Keep Pets Off of Countertops

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated February 17, 2009)

I remember when I was little and I would hop up on the counters and just sit there while my mom would make bread or clean the dishes or something. Those were great times for me and even now, sometimes I'll just sit on the counter and keep my mom company. I am not the only kind of creature that likes the countertops, however; your pets many have similar inclinations to leap up onto your kitchen countertops, and that may not be the best idea. Pets on your countertops may have bad consequences for you and your pets, so it's best to keep them away!

If your pets (cats in particular) jump onto your countertops in the kitchen it's not such a hot idea and should be discouraged for a couple different reasons, one of which being hygiene. Pets walk around everywhere and can get just about everything on their paws; if those unknown substances are on your countertops that could be not-so-good for your food. When you cook, you want a clean kitchen, so do everything you can to ensure that. Also, if your pet is walking along the counters, it could startle or distract you, and you don't need to be startled or distracted when handling hot pots and pans or knives.

Another reason to stop pets from walking on countertops concerns the pets' health and well being. If your pet is walking on the counters and it becomes distracted or too audacious, it could walk onto the stove and burn itself, or into the sink, or onto a knife, or anything else that's not so great for it. Your kitchen is full of harmful objects that could really injure your pet.

An excellent technique used to deter a cat or pet from getting onto counters or tables is to place a cookie sheet filled with water on the edge of the counter or table and when the cat jumps up they get a face full of water. I know that this sounds cruel but it will only happen once. Cats are very clever and they will remember this incident and will not jump up again.

So, keeping your pet from your countertops isn't hard and also isn't hard to understand why. You want to keep you and your family as safe and healthy as possible, and if keeping your pets from your countertops can help in a small way, it's totally worth it.

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

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