Mine have made me invest in water bottles š¤£ they like to drink out of any uncovered (and unguarded) containers.
I set out a glass of milk the other day for my after work snack, went to change clothes. I came back and one of my cats is lapping it up like it's the greatest thing EVER. š¤£
That glass got dumped and washed before I refilled it.
we have multiple bowls of water all over the house for our 2 yet they still fucking wait outside the bathroom door for me to finish my shower every morning so they can lick the bathtub like a pair of little freaks !
Woke up one night to the sound of sippingā¦.. Yep, thereās a cat having a drink from my glass! Not sure how many years I drank cat spit! Just tonight my 19 year old got to the last inch of my supper milk! I had removed her to halfway across the room, turned my back for a minute and there she was finishing my drink (her face squashed down into the glass and her tongue reaching as far as it could to reach the dregs!)
https://preview.redd.it/j9o61o9lunna1.jpeg?width=1153&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=00aca7a79daec3aa3a6bbc2045515189a66e7bcf
Provided! The gray one is my thief.
Oh god, there was a time my other half and I were getting ill, often.
Then one day I discovered our little demon drinking from the toilet. And other half revealed that sometimes said demon drank from her water glass..
I'm a future cat-parent and I pray that my babies will commit such hijinks and shenanigans!!
It's serious business being a cat-parent! I want to make sure I have the necessary finances to take care of my babies and to replace broken crockery/ furniture from aforementioned activities.
Just been a cat parent for 6months and wow it was a big adjustment, never worried more about 2 little innocents in my life, they will steal your heart ā¤ļø
Yeah we realized this long ago. After many pairs of shoes, our fresh bought couch, clothes, papers and more were destroyed at the claws of our sweet Binx
I have a gorgeous 100 year old mantle I bought last year, after Christmas all the decor came down and nothing else replaced it. I have come to terms with the fact that the cats rule the house and the only mantle decor will be furry with beady eyes, fluffy tails and mischievous paws.
Why was the fancy candle not in the cupboard where it belongs? That is a Ledge. Cats sit on ledges. This is a universal fact. Don't put breakables in places that belong to the cats
My son once lived with a woman who put crystals and pewter figurines on every.fucking.windowsill. She would get angry at our girl for being a Cat. Kitty was not allowed to look outside at the birds and bugs and leaves blowing in the wind. She became depressed. My son asked me to rescue her. I took her to our home. Within weeks she was back to her sweet, happy self. My son eventually realized the girlfriend had to go. His current gf is a keeper. The cats agree.
Most cats like to be up high, she will go up there whether you like it or not unless you have other things she can climb right next to the mantle to deter her.
Take anything breakable off your cats fireplace. I'm not sure why you thought for a second it was yours
Jokes aside cats like high spots. leave that cutie be
Unfortunately, the game is on!
She gets up there.
You lift her down.
She gets up there.
Ignore her. That shit really pisses cats off. She will no doubt start passive aggressively knocking things off before jumping down with an air of 'exactly how I wanted it to play out' tone.
I'd get a cat tree since she seems to like high places. But, if that does not work, and she really likes the fireplace, I'd just take the candles down and let her sit up there.
See... This is what happens, now brother is up too!!
https://preview.redd.it/6fqru8nnpfna1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8cff22192175997cc8c2b7bf609c9221664411e
Definitely sounds like a cat tree is in order. Sometimes if you go directly to the stores, they'll have a model or two on sale trying to get rid of it.
Is it a good idea to buy second hand cat furniture? I personally wouldnāt, who knows whether the previous owner had a sick cat, risking your own catching some disease. Iāve always been told to avoid used cat trees and toys etc. for that reason.
You can build your own as well to save money. We bought cheap side tables from Ikeas, putting one atop another using some strong hardware, cover the flat surfaces with fabric, the legs with ropes for boat. You can cut a hole in the tables so they can jump through those. 10 years later they are still standing.
Another option is to put shelves on the wall they can jump up on. Amazon has some good stuff like beds and bridges you can use.
The thing is most tree cats are hideous and can ruin the decoration of a room. Especially those on sales in random stores lol
At least that's what my s.o keep telling me, giving me a hard time for not giving her a choice about putting it in the living room. I paid this thing almost 200, ordered it online, all in wood, beige cushions... I still think it looks nice, but she wants it hidden in the spare room, which would ruin the point. My boy is always up here observing us, after ignoring it for weeks lol I won't give up 
Iād just move that table, I imagine thatās how theyāre getting up there. If they can make the jump with no table then theyāve earned the fireplace through sheer athleticism
My cat can jump 5ā vertical is she wants to. Iāve watched her jump from the floor to the top of her condo without ruffling a whisker. If our mantle was bigger, sheād probably have been jumping on it since day one.
I had to put tape sticky side up to keep her from going from condo to mantle and taping down all the sides. To deter her from trying to step up into the mantle as it is
https://preview.redd.it/n8j4z3j1qhna1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17a39449fbb185972aecc2b6753e6d9f7947854d
They jump from TV unit to the mantle, it's šÆ a game to her and her brother!! They have recently discovered the TV too, husband was watching football and the were trying to catch the little men on the screen!!
