Question:
I have tried everything...spraying water, stinky spray stuff, and verbally telling them NO!, but nothing will keep my two mischevious cats off the dinning room table. They won't go on it while we are eating, but the moment everything is cleared off of it, they are up there. I have used a water bottle and sprayed them countless times and they just keep coming back. I even bought some of that stuff you spray on places you don't want you animals to be, but it doesn't seem to phase them. I think one of them is finally starting to figure it out, but the other is nonstop. I spray him, tell him no, and remove him from the table, but the minute I turn around he is back up there. I don't want them up there where we eat our meals, I know they don't wash their paws after they get out of the litterbox and I don't want the hair up on the table where we eat I also don't want them to think that they can be up there, cuz I am sure eventually they will figure out there is food up there while we are eating and just invite themselves to dinner. Does anyone have any suggestions that have worked for them in teaching their cats to stay off of certain things, or if I am doing anything wrong? I would greatly appreciate anything

Answer:
LOL... sorry, not laughing AT you, just at the situation....

verbally yelling NO! to cat isn't going to do anything - at least it's never worked for me. basically you should try to make the dining room table NO FUN for them - I've used orange peels to keep mine out of my potted plants.

Make yourself some fresh OJ, and leave the citrus rinds along the edge of the table... your cats should steer clear.

anther suggestion - double sided tape - you can put it on some newspaper so it doesn't wreck the table. cats don't like anything sticking to their paws.

aluminum foil works too - put some sheets on the table - they don't like the feel or the noise it makes. (at least mine don't)

Just a few ideas on ways to booby-trap the table. granted, you'll have to do these things quite a few times before they realize the dining room table is a horrible place to be.

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If you find a solution... could you let me know?
I have this problem with one of my cats... its a battle of the wills.. and he is winning.

Well,the spraying with water doesnt appear to be bothering your cats that much.. so may as well scrap that. It doesnt always do the trick, as I found out too. The foil, citrus and tape suggested are all very good ideas to try.

An unpleasant association is the key - finding one that works is tricky. Some cats, like yours, are pretty darn determined.

Though my cat seems pretty fearless..I've noticed he runs from the room when I turn on my blow-dryer - the noise startles him, and a quick blast of (cold) air would bother him even more, I'm sure.

Ive considered keeping one handy in the dining area -ready to use as an unpleasant "alarm" that will go off.
After a few times.. hopefully just the "sight" of it would work as a detterent, and curb the inclination.
This may seem too drastic for you - I've not tried it myself yet, but just an idea..

As my guy jumps on the table even while we are eating, climbs INTO my dish cupboards and anything else he can pry open or stuff himself into... the "off-limits" has to be established. and I am ready to try anything that wont be harmful.

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I've given up trying to solve this problem a long time ago and it seems some of my cats basically live on the kitchen table...

But anyways, one thing that really works is the SSSCAT device. It works with a motion detector and sprays air to scare the cat away. It's really effective. I just stopped using it because by the time every single one of my cats has been scared away, the can is empty and I have to go and buy another one...

You should try it. It really works. (If you have a normal number of cats...)

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I gave this up long ago too tho I have to admit the cats I have now rarely end up on the table - there are too many toys, windows to watch birds, and other things to keep them busy. Cats are curious - yours sound pretty normal to me. I have my grandmother's ancient oak table, brought over from Ireland and it is always covered with something - just as she did with her many kitties - so even if they jump on it, all one has to do if I use it (which I actually don't that often) is clean the table cover. As for the breakfast nook and table in the kitchen, well, there is javex and other cleaners for that. I have this habit of washing my cats' paws off post litter box and since this has occured since she was a kitten for YY and for the Sphynx Girls since they arrived, they don't mind at all. We make it a game. (I use those baby wipes). I mean, I know these cats are going to climb over everything anyway so I refuse to get upset about it.

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We have discussed this before,I really do not care if my cats sit or lay on the table,before I set the table,it's cleaned of any hair.
My Rocky likes to lay on the table and watch me cook
When dinner-time rolls around,Vinnie and Rocky each sit in a chair,with their noses going a mile a minute,they still have not learned,they will get no food-scraps,unless hubby sneaks them a bit of meat
Cats have the ability to jump and it is very difficult to teach them not to,mine do listen to the word"NO"and will quickly jump down if I want them to.
Unless you have a really stinky,dirty litterbox,your cats paws are probably as clean as your own hands.
Here they are,waiting for treats

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LOL Chico, I love that pic it looks just like my house.

