Keeping Pets off Furniture Poses Real Challenge to Pet Owners

It is not unusual for cats (and some dogs, for that matter!) to jump up on furniture, tables, and counters. If they do so when the owners are present, they can usually be discouraged by squirting them with a water pistol or by making a loud noise (e.g. with a horn, can full of stones, or whistle) whenever they jump up. It is important not to yell or shout when this is done or use physical punishment in response to misbehaviors. Any loud noise you make needs to be very closely paired with the misbehaviour in order to be effective. If the pet jumps up, and you need to leave the room to find your whistle (or whatever), too much time will have elapsed. Ideally, the noise should happen as soon as the behaviour is about to start, or within seconds of the trespass. It is best that the pet does not even realize the noise is coming from you. If the pet associates it closely with you, this can make them avoid you, or just wait until you are gone to misbehave! If you spy a dog in the ready position to jump up, distracting them by asking them to do a fun behavior for a treat (i.e., lie down for a cookie) may help to reinforce the desired behaviour of sleeping on the floor.

Closing off rooms that contain surfaces that you wish to protect from pets is the easiest method of controlling this problem. When this is not possible, strategies to protect surfaces, and surprise or offend pets if they do trespass are necessary.

Unfortunately, many pets will go onto countertops and furniture when the owners are not at home. Fortunately, there are some effective ways to keep them off. For example, you can cut a number of 5-10 cm strips of 2 or 3/4 inch double-sided tape and stick them firmly onto furniture surfaces approximately one piece for every 10 square cm.
When the pet jumps onto the furniture, the paws will temporarily stick to the tape. Since dogs and cats have a strong limb-withdrawal reflex, whenever their paws are restricted in any way this is very unpleasant and discourages them. This method is both safe and, after a few encounters, very effective. Other ideas for covering surfaces such as countertops include placing cookie or pizza cookware on towels, then filling them with a thin layer of water. Placing them in key landing spots will discourage countertop cats. Note that if they land in the water, there is a potential for a spill!

Covering furniture with heavy plastic when you are out of the home can dissuade the pets from sleeping there because the cold, slippery surface is not as desirable as a plush covering. It is also very important not to leave any enticing treats on the counters to help provide positive reinforcement to a pet reaching or jumping up. Leaving meat out to thaw is a powerful potential treat and can provide a great reward for the misbehaviour!

Motion detectors are also available that will alarm when the pet enters an off-limits room. Mats can be purchased that produce a very tiny electric pulse when the pet jumps on it, causing them to scat promptly! These can be very effective on surfaces that could be damaged by some of the other suggested deterrents.

Some recommend trying another trick―to spray or apply liquid unscented underarm deodorant spray or roll-on onto surfaces. Because deodorants can dry any moisture on your cat's footpads, their footing on tables and countertops becomes very slippery, making them unsure and uncomfortable on these surfaces. Whether using double-sided tape or deodorant, you should make sure that these do not damage the furniture in any way before applying them.

In the past, upside-down mousetraps have been recommended. Unfortunately, the delicacy of setting these can result in a close call for the human! If the cat jumps up, the paws can potentially slide under the overturned trap (which would normally be covered lightly with paper), and possibly become entrapped, so this may not be a humane deterrent potentially.

There are many other ways to dissuade a pet from jumping onto furniture and countertops. You should discuss with your veterinarian some of the pros and cons of these various techniques as they relate to your particular situation.