How to Keep Cats off Tables and Furniture

A cat in the house provides many with companionship, but they can destroy your home if you let them. Cat hair is very hard to completely remove from a couch, and a cat's urine seems to linger on the sofa no matter how many times you have it cleaned. And besides, who wants to be making dinner only to find pieces of cat hair in their food? There are definitely places in the house that you might want to make off-limits to cats. Here is a simple, humane way to teach cats where they are not allowed.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spray bottle
• Water

1. Spend time with your cat. If you are gone most of the day, every day, be prepared for it to take longer for your cat to be trained. If you can make an effort to spend time at home, the message will be very consistent and clear to your cat.

2. Fill the spray bottle with water and keep it on the kitchen counter, next to the sofa, or on the night stand by your bed--just somewhere close to where you are not going to allow your cat to be.

3. Whenever your cat jumps up onto wherever they are not supposed to be, give them a spray of water in the face with the spray bottle and yell, "NO! NO!". Cats hate water, even though it is harmless to them. After being sprayed your cat will run in the opposite direction.

4. Be consistent! You do not have to follow your cat around the house all day, but make sure that EVERY TIME you find your cat where they are not supposed to be, spray and scold them. Cats are smart. It won't be long before they associate the forbidden surface with the scary water and they will not attempt to jump on the table again.

Tips & Warnings

• It is best to train an animal when it is young. If you can, start this with a kitten for best results.

Resources

• photobucket

[calikittie]

on 10/19/2009 It is only effective for a short period of time. Cats are smart yes, but they are also stubborn and do not care, they will continue to get on the furniture whether you spray them in the face or turn the water on in the bathtub for them. They will stay off for 20 mins or so but when they really want to do something they will do it, water or not and they will continue to do it. You can't train a cat, they are to independent, they are not dogs. Putting double sidded tape on a placemat and putting it up on the place you don't want them to jump is WAY more effective.

[MeganK]

on 11/29/2008 Good article. My cat has taken to jumping on the table. Ewww, that's where we eat. She's trying to escape our moose of a puppy so I haven't gotten after her too much, I just clean the table - a lot!

[MI-Sandi]

on 11/28/2008 Another tip is to put aluminum foil on the furnature, when you are not around to shoo them off! 5*

[cadence]

on 11/22/2008 Great tips. This works really well - I've used this method, and it is very effective.

[Wasatch]

on 11/20/2008 Good article. 5* Thanks for the tips