In an effort to keep the cats off of our kitchen counters, and after trying numerous products and a variety of methods, we hit upon one that is a sure-fire success.
Foil! Yes, sheets of aluminum foil.
It’s cheaper, easier, and handier than anything we’ve tried, except maybe for the spray bottle filled with water we keep on the counter. (Though the spray bottle had little effect in keeping them off.)
It is simple. Just place a sheet of foil on top of each counter area you do not want them to walk on. (I covered all of our kitchen counters as I do not appreciate cat hair on a counter where I prepare our food.) Most cats do not like the feel of the foil under their paws and will try anything to avoid stepping on it. So make sure you choose foil that is wide enough to prevent them from walking around the edges of it.
We also discovered that cats do not like the sound of foil being shaken. It bothers their ears and most will run from the sound. Hunter and Calypso ran from the room when I was moving the foil to a different area.
Since it worked so well keeping the cats off of our counters, I decided to put it to the test under our Christmas tree. I wrinkled each piece up a bit and placed it around the tree. The two cats immediately had to come and inspect it. Hunter gingerly put out his paw to check and see what it was. Upon contact, he drew back his paw, turned around, and with tail high in the air, he trotted off. Calypso decided this was not for her and followed after him. Later Hunter tried again to see if he could sneak around and lay down under the tree. No such luck. He finally left in frustration. Now he sleeps nearby, but leaves the tree alone.
It may not be a “pretty “solution, but it works. So if you’re having problems with your cats, --- counters, Christmas tree, or whatever, --- give it a try and see how it “foils” their efforts.
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