It's finally happened. Gryff is now jumping up on the kitchen counter.

[Siwsan]

Madoc has been doing this for months, now, but Gryff always watched but didn't participate. Until this morning.
I might have to dig in to my bag of tricks to deter this behavior.

And, yes, I am as I type those words.

[brer cat]

1. My cat is a real a$$, but his one redeeming

virtue is that he doesn't get on the kitchen counters. I would not be very tolerant of that behavior. Good luck breaking Gryff's new trick.

[Siwsan]

2. I'm going to start using a lemon scented cleaner, since I've read felines don't like citrus

Guess I'll find out if that is true, nor not.

[brer cat]

3. We use orange oil to keep ants away.

I use plain water in a squirt bottle on the cat. That is sufficient to get him off the dining room table, but he comes right back.

[Midnight Writer]

9. Plain water in a squirt bottle works very well.

There is a trick to it. Do not yell or scold the cat when you spray them. If you do, they are learning to run when you yell, not to stay off the counter. If you simply spray them with no drama, they learn faster that the counter is not a place for them.

[Siwsan]

10. I do have a spray bottle

I've seemed to have trained Madoc to stop jumping up on the table when I'm eating. Of course, he might just be waiting for me to let my guard down.

[Rebl2]

14. Our cat did that

as soon as she was able to. She finally quit on her own when she realized she was not getting any food. Took about a year. I must say though, she still likes to get on the table in the morning and lay on our placemats and take a nap. I don’t eat at the table in the morning so I just leave her alone.

[brer cat]

11. Good point. Thanks!

[MiHale]

4. What an idea!...

If it works I gotta tell my daughter her cats are crazy jumpers. Unbelievably enough we use orange peels cut up into little pieces and spread in our strawberry patch to deter the cats from eating the berries.
Yes, it works great seems to work with squirrels too. No idea if scented cleaners would work.
Ya gotta update us.

[femmedem]

5. Essential oils are toxic to cats.

If he gets some on his paws when it's still wet, it could be dangerous. I say this as someone who worked with essential oils for years and had a cat nearly die from acute kidney failure. I still don't know how he got exposed as I worked in a closed-off room, but I assume I didn't wash my hands well enough before petting him.

[Siwsan]

7. Important Info!!

Thanks! Fortunately, once Madoc realizes the butter dish is covered and there's nothing tasty left behind, he moves on to other mischief.

Maybe I'll just keep sanitizing the counter with something safe for him.

[niyad]

12. Vinegar.

[femmedem]

20. Glad to hear it!

My cat ended up ok, but he was hospitalized for a week and it was touch and go for a while. Scented cleaning products are mentioned in this article: https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/cats-and-essential-oils

Mr. Femmedem used to be opposed to our cats walking on the table or counters but eventually decided it didn't bother him. We've had a more peaceful household ever since.

[wnylib]

21. You're lucky that he abandons

a covered butter dish. Ember knocks them to the floor so that the cover comes off.

[XanaDUer2]

19. My cat loves lemon scented Pledges

He sits whenever I spray it

[2naSalit]

6. I have found that...

You can negotiate a system where they stay off the counter most of the time.

I usually get them used to my saying to nobody in particular, "Uh oh, I wonder if there's a bad kitty somewhere." A few seconds later, from the other room, I hear them jump down to the floor.

Good luck in that new project, could take a while.

[niyad]

13. That is a good one!

[SheltieLover]

8. Good luck breaking Gryff's new habit

[niyad]

15. I always used a squirt bottle or little water pistol to explain to my felids where I

did not want them to be. This, of course, does NOT work if the little darlings like moving water, as so many of them do! One of mine, when I was explaining about not climbing the drapes, actually turned his head to indicate that I had missed a spot. Sighhhhhh.

[Siwsan]

16. I was trying to fill the feral's dry food jar. Madoc kept sticking his head in it!

If I am not super careful about twisting the lid shut tight on their kibble jar, he can get it off and 'graze'.

[tblue37]

17. A new milestone! Our baby is growing up!

[Siwsan]

18. We're edging up to 8 months old, in about a week

Hard to believe. Especially Madoc, since he's been in my life since he was just a month old. Gryff was 5 months old when I brought him home but it feels like he's been here, from the start of this kitten adventure.