how do I make my cat stay off the kitchen counters?

Forget about putting him in a cage. By the time you've caught him, carried him to the cage and put him in, the link with jumping on the counter has been broken and he has no idea why you're being so mean to him.

Get a squirt gun, and when you see him on the counter, yelp sharply at him, "HEY! Get down!" and squirt him with water. It will take a while, but he'll get the message. (This method of discouragement also works for cats that scratch furniture, as long as you provide them with an alternate scratching post.)

If your cats are allowed to roam your house when you aren't there to discipline them, then you can make yourself a mat of double sticky-back tape and put that on the counters where you don't want the cat to jump when you aren't there. Cats HATE sticky things. If he jumps on the tape once or twice, he won't try that again. (You have to fasten the mat down so that it stays on the counter and doesn't stick to the cat. Make sure the tape you use is neither toxic nor super-strong.)

I'm 53 and have owned cats virtually all my life. The squirt gun method works best, IMO.

I had a problem keeping a new dog and cat from jumping on the table and counters. What I did was put some empty pop cans, along the edge of the counter and table, and when the animal jumped on the table, it got scared with the noise of the cans crashing to the floor. Also, please do not cage the cat when he has done something wrong. A cage is meant to be a relaxing place, like a bed for a cat, and leave the door always open so he can go in and out when he pleases. It should never be used as a punishment.

Is there something that your cat is fearful of? Mine case in point, is fearful of the blender, so each time I positioned it on the counter she continues to be a great way a great way away. you additionally can positioned sticky tape on the sting of the counter the place their nails wont have the skill to hold close on, a strip of aluminum foil - will hassle your cats ears and nails, The Pennies in a Can Trick. that's an previous tried-and-real ability of deterring cats from many styles of undesirable habit. Drop a pair of pennies (or pebbles) in an empty aluminum can and tape the outlet. once you spot your cat start to bounce on the counter, shake the can loudly. the challenge right this is that he will learn it truly is okay to bounce once you at the instant are not around. or you're able to desire to continually purchase your cat a tall tower this is formed like a counter - i understand those that have finished it and it has saved their cats removed from the counter ideal for awhile. it truly is reliable to hearken to which you do not want to apply the spray bottle, i don't believe it the two!

I agree with Karin C a squirt gun works wonders without hurting them. I have had this problem with my 6 year old cat jumping up on counters and my dining room table and my Dad told me to use a squirt gun, he said he uses it even for the cats trying to get into the Christmas tree. It works within the first few times of using it, and you wont have to cage your Kitty for something that he probably has no idea about.

Make the kitchen counters an unpleasant place for him. An expensive, but effective way is to buy a pressure sensitive mat and place it on the counters. The beeping or alarm bell sound will keep him from going up on the counters.

A cheaper way, but one that requires more attention is to place a little camera showing the counters and then to blow an airhorn when your cat jumps on them.

Or you could cover your counters with doublesided, weak tape. Cats HATE having their paws stick to counters, I can tell you that from experience!

I've successfully trained all 5 cats I've ever had to stay off counters just by making a loud noise any time they jumped up there. A good loud "HEY!" or "GET DOWN!" does the trick. I do it in a *loud* growling sort of voice, sometimes paired with clapping my hands, and it scares the poop out of them. It only took my cats an average of 2 weeks to figure out that I get loud and scary when they go up there, and it's a lasting lesson - none of them have ever attempted it again, even 10+ years later. You have to do it EVERY time you see them jump up there. For extra effect, chase after them out of the kitchen when they go running.

You could try spraying him with a water bottle when you catch him on the counters. (That doesn't work too well with my cats, but it works for a lot of other people.)

We recently placed citrus-scented air fresheners on the table and countertops. My cats take one whiff of the air fresheners and run the other direction. Most cats don't like the smell of citrus.