Cat on the table
With the appearance of animals in the house, the lives of family members and their pets will change dramatically. A playful kitten or cat will delight and amuse you. And sometimes no one will initially pay attention to your pet’s pranks. Before bringing a cat into your home, it is advisable to study the initial basics of the content. Your pet should have its own place and dishes. Over time, it will be difficult to wean a spoiled animal from bad habits.
Climbing on a table is one of the most common. Hygiene rules must be observed first. If there are children in the house, this habit must be broken immediately. Otherwise diseases will become your friends. There is not a single convincing argument in favor of having an animal on the table.
Small cats are very inquisitive by nature. They make sure to explore every corner of the home. This habit will not disappear with age, since cats are very active. They are interested in all the hard-to-reach places in a house or apartment. Some people get used to this, in their opinion, harmless whim, and then the cats continue to roam all corners of the home. In fact, you can try to fix the problem. First you need to create inconvenience for the cat, that is, create so-called barriers. All available means will be used.
Causes of lawlessness
To catch a cat, you need to think like a cat. Therefore, first you should figure out why the fluffy climbs onto the dining table. There could be a lot of reasons for this.
Why does the cat walk on the table?
- He is exploring . Little kittens ignore rules unconsciously. Kids explore the world and try not to miss a single interesting detail. Everything needs to be sniffed and knocked over.
- Delicious smell . As a rule, the table smells of food, and it’s rare that a cat doesn’t stretch out its muzzle to catch the smell of meat. But animals have a much stronger sense of smell, so they can even smell traces of food. This is why cats jump even on an empty table.
- Passion for heights . Predators like to climb trees to observe their territory from above. There are no tall plants at home, so we have to adapt.
- Plots a route . Sometimes the table is not the end point of the cat's route. If the furniture is on the way to the window, the woolen one will walk along it without even noticing his “misdeed.”
- It's getting warm . Sometimes the floor is cold or there are drafts. Heat-loving cats are looking for a secluded place to sleep, and this place can even be the dining tabletop.
- Craves attention . The most risky stock. Some cats sit right in front of their owner while he's having dinner. It is unlikely that they are praised for this, but pets try to attract the owner’s attention with their immodest persona.
No matter how beloved your pet is, it is not advisable for him to climb onto the table. Firstly, there may be food there that animals should not eat. Secondly, hygiene must be maintained. After all, the paws that stepped on the table had just come out of the toilet. Don't forget about wool. They say that in a house where there is a cat, lint is a seasoning. But it is better to eliminate this “spice” from food.
Simple life hacks from experienced owners will help you wean your cat off this bad habit.
Outsmart your pet
How to stop a cat from climbing on tables and stealing food? First you need to understand why he does this so diligently and every day, what attracts him there. Perhaps he just wants to play, frolic, or find something to prank on. Spend more time with your pet, play active games with it. A ball and toy mice will please your mustachioed pet. He will understand that it is also interesting below. The cat's instinct takes its toll. He likes everything unknown. Cats love heights. That's why they like to climb and jump.
The kitchen table, at which you have to eat, is not an object for games and entertainment. You need to try to wean your pet from this habit. First of all, it is necessary to remove all food from the table after each meal. Having made sure that there are no food or research items, the cat will find this object uninteresting. This way, two problems will be solved: the cat will stop climbing on the table and stealing food from it.
For your pet, the food on the table is its prey. Outsmart him. Leave the food on the windowsill, behind the curtain. He will search and get his own food. Don't forget about water.
Scaring maneuver
How to stop a cat from climbing on tables and eating food? There is an effective method. You must scare the pet away. It is enough to leave tins of drinks or other loud objects on the table. The cat will be scared away by their noise when he tries to jump on the table. The second time he will think about whether to climb there or not.
If instinct works and the desire to climb up and rest on the table persists, you should try a more effective method. Place a regular kitchen tray there. Then add some water to it. As soon as the cat again has the urge to jump on the table, it will plunge into the water; the unpleasant sensations should stop such attempts. In fact, there are many effective ways to stop a cat from climbing tables in the kitchen. There are other methods to teach your pet good manners.
Distract the cat
You don't have to scare your pet so that he doesn't want to jump on the table . Try to distract him with a toy or treat as soon as you see him heading towards the table.
