My elderly cat is taking the piss..

We have tried the water pistol, works on one of them, the other gives you a dirty look, washes off the water, and goes back to twanging the wire, or whatever he was doing to wind you up. Could try the foil on the top of the fridge. Just been making sourdough loaves yesterday, left the kitchen for 30 seconds and came back to a deep paw print in the tea towel covered dough!

I think, like many of us, he feels that he should keep up an exercise regime during lockdown.

He’s possibly becoming slightly eccentric and following some new and more interesting impulses.

You can never, ever be sure as a cat owner that your cat might not have jumped up or walked on a work surface or a tabletop. Perhaps if you’re able to keep a kitchen door closed permanently when you’re not in it and you live alone - otherwise there are always going to be odd moments.

So, why not just continue to put all food away and out of reach when you’re not in the kitchen (your cat may only actually eat one type of food but they’re always curious ! ) But spray your surfaces every time before you start to use them or prepare food. That way you don’t have any doubts as to cleanliness and your cat’s new moves won’t drive you mad. (They’re cats...they always win).

I think @starblaze probably has it!

“ Lol I bet he was always up on the worktops, he just got too old to remember not to do it when you are looking!”

All my life I have trained my cats not to go on the kitchen worktops or kitchen table. I have found a "rattle tin" is the best way.

Wash out an empty tin and lid, put in some gravel or small stones, and seal up with tape.

Rattle this tin loudly every time the cat does something you don't like.

Cats hate the sound and soon get the message. One rather spirited cat I had used to push the boundaries - she liked to play with the cables behind the TV set - but after a couple of shakes of the rattle tin, I only had to say her name and point at the tin, and she knew what would happen and back off.

The only downside for the pet owner is that you need the rattle tin to hand when the pet misbehaves, but they get the message after a few very loud rattles.

Almost 40ft of worktop that’s an enormous kitchen you’ve got. Maybe not foil then.

Try a child’s water pistol filled with cold water. Each tome you catch them spray their faces it’s not harmful but cats hate this as do puppies.

One of our two cats parades around on the worktop when it suits him. He mostly only uses two spots because he can then take a flying leap up onto my or dh’s shoulder. As the cat weighs 16lb, you certainly know when he’s made landfall on your back! ?

I’ve never found a real deterrent to cats walking on worktops, you just have to be busy with the cleaning materials. Afaik, we’ve never caught anything from them in 40 years of having cats.

None of my cats have ever been allowed on the worktops. It's so unhygienic! Think of a noise he dislikes (e.g. vacuum cleaner, aerosol) and make it when you catch him. He's not that old - he may be with you for another five years or so.

I agree with Lemongrove it would be unusual for a cat NOT to jump on the work surfaces, all of mine have made it their life's work.
If cats are at all stressed they will often seek out high places to be. Perhaps there is something about lockdown that is causing him anxiety? He is also at an age where their health begins to deteriorate and behaviour can change. Our quiet girl who is 16 has developed a very loud voice and now demands breakfast at 5am. She is SO loud that its actually easier to get up and feed her than listen to her. B9exchange I love the sound of your cats!

Please be careful with spraying the worktop surface- you do not want him licking his paws to get rid of it.

Since lockdown started ours have been unbearable. They always got up on the work surfaces, but now are marching across the top of the fridge, leaping up digging their claws into the concertina blinds in the kitchen, pinging the guide wires with their teeth, climbing into the gas coal fire (and then walking across my clean washing) and have now started removing the grid over the air block. No idea what to do with them!!

Lol I bet he was always up on the worktops, he just got too old to remember not to do it when you are looking!

When our lovely old Rosie (18 before she died) started doing this, I'm afraid I wasn't polite and said No. I yelled at the top of my voice "GET DOWN". She soon learnt poor thing.

I meant to say, close the kitchen door most of the time, he doesn’t need to go in and out of the catflap all day long.Wait until he meows to go out.

I think it’s brilliant that he can do it at his age, the food is obviously doing him the world of good.
Have you tried spraying the worktops with a bacterial spray ? maybe you will find one that has a smell he dislikes.

My cats used to be up on the work surfaces any chance they got, so yours is pretty unusual to never do it until now.
Keep the kitchen door closed.

I've got 12m of wide worktop. That's a lot of tin foil to lay out..

Try laying some baking foil on the work tops, most cats hate it.