My elderly cat is taking the piss..

I’ve had cat members of my family since being a little girl.
I can’t remember having a problem with worktops. When they tried jumping up I would shoo them away and distract them.
I’m sure they got on them when I wasn’t looking, but at least they knew not to do it when I was around.
They can help themselves to chairs, settees and beds though. There is a blanket on each for the only cat we have now - aged 11 years - to lie on.

I thought cats owned the homes they live in including worktops. You have to be glad he allows you to use it too!

Mine does jump onto the dining room table ( opposite end of the kitchen) but Ive never caught her on the work tops . She sleeps on lots of places usually the back of an armchair on top of a throw in the day or my footstool and on my bed at night. I put a throw on top of the duvet and wash it every week when I change the bed. I have been out in the day and come back to find her under the bedding asleep but never on the side I sleep. The clue is a sticky up lump that looks like a mole is there!

Ours used to sit on the worktop, yowling at the cat food cupboard as if he could magic some Expensive Cat Food In Delicious Jelly out - so he could then merely lick all the jelly off and leave the rest (of the one he’d liked the previous week) and then yowl for something else.

It was ages before I realised that next door were feeding him choice morsels of leftovers from their many dinner parties, not to mention a saucer of milk every morning.

He was a big portly boy, but had nevertheless perfected the pathetic, hungry-orphan-kitten mew, you know, with one paw raised. ?

Twice & Witzend I love hearing about your furry friends. They are all such characters aren’t they?

What a lovely thread. No cats now - trip hazard for DH - but how I miss them. Think Stargaze is accurate in her understanding of cat psychology because ours (seven over 58 years) always won in the end, however inventive we were. Eventually we became resigned to our role once we had accepted that dogs had owners but cats had staff. Apart from one who was kidnapped they all lived to ripe old age despite being rescues who had not had a good start in life so we obviously gave satisfaction. Not that they ever said!

Our old boy (15ish) is also very loud and demanding. You have to follow him and he will show you what he wants. At the moment he is obsessed with the walk in wardrobes - wearing at 3am! He is also completely deaf so shouting has absolutely no effect!

Good grief, my two are in a mood today. Following the earlier Kindle incident, I went to the loo, was sitting there peacefully, when the other cat burst through the door, miaowed loudly at me and took a running jump up onto my shoulder!

Is it bedtime yet?

Apparently they are afraid of cucumbers. Think they are snakes.

Our tabby lady has slept most of today.
On DH’s Man Cave chair, on the bed, and now on the conservatory settee where it’s still nice and warm. What a Life ahhhhh ?

I have seen videos of that sort of thing and I think it’s cruel
kircubbin

Water pistol at the ready?

I’ve just had a cucumber delivered with my order. One of the cats sniffed it twice, then carried on washing himself. The other cat tried to eat it and then decided it was a toy to play with. ?

kircubbin2000 My cat isn't bothered by cucumbers

Our first Siamese adored slices of cucumber. But then he also adored the neighbour's roast pork joint, and was spotted carrying it off down the garden. They were a very understanding pair!

Isn’t it wonderful to be owned by a cat? I enjoyed reading about the cats. Lily is my little calico lady. Preowned and it took her about six months to establish her place at the top of the household.

This is Lottie. She was a Turkish Van cat which are known for being extremely lively and adventurous and loving water.

Lottie’s a beauty and looks at home up high on the curtain rail.
A good view for her too.

Thanks Puzzler61. Fortunately the curtains are made of quite robust fabric!

Sadly Lottie's adventurous spirit led to her wandering far and wide and being hit by a car when she was only 18 months old. My other cat and I still miss her. She was such a cheeky little girl.

I'm reminded of a colleague I found tucking in to a hotel breakfast when I arrived to start an all day workshop with her. 'Missed breakfast' I inquired? 'Got out of bed earlier than usual' she said.' Just found the cat getting off the chopping board. He is seven' I couldn't face making toast at home somehow'. May I politely suggest that lockdown has given some cat lovers an insight into their pets' habits?

Perhaps he just wants to look out the window. Aging cats seem to change and often turn into the opposite of what they were.
Lovely topic for a bit of nice feeling

GrannyLaine - Off original topic I know - but interested to hear you mention your car’s loud voice! My Molly is approx 14/15 And I’m sure she’s fairly deaf. She’s always been talkative but over the last year or so the volume has increased dramatically. When she comes in through the cat flap she shouts like an animal in pain until she finds me - as she does if she’s in the garden and sees my car pull up.... passers by look concerned. I have had her checked over at the vets but nothing wrong apart from prob the hearing loss. I’m assuming that she’s got louder because she can’t hear herself!

Rattle tin worked on my SIL’s naughty dog when he ran after my cat whilst I was dog sitting. He soon stopped!

My MILs cat never jumped on surfaces, was a fussy water, etc. MIL got ill and was hospitalised for over a month. During that time hubby and I stayed at her house to take care of everything, including moving house for her, to an apartment. MIL was still in hospital when the move was completed. We thought it was best that cat go to hubby's sister as she had a house with a yard, the cat knew SIL, her small dog, and sons. What a changed cat he became, despite being elderly and a bit portly. After a few months he began climbing onto surfaces, sleeping on the couch, eating different cat food. (He can go outside through a catflap). It's as if he suddenly knows how to be a cat! (The dog, the cat's size, never bothered him). Maybe living with a younger person somehow gave him an incentive to change. We are confused but happy. He won't be going to MIL to live with her. Unfair as he won't be able to roam outside, let alone jump from a 2nd floor balcony.

Get glass chopping boards and just wipe down the surfaces with antibacterial spray or wipes every day, and before you use them to prepare food etc. (Make sure they are fully dry before your cat can jump on them.) We have 4 cats and have always routinely done this because it's really impossible to stop the cats from jumping up.