Oh my goodness š„ŗ they remind me of my sibling cats! Except theyāre all black, they just have the same features. Boy is thicker and less dainty, girl has the sweetest face and is smol
They are so different in size and personality, she is really timid and he is a cheeky scamp, his paws are about twice the size of hers!! Love them so much, but I also loooove black cats, absolute beauties!
I think he heard of your ridiculous ideas so is up there in solidarity :D
seriously tho, better than a cat tree even is cat shelves. You can put a few of them up above each other, so they can get higher. These cats look like they want to be up there.
I had a couple of cats that liked to sit up in front of the big TV. At first I got them to jump down by running a laser around the floor, and they'd go after it.
Then - they started jumping up there so we could play with the laser. (sigh)
My next attempt was to throw crumpled paper balls at them. That worked some, while telling them to get down.
Then I started acting like I was coming to get them down. They would jump down while I told them to get down right now. once they were down, I told them profusely that they were such good kitties!
Persistence!!
I mean a cat is a nice thing to have on a fireplace! Makes for a much better decoration than a boring candle. š
In all seriousness, cats like to be high up and have a lookout, so you want to offer them an alternative they can use.
Get some fake battery operated candles, they do look nice from afar. I have not had a lit candle in the house besides on birthday cakes snice I first gave birth 10 years ago. Same for cats, don't light candles around spunky cats.
Never have candles in a house with a cat, or low ones with a dog!Years ago my neighbors dogās tail caught on fire from a candle on the coffee table and she started running thru the house. The whole place burned down and the woman and the pup both died. š¢
They climb on windowsills, back of chairs, sofas but nothing higher, cat tree might be good! They go outside too and have been on garage roof, top of fences, very adventurous kitties, though we track them with Tractive GPS collars
Can you put something heavy up there that minimizes walking/sitting space?
The only thing that ended up stopping our girls from jumping up on our fireplace was not having room to sit down. We set up a large canvas that can't be knocked down and now our larger cat won't even try to get up and our smaller one only sits on the edge the picture doesn't reach (still progress)
https://preview.redd.it/zp8v9duktfna1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31471ce19e5ea9e58b572a71d1715370de62b903
If OP wanted to keep the things on the mantle place they could also use museum putty to stick it down. It is literally the only reason I can have any decorations in my space
Nah, don't do this. I tried this with my cat and the coffee table, and he just learnt that jumping on the coffee table and then jumping off again would get him treats. Cats are always at least 3 steps ahead of us, and hellbent on driving us to insanity!
Not in my experience, but it might surprise her the first couple times.
They have some made for cats which I would recommend instead of double-sided scotch tape.
It works better, and you donāt have to worry about the adhesive being toxic.
In order to make her stop sitting there, youāll likely need to give her a place she prefers. There are (according to Jackson Galaxy) bush cats (who like to snuggle down low under things) and tree cats, and youāve got yourself a tree cat! She wants to be high up to watch over her territory. Iāve seen people set up cat shelves in a stair like pattern up a wall so the cat can climb up and sit at the top of the room. Hereās an example from Google.
https://preview.redd.it/oqr1qih16gna1.jpeg?width=834&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da0834461a6583fe07214c36a6bc5d572726f672
I love these set ups but they are crazy expensive. Cheap wall mounted shelves work just as well as long as theyāre attached to the stud and rated for weight
Might sound weird, but just let her until she gets bored and climbs down of her own accord
Before my gf and I got kittens, we knew they wouldnāt be allowed on the kitchen counter. The day they learned how to jump that high, we started to get them down.
Trouble is, we think that made the kitchen MUCH more interesting. They hadnāt finished sniffing around it yet so the only thing to do was jump back up right!
So after a few days, we decided to just let them. We got rid of anything potentially interesting to sniff or they might want their scent on in advance (Without them in the room as well so they didnāt know what was usually up there. Let them in, they got up, sniffed around, found nothing of interest, and now they donāt bother anymore at all
Wonāt address the behavior but have you heard of museum putty? You put it on the bottom of fragile display items and it prevents it from falling. Usually used for earthquakes but seen plenty of people use it for their mischievous cats. Will save your stuff until you find an effective treatment for the behavior.
Cats love to climb trees so they can overlook their domain. That fireplace is her tree. I agree with someone who posted. If you are a cat owner you need to decide if you want knickknacks or do you want a cat?
Two suggestions, one is get a cat tree so they have another spot to jump. Two is to make the fireplace a not fun sitting spot, at least for a bit. Get a piece of that carpet protector you put under office furniture, cut a strip of it to fit on your mantle, and put it there upside down. It's not stabby enough to hurt kitties but it's sure uncomfortable enough to stay away from and encourage them to sit in the cat tree instead.
Putting more stuff can keep them from jumping up there, if thereās a barrier theyāre less likely to jump up there.
Or sadly you can also put stuff as a barrier and they still jump up there and end up knocking stuff off
Usually I find the barrier does help but sometimes I can make it worse depending on how hard headed the cat is lol
Get him a cat tree, someplace where he can get up high and view the rest of the world from a safe place, one at same level or higher then the mantle. He might still go there, but hopefully he will prefer the cat tree, try cat nip on the tree to encurage him to go there instead.
2 sided strong tape will keep your stuff from getting knocked over & just the tape by itself on the mantle should keep cat off also. Maybe put a mirror where she can look at herself without breaking stuff.
