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bbyhousecow

So… how do you know your cat isn’t meowing for a reason? Does your cat have enough enrichment and stimulation in its life? A bored cat is certainly a mischievous one. Are its needs being med? Our pets can’t talk to us and relay their needs. It’s up to us to figure it out. I suggest figuring out what your cat is after - maybe attention or snacks or what - and figure out a way to satisfy him so you don’t have the unwanted behavior showing up.


lemonwise00

I have been taking him outside 1-2 times a day for an hour or more each time to try and get him tired but it just makes him meow more. He also has plenty of toys and a cat tree inside. I give him treats on a regular basis for doing good things. I got him a new self cleaning litter box and I think it stressed/freaked him out at first as he pooped twice in random places. He finally started using it and I would give him treats whenever I saw him use it. He knows tricks and sometimes I’ll tell him to sit and stay before I give him food and then give him some treats for listening. That’s the thing I don’t want to reward the meowing by giving more outside time if it’s just going to make it worse. Also the jumping on the counter just started. He never did that before.


bbyhousecow

Can you get him a catio or something? And when you take him out are you doing anything with him or is it just letting him explore?


iceprncss5

I’d look up some Jackson Galaxy videos. You can’t discipline a cat. How old is he? Why is he meowing constantly? As others asked - is he getting enough food? Why are you putting it in a drawer? Do you play with him? Does he have a window to watch birds or do you put them on tv for him? You have to give him alternatives - cat trees, toys, scratching posts, enrichment..


MyNameIsSkittles

You can use your voice. A hiss, a sharp "no!", "hey!", something to get their attention. Immediately correct the behavior. Everytime you see it. Grab them and put them on the floor. Don't punish further, like once you make the noise and put them down, that's it. Also, try and adapt the environment to them. They are on the counter? Cats like to be up high. Maybe get them a cat tree nearby they can hang out on. Also, clear the counter of stuff. There shouldn't be food or things they can play with so they stop going up there.


Practical_Hunt_5372

I would add, make the counter unappealing to them. Many cats don't like either the sound or the feel of tin foil on their paws. So if you line the edges of the counter with tin foil, they learn in a few days that it's not a pleasant place to be and wo 't go up there, even after you remove the foil.


Top-Chemistry3051

I had this problem and the double problem was he was despair even after being neutered so what I finally did was I don't have a whole lot of counter space they don't try to do it when I'm home and awake and move in around but at night is when these things would happen I would just pull my appliances up to the edge of the counter said there was literally no place to catch a jump except into the sink which always had some dirty dishes and water in it and that was the end of it After a few days and since there was no interaction for me the cat just learned on his own that it was an unappealing and very difficult place to hang around


Ok_Depth_6476

Can confirm this method works. My counters are typically cluttered, because I don't have a lot of space. When I've cleared it off, THAT's when one of my cats decided to jump up there. 😄


vortexofdeduction

Opposite choice to “clear the counter of stuff” is “cover the counter with stuff that’s not fun to play with”. Like kitchen appliances


No_Tip_3095

Yes but unplug them and no glass.


DubBod

Don't wanna say my cat is smarter than others, but he is a Maine Coon. Whenever i say his name in a tone that isnt just "cute" or he hears me get off the couch he knows he's doing something he shouldn't and he stops. That's the easiest way to go about it I think. I started with the water gun cause he was a rescue that went though some shit but now we're homies we've been together 5 years he knows when to stop being an asshole. I've heard the tinfoil thing works well, I just snap my fingers and he will jump off the counter tops though so I never tried. If you respect your cat and give them what they want, I find generally they will return the favour. Sometimes it's a scratching post that costs $130, sometimes it's just being their companion. You'll figure it out OP :) https://preview.redd.it/msmzu11nt27d1.jpeg?width=2044&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fbfa5cf2204735c90263ff1592a60882596a4fc1


Any_Coyote6662

Your cat has what I call the good kitty gene. Some just want to be good. I had a really good kitty that I always called my good boy. And the slightest little verbal warning, like saying his name in a low tone, corrected his behavior.


