Training bad kitties

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I will ahve a look thanks 

They all have sides but I had a flood last year and really would like to clean underneath.

[Lesley Frankie]

Gill if it is a relatively modern kitchen they will just be panels of chipboard clipped onto the screw-up legs of the cabinets themselves. So all youwould need to do it take to the corner with something thin enough and strong enough to provide a lever to pull them off. Once the first is off it is simple ... In fact if you look where your appliances are fitted, the odds are they didn't bother to put plinths along the side so off you go

Yes, that's exactly how they are fitted and Ollie's claws are the perfect tool!

[blackcat]

Gill if it is a relatively modern kitchen they will just be panels of chipboard clipped onto the screw-up legs of the cabinets themselves. So all youwould need to do it take to the corner with something thin enough and strong enough to provide a lever to pull them off. Once the first is off it is simple ... In fact if you look where your appliances are fitted, the odds are they didn't bother to put plinths along the side so off you go

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Now I would like to remove the plnths in my kitchen, please can you send him round to show me how to do it 

[Millys Mum]

But I do the same as others - work round them, don't use the actual worktop for any food prep, always use a chopping board or whatever, clean all the surfaces anyway with Trigene, so I'm not worried about them being up there, just as well really LOL! 

Thats what i do. My brother decided at xmas he would train them not to do it. Hes still trying 
When Milly feels like really winding him up she sits on the table and licks her bum 

[Lesley Frankie]

On the subject of spraying 'naughty' cats with water.....my Ollie has discovered that he can remove the plinths from underneath the kitchen counters and gain access to under and behind the units! He's been doing this for about 2 weeks now and, when yelling didn't work, I resported to the water spray. Yesterday, I had to admit defeat when the result was a very defiant and incredibly soggy cat  So today, we will have to try to properly secure the plinths - I know when I'm beaten Frankly though, I have nothing but admiration for Ollie's tenacity although I'd never tell him that

[Gillian Harvey]

...looks like all my 'training' so far may not pay off.  Darcy only hears what he wants to hear    I thought I was donig something wrong but clearly kitties have little respect for kitchen surfaces hehehehe. 

I don't think I can be much help to you LOL!



But I do the same as others - work round them, don't use the actual worktop for any food prep, always use a chopping board or whatever, clean all the surfaces anyway with Trigene, so I'm not worried about them being up there, just as well really LOL! 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I'm the same as Christine - I use chopping boards for food and keep them stored on their sides beside the microwave where the cats can't get at them.  I don't put food directly onto the work surfaces so am not particularly bothered about the cats going on them.  Tbh, there's not a lot of free  work surface for them to use    I'd have no chance of teaching Mosi not to go on them - he just ignores me even if I shout (guess he's used to it!).  He will only get down from somewhere (he goes on top of the tv which I don't like and he tries to play with pictures on the wall  ) if I get up and move towards him.  He totally ignores the word "no".  I'm sure he thinks his name is Mosino.

[Harna]

I'd go with all the aforementioned advice regarding water pistols/plant sprays (but without them seeing it's you who's doing it  . . . . you might want to dig out your invisibility cloak . . . . .  . . . .) or simply making sure that you wipe the surfaces down thoroughly before preparing food.

I am one of those people who HATES cats being on the worktops - but appreciate that the little  no doubt hold a disco on them when I am tucked up in bed! However, during the day, they never seem to go on them - maybe because a single, sharp and loud 'DOWN!" shifts them pretty quickly!   (I loved the video of Riley but the beautifully sweet voice telling him to get down would have made my three roll on their backs and proffer tummies for rubs!)

At this point, I should mention that I teach and have a 'school voice' for those times when needed . . . . it's not used often although my daughter has heard it once or twice, usually as a warning I'm preventing her from doing something dangerous. However, a few weeks ago, we were at one of those dreaded indoor kids soft play centres (and if you don't know what I am referring to - lucky you!) when my daughter and her friends came to complain that some boys were teasing them. Us mums told them to ignore them. A few minutes later, the girls came back to say that the boys were still following them around. In front of all the other mothers, my daughter said: "Mummy, can you please come and do your teacher voice at them because you are *really* good at telling people off . . . . ."   

So, I suppose my 'DOWN!' might carry enough authority to actually work sometimes!   

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I hadnt sen that before and Riley was so obedient 

Mine all use one end of the working top so they can get onto the window ledge and thats the attraction not the top. They like to hide behind the curtain when its dark and watch for prey 

[sd123]

Found Helen's video 
http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z202/Lucas_Riley/?action=view&current=21082007024.flv

awwwwwwww 

Im sure my kitties think their names are "down", "stop it" and "no!"

hehehe

[Mark]

Found Helen's video 
http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z202/Lucas_Riley/?action=view&current=21082007024.flv

[CurlyCatz]

I am a shouter i'm afraid and even cody responds to this now    (pity the kids dont    )

i water pistol may be a good idea.

Cody also goes to play with a drippy tap, infact i leave it on for him sometimes,  what about getting a normal cat litter tray and putting a couple of inches of water and letting darcy play with it, or a water fountain if you are are that bothered about the worktops, i sympathise coz i used to be the same but with a determined larger than life pedigree in the house he got us trained eventually  

[Mark]

Hopefully Helen will see this thread and put up the link of her "training" one of her boys to get down from the work top 

[sd123]

...looks like all my 'training' so far may not pay off.  Darcy only hears what he wants to hear    I thought I was donig something wrong but clearly kitties have little respect for kitchen surfaces hehehehe. 

apart from that, he's a good wee boy so I cant critisise him too much really. he's my baby after all

thanks for your replies peeps

[Mark]

Anyone have any good ways of training kitties not to jump onto the kitchen surfaces

No, you can however train yourself to disinfect work tops before food prep. It's a lot easier  I eventually learned that 

[ems]

I do the same as Christine,

My 2 don't go onto the work surfaces when we are in but like many other things that our little darlings do, they are clever enough to do it when we're not in (e.g. drinking out of the fish bowl) 

I wipe all the surfaces down and as Christine says use dish washer safe chopping boards.

[hOrZa]

I also treat my work surfaces as compromised but clean with antibacterial wipes when I want to use them

[Christine (Blip)]

Anyone have any good ways of training kitties not to jump onto the kitchen surfaces.

In a word, no  .  I think you can train cats not to jump onto kitchen surfaces while you are watching, but of course that is not the same thing at all.

I work round the problem instead.  I use a couple of chopping boards that can go in the dishwasher and I treat the kitchen worktops as compromised, even though I keep them spotless.  I do not put any food directly onto the worktops, only onto the chopping boards, plates, bowls etc.

It works for us.  

[blackcat]

rule one of cat ownership - there are no bad kitties, only bad meowmies 

If you can manage to shoot them with a water pistol without them seeing you do it (so the associate the action with the water, not your presence) then you can train them. I once managed to train three of mine not to hunt birds using that method. Mind you, I had a lot more time on my hands in those days 

[sd123]

Anyone have any good ways of training kitties not to jump onto the kitchen surfaces.

Darcy loves the kitchen tap.  We have an open kitchen/living room so we cant shut the kitchen door.  For weeks now, we've tried, as soon as he jumps up, getting up and sternly saying "NO" and "DOWN" .  After 3 times he gets told off and put into the bedroom  for some 'time out' usually for 5 mins in the dark. 

I read somewhere that puting sticky tape on the surfaces works, as they hate that stuff - has anyone tried that?

Im desperate as Im sick of getting up and down all evening and I dont think he's learning.

I dont watnt spray him with water or anythign as I dont want him to become afraid of me in that sense.