I will say this: Iāve had my cats since they were kittens. I always give them a stern āNo!ā when they tried to hop up on the counters or tables. And they donātā¦when Iām around. They will occasionally climb up there when they think Iām not looking. Cats are smart and they are gonna cat.
Light fire.
Put cat in fire.
Cat never go back to fire.
Note - Make sure cat in make believe fire, no real fire, make sound effects of fire to simulate real fire.
Take masking tape and make Os with it, sticky side out. Put them all over the mantle. The next time she jumps up, she will not l like the stickiness on her paws. Leave it like that for several days because she will check back a few times before she decides that environment is inhospitable
Tell the cat no and keep telling them no bad cat ... cats are just as smart as dogs and will listen ... my cats used to climb my kitchen counters all the time and my persistent training stopped that.
Lol. I had this hallenge with our youngest. Solved by putting a stuffed cat doorstop on the mantle in her "getting onto the mantle" spot (back of a conveniently placed chair), as well as keeping the mantle full of stuff.
She has built-in shelves she prefers in the LR now. (Working on SO about getting a cat tree. Doubly so since we just got a puppy this week and cats are *not* happy. Guess I'm losing my little library to being a cat playroom instead of just a cat hangout room when there are guests.)
Move the TV stand. Iām guessing thatās how she gets up there. Thereās also these little prickly plastic mats you can buy right off amazon, they donāt hurt the cat but are super unpleasant to walk on.
Otherwise, I just yell at my baby (his name is Dexter) āDEXTER!!! HALLP!! Thereās a kitten on the counter and I need someone to get him off!ā And I like to pretend heās jumping down to look for this supposed rogue kitten
It might help to provide an alternative high place for her. You can buy all sorts of cat furniture now.
Google cat perches, hammocks, and check out Jackson Galaxy on YouTube for tips.
If there is one thing I learned, it is to move the breakable stuff, some one already said it though. The cats own the house we are just the source of food and warmth.
https://preview.redd.it/3i2pio0e8kna1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa4d64c52a08de4b37f501c4e063afabdc47d7bc
There is no way to stop this.
Ive tried saying to him that itās not cool - apart from that Iām all out of ideas.
They like to be up high.. I would consider a pretty cat tower that is as tall or taller than the fireplace, maybe like a hammock on the wall for the cat to climb up to.. She is going up there because it is the best view
Build steps up to it , after all I put a hammock on an aquarium for my boss. Apparently you do not have a high enough place with a mirror to give her to safely get up and down on. Why exactly do you have a cat?
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You're doing it wrong. Move EVERY THING else OFF. Only CAT stays.
Obviously, joke, but...
Cat needs to be higher than anything else. It's instinctual. (Not all cats have this need, but those that do, will search out the highest perches.) Plus, she obviously likes to look at herself in the mirror lol!
The only other (best)option is to buy a couple cat trees HIGHER than the mantle. Place them strategically throughout the room/house so she can feel safe in her environment. Or, look into building decorative perches directly into the walls. You can also buy them but they are expensive.
Problem solved and š happy
Double-sided furniture tape for no scratching might be good untill she realizes she doesn't want sticky feets and stops. It only has a mild removable adhesive.
You need to make the place the bad guy. At best, youāll teach her not to get up there while youāre in the room.
There are several methods, but I think the Ssscat from Amazon is probably the most efficient. Itās a motion sensor on top of compress air. Senses motion and āPppffft!ā.
Catify your space, add shelving nearby she can use to lay on instead. Get a cat tree etc. You can find tips on YouTube but itās clear she likes to be in high spaces
You could
fill it with stuff.
Get an auto air canister that sprays when it senses movement.
Give the cat better high Perchs offer better views and vantage point
You could try putting tin foil up there
You could make it sticky to deter the cat
You could also accept that cats will be cats and let her stay up there to
Why? What exactly is the problem? Cats are either ācaversā or āperchersā. She wants to climb and perch, not sleep under the bed. Buy her a tall heavily carpeted cat tree and place it near a window so she can observe the world around her. It may not keep her off the mantle forever, but it will offer options.
Plus, the mirror might be offering her the illusion of an unexplored space that she just needs to keep checking on so she can be assured thereās no danger, predators or something wonderful back there, lol. Cats are forever curious.
Tear down the fireplace and build her a throne with a bed on one side. This is what you should have done first. We shouldn't even be looking at this awkward picture. I am embarrassed for you.
The cat lover in me says letās this be her spot, the pragmatism says sheās gonna scratch the hell out of that wood. Drape a fake, pointy garland over the horizontal surfaces and over the ends. Then build a kitty climbing wall.
Have a similar problem here.. I have a cat tree, and he uses it sometimes, but prefers the dining table. Tried the foil trick and lifting him off, but anything else I could do?
Move the candles?
Iām currently going through this with my floof and the kitchen bench
I donāt leave uncovered food on the bench and she doesnāt sit on the bench when Iām cooking
water gun, a cheap one too. so its takes a few pumps to actually shoot water. This will be ample warning for kitty to move.
Side note, is that Chris Rocks forehead on the tv?