My older cat Toonces is petty good about not getting on the counters and tables but Emma is a different story. Like you I don't mind I just clean everything off before we sit down to eat.

The aluminum foil works great tho, even for dogs, we just got new leather furniture and the dogs have been banished from laying on it. They sniff it and then walk away and the cats walk around it hehe

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I can totally relate to all of your frustrations. I have decided to give up and pick my battles. Clearly, my Jenny rules the roost. She has learned however, not to jump up on the table when we are sitting at it. As you can see in this pic, her royal highness is right at home.

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aww, what cute pics! Those are SO sweet!

Actually, its not the table that bothers me. My other two cats have always lounged on the table periodically, over the last six years. Just clean it off...
I always assume everything needs wiping, and use those Lysol antiseptic cloths.
Its the jumping up "while" we are eating, the hopping up while I am preparing food that I find frustrating and would like to deter. Aside from the food he has "sampled" while my back was turned, the hair he's deposited on things.. its something of a safety hazard too. Once he burned his nose dipping it into a bowl of hot soup that I had just put down. I felt bad.. but he is so quick.
I try to be on guard, but sometimes I just forget...

However, I have to admit that I have been pretty lax at correcting this.. and perhaps the die is cast. I find it hard to get "mad' at my pets for what is natural behaviour.

Recently my adult daughter was having coffee with me, and as I was facing the other way - she announced with some suprise - Zack is on your counter!"

Oh.. stop the presses, I thought.. but said Bad Zack!.. as I picked him up and put him down.
A moment or two later.. "He's up there again! she states.. now with some indigination.
I repeat the procedure and ask her.. dont you cats ever go on the counter?

Well, yes.. she says.. but not in front of me.
oh..well then..... got THEM trained...lol..

I suppose some people do find this unsanitary and distasteful. But then.. some think the same thing about having pets sleep with you... share your pillows.
But - my kitchen, my bed.

Here is Zack, helping me read the morning paper..

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Zack is just such a beauty,how could you possibly be mad at him
I am always reading one half of the morning-paper,while a cat is always laying on the other half,as if to say"I'm here,stop reading the paper!!"
Here's one of Peppi(RIP)and baby-Rocky enjoying my newspaper

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I didn't mind Puss-Puss getting up on the table; it was her rearranging of the objects on it that I objected to. Most of the time she walked carefully around things. Once in awhile she'd decide she didn't want something on there and she'd flip it right off. Reminds me of one of my favorite cartoons which I had on my refrigerator for several years and eventually scanned for another, earlier thread.

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Glasslass,that's funny My cats,or maybe all cats,are very careful walking around things,like in this picture with Chico and Rocky on the fireplace-mantel,they always walk very carefully not to knock anything down..

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Love that, Glasslass!! How funny!

Chico,thanks for the compliment on my feline "explorer!" Zack.
Born to Be Wild seems to be his motto. Well, wild for here... lol. We are a pretty sedate and boring bunch, overall.

What an adorable photo of your sweet kitties - that is so cute!
I love little Peppi's "hide and seek" pose. I dont think I have ever seen a photo of this little one before..r.i.p.kitty angel.

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Theres something like a static mat, it gives whatever touches it a little static shock (tested myself feels like the ones you get from a carpet).
Sorry for the long link!
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?cm_ven=ovt&cm_cat=null&cm_pla=u nknown&cm_ite=sku&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=253437430 2023689&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026170&PRO DUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441775467&bmUID=11403402488 60

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Shamrock,the little one is actually Rocky as a baby,the white cat is my very tolerant Peppi,who died of cancer about 6 yrs ago.
He put up with both Rocky and Chico as kittens,not to be confused with my now 3yr old Vinnie,also white.

Answer:
mine lived on my GLASS table as well, easy to see the hair, haha
beautiful cat photos by the way people, very beautiful cats


Originally Posted by chico2
Shamrock,the little one is actually Rocky as a baby,the white cat is my very tolerant Peppi,who died of cancer about 6 yrs ago.
He put up with both Rocky and Chico as kittens,not to be confused with my now 3yr old Vinnie,also white.



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Oh, my mistake Chico.. I thought that the lovely white kitty was your Vinnie!
What a beauty your Peppi was too.

