Can you keep a cat off of the table?

[SummerRain]

Hi Guys, long time no see

I have recently adopted an adorable bundle of cat fur known as Strax. He's settled in like a house on fire and is a cheery little chap, the only real difficulty is whether or not we can keep him off the table.

Our initial approach was to just scoop him up and put him on the floor but he has taken to trying to nip you if you try now (he doesn't otherwise mind being picked up, but it annoys him when he's cosy on the table).

We've tried pointing and telling him to get off, which also worked at first because he tends to go where you point (no idea who taught him this but it's great). But he's stopped paying attention now.

I've tried "environmental deterrents" such as putting baking parchment all over the table so that it slides/crinkles when he jumps up... yeah he didn't care at all.

On the whole my approach to cat training is that you can't so why bother, cats will do what they like to do, and that's why I adopted one! But it's a bit unhygenic for him to wander all over our dinner table, and it also means he sometimes jumps up when people are eating which is worse really.

Unfortunately we can't shut Strax out of the room, without shutting him in another room, which he wouldn't like and would be tricky. So I'm kinda all out of ideas... do you have any? What do other cat owners do?

 

[Moll Flanders]

I have recently adopted an adorable bundle of cat fur known as Strax.

Yay.

I had/have this problem with my cats, at one point I had eight of them living here and they will always find the most comfortable and warm places in the house to sit.

I tried to make spots for them around the house so they would be attracted to them rather than the places I would prefer them not to sit. Make sure that you move the cat's water and food bowls well away from that area (you probably have already) and make a bed for him in another place so he would prefer that instead. My cats don't seem that interested in catnip but you could get some and put it in his new place.

My husband has the problem of one of my cats sitting on his keyboard as it's warm and he read that if you put an empty cardboard box near the PC then the cat will sit in the box instead as they love them.

 

[Calliegirl]

Have you tried a spray bottle with water or some sticky tape?

 

[Amy SF]

Cats CAN be trained, but it just takes more time and persistence.

How about luring him off the table with a treat, and using a clicker? He'll associate the treat with the sound of the clicker. Keep doing it over and over. Then stop giving him the treat and just use the clicker. Hopefully by then when he hears the clicker but without the treat, he'll still jump off the table.

Well, it SHOULD work.

Oh, and btw, we need to see pictures of Strax, tout suite!

 

[RascalsMom]

A spray bottle of water was the only thing that ever worked with the cats my family had when I was growing up.

 

[Tom L.]

If you're persistent about taking him off the table, he might learn to stay off the table when you're around at least. He doesn't hurt anybody when he nips, does he?

 

[Amy SF]

I've never liked to spray water on my cats because they're very high-strung, and when they're sprayed with water they seem to be a little more traumatized than I would like.

 

[SummerRain]

ace.

My husband has the problem of one of my cats sitting on his keyboard as it's warm and he read that if you put an empty cardboard box near the PC then the cat will sit in the box instead as they love them.

Aww! Strax loves sitting in front of the PC screen too, but I think he just likes to be with me/in the way, because it isn't any warmer... We have given him plenty of other places to chill - we have several very wide window sills he especially likes. But he likes the table too ...

Cats CAN be trained, but it just takes more time and persistence.

How about luring him off the table with a treat, and using a clicker? He'll associate the treat with the sound of the clicker. Keep doing it over and over. Then stop giving him the treat and just use the clicker. Hopefully by then when he hears the clicker but without the treat, he'll still jump off the table.

Well, it SHOULD work.

Oh, and btw, we need to see pictures of Strax, tout suite!

Ooh that's a good idea. We will try that for sure. He will do anything for food I will buy a clicker now.

If you're persistent about taking him off the table, he might learn to stay off the table when you're around at least. He doesn't hurt anybody when he nips, does he?

Nah not at all. It's more a warning.

I've never liked to spray water on my cats because they're very high-strung, and when they're sprayed with water they seem to be a little more traumatized than I would like.

Yeah I feel similarly. I don't want to upset the little guy, and he's quite easily spooked. So I'm not considering water spray... I think I'd rather just let him on the table.

Thanks everyone! Have some pictures...

 

[KLS52]

Awww...he's sweet! I say, let him be, lol.

My guys/gals are all over everything. My one rule is, when I am cooking/baking anything that someone other than myself is going to eat (hubby and son excluded) they get shut out of the kitchen, I wipe everything down and then do my thing. It's not fool proof...stray hairs can be anywhere, but it pretty much works for me.

