I don’t know about you, but I do not like cats on my kitchen counters and stove. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the fact that my cats run my house (and me), and I’m okay with that, but I do have my limits.

Maybe I’m asking too much, or my expectations are too high as we have been fighting over the kitchen area for years. I’m use to having cat hair all over everything, but I don’t appreciate it in my food, and I don’t appreciate litterbox feet walking over everything. So far the cats have won.

I’ve tried the clear carpet runners with the spikes in it turned upside down on my counters. I’ve tried the mats, especially designed for cats, which have the prickly spikes on them to deter counter surfers. I’ve tried the two sided tape, cans with pennies in them, and the squirt bottle (that only half works when I’m home sitting in the living room). I see the cats on the counter; they ignore me when I tell them to get down. Armed with my squirt bottle, I physically have to get up before they realize I’m serious, then maybe, just maybe they will comply. Thing is….most of my cats don’t mind getting squirted. I have even gone so far as to put mouse traps all over the counters, thinking the snapping noise would scare them off. It sure makes me jump. Not so, they know how to set them off and not lose a whisker.

I decided to get down and play dirty. I ordered scat mats. If you have ever touched a low volt electric fence, that is what it feels like. The first time I put them on the counters and the cats got up on them it was hilarious to watch. (It was even more hilarious when my contractor (after being warned several times) put his hand down on the counter. I’ve done it several times myself forgetting they are there.) Anyway, I digress. Watching the cats step on the scat mat the first time (and it only took one time for most of the cats) put me in a state of hysterics it was so funny.

The manufacture says that when animals get use to the scat mats you can replace them with dummy mats. HAH!! Did that, what a waste of money. Cats are not stupid. My cats know when I am using the real thing and when I’m not. They know when the battery is dead and when it is working. My cats have even gone so far as to put things on the scat mat so it burns the batteries out. They know if they spill the water or pee on the mats they will short out. My cats watch me as I maneuver around or over the mats and I watch them do the same thing.

Suggestions for keeping cats off counters? I'm open to them.

I still use the scat mats, it seems they are the only thing that somewhat works for some of the cats, but boy do I go through the batteries. I should buy stock in Duracell.