How to Keep Your Cat off The Kitchen Counter + More Pet Kitchen Safety

Nothing is sweeter than your pet following you around wherever you go. They rub up against your legs, stick their heads up for pets, or start licking you to get your full attention. While we appreciate this endearing behavior, there’s one place in your home where it’s not at all cute but actually dangerous: your kitchen!

If you have an unruly pet at home that keeps jumping on surfaces they’re not supposed to be on or are just generally worried about your pet’s wellbeing, here are the best tips and tricks for pet safety in the kitchen.

Why Cats Jump on Counters

Cats love being on high vantage points, it’s in their nature. In your cat’s eyes, the kitchen countertop or dining room table are the perfect spots to get a vertical view. Unfortunately for your kitty, these spots are dangerous places to roam around. Plus, we as humans tend to not want cat hair in our food.

If you’re having trouble keeping your cat off the counter here are some tips to help you train your cat.

How to Train Your Cat

Training a cat is difficult. Other than dogs who respond to praise, cats likely need to be tricked into learning and unlearning certain habits. To keep your cat off the countertop (or really any surface you don’t want it on), you’ll need to turn it into an inhospitable environment.

Cats don’t like to get their paws stuck on things. An easy way to train them is to cover the surfaces with placemats that have double-sided tape stuck to the top. Whenever you’re not using a surface you don’t want your cat climbing on, place the mats on top. Your cat will soon realize that it’s not as fun as they thought it was to hop on there. Eventually, you can remove some of the placemats and observe your feline’s behavior. If they stop jumping on the surface even when the placemats aren’t there, you can take them off step-by-step until they’re all gone. Should your cat start jumping up again, give them some more time to adjust and understand what you’re trying to teach them.

More Hacks to Keep Your Pets Safe in The Kitchen

Keeping your cat off the countertops is one thing but there are other hazards in your kitchen that you can minimize or even eliminate. Whether you have an independent cat, a curious dog, or a bunny that likes to get away, here are some tips to make your kitchen more pet-friendly.

1. Secure your trash can. Pets find the smells that come from your trash can intoxicating. If you don’t want to find your furry companion covered in waste one day, store your garbage behind a cabinet door or invest in a trash can that’s pet-proof.
2. Protect your cabinets with child locks or latches. Cats and dogs tend to be curious in nature and a closed door is a mystery they want to solve. By securing your cabinet doors, you’ll keep them out.
3. Store toxic items out of reach. Whether it’s human food or cleaning products, these items are best stored in upper cabinets or a separate room. Should your pet figure out how to open the child lock, they’ll still be safe from harm.
4. Keep your pet in a separate space when you’re cooking or baking. Leave them in their crate, a different room, or have them play outside if it’s available to you. If they’re not in the kitchen, they can’t get injured by a dropped knife, spilling pot, or hot oven.
5. Have a pet first aid kit at home. Include alcohol wipes, disposable gloves and the phone number of the closest animal hospital so you know what to do in the case of an emergency.

Check out the visual below for more pet safety tips in the kitchen. If you have other pets, like birds or fish, you may find a helpful trick that you didn’t know yet!