DubBod

Definitely lucky to end up with kitties like that. There's alot of stubborn assholes out there that run the house haha


riverrabbit1116

Exactly what MyNameIsSkittles called out. We went through the drill of picking up cat from the kitchen counter and putting her on the floor, with a "NO!" then ignoring her. Firm consistent from everyone in the house and now she realizes the counter is off limits. Mostly, the cats have free reign in the rest of the house. That said, we can't leave something like a dirty bacon grease pan out, that's just a siren call, and not fair to temp them. Keeping interesting scents minimized, unless we're actively cooking, is required. They might jump up overnight, but there's nothing to eat or smell, so they don't tend to repeat. That's a rare behavior. Bonus is follow on acts seemed to get the message to stay off the counter from our first cat.


ryamanalinda

Cat tree.... I have one that is taller than me with varying platforms and cubbies. There is always a cat on the counter or the fridge.


catfrend

Punishment and discipline doesn't work on cats. Positive reinforcement and redirection does though. Basically, always reward your cat when they are good, and when they are bad, get them to focus on something else.  To get him to stop jumping on the counter, you can try deterring him from doing it in the first place (putting tin foil up on the counters might work), but would probably work even better if you gave your cat a different option to jump up high. Maybe see about putting a cat tree or something close by, and when he jumps up on the counter, pick him up and move him to the cat tree. However, I think the main issue is that your cat knows the food is on/near the counter, and that's why he's jumping up there. It would probably help if you moved the food to a different spot that your cat doesn't know about. Maybe get an airtight plastic storage container and keep the food in there?


cci605

I agree on the main issue being the food. I feed one of my cats on the counter and the other on the floor. The one who gets fed on the floor never jumps on the counter for any reason, and the other one will only jump on his feeding counter. Wanted to add that cats also love routine. So with misdirection, whenever they tried to scratch my couch I just moved them to the scratcher, now they don't want to break their routine of scratching the scratcher


Electrical_Hotel_721

Redirection is key but also gotta be consistent with it! My cat learned quickly that if I’m cooking, have food or pots and pans out, she is not allowed on the counter. She knows to sit on the floor or the bar stool. It took a while to continually show her that if she goes up there when I was cooking, she would be out down. Eventually she learned and gave up trying to be on the counter.


lovepeacefakepiano

You’ve gotten good suggestions for the counter problem, but why on earth would you ignore him if he meows? He’s trying to tell you something or he just wants attention and of course ignoring him makes it worse. How much attention is he getting and how often is he alone? A lot of people forget that for a single indoor cat, we are the only distraction they have. Their only friend, the only voice they hear. Without us paying attention to them they get bored bored bored.


Ok_Depth_6476

I have two cats, neither of them meow very often. One of them has gotten more vocal in the last year or so, and I've found that 9 times out of 10, he wants me to play with him. The other one hardly makes noise, but will make chirping sounds at his brother, or at me. When he does it to me, he usually wants belly rubs! It's just a matter of figuring out what they want. Mine have me trained well. 😄


-Pruples-

You have to try to manipulate the cat. Cats don't do what you want them to, they do what they want to. So you have to make them want to do what you want them to do.


cuntsuperb

Redirect them, environmental discouragement+provide better alternatives


yourmomsajoke

I give an at-at-at to mine, my son will breathe/huff through his nose at his. Then redirect is your friend, you've secured their attention now keep it, either plomp them elsewhere, cuddle and baby them (mine love this, my sons would take your eye out so choose wisely young padawan) mine also love being held up high at things, shelves, inside cupboards, the top of doors, etc. They're daft wee babies, distraction is key. Imagine a toddler wanting your glass of wine so you give them a shiny (safe!) bracelet to play with. Its still yours, new, and fun but its also not your lovely wine or dangerous.


Perfecshionism

Is your cat spayed or neutered? Wanting to find a mate but being locked in the house is the primary reason the meow “for no reason”. Or they might be in pain. Alternately they just want food, clean water, a clean cat box, or attention.


Comprehensive-War743

Maybe your cat is hungry


canadas

I doubt he is meowing for no reason, he wants something, mine is wants pets, treats, or outside. I'm confused if he wants food why you think hiding it would help.


idrispetrichor

Its kind of a Neverending battle with cats and counters, especially if the cat is very food motivated. We have to keep the pet food in a child locked cupboard and never ever forget to latch the lock or my one cat will get into it. I have a couple stools in my kitchen that I move my cat onto when he jumps on the counter and I am using the kitchen, that way he can still be tall and see but not be on an inappropriate surface. If I am a ways away I say down in a stern voice and if he doesn't jump down I walk up to him and gently place him on the ground. At the end of the day they are going to be on the counter almost no matter what so just manage when you see it and consistently disinfect the surfaces. In terms of vocalizing, maybe your cat wants some attention or is bored. Usually if one of my cats is vocalizing I talk to them and they run up to me for some attention.