Answer:
Originally Posted by glasslass
I didn't mind Puss-Puss getting up on the table; it was her rearranging of the objects on it that I objected to. Most of the time she walked carefully around things. Once in awhile she'd decide she didn't want something on there and she'd flip it right off. Reminds me of one of my favorite cartoons which I had on my refrigerator for several years and eventually scanned for another, earlier thread.

Oh my gosh! I have that exact same comic strip on my fridge. It reminded me so much of Alicia!

Answer:
I've resigned myself to the fact that while I'm asleep at night, the house is theirs, so there really isn't much you can do to prevent them from roaming the house and putting their noses anywhere they please.

However, when I'm around, the moment they get on the counters or table, a loud "NO!" usually gets them off in a split second. As they get older, they seem to be less inclined to do it, so I'm lucky in that respect. Months of using the spray bottle, yelling and making loud noises seems to have trained em pretty well.

Takes a lot of persistence, but I still think in the end when you turn your back they'll still do what their curiosity tells them to do.

Answer:
I have always allowed my cats on furniture but never tables or counters. The vet suggested buying a plastic runner that you lay over carpets. On the back they have little tips so it doesn't slide on carpet. Use the back side up and when they get up on the tables etc. it will not be very comfortable for them. It took about 6 weeks because they can be stubborn but it worked. I no longer have the runner and they stay off the places I don't want them. It may not work with every cat. It may works on dogs if you don't want them on your furniture also. I don't mind my dogs or cats on the couch so I never tried it. She is a good girl now.

Answer:
This is a cute thread. My two cats are many years gone now, but they were not allowed on the counters. Their food dishes were actually on our kitchen table or else the dogs would have stolen everthing. The younger of the two cats did some sniffing around one night when I wasn't watching and got into a pot of chili I was cooking. She must have licked the edge of the pot (silly her trolling around on the hot stove...) because she came flying into the living room with her tongue flicking in and out as fast as it could and she was hissing and spitting at everything that moved. The tongue looked like a snake tongue - in and out, in and out. It was sooo funny we still talk about it to this day. After that she never went up on the stove again.

Like most cats though, they knew not to get on the counter when Mom was around, but I know they'd get up there at night or when we weren't looking. I thought we were doing good when we finally got the 80 lb dog to stop getting up on the table to steal the cat food...

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I have the smae problem. One cat never had the desire to jump on counters, yet she walks on my coffee table as she pleases. The other one however has always jumped on counters and i've used the water bottle spraying trick and as soon as she sees me grabbing it she jumps off. But it doesn't stop her going on the kitchen counter at night cos she knows I don't see her

sigh....I'm starting to think that you can't win with cats

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The only problem was never being able to set the table in advance for Thanksgiving and other elaborate dinners. I always had to set it last minute.

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I found no matter what I did, as soon as we were out the door or gone to bed, my cats were on the counters and table. Now I have invested in a squirt bottle with a water/javex mix(not for the cats) to clean my counters and tables. It just makes us feel better about eating off of these places, because we know who was on them!

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I have totally given up trying.It's been 2 years and nothing has worked for Casper..He is a deaf cat that loves water(spray bottle means nothing to him,heck he hops in the tub and shower with you),loves the smell of orange peels(go figure)...Well the sticky tape,he walks around it.The foil,well he loves that too.He'll chew on it...

I really don't have a problem with Winnie..The only time she goes on it is when Casper and her are chasing each other like mad dogs and she goes from the couch,to the cat tree and on the table.Which in that case she slides right off it...LOL

And as for Phoenix,well she is another that I have given up on...And I tried for 4 years with her.

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I can't find any table top pix but YY knows she is not "supposed" to play on the coffee table either but that makes it all the more fun, lol (I must apologize for the quality of the pict - there was just too much light from the window - not the cameraperson, )

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Whew..I don't need to feel guilty about giving up the kitchen table to the cats!! I will try the tin foil on the counters, as Thomas and Pandora love it up there. Thomas likes to "help" with dishes, and Pandora likes to play with and drink from the faucet. I would use double sticky tape, but Pandora is a LONG hair who had an episode with a sticky trap and his tail when he was younger. Needless to say it traumatized him, and had me doubled over in laughter. All is well now, but he does growl now when his tail is brushed, and all sticky traps are out of tails reach!!

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