How to Keep Cats Off the Counter for Good
Counter surfing may seem like a doggy thing, but countless cats are attracted to countertops too! While dogs are after forbidden feasts, felines may be seeking out other amenities.
What are cats really looking for exactly? To better appreciate a cat’s love for counters, we need to take a deep dive into those mysterious feline brains and understand the driving forces behind their behavior.
Knowing what drives cats to counters isn’t just a matter of trivia—it’s the puzzle piece that will help you solve the problem effectively. Once you have identified what your cat is looking for, you’ll not only understand your cat better, but you’ll hold the key that will help you find the custom-tailored solution that will help you succeed.
Related: How to Stop Your Cat's "Bad" Behaviors
Worried about litter-box-contaminated kitty paws touching your pristine kitchen countertop?
The Driving Engine Behind Animal Behavior
Why did the cat jump on the counter? If you think it’s because your cat is trying to be mischievous, dominant or spiteful, you're on the wrong track.
“This is not about cats trying to take over the world, or dominance, vengeance, payback or spite. This is about cats being cats,” explains board-certified veterinarian Dr. Chris Pachel on DVM360.
Reinforcement is ultimately what drives animal behavior. From a pigeon pecking on a button to a killer whale jumping through a loop, the ultimate principle of reinforcement is the same: Behaviors that are reinforced tend to strengthen and repeat.
In a nutshell, it’s all about rewards. When your cat does something and she gets some form of reward, your cat will want to repeat that behavior.
Moral of the story? Think less about cats being naughty; think more about actions leading to rewards.
Why Are Counters Attractive to Cats?
Understanding why counters are so attractive to cats requires thinking a bit like a cat. Of course, every cat has his own individual personality and preferences. Let's take a look at some common reasons why cats are so attracted to counters.
A Room With a View
Ever wondered why cats are so attracted to high places? Perhaps it’s because as predator and prey animals, they enjoy having a bird-like view of their surroundings. By staying high, not only do they feel safer, but they also gain a vantage point from which they can spot prey, keep tabs on the dog and track anything that sparks their attention.
A cat using a high location to survey the environment below
A 24-Hour Buffet
Counters will always be attractive to cats because they’re home to a variety of foods. From crumbs to unattended snacks, counters are like a 24-hour buffet that always has something to offer, even if it’s just the smell of food.
As with dogs, cats are blessed with a larger supply of olfactory epithelium compared to humans. While humans have only 2 to 4 cm2, cats have 20 cm2, which gives them an excellent sense of smell.
A Source of Attention
Cats, just like dogs, find attention reinforcing, and that may include any form of attention, from positive attention to even attention of the negative type.
Cats may enjoy jumping on counters because they get to be closer to you and are at your face level. Sweet talking to your cat, petting him or getting his meal ready are appealing forms of positive attention.
On the other hand, if every time your cat jumps on the counter, you get up from the couch to yell at your cat to get “down,” you may have just given your cat exactly what he wanted: negative attention, which is a form of attention nonetheless, similar to a toddler acting out to get mom’s attention when she’s on the phone.
Suspect attention-seeking behavior if your cat’s counter-climbing behavior happens mostly in your presence.
A Place to Explore
Cats are curious beings and, therefore, may feel compelled to jump up onto certain areas just for the mere purpose of exploration. If the cat notices something on the counter that piques his interest, he may not hesitate to jump up to check it out.
Related: How to Catch a Skittish Cat (And Whether You Should)
Cats are often attracted by all the enticing sights and smells associated with kitchen counters.
An Area to Hunt/Play
Cats can be particularly playful and exuberant, especially when young. A fly or other bug buzzing around may encourage a cat to climb on the counter. Anything on the counter that may be fun to play with will reinforce the jumping up. If the kitchen counter leads to a window, the cat may enjoy bird-watching from there.
An Escape From Stress
Stressed or anxious cats may climb on counters to escape from frightening stimuli. If the cat lives with a dog, a counter may provide a safe retreat. I know of a poor cat that led a “vertical life” on cabinets, tables and counters after a boisterous Beagle was added to the household.
