Cats on the Kitchen Counter?

Jules said:
Do you let your cat on the kitchen counter? Or basically anywhere it wants to go in the house.

This can be controversial based on a discussion elsewhere. The OP wanted to set up a system so it was easy for her cat to get on the kitchen counter. It elicited 100s of replies, both yes and no. It really became quite heated.
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Yes, my cat is welcome anywhere he wants to go in our home. I have his dry food bowl on the kitchen counter, and that's where I feed him his daily canned food or special 'treats', like salmon or turkey giblets, etc.

I always wipe down all kitchen surfaces and do it often. Here he is on a camping trip, hiding among our treats. 💙

full
 
DaveA said:
Do you stay awake around the clock or shut off access to the kitchen during the night?

We'll shoo them off of the counter if we see them there (which is not often) but we've managed to both live to old age without croaking from cat contamination.
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Same here, still healthy and happy sharing our home with our furbabies for years. The dog is also welcome to go anywhere he wants in our house, including sleeping on the bed with us when he's old enough, all our other dogs did, never had an issue with that.
 

We had a cat about 15 years ago until I found out about the "Black Light" test. Turn off the house lights and use the Black Light Flashlight. Start from the litter box and you can see where your cat has been. We never seen the cat on our countertops while we were up. But at night it must have been on the countertops because of paw prints seen with the black light. My wife gave the cat to a friend. Black Light Flashlight is great for cleaning bathrooms. Shut the bathroom light off and turn on the Black Light Flashlight, you will be surprised what you see.
 
SeaBreeze said:
Same here, still healthy and happy sharing our home with our furbabies for years. The dog is also welcome to go anywhere he wants in our house, including sleeping on the bed with us when he's old enough, all our other dogs did, never had an issue with that.
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Years ago on the radio talk show Dr. Dean Edel, someone called in who's friend or relative (don't remember) was pregnent so they were going to get rid of thier pet. Can't remember if it was a dog or a cat. And Dr. Edel said no way. Children raised with pets have lower allergies later in life. I guess their bodies get used to the dander and everything else.

Yes, cats walk across the pillows I sleep on, it's their home. I'm not worried. Not supposed to live in a sterile environment. Use handwashing and common sense.
 
Our cat never even tried going on the counter. She was not allowed on any type of table top either. I never had to worry about that. If she had tried climbing up she would have been yelled at and discouraged. We expect and reward good behaviour from all our pets.
 
HoneyNut said:
"Let" them? LOL, in my experience cats will do what cats want to do. Even though my current cat has short legs and can't jump up on the counters, from decades of having cats my first action when I go into the kitchen is to spread a clean little cloth on each portion of counter I intend to use.
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I've had my guy for almost ten years now and he's gone on the counter twice. The first time I was standing at the counter, he sprang up beside me and I had put my hand out to block him but without appearing aggressive about it (oops, sorry for accidentally getting in your way!) and he fell off, landing with a splat on his side, before his feet actually touched the counter and a few years later, he tried it again because I'd left his cat food sitting on it to thaw and I saw him go up and hollered and chased him off. The only two times.

I just put his frozen food in the microwave where he can't smell it as easily now and he isn't tempted to try again. He's a really good cat.
 
Never had cats on the counter before these 2. One table I stacked with boxes so they can't, but I almost can't use it either. They go on stove, which I don't use, yet; they go in sinks, even when it has water standing, even when water running heavily. Even when hot. They sleep in sinks for hours at a time. I can't stand it.

Made it my excuse not to use stove, but I'm getting hungry!
 
Pepper said:
Never had cats on the counter before these 2. One table I stacked with boxes so they can't, but I almost can't use it either. They go on stove, which I don't use, yet; they go in sinks, even when it has water standing, even when water running heavily. Even when hot. They sleep in sinks for hours at a time. I can't stand it.

Made it my excuse not to use stove, but I'm getting hungry!
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My last unrelated two were better behaved than these two trouble maker litter mates. But oh well.
 


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