Cat training: keep them away from your counter or desk

Training cats not to jump on your counter, bench, table, or desk is something that should be done as soon as the behavior begins.

Cats are naturally curious creatures and love to know what is going on and what their favorite person is doing. No doubt they can also smell the food you are preparing and will want to check it out.

They also love to be made a fuss about, usually right away, so they’ll jump up and rub against you when you’re peeling vegetables or setting the table. Finding scraps or leftovers will encourage them to jump, as the behavior brings a reward in the form of food.

I love both of my cats, but if they jump into food prep or eating areas, I immediately put them down and say no in a firm voice. Cranking some marbles in a can or sprinkling them with a bit of water will make them jump quickly. Yelling or hitting your cat won’t stop any undesirable behavior, it will just make her scared and suspicious of you. And it will most likely make them jump into those areas when you’re not around anyway.

You will need to make sure there is nothing on your counter that will attract your cat when you are away. No lovely smells, no food or leftovers or dishes to lick. If you suspect your cat is checking the counter when you’re not home, try putting double-sided tape on it or using a citrus spray. Cats will avoid both.

My daughter loved having her cat Tikki on the office desk when she watched DVDs or worked on the computer. In winter it was a nice warm place as we have an oil heater under the desk. In summer, it was at fan level.

When my daughter moved house for work, it was up to me to change Tikki’s behavior as I really didn’t want her there (there wasn’t enough space) and I didn’t want stray cat hair getting on my laptop (she is a long-haired cat).

It really didn’t take long to train her again. Every time she jumped they told her no and lowered her again. She would pat him because she missed my daughter and she couldn’t get to a favorite spot (the desk). I then moved on to telling her no when she was about to jump and petting her while she was still on the ground. Sometimes I would take her out of her office by picking her up and petting her and then putting her on my bed. It only took about a week. I didn’t have to ‘bribe’ her with special cat treats. I was firm and constant. While it’s best to train your cat while she’s still a kitten, older cats can be retrained.

He still comes into the office to ‘talk’ to me and when he wants grass seed that he can’t remove. The key when training a cat, even an adult cat, is to be consistent, persistent, and gentle. Let them know who runs the house.