Dear Critter Corner: My cat Milo keeps jumping on our counters, tabletops, and coffee table. How do I get him to stop?
Cats naturally like to climb high vertical perches and lounge watching their environment from above. Your cat may be looking for higher areas from which to perch and rest. It’ll be a good idea to start making these areas, counters, tabletops, etc less attractive and other areas more attractive.
Following are a few ideas for how to make the counters, tabletops, and coffee table less attractive. Some cats don’t like sticky material on their paws and so putting a tablemat lined with double-sided tape on top of the surface can make the surface uncomfortable and less attractive. When the cat jumps up on the counter and lands, their paws will touch the sticky tape and usually they’ll pick up their paws and jump off. Repeated attempts to jump on the surface will be met with the same uncomfortable feeling and will reinforce that the surface is an uncomfortable area to be on.
Some cats are deterred more easily with a cat deterrent mat. These mats are usually made from plastic or silicone with bumpy spikes or small cones on top. When placed on a surface they create a more textured surface that the cat may find uncomfortable. Like the placemat with double-sided tape, when the cat jumps on the deterrent mat, their paws will touch the bumps and cones and won’t feel comfortable, causing the cat to jump off of the surface. The more the cat practices this, the more they will associate the counter with an uncomfortable sensation on their paws, making it less attractive. For some cats it takes once or twice before they learn that the counter surface is unattractive, and for other cats it may take longer. Test out different materials and levels of duration to determine what will be best for you and your cat.
In turn, it’s a good idea to create vertical spaces that your cat can explore and enjoy. Some types of these spaces include six-foot-tall cat trees with a variety of perches to climb, a “cat highway” of shelving and perches at various heights along the wall, or cat hammocks attached to windows with a view. Providing vertical spaces such as these will help encourage your cat to find positive areas that he can enjoy and decrease the amount of frustration you’re both experiencing.