Okay, so I’ve been meaning to tackle this project for a while – keeping my cats from jumping onto the kitchen counter. They’re obsessed with it, especially when I’m cooking. I call this whole operation “Barrier 18,” ’cause, well, it’s my 18th attempt at solving this!
First, I tried the sticky tape thing. You know, where you put double-sided tape on the counter edges? Total fail. They just walked right over it like it was a minor inconvenience. One even started licking the tape! Cats, man.
The Aluminum Foil Fiasco
Next up: aluminum foil. I’d seen it online, cats supposedly hate the sound and feel. So, I covered the entire counter in foil. It looked like a spaceship had landed in my kitchen. And you know what? They were scared…for about five minutes. Then, they started playing with it, ripping it, batting it around. It was a crinkly, noisy mess.
The Motion-Activated Sprayer Saga
Then I got fancy. I bought this motion-activated sprayer thingy. The idea was, it would spray a puff of air when they jumped up, startling them away. I set it up, all proud of myself. First time, it worked! One cat jumped, got sprayed, and freaked out. Success! …Until the other cat figured out how to sneak around the sensor. He’d army-crawl onto the counter, avoiding the spray entirely. Clever little devil.
Barrier 18: The (Hopefully) Final Solution
So, here’s what I’m trying now, and it seems to be working (fingers crossed!). I went to the hardware store and got some of those clear plastic carpet runners, the kind with the little nubs on the bottom. I cut them to size to fit my countertops, and placed the nubs upwards, and now the cats refuse to walk on them!
- It’s not pretty and looks bad.
- But it’s effective.
- The plastic is clear, so it’s not too visually offensive.
- And those little nubs? Apparently, they’re cat kryptonite.
They’ve tried to jump up a couple of times, but they immediately jump back down. They don’t like the feel of it on their paws. Finally! Peace in the kitchen (maybe?). I’ll keep you updated if they find a way to outsmart this one, too. But for now, Barrier 18 seems to be holding strong.