With cats, you can use a dog training device called a clicker. This is a small box that makes a click when you press the tongue with your finger. You click the clicker the moment your cat demonstrates the correct behavior (for example, looking away from the table) and immediately give her a treat. The cat learns to repeat the necessary actions in order to hear the click. It will take a long time to train, but the result is worth it.
Alternative observation site
Some animals manage to sleep on the kitchen table. Apparently they really like it. Undoubtedly, this cannot be done. A place of your own, soft and comfortable, is a must. Cats love their own bed. After all, this is their individual place.
Have you removed the food from the table, prepared a place to rest, but your pet continues to climb on the table and look down on everything that is happening? Nothing surprising. He is watching. He loves heights. Perhaps he is hiding there from a dog or mischievous children who want to play with their favorite tabby cat. It follows from this that it is necessary to build an observation place for him. A shelf attached to the wall should replace the kitchen table. You can build it yourself or purchase it at a pet store. For a tall tree along the wall, your pet will only thank you. All climbing options are suitable here. Love and care for your pet will create all the necessary conditions for its comfort and convenience.
How to prevent a bad habit?
There are several tips that you can follow to help prevent this problem:
- Do not leave food on the table. To prevent it from attracting your pet as a source of food, you need to make it a habit not to store leftover food from lunch or dinner on it. There should also be no fruit or bread bins on it. Cats navigate by smell, so even a crust of bread can attract their attention.
- Move the table away from the window if it is close to it. These animals love to climb onto high places to watch what is happening on the street, often using a table close to the window for these purposes.
- Do not leave foreign objects on the countertop. Cats are very curious creatures. Even a napkin holder, eraser or pencil can attract their attention, so you should not leave them in a visible place so as not to tempt the cat.
- Provide your pet with a cozy, warm bed. Some cats like to sleep on the table. So that they do not get the idea of choosing it for sleep and rest, they must have a comfortable place for this purpose.
- Buy a cat play set. Cats love heights and therefore often climb onto tables. To prevent this from happening, it is worth buying a gaming complex made of elements of different heights. The pet can sleep and play in it.
- Never put a cat on the table. Some people place their four-legged pets on it for the sake of a spectacular shot. It is deposited in the pet’s mind that this territory is not forbidden, and subsequently, when the owner scolds him for trying to repeat the same thing on his own, he does not understand why last time it was possible to do this, but this time it is no longer possible.
(3
rated
4.33
out of
5
) Loading…
Comfortable place to relax
How to stop a cat from climbing on tables when it’s so warm and cozy there? Create warmth and comfort, but in a different place. If the kitchen has a kitchen corner, move the chair closer to the radiator or radiator. In winter, your pets find warm places for themselves in the form of office equipment forgotten on the table. Remember to turn off electrical appliances when leaving the house. Many people have a kitchen table near a window. This is one of the reasons why your pet is on it. Move the table to another place or focus on another window.
How to avoid mistakes in parenting
It is unacceptable to resort to physical measures of education, hitting or slapping an animal. This will not lead to the desired results of the educational process, but will make the pet afraid of its own owner. In addition, treating animals this way, especially cats, is simply unacceptable. They should be influenced differently.
The educational process should begin from childhood. A kitten will understand faster than an adult animal what they want from it. However, you need to act consistently. Today there are many photos and videos on the Internet in which cats are conveniently located on tables, in bread bins, pots, pans and other utensils that have other purposes. Oddly enough, the owners themselves put them there in the hope of getting a cool photo. And then they are surprised that the cat climbs on the table, and begin to take measures against such behavior. The cat simply becomes bewildered: today they imprison you, and tomorrow they drive you away, showing dissatisfaction. Therefore, you should start training with yourself: you cannot put a cat on the table with your own hands, and then forbid her to jump on it.
If there are children in the family, then they also need to be conveyed that there is no place for a cat on the table.
If the pet itself shows interest in the table, then you should not admire it and watch what it is going to do there. Many kittens watch their owners before doing something, or check the reaction to their own actions. Having noticed that the cat is mastering the table where it is not planned to be allowed, you need to immediately, with a firm hand, throw it to the floor. If the situation repeats, you should do all the steps again. Then the kitten will understand that he is not allowed on the table.