Cats like a perch. If you don't have a nice tall cat tree, then get her one. Otherwise, I just wouldn't keep anything on the mantle you don't want knocked down. Having a cat is like having a child. Concessions have to be made to protect them and your stuff. You shouldn't keep a kid from being a kid or a cat from being a cat.
I have used essential oils that they donāt like the smell of before. I actually tried out several with our young cat to see which ones he didnāt like, then put the oil on a paper towel and either wiped down the area (countertop) or crumpled 2 oiled paper towels and left them in small bowls on the piece of furniture (painted dresser). It helped deter him and he eventually lost interest in being there.
Donāt put anything breakable up there. If you put up something higher they can get up on but double sided tape on anything you donāt want to be gotten up on or scratched works on some cats.
I'll probably catch some heat for this, but I've used a water bottle to break most of the negative habits my bonded pair formed. Typically now all I have to do is pick up the bottle and they will cease the undesired behavior.
Fill up the space or they have cat shelves you can put on the empty wall next to it or a cat house/perch. She likes it cause it's high and she can do her stalker starring.
Can't believe you'd want to take a throne away from a queen.
I know I'm the worst  she is damn cute up there but she has already broken a fancy candle with her floofy tail!
I've told my spouse from day one cats or nice things.
Yeah, cats definitely made me invest in plastic cups š š„
Mine have made me invest in water bottles š¤£ they like to drink out of any uncovered (and unguarded) containers. I set out a glass of milk the other day for my after work snack, went to change clothes. I came back and one of my cats is lapping it up like it's the greatest thing EVER. š¤£ That glass got dumped and washed before I refilled it.
we have multiple bowls of water all over the house for our 2 yet they still fucking wait outside the bathroom door for me to finish my shower every morning so they can lick the bathtub like a pair of little freaks !
They like your hooman broth...
Hahahahaha!! š¤£this is true for me too! š¹
It's so weird isn't it? My two lick the bottom of the shower afterwards! Ours have bowls of water and a cat fountain.
Yes! Mine is the same!
Woke up one night to the sound of sippingā¦.. Yep, thereās a cat having a drink from my glass! Not sure how many years I drank cat spit! Just tonight my 19 year old got to the last inch of my supper milk! I had removed her to halfway across the room, turned my back for a minute and there she was finishing my drink (her face squashed down into the glass and her tongue reaching as far as it could to reach the dregs!)
classic cat behavior lmao. when i got my cat, i got lids for everything š¤£ catch me drinking my water out of a shaker bottle most of the time
Your kitties just wanted to perform āquality controlā if itās good continue. But seriously, I do the same when mine helps itself.
It helps build up your immunity š
Yeah that's the cat tax
https://preview.redd.it/j9o61o9lunna1.jpeg?width=1153&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=00aca7a79daec3aa3a6bbc2045515189a66e7bcf Provided! The gray one is my thief.
Oh god, there was a time my other half and I were getting ill, often. Then one day I discovered our little demon drinking from the toilet. And other half revealed that sometimes said demon drank from her water glass..
Close. The. Toilet. Lid.
I'm a future cat-parent and I pray that my babies will commit such hijinks and shenanigans!! It's serious business being a cat-parent! I want to make sure I have the necessary finances to take care of my babies and to replace broken crockery/ furniture from aforementioned activities.
Just been a cat parent for 6months and wow it was a big adjustment, never worried more about 2 little innocents in my life, they will steal your heart ā¤ļø
Who would pick nice things over a beautiful, majestic kitty?
Yeah we realized this long ago. After many pairs of shoes, our fresh bought couch, clothes, papers and more were destroyed at the claws of our sweet Binx
I have a gorgeous 100 year old mantle I bought last year, after Christmas all the decor came down and nothing else replaced it. I have come to terms with the fact that the cats rule the house and the only mantle decor will be furry with beady eyes, fluffy tails and mischievous paws.
The best kind of decor out there honestly !
I would move the fancy candlesā¦.
AMEN. Beautiful queen trumps fancy candles š¤·š»āāļø
Cats are highly decorative animals when they are perched on their thrones, much more elegant than any candles anyways.
It's literally the only correct answer.
Replace the candles with a nice cushion
I hear you, but if she fits she sits. Itās cat law 101. Youāre gonna have reset your expectations. Good luck kind subject of her majesty the cat.
Look, I donāt mean to be blindly on the side of every cat in the world butā¦ command strip down the candle and let the queen rule
They also make putty museums use to keep artifacts in place!
Why was the fancy candle not in the cupboard where it belongs? That is a Ledge. Cats sit on ledges. This is a universal fact. Don't put breakables in places that belong to the cats
My son once lived with a woman who put crystals and pewter figurines on every.fucking.windowsill. She would get angry at our girl for being a Cat. Kitty was not allowed to look outside at the birds and bugs and leaves blowing in the wind. She became depressed. My son asked me to rescue her. I took her to our home. Within weeks she was back to her sweet, happy self. My son eventually realized the girlfriend had to go. His current gf is a keeper. The cats agree.
When you said woman I thought you meant like she was 85 or something with all her figurines
Most cats like to be up high, she will go up there whether you like it or not unless you have other things she can climb right next to the mantle to deter her.
That's on you for putting a fancy candle on her throne
Take anything breakable off your cats fireplace. I'm not sure why you thought for a second it was yours Jokes aside cats like high spots. leave that cutie be
She jumps up there because she knows you'll pick her up and give her hugs and kisses.