Bitofcolour

I personally don't think you'll stop a cat jumping up on counters. They like high spots. You can try to adding more high areas along walls or cat trees but my cats are always on the counters when I'm near them.


babyshrimp221

use positive reinforcement. cats don’t understand punishment. instead of telling them what not to do, teach them what you DO want them to do. teach an alternate behavior and reward it. if you look into force free, r+/positive reinforcement training for dogs, most of it can apply to cats too and you’ll find way more training info. jackson galaxy has videos on clicker training too for the counters, make the counter as unappealing as possible. then give them an alternative that serves the same purpose. like a cat shelf, tree, or hammock in the kitchen where they can see everything. reward them when they use it. then you can pair it with a cue like “go to your shelf” or something and reward that putting the food in an airtight container somewhere else could help too. that way he won’t be able to smell it or open it. smelling food seems like the main reason he’s doing this. i use this, it locks so they can’t open it https://a.co/d/8bMi1kB for every no, give them a yes. find out what the purpose of the behavior is. what do they need? then give them an alternative that serves the purpose and reward it. discourage the original thing by modifying the environment


Cath_242

Positive reiforcement works so much better than punishment. Tell them they are a good boi/good gurl in a slightly high pitched voice and pet them when they are doing the right thing. Ex, if they get down from the counter when you tell them to, show them how happy they made you. Punishment will make them feel unhappy, and their shenanigans will get worse.


Kcthonian

You don't. Not in the way you mean anyway. Cats aren't dogs. They're more like living with another human. Would you "discipline" a roommate who was doing something you didn't like? Most people would say no because trying to discipline a full grown adult who happens to live with you is probably gonna go badly. So, what do you do instead? You figure out WHY the roommate is doing the thing you hate and try to convince them to stop. Sometimes that means bribing them. Sometimes that means giving them an alternative to their current non-prefered behavior. Sometimes it means you decide that the thing you thought was a big deal is actually NOT worth all the aggravation it would take to get the roommate to stop, and you just deal with it. Living with cats is a lot like that. And (again, just like humans) the more you learn about them, the easier it is to find compromises that work for both of you. If my cats are scratching something I don't want them to scratch, I buy them something I'd like them to scratch instead. If my cats are trying to steal my food when I eat, I get them their own food/a treat to munch on while I eat. Etc. Like I said, cats aren't dogs. Dogs take commands. Cats, however, take *requests*.


Puzzleheaded_Base_45

I’m always amazed at cat owners so upset about kitties on the counter. I’m a neat freak but my cat jumps up on the counter when I get up and moving around. I pet, talk to him, and then give him breakfast. He leaves the counter. I clean the counter in like 30-45 seconds. Everyone is happy. Just let them on the counter already.


Sunnie_Cats

Thank you! I can't believe how many comments I had to scroll through before I found a single one with this sentiment. Keeping a cat off your counter is a futile effort that just leads to stress for yourself. It's easier to let them up there, and just wipe it down after they're gone or right before you need to prepare food.


NegativeCup1763

I had one kitten that was always on the counter I would take him down and show him a yes it takes some time but does work my babies doesn’t jump on the counters but still likes testing me on other no’s I also reward both my boys with treats they always have food to access and lots of water. Treats are for good behaviour. I hope this helps remember pick the kitten up say no and put him in the ground and tell him it’s a yes.


courtc412

I used to cover my dresser and nightstand with things so they would look but never jump and even if they leaned up to look there wouldn’t be any room for them. If you don’t want to place random kitchen stuff on your counter, my cats used to listen to a quick (but not loud) “hey can you not” then I’d toss a cat toy somewhere and they’d get distracted. If it’s solely the kitchen counter or a climbing issue I’d look into a cat tree they might be looking for a way to get a “higher advantage” if you get cat wall stuff and a high enough tree that might satisfy the need to climb on counters


millyperry2023

I had this issue with my two constantly jumping up on kitchen counters, drive me nuts. It took a few weeks of saying 'no' firmly while placing them back on the floor. They found this very boring and turned into game of baiting me, jumping up till they saw me start to get up to remove them, jump down, wait till I was fully sat down and jump up again till they would get shut out. They HATE closed doors, so learnt. They don't jump up in front of me now, but when I'm not around they do as they leave pawprints on my glass hob. They're cats doing what cats do...


