Your rambunctious cat Rascal certainly lives up to his name. Rascal’s an athletic fellow who loves to climb, and he has already scaled several sets of curtains. However, Rascal regarded the curtain escapades as merely a warm-up for his favorite counter-climbing activities. Several times daily, you catch Rascal parading across your kitchen counters, presumably looking for food. While this sounds amusing, remember that Rascal uses those same little feet for his litter box duties. Clearly, you’d like Rascal to stop this unhygienic practice, so you’ve asked your veterinarian from Myrtle Beach to give Rascal some old-fashioned behavioral counseling . Read about three other strategies that could also work.
Surprise Your Counter-Climbing Cat
Perhaps if you make Rascal’s counter-climbing expeditions more unpleasant, he’ll think twice about his next trip. After you identify Rascal’s favorite landing location, balance several lightweight cookie sheets at that exact spot. Watch Rascal’s reaction as he leaps on the counter and the cookie sheets scatter across the kitchen floor. He’ll likely be so shocked that he jumps down and runs into another room to regroup, which is good news. Hopefully Rascal will get a quick wake-up call and change his behavior; however, be prepared to repeat the exercise if he’s a slow learner.
Resolve Your Feline’s Food Obsession
Maybe Rascal’s counter-climbing behavior relates to a change in his diet and/or feeding schedule. If you’ve recently put Rascal on a weight management plan, or otherwise changed his food, perhaps he’s desperate for some extra snacks. To resolve Rascal’s apparent hunger, ask your vet if your cat can dine on several small meals daily, rather than snarfing down one large meal and staying hungry for hours. Or, since Rascal has maintained a normal adult weight for awhile, ask your vet if Rascal can have free food access. Regardless of what you decide, don’t tempt poor Rascal by leaving food on the now-forbidden countertops.
Provide More Acceptable Climbing Options
You already know that Rascal’s a climbing fanatic, so give him a better place to practice his hobby. Buy (or build) Rascal a multilevel cat tower covered with claw-enticing carpet. Make sure Rascal has an observation platform or two, and include a cubbyhole where your sleepy cat can curl up for a nap. If Rascal likes to ogle the birds from indoors, place his cat tower near the window so he can stalk his feathered friends in comfort. Once your Myrtle Beach vet resolves Rascal’s counter-climbing obsession, you can remove the kitchen counters from Rascal’s list of feline exercise equipment.