Cats who are suffering from noise phobias or separation-related distress may also be panic-stricken and engage in unusual behaviors, including jumping on counters.
A Warm Spot
If your counter receives sunshine, your cat may be seeking some warmth by climbing up there. Cats love basking in the sun.
A Source of Water
Cats and water don’t mix, right? That’s what we've always heard. Well, actually, some cats have a vivid fascination with water.
One of them was a cat I owned when living in Italy. She was very attracted to the water coming out from the bidet. As soon as she heard the water running, she would rush to play with it, pawing at it and drinking it—and she didn’t even mind getting occasionally wet!
The Power of Intermittent Reinforcement
Often, reinforcers such as food or attention are accessed only occasionally, which makes being on the countertop even more addictive. Think about slot machines in Vegas. What makes gambling so seductive is the fact that although you often lose, sometimes, you win.
When your cat finds something attractive on the counter, he gets a dopamine rush that makes wanting to be on the counter even more irresistible over time.
To best address the problem, find what motivates your cat to jump on the counter and find ways to satisfy that need.
12 Ways to Keep Cats Off the Counter for Good
As seen, there may be several reasons why cats climb on counters, and sometimes, more than one reason is involved. A multi-layered approach may be needed to keep the cat off the counter for good.
If you are puzzled by the behavior and cannot find a valid reason why your cat is so determined to jump on the counter, it may help to record the cat’s behavior and watch it carefully for some clues.
1. Ensure All Needs Are Met
Ensure that your cat’s biological and behavioral needs are met. Cats need food, water, rest, but also daily exercise, mental stimulation, play and social interaction.
Fail to cater to your cat’s needs, and this may lead to stress and frustration, which may trigger nuisance behaviors such as scratching furniture, chewing on objects and jumping up on counters.
In the wild, cats spend a couple of hours each day hunting for their meals. To help them stay busy and happy, consider investing in treat-dispensing toys that add a little challenge to their lives, suggests board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Julie Albright.
The good news? You don’t have to look for something fancy or expensive. Your cat can be happy with just a puzzle box made out of a priority mail box, further adds Dr. Albright.
2. Reduce Anxiety
There are various options nowadays to reduce anxiety in cats and dogs, from nutraceuticals to pheromone products (like Feliway). Some cats may need veterinarian-prescribed calming meds.
3. Provide Perching Options
Cats need perching options so that they can climb up as needed for observation and safety purposes. There are various options to help satiate a cat’s climbing needs, from cat trees to climbing towers and cat wall shelves.
What’s important is to make these perching options win your cat’s heart so that the kitchen counter becomes boring in comparison. For example, you can add a sprinkle of catnip on the perch and praise your cat when visiting the area.
Leaving some treats on the perch for your cat to occasionally find will further help the perch gain value, courtesy of that powerful dopamine rush associated with intermittent reinforcement that we talked about earlier.
4. Gift a Cat Window Bed
If your cat jumps on the counter because he loves basking in the sun and resting in high areas, a cat window bed may make a great gift. Some are shaped like hammocks, while others are more similar to perches.
To help your cat make good choices, it may be helpful to temporarily make the window over the counter unappealing, such as by closing the blinds or placing a layer of privacy window film over it.
At the same time, up the ante by making the window bed more appealing by setting up a bird feeder by the window bed so that your cat gets a front-row seat to the wildlife channel.
Related: 10 Reasons Why Your Cat Should Be an Indoor-Only Cat
5. Get a Cat Water Fountain
If your cat is after the water running from the sink, he may be delighted with a cat water fountain. There are many makes and models on the market today.
6. Confine in a Safe Room
If your cat tends to jump on counters or becomes destructive when left home alone, it may be best to confine him to a safe room with food, a water bowl, a litter box, a climbing tower and several toys. Addressing any underlying separation-related distress is important. Consult with a cat behavior specialist.
7. Reinforce Desired Behaviors
To an attention-seeking cat, your attention is perceived as the ultimate jackpot. Be sure to shower your cat with lots of positive attention contingent upon her displaying calm and quiet behavior.
