How to Keep Cats Off the Dinner Table

Although you love your cats, you don't love them jumping onto the dinner table and sampling the meal before you do. Stop the mealtime inconvenience and keep the feline family members off of the kitchen counters, too, with a few tactics to break the bad habits.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Cover the cats' typical "landing spot" with long pieces of masking tape sitting sticky side up. They'll hate getting their paws caught on the gummy material. Either use loose pieces that the cats will have to content with once they jump off the table or try double-sided tape to keep the surface sticky when you're away from the house.
2. Create noisy objects to scare the cats when they knock the objects over. Place utensils near the edge of the table or stash several pennies or dried beans inside aluminum cans that they'll knock onto the floor when they jump onto the table.
3. Discover an item that the cats are afraid of, such as a Koosh ball or a rattling or automated toy that once scared them. Use it as a cat repellant and keep it on the table when you're eating or away.
4. Use a squirt bottle to administer a jolt of water whenever your cats jump onto the table. Try it from a distance so they won't associate you with the water and will avoid the table even when you're not around.
5. Buy a simple device designed to spring up when they touch it. The startling sound and motion won't harm your cats, but will make them think twice about jumping up on the table in the future (see Resources below).
6. Be consistent with whatever method you choose to deter your cats. Use the undesirable objects or squirt them with water, whether you're home alone or dining with company. If you ignore the behavior when you simply don't feel like dealing with it, you won't be able to break the habit.