How to stop a newly adopted cat from jumping on kitchen table?

I just adopted my new cat Ben. He's a very sweet cat who has adjusted VERY well to his new surroundings. He doesn't hide and is as sweet as can be. The only problem is his bad habit of jumping on the kitchen table and sitting/ laying down on it. His old owners didnt mind but I have a big problem with kitty-feet where I place and eat my food.



Q: should I address this issue now or wait until he is here longer. Also HOW can i re train him to not jump on it anymore. He is 14 months.How to stop a newly adopted cat from jumping on kitchen table?
Address it now! He's in your home, so he needs to know your rules. A safe, harmless option is a good squirt bottle with it switched to the high-power stream. When he gets up on the table, create a commotion! Have the bottle handy (always filled with plain H2O), squirt him and yell no! The yelling isn't so much because I expect him to learn ';no';, but more to create an unsettling event that he doesn't like. After this is repeated a number of times, jumping on the table is associated with getting wet and yelled at.



My other advice is to provide him with a new place to lay, like an enclosed kitty cube, to provide him with a cubby-hole all his own :)How to stop a newly adopted cat from jumping on kitchen table?
i'd say kick the habit asap. he may have just newly arrived but the sooner you start teaching him, the easier it'll be. also, 14 months is not old, which is good.



fill up a water bottle with a spray nozzle and spray him everytime he jumps up onto the table. be sure to spray just as he gets on top, not when he's already resting on it so that he gets it
I found that my cats have all learnt not to jump on tables and benchs just by me lifting them off straight away and making a disapproving noise. It works all the time now if my cat goes to do something that is naughty such as attack the dog or chase birds, I just make the noise and he stops.
Go to Wal-Mart and buy a couple of water pistols. Have them around so you can take immediate action. Once you squirt him enough he will associate the table with getting wet which ben won't like.
Add a lil vinegar to water, and give him a squirt w/spray bottle, % and you';; be in control!
or1088 gave the best advice. The squirt bottle will work for many bad behavour problems.
Spray bottle with water in it. Every time he does something that you don't what him doing, squirt, squirt.
I agree, my cat is 16 years old. We trained him as a kitten with a little squirt gun (in the shape of a seahorse! haha!) just plain H2O does the trick. To this day, if I place him on the table or another area he is not allowed he runs right away! He never jumps on the tables/counters/kitchen chairs, etc. Just a few quick squirts of water will do and make sure you don't continue to squirt your cat after they've jumped down or away from where you want as this will confuse them. Only use the water while they are commiting the crime!

I also used a sound when he got squirted; it sounds kinds like ';pssst!'; you know, when you're trying to get someone's attention? Only really short and loud. When he's doing something wrong or heading towards an area I don't want him in, that works now even without the water. ';No'; is quite effective too, I find that it takes a little longer to teach a cat ';no'; and saying it in a commanding/low/deep tone works better than yelling... Eventually you won't even need the water if you include a command or sound with your training.

Cats are NOT impossible to train whatever method you choose, keep at it! (I taught my cat how to ';sit'; years and years ago, he still does it!)