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For many cats, jumping up onto your kitchen counters or dining room table is a favorite pastime. But it is likely one that you are not fond of. Whether your cats are getting up onto these surfaces to knock things off or you simply do not like the idea of your kitten’s paws on the same surfaces where you prepare food, there are a number of reasons to train cats not to go up onto the counter.

Cats may get onto countertops because they are curious, and with their powerful jumping and climbing abilities, getting up onto the counter is fun. Some cats like human food and know that the counter or table may have a treat for them. Other cats are stressed and instinctively try to get to a higher vantage point to feel like they have more control. Your cat may also climb up on the counters if she knows it gets your attention. 

How to Keep Your Cat from Climbing on the Counters

If you can determine a specific reason why your cat gets on the counter, you can plan on your intervention accordingly. But if you are unsure, trying several of the following methods will often help:

• Reduce Temptation - Clean your counters regularly, putting away food, wiping down surfaces, and doing your dishes. This removes any tempting scents of human food and makes your countertop less interesting to your cat.
• Provide Alternatives - If your cat is climbing out of stress or boredom, having other tall structures they can climb such as a cat tree, cat ledges, or even other furniture cannot distract them from your kitchen. 
• Laying Down Foil -  Many cat owners swear by the hack of covering your countertops with aluminum foil since cats do not like walking over it. You may need to tape the foil down so your cats do not knock it off. 
• Sprays - Your local pet store will likely sell sprays that contain odors cats do not like. You can spray these on your countertops to make it less likely that your cat will jump up there.

Your cat jumping onto tables and countertops is often a trained behavior that will take some time to train out. This means that consistency is key. If you're using any adverse methods, like foil or smells, you want to keep those up, as well as making sure to keep cleaning to make sure your counter remains an unattractive place for your cats.