot of cold water put on the stove top after use so no one can burn paws if they go up while it's still warm. 

Is there a reason they need to go outside? Unless you have a cat proof yard or enclosure they're safer being indoor cats.


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## LizzieandLoca (Jun 30, 2014)

Loca went through a period of jumping on the surface in the summer, chasing flies. We kept just putting her on the floor every time she did it and made sure to not leave food out. Also, we covered our hob with pans full of cold water so she couldn't hurt herself. After about a week, she has never done it again (that I know of). 

Alfie is a little monkey and in to everything but I've never seen him even attempt to get up there. Which is strange, because my dressing table, draws, kitchen table etc have to be cleared of everything or else it all ends up on the floor.

I think maybe he's following Loca's lead (he's a few months younger) and because she never tried it anymore, nor does he. 

Either that or he hasn't figured out how to get up there yet.. And when he does, there'll be trouble!!


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## huckybuck (Jan 17, 2014)

Don't think I can add anything I'm afraid...


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Cookieandme said:


> April's favorite place


She jumps to that height straight from the floor CandM?  Or does she jump from a work top?

Thankfully none of mine have ever attempted the jump to the top of my tall fridge, and as it doesn't stand next to a work top or table there is nowhere for them to use as a springboard.


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## Andyreww (Feb 17, 2015)

Hi 

My Prynn is seven months old, and she first started doing this at about four or five months? I forget. As soon as she was big enough to jump up onto my pedal bin, and over to the counter 

At first it was "Oh you pest! You're getting so big! Ha ha ha" until the novelty wore off...which happened quickly.

She never hops up there anymore thankfully, so I'll tell you what I did. I started by leaving my kitchen door closed whenever I wasn't in the vacinity. That way, if she ever tried it, I was right there to intervene. I just started by picking her up, giving her a firm "NO" and putting her out the kitchen entirely - but letting her wander back in and leaving the door open unless I was going out. 
This worked a little and put her off more, but she was still hopping up - albeit jumping down as soon as I yelled "NO" from the couch or moved. So I knew she was at least aware daddy didn't like her up there!
Then I started putting double sided tape along the edge of my counter and top of my washing machine (it juts out slightly from under my counter and she'd take occasion to jump up that way). She really didn't like it on her paws, so that too helped - until she just avoided it in her jumps. 
(I also tried tin foil on the sides, because I read cats don't like the noise or the feel...Prynn was an exception and thought it the greatest toy ever. But she might cut herself so obviously that wasn't a toy she was allowed to keep!)
Eventually, with a combination of consistently telling her "NO" and the sticky tape - and the occasional flick of water from my hands if I was washing dishes - she got the message and stopped jumping up. Whole process took maybe 10 days, to two weeks?

Of course, she then went for the tumble dryer, and jumped from there to the top of the fridge freezer. But she fell off, and that was the first and last time she ever did that :laugh:

Just stay consistent, don't make any exceptions, they'll get the message eventually - especially since they're still quite young and not set in their ways. I can now leave any food I like unattended on the kitchen counter without worry 

Good luck!


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Congratulations on your success! That is very patient training! Of course you do realize that she is most likely exploring up there when aren't home. She's learned not to do it when you are around, that's all. But that's all that really matters, isn't it? 

In a cat's eyes, all things belong to cats. That's an old (Irish? Scottish? English?) proverb


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## Bobpetcare (Feb 4, 2015)

I would definitely keep up with cat training not to go on worktops. I train mine by clicking my fingers near them when they do something naughty, often with an oi. They soon learn what they can and cannot do. I have given them plenty of high areas to hang out in, so I guess they have alternatives they are happy with.
I would perservere, what if Kitty jumped onto a hot hob one day?! Doesn't bear thinking about!
As for snatching food, my youngest had a rough start in life, sharing handfuls of biscuits with her extended family (about 12 cats) and snatched food when we first got her. It took time, constantly making sure she wasnt around when we ate etc...but generally we offered her as much quality cat food as she could fit in her belly...and now shes a fussy eater!!!
Hope this helps, Charlie x


