ANOTHER problem with kitty - PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!

[Nurse_Jamie]

I have another little problem with my rambunctious kitten. When she was real little, she couldn't jump up on things very well, but now that she has gotten bigger, she is jumping up on end tables, coffe tables....stuff like that. I don't really mind that, I mean, she likes to lay under the warm lamps, and that is fine with me...she isn't hurting anything.

But what is really bothering me is this: SHe is jumping up on the kitchen counter when I am not looking!! I assume she is jumping up there looking for food scraps or something, but jumping on the counter is NOT acceptable. She absolutely knows she's not supposed to do it, because when I am in the kitchen, she doesn't ever jump up there, and when I walk in the kitchen and catch her on the counter, she jumps off immediately and runs under the table. She knows she's not supposed to do that, but she does it anyway. How in the world can I break her of this? I have tried EVERYTHING!!!! I don't know what else to do and I am really getting sick of it. Almost every time I walk in the kitchen, there she is on the counter. I don't know how else to punish her. I want to make sure she knows what I punish her for, but as soon as I step foot in the kitchen, she jumps down and runs. I have to break her of this and soon! Anyone have any suggestions? I really could use some!

Thanks.

[jason]

how many more suggestions do you need? what kind of discipline are you enforcing with utmost regularity?

I have tried EVERYTHING!!!! I don't know what else to do and I am really getting sick of it.

im sure your cats are sick of it too.

[kk]

Is this really a new issue, because I know you mentioned in earlier posts that you were having problems with your kitten jumping up on tables, etc. I also noticed that you received some advice, and very good advice at that. First of all, you have trained your cat that jumping on the counter is not ok only when you are in the room. The trick is to teach her to not do it when you are away. As in previous posts, "JessK" suggested double-sided tape, either on the counter itself, or on placemats. Also, Aluminum cans with a few coins in them placed in strategic places on the counter would startle your kitten when jumping on the counter. "kate & kobi" suggested aluminum foil. Have you tried these things? You say you've tried "everything," but did not mention what. Try to keep tempting foods off of the counter..I know that sometimes when fixing a meal, you may need to leave the area for a bit, but most of the time, food could be put away before you leave the room. Also, perhaps you could put your cat in a another room when fixing meals until the food has been put away and the dishes cleaned.

[Nurse_Jamie]

how many more suggestions do you need? what kind of discipline are you enforcing with utmost regularity?

I have tried EVERYTHING!!!! I don't know what else to do and I am really getting sick of it.

im sure your cats are sick of it too.

There's no need to be rude about it. We aren't all cat experts, ya know. If you can't offer a decent reply, why even bother???

[LisaLisa]

Jamie,

I did a Yahoo search and use the terms "how do I get my cats from jumping on counters"... Many articles with suggestions with rationale as to why this behavior may be occurring came up. You may want to try this.
This problem is not going to be fixed overnight.

I really hope your cat remains healthy in the long run..My Smokey used to lay on my dining room table when I was not at home (it was near a window an he was sunning himself). When I moved, I didn't have the time or energy to put into trying to make sure they (Smokey and Caz) stayed off of counters and tables. Smokey stopped being the spry boy and I attributed to him getting old and not bouncing back from major surgery. The truth was, he has significant heart disease, and that was the reason why he lost his zip. Now he is taking Cardizem lost a few pounds and jumps from the end table onto the counter and just sits there and perches. For me, it's a sign he is doing well...I very much welcome it and it is my measurement for pinpoint when something isn't right. My point is, if your cat ever gets sick, you will praying these behaviors you view as being "bad" were present.


Good luck.

[jason]

how many more suggestions do you need? what kind of discipline are you enforcing with utmost regularity?

I have tried EVERYTHING!!!! I don't know what else to do and I am really getting sick of it.

im sure your cats are sick of it too.

There's no need to be rude about it. We aren't all cat experts, ya know. If you can't offer a decent reply, why even bother???

from many posts and many suggestions i was simply speaking the obvious.