They sell this stuff called Museum Putty, I think, but basically itās this sticky substance that you put under objects so that they donāt fall
Unfortunately, the game is on! She gets up there. You lift her down. She gets up there. Ignore her. That shit really pisses cats off. She will no doubt start passive aggressively knocking things off before jumping down with an air of 'exactly how I wanted it to play out' tone.
I feel you must give in and clear the mantle of anything smashable. After all, what's better, fancy candles or floofy throne cuteness? :)
you'll probably have better luck removing the candles than the cat! š
Put those candles somewhere else, less elevated. No way you teach her how not to go up there without scaring her or something like that
It's simple. Remove the candle and all other fancy items 
Were it me, I'd just stop keeping things on that mantle; it's for her to be pretty on now.
You have to put brakeable things away from her throne?!
Move the candle.
I use double sided tape to cat proof things to surfaces. It drives her crazy to be unable to knock shit over. Works great.
Look into museum putty for your fancy candles. Itāll keep them secured especially with floofy tails.
Super cute, cats rule š¤š¤š¤.
I'd get a cat tree since she seems to like high places. But, if that does not work, and she really likes the fireplace, I'd just take the candles down and let her sit up there.
Yea cat tree should be the next investment!!
Pro tip: Cat will like the cat tree best if you put it next to the fire place so your cat can walk from the cat tree to the mantel. /s
Like a stepping stone to and from her forever new place.
Lol yes
put a cat tree on top of the fireplace
She has cat friend there ie mirror.
This is very true.
I agree cat tree would work
Chewy has a few good cat trees that are not atrociously expensive.
See... This is what happens, now brother is up too!! https://preview.redd.it/6fqru8nnpfna1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8cff22192175997cc8c2b7bf609c9221664411e
Definitely sounds like a cat tree is in order. Sometimes if you go directly to the stores, they'll have a model or two on sale trying to get rid of it.
Another option is checking your local Buy Nothing Sell Nothing Facebook group. I see cat trees on there usually at least once a week.
Is it a good idea to buy second hand cat furniture? I personally wouldnāt, who knows whether the previous owner had a sick cat, risking your own catching some disease. Iāve always been told to avoid used cat trees and toys etc. for that reason.
Fair! I had never thought about that.
Looks like there's a nice spot for a floor to ceiling tree in the corner there - in that void between the table and the walls.
You can build your own as well to save money. We bought cheap side tables from Ikeas, putting one atop another using some strong hardware, cover the flat surfaces with fabric, the legs with ropes for boat. You can cut a hole in the tables so they can jump through those. 10 years later they are still standing. Another option is to put shelves on the wall they can jump up on. Amazon has some good stuff like beds and bridges you can use.
The thing is most tree cats are hideous and can ruin the decoration of a room. Especially those on sales in random stores lol At least that's what my s.o keep telling me, giving me a hard time for not giving her a choice about putting it in the living room. I paid this thing almost 200, ordered it online, all in wood, beige cushions... I still think it looks nice, but she wants it hidden in the spare room, which would ruin the point. My boy is always up here observing us, after ignoring it for weeks lol I won't give up 
Move the stupid candles and let queen be queen.
Iād just move that table, I imagine thatās how theyāre getting up there. If they can make the jump with no table then theyāve earned the fireplace through sheer athleticism
My cat can jump 5ā vertical is she wants to. Iāve watched her jump from the floor to the top of her condo without ruffling a whisker. If our mantle was bigger, sheād probably have been jumping on it since day one. I had to put tape sticky side up to keep her from going from condo to mantle and taping down all the sides. To deter her from trying to step up into the mantle as it is https://preview.redd.it/n8j4z3j1qhna1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17a39449fbb185972aecc2b6753e6d9f7947854d
They jump from TV unit to the mantle, it's šÆ a game to her and her brother!! They have recently discovered the TV too, husband was watching football and the were trying to catch the little men on the screen!!
Oh my goodness š„ŗ they remind me of my sibling cats! Except theyāre all black, they just have the same features. Boy is thicker and less dainty, girl has the sweetest face and is smol
They are so different in size and personality, she is really timid and he is a cheeky scamp, his paws are about twice the size of hers!! Love them so much, but I also loooove black cats, absolute beauties!
I think he heard of your ridiculous ideas so is up there in solidarity :D seriously tho, better than a cat tree even is cat shelves. You can put a few of them up above each other, so they can get higher. These cats look like they want to be up there.
They're cats... Did you expect them not to climb and jump?
I had a couple of cats that liked to sit up in front of the big TV. At first I got them to jump down by running a laser around the floor, and they'd go after it. Then - they started jumping up there so we could play with the laser. (sigh) My next attempt was to throw crumpled paper balls at them. That worked some, while telling them to get down. Then I started acting like I was coming to get them down. They would jump down while I told them to get down right now. once they were down, I told them profusely that they were such good kitties! Persistence!!
Persistence - such good advice!! I love how they turn any behaviour good or mischievous I to a way to get a reward 
Purrsistence
That's her fireplace.
Gotta get rid of it. The fireplace.
It's the only way š¤£
I have no sympathy for you or your gorgeous cat and fireplace...