I did use the spray bottle on Bratt and Joon when I first adopted them. They only needed to be sprayed twice before they got the message and now all I have to do is show them the bottle and they stay away. It was after the fact that I saw an episode of My Cat From Hell where Jackson said he does not advocate spraying them. It supposedly makes them see you as the bad guy. Luckily, my kitties are not afraid of me in the least. We have a great bond. But they do know, now, that if I say no, it means no. And shortly after that they get lots of hugs and kisses. I really believe they are fine.

I'm having a problem with Stella, now, climbing/jumping on me. Her claws are like sharp little razors and she is ripping me to shreds. Jackson says I'm supposed to scream really loud when she does that, enough to scare her, but it will also scare everyone else in the house. I'm having a problem following through with that. I got Bratt and Joon to stop by simply saying firmly, no, no, no. It took a long time but they finally stopped and now I can use no, no, no anytime I don't want them doing something, and I swear, they stop.

The other option was to put beans/nuts and bolts in an empty can and shake it vigorously. They will eventually relate the ungodly sound to the bad behavior and stop it. The trick is, they are not supposed to see you shaking the can because then they relate the bad sound to you...similar to the spray bottle. I don't know...I have a hard time reprimanding them for something without them knowing it's me doing it, lol.

So, yeah, they get away with pretty much anything they want to do. I'd be yelling/scolding them all day long otherwise. They are cats. It comes with the territory. They are in no way candidates for My Cat From Hell, so I'm happy with how things are. They are way more good than they are bad.

 

[Moll Flanders]

Aww, so cute. Cats like to sit on high surfaces so you could try moving something high next to the table or buy a tall scratching post so he might jump up there.

Cats hate the smell of citrus so you could use something like orange essential oil with water or the homemade orange peel vinegar to clean the table.

Or you could eat oranges and lemons at every meal.

 

[Amy SF]

Awwww, Strax, what a cutie patootie!

KLS, have you tried clipping Stella's claws every so often so they don't hurt? (As much)

 

[Wolfie]

Even if you succeeded in keeping him off the table when you're around, he likely won't follow the rules when you're not. I just wipe my table and counters down with a mixture of water and chlorine bleach, especially if I am cooking for someone else. Honestly I don't worry about every little cat hair or paw print when it's just me. I figure I have a natural immunity by now after living with so many pets. Not that I don't keep things clean. I don't want cat poop tracked on the counters of course. But if I'm eating and the cat walks across the table or steals a bite from my plate, I don't worry about it. Now if the cat jumps in my actual food (doesn't happen often but it has) I do dump it. The food, not the cat.

I wouldn't spray him or otherwise scare him either, especially if he's easily spooked. Cats seem to be traumatized much easier than dogs, and I wouldn't want him to develop other, worse habits because he's been scared. Like not using the litter box.

He's adorable.

 

[Calliegirl]

Awww...he's sweet! I say, let him be, lol.

My guys/gals are all over everything. My one rule is, when I am cooking/baking anything that someone other than myself is going to eat (hubby and son excluded) they get shut out of the kitchen, I wipe everything down and then do my thing. It's not fool proof...stray hairs can be anywhere, but it pretty much works for me.

This is basically what I do. They can hang out on the counter and watch me cook as long as long as its for me, but when I'm baking for others, they have to stay on the floor, where they do their best to trip me as punishment.

 

[KLS52]

KLS, have you tried clipping Stella's claws every so often so they don't hurt? (As much)

I do try...sometimes it hurts more when the claws are dull, lol.

 

[SummerRain]

Treats are sort of working. He will jump off the table quickly when I gesture for him to, for a treat, except from directly after dinner where he isn't interested. This is sort of progress, except he jumps up more frequently because then he can jump down and get a treat.

So we thought maybe we would give him treats when he gets off of his own accord. No idea if this is working...

Now he is finally going outside though and usually he wants to go outside around dinner time, so then we just wipe down the table before we eat. A lazy solution, but one nonetheless

 

[KLS52]

Treats are sort of working. He will jump off the table quickly when I gesture for him to, for a treat, except from directly after dinner where he isn't interested. This is sort of progress, except he jumps up more frequently because then he can jump down and get a treat.

So we thought maybe we would give him treats when he gets off of his own accord. No idea if this is working...

Now he is finally going outside though and usually he wants to go outside around dinner time, so then we just wipe down the table before we eat. A lazy solution, but one nonetheless

Ha ha...I so love this about cats.