All the methods given in the article are aimed at weaning the cat from jumping on the table, and not causing him to distrust or fear his owner. You should understand that you need to behave with a cat in a friendly manner, and given its level of intelligence, treat it like a child. A beloved child who needs to be affectionately explained the rules of behavior. Then the animal will not have psychological trauma.
Deterrents and sounds
How to stop a cat from climbing on tables? All animals are different, some are obedient, others are cunning and capricious, and you can assume that some will not fall for your tricks. Any ban for them is a kind of challenge. Of course, you need to use all options. The usual words that you can’t do this will also work. After all, no one has yet canceled the conditioned reflex. You can use a few drops of essential oil or vinegar and pour the liquid onto the table. This should also help wean your pet from climbing. Perseverance and work will yield results.
You need to devote at least two weeks to the issue that worries you so much. You can also use loud sounds, children's toys, loud rattles, and various squeaks to prevent the cat from jumping on a forbidden object. The sound should be unexpected and very loud at the moment of the jump. The animal will become frightened and may no longer try to jump onto the table.
Why are they doing that
Domestic cats are deprived of the pleasures that hunting brings them. The only way to diversify your leisure time is to try to steal something. Pet theft and acrobatic stunts can be justified by the desire to get what the owners do not give. You have to take risks, this process brings real pleasure to cats.
The aroma of victory calms cats: sleeping on the table or stealing food when the owners are not looking is very risky and entertaining. All cats love to climb high surfaces, so they choose an advantageous position for hunting. In the wild they use trees. The higher the cat is, the stronger its influence.
Feeling grateful, pets try to please their owners. If you find a gift from a furry prankster near your bed, rejoice at such care - he is not indifferent to you.
Scotch tape and spray bottle
How to stop a cat from climbing on tables using tape? Now we will tell you in detail. Try sealing the kitchen table with double-sided tape. Leftover wool on the table and cleaning up tape are unpleasant consequences of this method. But believe me, the result is worth it. Contact with the tape will cause the cat to dislike the table. He will be put off by the desire to lick sticky paws for a long time.
Any means are suitable for the desired result. It's no secret that cats don't like water.
If the cat wants to jump on the kitchen table again, you need to quickly spray it with a regular spray bottle. This simple repellent maneuver should work. An important point is the fact that the pet should not be afraid of its owner, who is making various attempts to eradicate the bad habit, but the very method of combating it.
What and why do cats steal?
First, let's break down cat theft into two categories: food theft and item theft.
As a rule, cats steal food when they want to eat. Very simple, isn't it? Of course, many owners claim that the cat eats enough (in their opinion), so there is no excuse for such theft. This is what owners think, but obviously not cats. By the way, a cat can really steal even with normal nutrition, and the reason in this case is banal curiosity.
Think for yourself, which of us, accustomed to borscht and porridge since childhood, would refuse to try, say, lasagna, cheesecake or parfait. And would you really, having never tried them, be able to calmly move away from the table where all this mysterious deliciousness stands? Believe me, a cat can’t either. After all, for him, food from the master’s table seems like something simply delicious and mysterious, which is definitely worth trying. And if the test showed that it was tastier than his food, then it is not surprising that the raids will continue. After all, not only people can be considered gourmets. A considerable part of them are also among the baleen striped ones. By the way, if, in the above example, a person can be protected from theft by ethical considerations, then cats do not have them and, in their essence, cannot have them.
Current
How to stop a cat from climbing on tables using electric shock? This method is effective, but not suitable for everyone. Sometimes the cat's character is stronger than the owner's character. And who is re-educating whom, we still need to think about it. Still, it’s worth a try, especially since these products are available for sale. At the pet store you can buy electric bedding and electric toys for animals. When contacted with such things, the cat should be afraid.
There is no need to worry, since the current is weak and will not harm your pet. And the principle of operation should help. In addition, very unpleasant sensations will remain in the animal’s memory for a long time.
Electricity
It’s worth saying right away that this method should be used only as a last resort, when all others do not work. After all, this method is quite dangerous and can cause harm to the animal if used incorrectly.
You can buy a mat at large pet stores or online that gives a small electric shock when you stand on it. But this blow is safe for the animal. When the cat feels this, he obviously won’t want to experience it anymore, which means he won’t climb on the table. However, the mat should only be used under the supervision of the owner.
There are also similar collars that also give a small shock. Control is carried out using a remote control or an application on a smartphone.
