Keep Your Cat off the Kitchen Counter
Even with persistent training, some cats will still insist on jumping onto kitchen counters or using pieces of furniture that are considered off-limits. In these cases, the use of environmental corrections (aversives) can be effective. There are some tips:
- Examples of environmental aversives include placing tin cans containing marbles in the area so that they will rattle and startle the cat when he jumps up, or placing cellophane paper or tin foil over the designated spot. The smell of citrus is aversive to cats and can be sprayed around the off-limits area as a deterrent.
- Whenever environmental corrections are used, you must still continue to show your cat appropriate places to lay and to provide plenty of praise and petting whenever the cat voluntarily uses those areas.
- Ambushing your cat with a spray of water from a spray bottle may appear to work (because the cat runs away), but most cats quickly learn that the spray is associated with your presence. At worst, this can cause your cat to fear you and at best it teaches your cat to stay off of the counter only when you are present.
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