Question

My cat is 20 months old, and he jumps on kitchen counters, the kitchen table, bedroom chests…everywhere he’s not supposed to! Help! How can I get my cat to stop jumping on everything?

Answer

Cats will generally jump up on things if there is a reason for them to jump up there. They’ll jump onto counters to look for food or to look out a window. If you have a dog that bothers the cat, your kitty may be looking for a higher place to escape. At his age, he is also very curious and willing to explore lots of places.

Methods of keeping him off counters and furniture include putting double-sided tape all over the forbidden area or putting a plastic carpet runner upside-down on it. Don’t use mousetraps-they can be dangerous if he gets a foot stuck in one. If he’s jumping on things to reach a window, cover up the window for awhile so he can’t look out of it, or just accept that he is going to get up there to gaze outside. If he’s jumping onto things in search of food, be very careful not to leave any food accessible.

For any of these methods to work, however, you’ll have to keep it up for quite awhile, at least several weeks. If he gets on the counter and discovers that there is no unpleasantness there, he’ll be encouraged to continue jumping up there. Keeping him occupied with play sessions several times a day may also discourage him from looking for his own entertainment.