How to stop a cat from jumping on the table

Video: How to Keep Your Cat Off Counters | Cat Care

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 3: Demotivating Actions
Method 2 of 3: Alternatives to the table
Method 3 of 3: How to make surfaces less attractive
Warnings
What do you need

It is not uncommon for cats to jump onto the kitchen work surface, as well as on other surfaces where they should not be: on coffee tables, bedside tables, and other places. This is frustrating for their owners, but it is a common habit among cats. There are ways to stop cats from jumping on the table and other forbidden surfaces, which involve three steps: show the cat that it is not allowed to jump on the table; give the cat an alternative to the table so that it can follow its natural instinct and jump; make the table and other surfaces less attractive to the cat.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Demotivating Actions

1 Demotivate your cat with special scare devices. This will allow you to punish the cat for unwanted actions without being present in the room, so the cat will not associate the punishment with you. If you punish your cat yourself, it will jump on the table when you are not at home. You can make scaring devices yourself, but make sure that they do not harm the animal.
2 Arrange baking sheets of parchment around the edges of the table. This is a simple method to stop the cat from jumping on the table, because it will jump on the parchment, the sudden noise and movement of which will frighten the animal, but will not harm it. Over time, the cat will begin to associate the table with this sound and stress that comes from this, and will stop jumping on the table.
- You can fill the trays with water and place them on the table. So the cat will be afraid not only of noise, but also of water. However, the cat can slip, so if you have an old or not very mobile animal, you should refuse this technique for the sake of the cat's health.
3 Assemble a noise-scaring device. Pull the string across the area where your cat usually jumps onto the table. Tie one end of the string to empty aluminum cans that are easy to hit and drop. If the string is positioned correctly, the cat will bump into it and create noise, which will be enough to stop it from jumping on the table.
- To make the cans sound even louder, place coins or other small objects inside.
4 Place double-sided tape on surfaces where cats cannot jump. The tape can be attached to the surface in a couple of places. When the cat jumps to the surface, the tape will stick to its paws, so it will not want to jump there again. Cats are quickly distracted and irritated by objects sticking to them, so double-sided tape should work.
- You can spread aluminum foil on the surface. The noise of the foil will scare the cat away.
5 Buy cat scarers and lay them on the surface. There are special devices that scare cats with loud noises, sudden movements, or have a sticky surface. There are quite a few such devices on the market. Read the reviews and buy the device that works for sure.
- There are air cannons that trigger movement. They can be used to scare cats away from tables and other surfaces. A motion sensor detects the presence of a cat in a prohibited place, and the device emits a sharp and powerful stream of air that scares the animal.
- There are also devices that make a harsh sound when a cat jumps into a prohibited area. The device has a motion sensor. Some of these devices are equipped with pressure sensors and are triggered when a cat steps on them or on the surface below them. There are also special mats with pressure sensors that can be rolled out over the entire surface. The device will be triggered when the cat jumps onto the mat.
- There are silent versions of these devices that create less inconvenience to people. These devices emit a high frequency sound that the ear of a person and even a dog cannot hear, but cats can perceive such a sound and it will scare them away.
- Textured rugs are safe deterrents that don't require electricity, batteries or compressed air. These rugs have a special texture with little pointy elements that cats don't like to walk on. Once on such a surface, the cat will want to jump off.
6 Activate noisy devices yourself. Hide from the cat and activate the device when you see the cat jump on the table. There are various noise generators, including those made for cats.
- You can scare a cat with a horn. The sound will cause the cat to jump, but the cat will not see you. But make sure that the sound of the horn is not too loud or you risk damaging your hearing or your cat's hearing.
- There are special horns that not only make a sound, but also spray pheromones that scare a cat away from a prohibited place.