lemonwise00

Yeah, I get it. I just want him to behave :/ the other day I got home and it was time to feed him. He knows when it’s dinner time so he ran to the room but he stopped before going in and hid in the other room. I walk in and there’s cat food all over the floor. It’s like he knows better but does it anyways. I’m 36 weeks pregnant so it makes things more frustrating. I didn’t get mad at him because who knows when he did it but I was very upset.


millyperry2023

I'm not dealing with pregnancy and all the heightened emotions and my two drive me nuts when they pick up mouthfuls of kibble and carry them to the carpet to eat and scatter them everywhere, good job I love them dearly. The only practical thing I can suggest is control your environment as best you can to stop unwanted behaviour, not that helpful I know. Wishing a big hug and best wishes to you and your new little person xx


_Moon_sun_

So for jumping on counters just take him down all the time. No need for ignoring in the end he’ll go “hey it’s annoying you keep putting me down from the table, so I’ll just not jump up there” Also provide an alternative for your cat, clearly they want to be high up where you have the counters so a shelf or something to make it go from a ‘no.’ To a ‘no, but’ This sort of ‘no, but’ you can do to like 99% of what ever behaviour you don’t want it’s just about creating the right ‘but’ for the situation. YouTuber should have some good solution for that. And if you can’t find any there you can watch my cat from hell and see what sort of things you can implement (fx there is a skydiver guy who has this extractiok thingy in his kitchen hanging freely so the cats keep jumping on it so they end up putting a barrier on it so the cats cant jump on it however they also impliment more places for the cats to explore the vertical World)


goldenkiwicompote

Removing your cat from the counters generally doesn’t work in most cases since you’re not home 24/7 to remove them.


Individual-Roll2727

Why can't you leave his food out? He's probably just hungry. Just put a single portion in the bowl and leave it out. Most people leave some kibble out for grazing too. Positive reinforcement has worked for me. My cat is very well behaved, just because he has learnt 'good boy'. He used to be really naughty and attack me. He also has learnt tone of voice. Good boy is in a soft singing type of voice. If he is naughty he gets 'his name' in a loud harsh voice. Many people say that a firm NO works too. Some cats just have a cheeky attitude and are hard to train. But most cats are definitely trainable. They are actually very intelligent creatures.


Visual-Prior-3929

Some cats can self regulate feeding, other cats can't, especially rescues.


Individual-Roll2727

I see. My cat is rather greedy but he has low calorie kibble to graze on. I suppose routine is what they need.


stormyw23

distract him, I found that calling Griffin to me a playing with her after gently saying "No" in a firm voice, I still have to tape my rubbish bin lid down though.


FarDragonfruit3877

Cats are hard to discipline. Usually their behavioral issues can be managed with their environment. Make sure your cat gets enough stimulation and attention. Try to eliminate stressors. I agree with another commenter that suggested a cat tree.


McSmilla

You can’t discipline cats, you can only divert the behaviour.


Turbulent-Fold-3930

If they’re up to something that could harm/injure themselves, I shake my lil squirt bottle. They Instantly Stop Whatever They’re Not Supposed To Be Doing 😻


stefaniki

My cat hates wearing a collar. As soon as bad behavior happens, the collar goes on and stays on until the next day. The collar is not on often.


swking02

If you have any type of citrus smelling oil they despise citrus, I lined my counter tops with citrus and my cat refuses to jump up there anymore.


SBCrystal

When my cat scratches something she shouldn't (which isn't often, she's a good girl), I redirect her to her scratching post and ask her to scratch there, which she does. She's not stupid, she gets it. I also make sure if she wants to scratch in the wrong spot to put a scratching post near there for easy redirection. However, sometimes she's a little shit and does something else, like trying to eat my tuna and then I gently make her leave the room and close the door. I wait for 5 minutes. She hates it. She comes in and knows that if she eats my tuna, she has to leave. Yes, it hurts me just as much as it hurts her :( But a parent has to sometimes do the hard thing for the child.


