First, keep this in mind. The key to teaching your cat to stay off the counters is “negative reinforcement.” Your cat needs to learn that jumping on the counters produces a negative result. Also, you need to realize that cats are natural climbers, so you need to have a cat tree, cat shelves, or something that your cat is allowed to climb onto.

Method 1: Spray Bottle

This method works, but is not the most recommended because you take the chance of your cat associating YOU with the negative results. But here’s how it works…

Keep a water spray bottle handy at all times. Any time the cat jumps onto the counter, give it a quick little squirt (not in the face). The trick is to not let the cat know that the squirt is coming from you because that will just teach him that the negative results only happen when you’re around.

Method 2: Soda Cans On A String

This method also works, but is not recommended as much as method 3. But here’s how it works…

Tie a few empty soda cans together across the edge of the counter. Put a can on one end of the counter, then a string, then another can, then more string, another can, etc. Space the cans every 2 – 3 feet. Tie the string high enough than when the cat jumps up, he will trip the string, pulling the cans over. The noise will scare the cat.

The problem with this technique is that it could scare your cat a little too much, resulting unnecessary anxiety for your cat.

Method 3: Surface Covering

This is my most recommended method. The goal is to create some type of surface on the counter that is uncomfortable for your cat to walk on. You’re not looking to cause pain, just discomfort. The best things to use are double sided tape, upside-down contact paper, or upside-down plastic carpet runners (with the little plastic pokey things).

All you have to do is place the tape, contact paper, or carpet runner on top of the counter. When your cat steps on it, he’ll feel the sticky tape or contact paper, or step on the pokey things on the carpet runner, and realize he doesn’t like the feeling. Within a few days, he should have no interest in jumping on the counter. It works great!

Remember, don’t ever punish your cat for jumping up on things. Instead, practice negative reinforcement to change his behavior. He’ll lose interest in the bad behavior before you know it.

• Buy or build cat scratching posts and place them where your cat is sure to frequent. Different cats like different types of cat scratching posts, so you might need to try several kinds.
• Encourage your cat to use the scratching post by putting catnip on and around it, and reward your cat when he scratches the post.
• Try putting the scratching post next to your cat’s napping area, or bring your cat to the post after a nap. Cats love to stretch and scratch after naps, so make it easy for him.
• NEVER encourage your cat to scratch on old furniture. Your cat doesn’t know the difference between old and new.
• NEVER punish or yell at your cat for scratching or clawing your furniture. This will just teach your cat that he shouldn’t scratch when you’re around and can result in stress and anxiety (which usually results in worse behavior).
• A quick spray from a water bottle isn’t punishment. The trick is to not let your cat know that the spray is coming from you. Hide the bottle and give him a little squirt when he’s not looking at you. He’ll get confused and eventually realize that scratching the furniture results in getting wet. Most cats hate that!
• Consult your vet for alternative scratching solutions.

Scratching and clawing is natural for cats. They do it to sharpen their claws, stretch their muscles, and mark their territory. You can’t take that natural tendency out of a cat. But with proper training, your cat can learn to use the scratching posts, and not scratch or claw your furniture.

Recently, I brought a new kitten into my home, and I’ve noticed that he’s decided to urinate in a potted plant, using the plant as a cat litter box. This gave me a new mission: find the best way to stop my cat from urinating in my plant. While I was searching, I found that the same tips are also good for keeping the cat from urinating or pooping on carpet and furniture. Here are the top 10 ways I’ve found stop this poor cat behavior.

1. This method is very effective! Buy a Spray Repellent (for about $8 – $10 per can). Simply spray the repellent around the area where you want to keep the cat from going to the bathroom. Most of the repellents say they’re for dogs, but they work great for cats, too. PetStreetMall.com is a great place to buy the repellent for cheap.
2. Place large rocks or pine cones on top of the soil. The cats don’t like the feeling of the rocks or pine cones on their paws.
3. To keep them off the furniture, try aluminum foil or plastic carpet runner (with the little pointy things facing up). Again, the cats don’t like how it feels on their paws.
4. Keep the litter clean. One of the most common causes of cat’s refusing to use their litter pan… is a dirty pan. How do you like it when you go into a public restroom and the toilet is nasty? Keep that in mind for your cat’s litter.
5. Try putting mothballs in potted plants
6. Buy some of those cheap noise-making motion detectors and place them in the areas where your cat is making his / her mess. Next time your cat comes by to relieve himself, the alarm goes off and the cat decides not to go there again.
7. Tie a helium-inflated mylar balloon down where your cat has been peeing. The balloon will sway back and forth all day long and keep the cat away from the area.
8. Give each cat his / her own litter box. Some cats just don’t like to share.
9. Transfer the kitty feces to the litter box. Let the cat know where the proper place to poop is.
10. Some cats urinate and poop in the wrong place because they’re stressed out about something. If you’ve done your best to relieve any stress from your cat, consider anti-anxiety medicine from your veterinarian.

