Black Dining Tables

Is it too late to train a 4 year old cat to stop jumping on counter tops and dining room tables?

I recently adopted an extremely loveable 4 year old cat named Bugsy. He's so sweet. However, every chance he gets, he jumps on the dining room table and kitchen counter tops. I just don't think it's sanitary. His feet and his fanny goes in and out of a litter box where he does his business. Catch my drift? I've tried contact sticky paper, squirtting him with water, nothings working. Am I in over my head?

Public Comments

1. Set mouse traps...odds are very slim that the cat will get cought in one, and even if it does, it won't hurt it. The noise of the snapping traps will keep the fool thing off the counters and table!
2. No he can be changed. It will take a lot of patience on your part. I use the squirt bottle too because they really do not like being squirted with it. You just need to catch him each time you can and squirt him and tell him "NO, GET DOWN", each time he does it. It is frustrating at times I know but stick to it and it will pay off. Good luck!
3. You'll never train them without abusing them. Cats are natural jumpers and that's that.
4. No, you are defiantly not over your head. I would first suggest sticky paper and squirting him with water, but since you said that dosen't work I would recommend a Scat Mat. It is possibly one of the most wonderful things I have bought for my cats. It is a clear mat that you set anywheres (you can move it around) and when the cat steps on it it gives a static shock. It is not inhumane at all, I've tried it on myself. On Low you barely feel it, Medium is just like getting a shock from your car door and High...yeah high does hurt. But our cats are stubborn and we had to use it a couple times on high. But they have no brain tumors (lol) and they don't go upstairs, behind the couch or on any tables or countertops. So you find something that works =).
5. I adopted a fully grown cat (don't know how old she is - but guessing at 6+ when I got her) and we taught her that she wasn't allowed in the kitchen. My new partner didn't like her sitting outside the kitchen door (as in just outside it in the passageway), so we taught her that she couldn't come down the stairs that are between the kitchen and the rest of the flat. They are intelligent animals, and do learn where they are not allowed to go. I found the trick is to be consistant - its no good if sometimes they get away with it, so you may need to keep doors shut if you aren't in that room. I can;t teach my 2 not to go on the dining room tble because it is in the main room, and I can't shut them out of there. I found the best thing to use was a teatowel - wasn't going to hurt her, but she didn't like it. Got to point all we had to do was pick it up and she would back off. Of course we then praised her when she was where we wanted her to be.
6. Unfortunately, saying no and using spray bottle will not affect a long-term change. Cats can only be "trained" in the long-term using positive reinforcement; they do not respond to negative, as do dogs. Which means, whenever the cat is somewhere you approve of, say "good boy" repeatedly and pet him and give lots of treats. Also give treats when he is on the floor around the table. He will learn there are more favorable places to be. This worked like gangbusters for me in teaching my cat to scratch the post and not the furniture. Scratch post = "good girl" and treats.
7. Of course it's not too late. =p Water bottles on jet spray work wonders, I swear. It won't hurt the cat unless you get it in their eyes but it will deliver one nasty shock. =p
8. VERY EASY WAY to do this. Punishing Bugsy with water is not working because he knows he won't get caught when you're not looking or not there. So the interdiction is associated with you and not the table. The way to correct that behavior is by having something bad happening EVERYTIME he goes on the table and the counter. Buy small band (6inches) of sticky large tape (duck tape is not bad). Put it all around the table and counter when you're not there. When kitty will jump on the tape he will see that it's not fun to have sticky tape on his paw until you come home. It will not harm him and most of the time they are able to remove it themselves. Use band of 6 inches no more. This is for two reason. The first one is not to harm your cat as he might roll over and get strangled. The other one is for your cat intelligence who might happen to learn he jumped one time on the table and removed the tape, the second time he can go without fear. By having small strips kitty will know something is waiting. You will have to keep the tape there for 14 days even if he doesn't go anymore. That's the time need for a behavior to become permantly adopted (or forgotten). When you're there (and I mean there, in the kitchen, during cooking and eating) you don't need the tape. All you need is this technic. If he gets in the counter or the table you say "NO, DOWN" with a firm a very low tone voice and you put him down. Do not pet him or give him treat or even feed him during that time. Once he's on the floor, ignore him. You'll have to repeat this often at start but soon enough kitty will understand that going on the counter = going down with nothing . So why bother going on the counter when he don't get anything out of it. He will stop. Do not punish him physicly (although sometime a very small tap on the forhead might not be pad. That's what mothercat is doing to educate her kitty. The strenght of the tap must be very small. It's goal is not to harm but to surprise.) Again 14 days will be needed but you should see improvement after 5 and you probably will just have to say "NO, DOWN" and he will go down.
9. there are pet supply places on the internet that sell these mats with raised pointy bumps on them. the cat jumps on them, finds them uncomfortable, and jumps off. they're supposed to work pretty well.
10. i adopted a stray that constantly jumped on my counters, tables & windowsill's. he even went as far as to try to jump through the window blinds & cut his leg. but i remedied the problem by getting a companion for him (a female kitten) & he stopped. it might be an attention thing. but if its anything else im not so sure.