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## Clare7435 (Dec 17, 2009)

lorilu said:


> Congratulations on your success! That is very patient training! Of course you do realize that she is most likely exploring up there when aren't home. She's learned not to do it when you are around, that's all. But that's all that really matters, isn't it?
> 
> In a cat's eyes, all things belong to cats. That's an old (Irish? Scottish? English?) proverb


HA I learnt this a long time ago...my cat doesn't go up there while i'm about but I know for a fact she does when I'm not about because if I forget and leave the door open I come back and see her paw marks on the surface, My ld one was even worse, I left a joint of beef out one morning and by the time I got back it had a quarter missing and the cat had crapped all over the kitchen..If I'd have found him right then he would have lost one of those nine kitty lives lol
I have yet to meet a cat who will stay out of trouble when owners are out the way lol


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## Andyreww (Feb 17, 2015)

lorilu said:


> Congratulations on your success! That is very patient training! Of course you do realize that she is most likely exploring up there when aren't home. She's learned not to do it when you are around, that's all. But that's all that really matters, isn't it?
> 
> In a cat's eyes, all things belong to cats. That's an old (Irish? Scottish? English?) proverb


Hahaha I have no doubt she probably would, but that kitchen door stays firmly closed when I'm out of the house or the living room for any length of time, for just that reason! Closest she comes now is she'll "meerkat" (stand on her hind legs with her front paws bent in front of her) and try to peek at what I'm doing if I'm making something on the counter 

Should also say, I'd agree with getting something tall that your cat can climb. I purchased this;
Purrshire Leopard Chic Tower Cat Activity Centre on Sale | Free UK Delivery | PetPlanet.co.uk
albeit when it was on sale, and Prynn absolutely loves it. She gets to sit up high(there's a photo of such in my album via my profile) and survey the surroundings at will. There's also a hammock on it, and she hasn't slept anywhere else since it arrived - well, if you don't include on me  it's a fantastic item. 
Might help satiate your cats need to climb and jump up high!


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

!

My cats do have plenty of elevated space, the whole apartment is set up for their convenience. But two of them still counter surf. The third does not, however her Meal Spot is on the kitchen table. The two counter surfers have their meals at floor level.


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## Andyreww (Feb 17, 2015)

lorilu said:


> !
> 
> My cats do have plenty of elevated space, the whole apartment is set up for their convenience. But two of them still counter surf. The third does not, however her Meal Spot is on the kitchen table. The two counter surfers have their meals at floor level.


Oh I wasn't meaning you in particular, I meant more the OP 

Do you have your flat set up with elevated places you've bought, like cat furniture, or just your decor? Anything you could recommend? 
Been thinking about getting another climbing tree or something myself


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Andyreww said:


> Hi
> 
> My Prynn is seven months old, and she first started doing this at about four or five months? I forget. As soon as she was big enough to jump up onto my pedal bin, and over to the counter
> 
> ...


This, totally.

My two cats were "trained" by just being put down and told NO, every time - and apart from one time, when I left 2 steaks on the side, they wouldn't counter surf. But, that was my own silly fault - what was I thinking! 

I never left food out on the top and a quick wipe down before using the kitchen took care of any chance of "secret surfing".

It's not something I would stress about, but I certainly wouldn't "allow" it


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

chillminx said:


> She jumps to that height straight from the floor CandM?  Or does she jump from a work top?


Sorry hadnt been back to this - she jumps from the worktop, from the floor would be really impressive


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Andyreww said:


> Oh I wasn't meaning you in particular, I meant more the OP
> 
> Do you have your flat set up with elevated places you've bought, like cat furniture, or just your decor? Anything you could recommend?
> Been thinking about getting another climbing tree or something myself


It kind of evolved, some is deliberate. No room for a good cat tree in this space, but they can go around the entire apartment (and often do) without touching the floor. Book shelves (left clear on top) to TV to Tower to chair to couch to more book shelves, to Play House (I built) to desk and so on., they do have a tower I made from some pvc utility shelving, and they have a stairstep perch in my bedroom.


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