I hope at least one of these tips to keep your cat from spraying / urinating / peeing / defecating / pooping (or whatever you want to call it) in all the wrong places is helpful. Hopefully this will help save your carpet, your plants, your furniture, your cat, and your sanity.

Cats are creatures of habit, and like all creatures of habit, habits can be changed with the right techniques. If you want to teach your cat to respond to his name more consistently, here’s how you do it:

Step 1: Start saying your cat’s name every time you pet him. Do this while he is most relaxed and comfortable. Lay him on your lap or lay down on the floor with him and pet him while you softly say his name. Over time he will associate his name with the pleasure of being petted.

Step 2: Keep some treats handy. While you’re doing step 1, keep an eye open for when the cat turns his head to look at you. When he does, give him a treat. He’ll catch on to this quickly, so keep your treats small because you don’t want him to get too fat. This step will teach your cat that responding to his name results in a reward.

Step 3: Throughout the day, look for opportunities where the cat is nearby (but not focused on you,) and softly say his name just like you did in steps 1 and 2. When he responds and approaches you, give him a treat. Make sure you don’t approach him to give him the treat. Remember, the purpose is to teach the cat to come to you.

Step 4: As your cat responds on to the nearby calling, start calling him from farther away. Don’t take big steps here, just increase the distance gradually and use the same tone with your voice each time. When the cat responds, give him a treat. Eventually, you can try calling your cat from a different room. Always reward your cat for responding.

One important point… don’t say your cat’s name to discipline him because that will defeat the purpose. If you need to get your cat’s attention because he’s doing something he shouldn’t, say, “No!” or “Stop it!” or something other than his name. Remember, when you say your cat’s name, you want him to come to you, not run away from you.

This cat training technique is very basic. Like at pet obedience training, it requires consistency on your part. If you want your cat to respond consistently, you must be consistent first.

I’ve found a great cat training book which I would recommend to every cat owner. The book provides techniques for You can purchase it here or click the book to the right. Best wishes to you and your cat.

Before we get started with the techniques of introducing cats and dogs, keep this in mind. Dogs are pack animals by nature. Cats are not. Sure, cats can be social animals and may love having other felines nearby. But typically they do fine without another companion. That’s just how it works.

First, when introducing a new cat into your home, you must keep them separated. That doesn’t mean have one person hold the dog and another person hold the cat. It means you should have some type of physical barrier between the two. A large pen is the preferred, but a crate will do.

Since the dog is the current king or queen of the house, don’t pen up your dog. Pen the cat. Let the cat get comfortable in the pen before bringing the dog into the room. Pet her… let her relax. Occasionally, go to the dog (who’s in a separate room) and let him smell the cat’s scent on your hand. Pet the dog and let the cat smell that scent. Don’t rush into it. Let both animals relax.

Then, when everyone is calm, bring the dog into the room on a leash. He might want to run full-speed at the pen, but the leash will control that. Speak calmly to both animals and pet them to ensure that everything is fine..

Slowly bring the dog to the pen and let them begin to sniff each other. The dog will probably be barking and the cat will probably be hissing, but that’s alright. Continue to keep them separated, let them continue to sniff and check each other out, and eventually things will begin to settle down. It will take time, so be patient.

If the dog is overly excited, take him outside for a walk to let him release some energy. The point here is to let the dog and cat get to a point where they realize the other animal is not a threat. Again, give it time.

Eventually, you’ll realize the cat and dog are losing interest and that the other is not as threatening as they thought. When you feel comfortable, calmly let the cat out of the cage or pen. Make sure the cat is in a safe, comfortable position. Praise the dog for remaining calm. Have some dog treats handy because dogs almost always have more interest in the treats than cats. Keep the leash on the dog. Most likely the cat will want to check out the house. If the cat wants to check out the dog, that’s great! Just keep the leash in control. Continue to praise the dog for calm interactions with the cat.

The cat will probably want to wander around to investigate her new home. Let the dog follow along on the leash at a comfortable distance. If things seem alright, let them get closer. They’ll continue to sniff each other. The cat will probably hiss here and there, but that’ s alright. If the cat runs off and hides, give her time to relax and eventually she’ll come back out.

Do this until both the cat and dog are comfortable with each other. You may need to keep them separated (either in pens or separate rooms) until the tension is gone, but usually not.

You should be able to put the cat in the pen and let the dog roam freely while you go about your daily routine. Experiment with letting the cat out throughout the day. When you do, keep the dog on the leash until you are comfortable that the safety of both animals is not in question.

At night time, keep the cat separated for a few evenings until she is totally comfortable with her surroundings. Continue to reward the dog for calm behavior around the cat.

When it comes time to let the dog and cat roam free, make sure it’s in an area where the cat can escape if necessary. On a high ledge, under furniture, or wherever. Just make sure the escape route is available. Most likely, if you follow these steps, things will work out just fine.

One more point, most dogs love cat food. And a large number of dogs enjoy finding “treats” in the cat’s litter pan (yes, it’s gross). You need to have those items in a controlled environment and teach the dog what is acceptable and what is not.

Best wishes to you and your pets!