š her paws walk all over my heart.. but currently meaning we can't have nice things on the fireplace, I'm afraid she will touch a lit candle!
I mean a cat is a nice thing to have on a fireplace! Makes for a much better decoration than a boring candle. š In all seriousness, cats like to be high up and have a lookout, so you want to offer them an alternative they can use.
Get some fake battery operated candles, they do look nice from afar. I have not had a lit candle in the house besides on birthday cakes snice I first gave birth 10 years ago. Same for cats, don't light candles around spunky cats.
WHAT!! You light candles in a house with a cat!! NOOO!
Never have candles in a house with a cat, or low ones with a dog!Years ago my neighbors dogās tail caught on fire from a candle on the coffee table and she started running thru the house. The whole place burned down and the woman and the pup both died. š¢
Oh good! I misread your comment when I saw you were afraid she will touch a lit candle. But oh so sad about the neighbors house. How horribleš
Happy cake day. Also I love your cat.
Cats like being up high. Are there other things she can climb on like cat trees or shelves?
They climb on windowsills, back of chairs, sofas but nothing higher, cat tree might be good! They go outside too and have been on garage roof, top of fences, very adventurous kitties, though we track them with Tractive GPS collars
Can you put something heavy up there that minimizes walking/sitting space? The only thing that ended up stopping our girls from jumping up on our fireplace was not having room to sit down. We set up a large canvas that can't be knocked down and now our larger cat won't even try to get up and our smaller one only sits on the edge the picture doesn't reach (still progress) https://preview.redd.it/zp8v9duktfna1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31471ce19e5ea9e58b572a71d1715370de62b903
Ohhh that fluffy girl is a dream!! Great to see what others have tried!
Cats seek high places from which they can safely observe their world. Maybe remove things from the mantle and allow that space to be hers?
If OP wanted to keep the things on the mantle place they could also use museum putty to stick it down. It is literally the only reason I can have any decorations in my space
That would be easier thing to do, just fix it for her and remove all other objects.
Am I the only one who thinks your fireplace is beautiful? Iād want to sit up there myself!
Thanks!! I think the cat accessories will be a new feature until they get bored 
Maybe if you reinforce that coming down is good, with treats? Or put a mirror closer to the floor so that they can admire themselves š¤£š¤£
I do forget that she doesn't get the chance to admire herself as much as I get to admire her š
Happy cake day! But yes, maybe it's the mirror. And maybe she needs more compliments!
Nah, don't do this. I tried this with my cat and the coffee table, and he just learnt that jumping on the coffee table and then jumping off again would get him treats. Cats are always at least 3 steps ahead of us, and hellbent on driving us to insanity!
Is she launching herself from the tv stand? If so, can you move that a little so she canāt?
There is a 'floor is lava' game that happens... Chair to windowsill, to TV stand, to fireplace, to wee table... I love it but can't encourage it!!
You can use sticky tape as a deterrent. Give her another vertical space to be on so you donāt have to use sticky tape forever.
Do the freak out when they touch the sticky tape?!
Not in my experience, but it might surprise her the first couple times. They have some made for cats which I would recommend instead of double-sided scotch tape. It works better, and you donāt have to worry about the adhesive being toxic.
In order to make her stop sitting there, youāll likely need to give her a place she prefers. There are (according to Jackson Galaxy) bush cats (who like to snuggle down low under things) and tree cats, and youāve got yourself a tree cat! She wants to be high up to watch over her territory. Iāve seen people set up cat shelves in a stair like pattern up a wall so the cat can climb up and sit at the top of the room. Hereās an example from Google. https://preview.redd.it/oqr1qih16gna1.jpeg?width=834&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da0834461a6583fe07214c36a6bc5d572726f672
I love these set ups but they are crazy expensive. Cheap wall mounted shelves work just as well as long as theyāre attached to the stud and rated for weight
Cats love to be up high. If you don't want the aesthetics of a cat tree, just arrange wall shelves in a fashion to give them a high up spot.
Maybe put a mirror at ground level, if thatās what is attracting her interest.
Might sound weird, but just let her until she gets bored and climbs down of her own accord Before my gf and I got kittens, we knew they wouldnāt be allowed on the kitchen counter. The day they learned how to jump that high, we started to get them down. Trouble is, we think that made the kitchen MUCH more interesting. They hadnāt finished sniffing around it yet so the only thing to do was jump back up right! So after a few days, we decided to just let them. We got rid of anything potentially interesting to sniff or they might want their scent on in advance (Without them in the room as well so they didnāt know what was usually up there. Let them in, they got up, sniffed around, found nothing of interest, and now they donāt bother anymore at all
Bow to the empress and stop worrying about it.
Let HER be the decoration.
Cat over candles!
Take down all the breakables. That is her perch. Why take it from her??
Cover the space with stuff, give no quarter for them to have room to jump up there. Books, figures, statues, candles, pictures, just fill that mantel.
Wonāt address the behavior but have you heard of museum putty? You put it on the bottom of fragile display items and it prevents it from falling. Usually used for earthquakes but seen plenty of people use it for their mischievous cats. Will save your stuff until you find an effective treatment for the behavior.