Method 2 of 3: Alternatives to the table

1 Offer your cat alternatives so that she can follow her natural instinct. Cats tend to jump and climb because it's a natural instinct. Cats love vertical structures. Your pet won't want to jump onto the table if it has a more interesting item to climb or jump on.
2 Place vertical structures near windows. Cat "trees", houses or poles will give the cat the opportunity to climb up and observe what is happening from there. If the top shelf is near the window, the cat will be able to view birds and animals, which will satisfy its interest and occupy its attention, so that it will not jump on tables and other surfaces.
3 Hang up a special shelf for your cat. There are special soft shelves for cats that are attached to the inside of the window. Like cat "trees" and other cat accessories, the shelves keep cats entertained and curious. Choose a window on the sunny side, as cats love to bask in the sun. The cat will be able to sleep on this shelf and / or observe what is happening outside, which will distract her from the table.
4 Give your cat a variety of toys to play on the floor. Toys will help your cat spend energy, so she will be less likely to think about jumping on the table. If the cat likes to play with toys on the floor, it will not be so interested in jumping up. Change toys from time to time so that the cat does not get bored and does not jump on the table because of the desire for something new.
- Many cats like simple toys such as small fake mice that can be thrown across the room. Some cats even bring these mice back to their owner!
- Some cats refuse expensive toys and prefer to play with plastic bags, boxes, baskets and more. Try offering your cat different toys to see what she likes before buying an expensive toy.
- Many cat toys are electronic: there are toy mice that move along the path, and mice with wheels that can move themselves on carpet or other surfaces. Other toys contain glowing and other technological elements. Such toys attract the attention of cats and distract them from prohibited surfaces.
5 Spread out different beddings for your cat in warm, sunny places around the house. Cats especially like beds in which they can hide or burrow under something. Cats sleep 16-20 hours a day, which means that most of the day they are not interested in jumping on the table. If you offer your cat a cozy place to sleep, it will be there more often and will jump on the table less often. In addition, the cat will sleep more and will not seek entertainment in the house.
6 Lock the cat in another area in the house when cooking. Cats wonder what happens on the table because of the smell of food. The sense of smell of cats is 40 times stronger than the sense of smell of humans. Cats can smell all of their food, which stimulates their curiosity when you are not around, so they can jump on the table to study the smells on it.
- Cats can find it difficult to control their behavior due to curiosity, so they may jump on the table when a person is preparing food there. Close the cat in the other room so that it is not interested in the table and does not try to jump there.
- Leave toys and a comfortable place to sleep with your cat if you need to hide it somewhere while cooking. So the cat will not be bored and she will be able to rest.
- Not all cats agree to sit in another room, so be prepared for your cat to howl. In this case, do not leave her alone for a long time, so as not to provoke severe stress.

Method 3 of 3: How to make surfaces less attractive

1 Do not keep human food on the table as it can attract the cat. Cats have a very developed sense of smell, so food particles on the table may interest the cat. She will jump on the table in search of food and eat all the crumbs that you left there, as well as nibble on food that you may have forgotten on the table. If you have to store food on the table, store it in containers that your cat cannot open or damage.
2 Wipe down surfaces regularly. Thanks to this, traces and smells of food will not remain on them. It will be helpful to treat surfaces with disinfectants. This will remove odors that may be attracting the cat and thoroughly clean the work surfaces.
- Choose cleansers or disinfectants that smell like citrus fruit, aloe, eucalyptus, or methyl salicylate. These smells scare cats away. Perfumery can have the same effect.
3 Try giving your cat more food. Perhaps the cat is jumping on the table in search of food because it is hungry. It's easy to check - just try offering your pet more food. If the cat stops constantly jumping on the table after this, the problem is solved. However, some cats are prone to overeating, so they can jump on the table even if they have enough food. Get ready for this.
- If you're not leaving your cat dry food in the bowl for the day, try it. Many cats prefer to eat small amounts throughout the day rather than large meals several times a day. In this case, you should make sure that the cat always has food in the bowl (but provided that you do not exceed the recommended amount of food per day and take into account the opinion of the veterinarian). You can feed in small portions throughout the day if you prefer. The most important thing is to give your cat enough food so that it does not look for it on the table.
- Observe your cat's eating habits. Monitor the weight of the animal if you change the feeding system.
4 Do not leave objects on the tables that your cat likes to play with. If there are objects on the table that the cat likes, she will jump there after them. Remember, cats love to play with more than just their toys. The cat can jump on the table for keys, pens, chapstick and paper.
- Remember that toys should not be stored near work surfaces (for example, in a drawer). If the cat sees you hiding toys in there, it will jump on the table to try to get the toys.
5 Close window shades near work surfaces. Cover windows that your cat can reach across the table. Cats love to watch birds and animals outside, so they can jump on the table to get to the window from there. For this reason, furniture for cats should be placed near windows so that the animal can observe what is happening outside (this is discussed in the second section of this article).
6 Clean work surfaces with lemon oil or lemon scent. Cats don't like the smell of lemon, so this trick may work.

Warnings

If the cat is very shy, do not scare the cat away with various devices. A cat can get very scared, which makes it difficult for her to even just move around the house.
Do not hit or yell at your cat to stop jumping on the table. Cats don't understand that they are being punished for doing something, so your pet will just start to fear you.