8. Keep the Counters Clean
To help counteract counter-surfing in cats, it’s essential to keep your counters as clean as possible. Think about a counter just coming out of the showroom.
Using a citrus cleaner to clean your tabletops and countertops can help make them less appealing, considering cats aren’t typically fans of anything containing citrus, suggests board-certified veterinarian Dr. Christine Calder in an article for VIN.
Just make sure that the surface is dry after wiping to prevent your cat from ingesting these cleaning products or getting them on their fur or bodies.
Also, for those kitties that “get a kick” out of knocking stuff off the counter and watching them fall, keeping the counter as clutter-free as possible is a must.
9. Be Consistent
As mentioned, intermittent reinforcement can make counter-surfing particularly addictive. To prevent your cat from getting hooked, be consistent and ensure the counters remain free of any stray morsels. Make sure the whole family is on the same page.
10. Train Your Cat
Did you know that cats can be trained too? I have trained my cats to sit on cue with my dogs and even do some cool tricks like playing a battery-operated piano.
A behavior that may come in handy if your cat tends to jump on the counter when you open his can of food is to train him to wait patiently on his mat. This training can be started by feeding tasty foods when he’s on the mat so that he forms positive associations with it.
Once he gets the idea, start praising and rewarding him for approaching the mat on his own. Start to delay the time you reward a bit so that he stays on the mat for longer and longer. Once your cat learns to wait on the mat for treats, you can start introducing the can of cat food.
Make it clear that he gets fed only when he stays on the mat. If he moves off of it, kindly lure him back to it with some food. With time, your cat should learn that the mat is the place to be rather than the counter.
Don’t forget to always keep the counter spotless and wipe it well after opening the cat food!
11. Close Off the Kitchen
When you cannot dedicate time to training or when you are not around, it’s best to restrict access to the kitchen. This is to prevent your cat from going on the counter when you're away, as this behavior is self-rewarding.
12. Avoid Punishment
As tempting as it may be to use harsh punishment, such as yelling at the cat, swatting or shooing him away, spraying him with water, using a mat that delivers shock, making a sudden noise or setting up booby traps with unpleasant surprises, consider that these methods may lead to trust issues and potential fear and stress-related behaviors.
On top of this, in some cases, the cat may perceive jumping up on the counter as worth the risk of punishment, or if punishment is delivered inconsistently (like sometimes you allow your cat to be on the counter or sometimes you fail to notice it), the cat is being intermittently reinforced, which makes the behavior stronger, explains board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Meghan E. Herron in the book Decoding Your Cat.
While deterrents that lead to pain or fear should be avoided, there are less aversive forms of them, such as placing double-sided sticky tape, an upside-down carpet runner or tin foil on the counter to make walking over it annoying.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that some cats can be particularly sensitive, and these may be too much for them, warns Dr. Herron in a video for DVM360.
Keep It Up!
Behavior modification and training is a process and not a one-time deal. Keep ensuring your cat’s needs are met, intermittently reinforce the use of perches and window beds and make the counter appear less appealing, and your cat should soon learn to make good choices!
Happy training!
"Dog training and behavior modification, particularly for challenges involving potential aggression (e.g., lunging, barking, growling, snapping, or biting), require in-person guidance from a qualified behavior professional. Online articles are for educational purposes only and do not replace personalized, professional intervention. By using this information, you accept full responsibility for your dog’s actions and waive any liability claims related to their behavior.If your dog shows concerning behaviors, seek professional help immediately to ensure safety and proper care."
References
- Herron ME, Buffington CA. Environmental enrichment for indoor cats. Compend Contin Educ Vet. 2010
- Decoding Your Cat: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Cat Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent Or Change Unwanted Ones, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists by Meghan E. Herron, Debra F. Horwitz, Carlo Siracusa, Steve Dale July 2020
- DVM360, Fear free: keep cats off the kitchen countertop by creating a more enticing alternative February 4, 2022
- DVM360: Feline Behavior Modifications That Actually Work, December 12, 2018
- Veterinary Information Network: Cats and High Places: Keeping Them Off Counters and Tables