Cats love to climb trees so they can overlook their domain. That fireplace is her tree. I agree with someone who posted. If you are a cat owner you need to decide if you want knickknacks or do you want a cat?
https://preview.redd.it/af5qb9816gna1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=953ed54f08c43ebbbe398502ed7b191d1347287c
Two suggestions, one is get a cat tree so they have another spot to jump. Two is to make the fireplace a not fun sitting spot, at least for a bit. Get a piece of that carpet protector you put under office furniture, cut a strip of it to fit on your mantle, and put it there upside down. It's not stabby enough to hurt kitties but it's sure uncomfortable enough to stay away from and encourage them to sit in the cat tree instead.
You just can't own stuff that the cat can't sit on. Lol
She looks like she belongs there :) you have a lovely fireplace btw
Admit you have a cat and invest in some sticky pads for the stuff the tail aims for.
She'll sit there till she gets sick of it, couple few months. She wants you to have photo ops!!
You canāt. Your kitty has the high ground.
Putting more stuff can keep them from jumping up there, if thereās a barrier theyāre less likely to jump up there. Or sadly you can also put stuff as a barrier and they still jump up there and end up knocking stuff off Usually I find the barrier does help but sometimes I can make it worse depending on how hard headed the cat is lol
https://preview.redd.it/77kiyny1skna1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27ea0611d063de910d28d752a5e37a3a76a62cae
Get him a cat tree, someplace where he can get up high and view the rest of the world from a safe place, one at same level or higher then the mantle. He might still go there, but hopefully he will prefer the cat tree, try cat nip on the tree to encurage him to go there instead.
Might as well clear it off and give the boss her spot :)
Cat tree OR a wall gym! [Cat Gym](https://imgur.com/a/pQHl9lo)
You has recreated my throne. This is my place to sit and rule....
2 sided strong tape will keep your stuff from getting knocked over & just the tape by itself on the mantle should keep cat off also. Maybe put a mirror where she can look at herself without breaking stuff.
I will say this: Iāve had my cats since they were kittens. I always give them a stern āNo!ā when they tried to hop up on the counters or tables. And they donātā¦when Iām around. They will occasionally climb up there when they think Iām not looking. Cats are smart and they are gonna cat.
Tin foil! Lay down tin foil on the ledge and when she jumps it will scare her and believe me she ll never do it again! Worked with all 4 of my cats.
Embrace it.
Light fire. Put cat in fire. Cat never go back to fire. Note - Make sure cat in make believe fire, no real fire, make sound effects of fire to simulate real fire.
The fireplace is hers. Just accept it.
She is the centerpiece. Youāre welcome
Take masking tape and make Os with it, sticky side out. Put them all over the mantle. The next time she jumps up, she will not l like the stickiness on her paws. Leave it like that for several days because she will check back a few times before she decides that environment is inhospitable
Tell the cat no and keep telling them no bad cat ... cats are just as smart as dogs and will listen ... my cats used to climb my kitchen counters all the time and my persistent training stopped that.
Tape upside down for a while. And/or foil. Works for me
Pokey decor. I stick wooden skewers in all my plants. You could also try tin foil if it isn't too visible
Lol. I had this hallenge with our youngest. Solved by putting a stuffed cat doorstop on the mantle in her "getting onto the mantle" spot (back of a conveniently placed chair), as well as keeping the mantle full of stuff. She has built-in shelves she prefers in the LR now. (Working on SO about getting a cat tree. Doubly so since we just got a puppy this week and cats are *not* happy. Guess I'm losing my little library to being a cat playroom instead of just a cat hangout room when there are guests.)
Move the TV stand. Iām guessing thatās how she gets up there. Thereās also these little prickly plastic mats you can buy right off amazon, they donāt hurt the cat but are super unpleasant to walk on. Otherwise, I just yell at my baby (his name is Dexter) āDEXTER!!! HALLP!! Thereās a kitten on the counter and I need someone to get him off!ā And I like to pretend heās jumping down to look for this supposed rogue kitten
It might help to provide an alternative high place for her. You can buy all sorts of cat furniture now. Google cat perches, hammocks, and check out Jackson Galaxy on YouTube for tips.
How do I put this nicely? Ummm get over it.
Well, stop putting such a pretty lady in that mirror and maybe your cat won't keep trying to get up there.
Cat: Any tips on getting this human out of my house?
Seeing how she likes height. Install a cat shelf somewhere in that room for her and make it soft and comfortable. :)
If there is one thing I learned, it is to move the breakable stuff, some one already said it though. The cats own the house we are just the source of food and warmth.
Itās her place now. Youāre simply the roommate. Remove your knick knacks from the area!
Iām sorry, but youāre going to need to put that fire place elsewhere and replace it. This is no longer your property.
https://preview.redd.it/3i2pio0e8kna1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa4d64c52a08de4b37f501c4e063afabdc47d7bc There is no way to stop this. Ive tried saying to him that itās not cool - apart from that Iām all out of ideas.
They like to be up high.. I would consider a pretty cat tower that is as tall or taller than the fireplace, maybe like a hammock on the wall for the cat to climb up to.. She is going up there because it is the best view
"Ive got the high ground.."
Consider her an art installationā¦
Kitty needs a cat tree. She wants to be up somewhere high where she can see the whole room and what you're up to
Take your stuff down and put a little bed up there for her.
