Cats on Kitchen Counters

[RS]

Somewhat of a spinoff of the dog-foot-in-the-cheese-dip thread…

Do you allow your cat(s) on your kitchen counters?

My mother never bothered to keep them off, saying it was a wasted effort. Carrying this wisdom into adulthood, I actually feed our cat on the counter – we have a large L-shaped counter, with the sink taking up part of the short end, and the cat’s dishes occupy the corner by the sink. Keeps it away from the 100+lb dog, and half the time I’m plucking the cat out of the frying pan of bacon anyway, so I figured why fight it.

Recently I house-sat for a friend that was out of town over thanksgiving. She specifically mentioned that, while the cat would scream at the porch door, he was not to come inside, as he was “the kind of cat to jump on the kitchen counters when you’re not looking.” And therefore was strictly an outdoor cat.

Ummm. IS there a type of cat that DOESNT jump on the kitchen counters when given the opportunity? Or am I the disgusting one who gave up a long time ago, and allows my cat to roam the kitchen at will?

[Lucassb]

I don’t allow my cats on the kitchen counters.

They learn this when I first get them. It’s pretty easy to dissuade them; if they have an inclination toward jumping on the counters, I put mouse traps on the counters covered by newspaper. They usually only try it once.

[wireweiners]

I’m with you OP, not worth the effort. But I do wipe down counters with disinfectant wipes prior to cooking.

[Edgewood]

[QUOTE=Lucassb;7924838]
I don’t allow my cats on the kitchen counters.

They learn this when I first get them. It’s pretty easy to dissuade them; if they have an inclination toward jumping on the counters, I put mouse traps on the counters covered by newspaper. They usually only try it once. ;)[/QUOTE]

Same here, our cats aren’t allowed on counters, but they sometimes surf when no one is looking. If they do it very often (like more than once!) we put out the SSSCAT which is a motion sensor rigged can of air that sprays and spooks them. Works like a charm to keep them off. I personally think cats on the counter is a bit unhygienic.

@wireweiners;7924844

I’m with you OP, not worth the effort. But I do wipe down counters with disinfectant wipes prior to cooking.

I do this too, but try to keep them off 99% of the time.

[redkat]

I don’t like animals where food is served, so my cats aren’t allowed on the kitchen counters or the dining table. They’re allowed everywhere else. I don’t have any doubt that they’re up there occasionally when I’m not around, however they never let me see them up there.

A rambunctious cat would never be relegated to “outdoor only” based on this habit, because…cats.

My Siamese will occasionally walk on the table and do laps. She knows what, “get DOWN,” means, and has her own comments about it when she finally does…:o

[Ladylexie]

I don’t love my cat on the table, but, I actually feed her on the table. If I don’t she takes forever to eat her food and my little Chi gobbles it right up! My cat is 16 and she just seems set in her ways so I always spray the table down with cleaner before I eat. She also gets up there to look out the window at the birds…

[RS]

I will say, I do wipe down my counters a lot. With those Clorox wipes. Perhaps that makes it more acceptable…?:winkgrin:

[HiddenAcres]

It’s easier to pet them when they are on the counter

The cats are allowed on the counter. It started when the dog would not leave their food alone, several decades ago. They’ve always been good about staying off if anyone actually tried to cook something.:eek: No problem with cats on the counter.

[Capall]

I think our kitty must have never been allowed on the counters in her old home(s). We got her from a local rescue. She rarely rarely jumps on the actual counters. She will jump on the island or on the table, but that isn’t an everyday occurrence either.

We don’t really reprimand her if she jumps up, but if she gets on the stove we just take her off of it.

She does, however, have a gross habit of sticking her squashy face into your cup and leaving Persian eye goop on the rim. :lol:

[cowboymom]

Meh, not in front of me and I discourage it by putting things away and squirting them with the water sprayer if they’re too bold… but life is short, I don’t worry about it that much. I don’t slap food right down on the counter and they stay down while I’m cooking. Seems to work for us just fine.

I feed them on the washing machine.

When DH and I first got married he freaked out about cats on the counter and I called the vet to ask if there was some sort of big concern we should worry about and the vet said “as long as you’re not pregnant” so that was that! All these years, no problems.

[Louise]

Six cats, most of whom need to be seperated when they eat means that some eat on the counter. Besides, if you’re gone, I would bet anything that they’re up there anyways. Most cats seem to have an ingrained “try to keep me from doing that will you?” attitude. I do tend to go through those disinfectant wipes very quickly.

[cowboymom]

I have eight cats! (how the heck did that happen? ) They take turns eating their free choice CAT food on the washer or on a back bathroom counter but the interesting food seems to be on OUR counters!

[Ladylexie]

[QUOTE=RS;7924851]
I will say, I do wipe down my counters a lot. With those Clorox wipes. Perhaps that makes it more acceptable…?:winkgrin:[/QUOTE]

Yes I’m sure that makes it more acceptable.

[Trinket]

I never allow any of our cats on the counter, and they’ve really only had to try one time to understand that no, they’re not allowed. (Water spray gun at the ready!!)

However we just rescued a cat who seems to have never learned NOT to go on counters. We found chicken on the floor one night, with our newest eating happily from ill-gotten-counter-gains!! D:

We never catch him, but he’s trained us not to leave anything for him to get, so he’s slowly learning that no food is up there, and he’s learned from the past that he’s not allowed up when someone is around.

[Sannois]

All my life I have had cats, and even when I have tried to keep them off, they do it anyway when you are not home.
I don;t care, I wipe my counters down all the time.
I don;t let them up when preparing food!
Cats will be cats!

[GoForAGallop]

Blech no.

Although as I say that, one is crammed next to my head on the pillow, so I really have no rational reason for caring about the countertops when I’m rubbing my face on the same germs anyway. :lol:

[GoodTimes]

Definitely no cats on the counters or dining room table. No dogs on the furniture or carpet.
I love them but there are boundaries.

[Zevida]

Growing up, our cats were not allowed on the counter, so I continued that when I moved out on my own and got cats.

When I needed to start feeding them separately, the counter was the best place and ever since they get on the counter, the fridge and the table. I gave up and don’t care anymore. But not when I’m working in the kitchen, then I chase them out and they hover by the doorway.

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

I only have barn cats because my Dobermans would gleefully kill cats if they were inside the house. That being said, cats on kitchen counter tops is disgusting to me. They walk in a box where they urinate and defecate with the same paws they walk on the counters! So so unsanitary!

[Kels]

I have 6 also (I’m with you cowboymom- how the heck did that happen?! Though now that I have it, I wouldn’t change it!). Honestly, I don’t worry about it. Growing up it wasn’t worried about either, that’s what disinfectant is for.

Six month old Prudence is insistent that she be on the counters but is learning (I think? …I hope?) to stay off.

Bella and Nazgul are more conditioned to being up on the counters and the table, I think my SO’s parents fed them on the counters for the little bit they lived with them. Damn grandparents! They are also food vultures for this same reason.

These two eat their food on top of the refrigerator now.

The other three (my original three) are saints and know better, though I don’t doubt that they sometimes cruise up there just to do it.

Edited because I have Christmas brain, or some other lame excuse for spelling errors.