Cats love to climb all surfaces that pose an interest or challenge. One of the places your cat will climb unless stopped is the table, that's because it is a very interesting place that is usually particularly gratifying for your cat. If you do not mind your cat climbing onto the table where you eat or cook, stop reading. But if you find it really annoying and unhygienic, take note of the advice from OneHowTo.com about how to stop cats from jumping tables.
If you really think that cats jumping on tables are a problem and you do not know how to change that behavior, take note of the following advice. Like any other habit this can be altered with patience and education. Cats are very curious animals and with their special climbing abilities they can reach any surface to get something they want.
The first step towards stopping your cat from climbing onto the table is to not leave anything on it that it finds interesting. This includes papers, keys, plastic bottles, cardboard, Tupperware, etc. Actually, anything that can be fun for a cat to play with. Above all, don't forget to never leave anything edible out. The idea is that if the cat jumps up to see what's on the table, it doesn't see anything attractive and so does not do it again, although this process will not fix the problem immediately. It will take a while for your cat to stop climbing on the table, it's not going to change overnight, so be patient and try not to leave anything on the table for a while.
Try to feed your cat before sitting down at the table. If your cat is satiated, it will not beg for food or start brushing up on your legs, and will be unlikely to climb onto the table asking for or demanding attention. If your cat still insists on climbing onto the table be firm and tell it not to. Remember that your cat is not hungry and is now only driven by curiosity. If this does not work, you have to divert its attention with a toy while you eat or cook.
You have to be very patient with your cat's education. It is essential that every time it climbs onto the table, you take it off right away and say no clearly and firmly. Your cat has to understand that such behaviour is not acceptable, this is why you shouldn't confuse it by pampering it and giving it treats when he jumps. Because if you do this, your cat will think that you are rewarding its behaviour.
To make your cat stop climbing onto the table you can also use techniques to make the table become unpleasant or uncomfortable for your cat. You can use a spray with a sensor which automatically sprays your cat to annoy it when it detects movement. This is not harmful to your cat, your cat simply will not like it and will notice it every time it jumps up. It's a great learning process that does not involve the master's presence.
Another way to stop your cat from jumping is to put some tape on the table, so that when it jumps up, its legs will stick which it won't like. Also sometimes leaving some aluminium foil on the table works, as it makes an unpleasant noise when the cat jumps.
Another way to teach your cat to stop climbing onto the table, is with the use of noise pollution. Sounds are a powerful deterrent, an exploding balloon, a bell, the sound of a spray, the microwave, etc. Whatever the noise, it is important that the cat does not know it's you who makes the noise because if it notices, it will jump onto the table when you're not home. Once you know how to scare your cat leave this object on the table and take note of how it reacts.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Stop Cats from Jumping on Tables, we recommend you visit our Pets category.