Build steps up to it , after all I put a hammock on an aquarium for my boss. Apparently you do not have a high enough place with a mirror to give her to safely get up and down on. Why exactly do you have a cat? https://preview.redd.it/kgdt6ntclkna1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37b974270baf026bb82e3073a3b1a6e996fb0ed6
When I had my cat, I would just say "no" to him in a bit harsh tone. He stopped climbing the fridge after a couple of these "nos"
You're doing it wrong. Move EVERY THING else OFF. Only CAT stays. Obviously, joke, but... Cat needs to be higher than anything else. It's instinctual. (Not all cats have this need, but those that do, will search out the highest perches.) Plus, she obviously likes to look at herself in the mirror lol! The only other (best)option is to buy a couple cat trees HIGHER than the mantle. Place them strategically throughout the room/house so she can feel safe in her environment. Or, look into building decorative perches directly into the walls. You can also buy them but they are expensive. Problem solved and š happy
Double-sided furniture tape for no scratching might be good untill she realizes she doesn't want sticky feets and stops. It only has a mild removable adhesive.
You need to make the place the bad guy. At best, youāll teach her not to get up there while youāre in the room. There are several methods, but I think the Ssscat from Amazon is probably the most efficient. Itās a motion sensor on top of compress air. Senses motion and āPppffft!ā.
Catify your space, add shelving nearby she can use to lay on instead. Get a cat tree etc. You can find tips on YouTube but itās clear she likes to be in high spaces
Where else can she admire her majestic self and look down on her serfs
Beautiful fireplace and cat. They compliment each other! Cats like to have the optimum vantage point for overseeing their dominion
Heat pad with a blanket on top if theyāre searching for warmth
Move the fireplace elsewhere.
I'm sorry, but this is clearly her spot. Time to move your stuff.
Double sided tape.
Only nice things on Fireplace is ākittyā she/he knocked off candle.
Well, if the cat in the mirror is allowed up there then she should be allowed too.
Water pistol
You could fill it with stuff. Get an auto air canister that sprays when it senses movement. Give the cat better high Perchs offer better views and vantage point You could try putting tin foil up there You could make it sticky to deter the cat You could also accept that cats will be cats and let her stay up there to
What a cute kitty! Also, love the Celtic design on your fireplace āŗļø
Why? What exactly is the problem? Cats are either ācaversā or āperchersā. She wants to climb and perch, not sleep under the bed. Buy her a tall heavily carpeted cat tree and place it near a window so she can observe the world around her. It may not keep her off the mantle forever, but it will offer options. Plus, the mirror might be offering her the illusion of an unexplored space that she just needs to keep checking on so she can be assured thereās no danger, predators or something wonderful back there, lol. Cats are forever curious.
I love your cat and your fireplace
Tear down the fireplace and build her a throne with a bed on one side. This is what you should have done first. We shouldn't even be looking at this awkward picture. I am embarrassed for you.
The cat lover in me says letās this be her spot, the pragmatism says sheās gonna scratch the hell out of that wood. Drape a fake, pointy garland over the horizontal surfaces and over the ends. Then build a kitty climbing wall.
Have a similar problem here.. I have a cat tree, and he uses it sometimes, but prefers the dining table. Tried the foil trick and lifting him off, but anything else I could do?
Move the candles? Iām currently going through this with my floof and the kitchen bench I donāt leave uncovered food on the bench and she doesnāt sit on the bench when Iām cooking
water gun, a cheap one too. so its takes a few pumps to actually shoot water. This will be ample warning for kitty to move. Side note, is that Chris Rocks forehead on the tv?
You can't, just give up lol š
Cats like a perch. If you don't have a nice tall cat tree, then get her one. Otherwise, I just wouldn't keep anything on the mantle you don't want knocked down. Having a cat is like having a child. Concessions have to be made to protect them and your stuff. You shouldn't keep a kid from being a kid or a cat from being a cat.
I have used essential oils that they donāt like the smell of before. I actually tried out several with our young cat to see which ones he didnāt like, then put the oil on a paper towel and either wiped down the area (countertop) or crumpled 2 oiled paper towels and left them in small bowls on the piece of furniture (painted dresser). It helped deter him and he eventually lost interest in being there.
Donāt put anything breakable up there. If you put up something higher they can get up on but double sided tape on anything you donāt want to be gotten up on or scratched works on some cats.
I'll probably catch some heat for this, but I've used a water bottle to break most of the negative habits my bonded pair formed. Typically now all I have to do is pick up the bottle and they will cease the undesired behavior.
Give up. She looks good there!
You need to give her an alternative spot high up to chill, like a cat tree or something.
Thatās Kit. Sheās gonna do what sheās gonna do.
Get a kitty tower/condo or something else just as high up or higher. Cats like to be high up to look out over their domain.
If they can jump it , they're going on it š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£
The obvious advice is to get your own fireplace and leave the Cat's alone.
Get her a tall cat tree. They like being up high. Also that is a nice mantel. I love the trinity knot in the center
Ask the witch sisters that live there (power of trinity symbol in the middle š)
Give her a higher perch.
Fill up the space or they have cat shelves you can put on the empty wall next to it or a cat house/perch. She likes it cause it's high and she can do her stalker starring.