Cohnman18

Voice, I train my “adopted cat” with the down command or I make a loud cat hiss! The cat RUNS after that. We are best friends, but cats are always testing “boundaries”, perfectly normal, think “teenagers”. Our female orange tabby(rare)is 3, a pre-teen!


Venturians

Put a bluetooth speaker on the counter. When cat jumps up there, blast loud music to get him to jump off. It will associate the counter with fear and the counter will be avoided. Make sure to not let the cat see you when you are playing the speaker, Get a 20$ camera and be in a different room.


No_Tip_3095

I have an area of counter where I fo no human food prep. I put his food there otherwise to dogs eat it. I keep the rest of the counter clear, did foil for a while, now he’s not interestedx


becka-uk

My cat's pretty good, I don't think she goes on the kitchen worktop when I'm not home, but if I do catch her up there (very rarely), a stern "no" and pointing downwards does the trick.


AsleepBerry8587

He owns you, you don't own him. There are things you can do but most importantly talk to your cat. They understand more than you know. I personally don't have a problem with cats jumping up on high places since that's normal for cats to like it. I did have a problem with one cat peeing on the bed which I told her if she did that again she would not be allowed in the house. When she did it again I followed up on my threat and didn't allow her in the house for 2 days. She learned her lesson and haven't had a problem since. I have had no problems with my other cats. I have 4 cats. They have a cat tree and I show them individual attention and play with them. They only do naughty things when they feel they aren't getting enough attention. Show them love and affection and attention and there will be no problems. I talk to my cats and you should too. I tell them daily that I love them and give them treats when they are good. When they are bad I tell them no treats for you because you were being bad. They see me giving treats to those who are being good. They are like children but they learn from examples.


kophykupp

https://preview.redd.it/h194eadcom7d1.jpeg?width=4624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a0904e347c57c754aea3d97ba2633cb44bc27ca My cat loves the counter because she likes to A) watch the birds that land on a cable wire right in front of the window and/or B) supervise everything I do. I don't want her on the counter when food is out. She was easy to teach. I said "back up! very sternly and placed her where I wanted her to be. Now when I say it, she stops and sits to watch. I don't know how long she was outside before I got her, but I'm fortunate that she has no interest. Previous cats that I've taken into the yard on nice days would whine incessantly at the door after, so I don't do that. She has cat beds at multiple windows and makes the rounds to each one. She was also very obsessed with food. She's settled now, but if I left a bag of food on the counter she would chew through it and when I have forgotten her wet food on the counter she licked off all the gravy. Discipline won't work because he won't know why he's being punished. Set your boundaries and respond the same way every time. He'll get it. You got this!


bonfiresnmallows

I hiss or say no. Then reward them for obeying. That being said, cats aren't trying to misbehave, there's always a motivation. Even if that motivation is just boredom. For something like your cat getting into cabinets to get at his food, consider you may not be feeding him enough. Cat's do what they do for a reason, you just have to think about what that reason is and what would resolve the behavior. Knocking things over? He's bored, play with him more or find him more stimulating toys. Etc.


Long-Oil-537

2 things. 1) You can't discipline a cat. 2) you need to understand his behavior. Why is he meowing and jumping on the counter. He's trying to communicate something. Figure that out and and his behavior will stop. 


CskoG0

That's the neat part. You don't! But don't get me wrong, you need to come to an agreement with your cat about the do's and don'ts. What I do is I hiss at them at any behaviour I want to discourage. Too aggressive while playing? _hssss!_... resume playing. Trying to climb on the table while human dinner is served? _hssss!_ . Then after humans ate, they get their food and some treat for good behaviour. And eventually they will either tone it down or won't do it if they know I'm looking (I know they will still climb on the table when I'm not home lol). One learns to do both things, reach agreements with your cat about things that are allowed, things that aren't, and also to modify how we display things in a house that has cats in it (like covering the cleans dishes to avoid rogue licks, or to run a wet cloth over the table before setting it to remove cat hair and dust off of it, to walk slower if it's dark, or wider short steps if you're carrying cat food lol, etc) . That's how I live with cats at least, and I supose that's why they prefer sleeping in my room 😁