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Do Maine Coons Jump On Counters? (3 Ways To Stop It!)

If your Maine Coon is quite energetic or naughty you may be wondering if it could jump on your counters, and if so what can you do (click here for my best solution, on Amazon #Ad)…

Do Maine coons jump on counters?

Maine Coon cats do jump on counters. Like other cats, they tend to do so for several reasons such as curiosity, hunger, boredom, or fear of an animal on the ground.

Prevent or Distract Your Maine Coon

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02. Aluminium Foil Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad
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So, now you know that they do. But, what can you do to stop this? Why is it not a good idea to punish your Maine Coon for this? What could happen if it keeps jumping on your counters? Keep reading for these answers, and so much more…

 

Why do Maine Coons jump on counters?

As discussed earlier there are quite a few reasons why this may happen. So, let me give you some more detail on each of them:

• Curiosity: Cats are naturally curious. And, if you are making something on your counter and they can’t see it, they may decide to jump up.
• Hunger: If your cat is feeling hungry, or just plain greedy, it may jump up on the counter to steal some of your food that it can smell.
• Boredom: Cats like to climb. And, Maine Coons in particular like jumping around. if they have no distractions (more on this later) they may use your counter instead.
• Fear: If your cat is running from something, like your pet dog, it may decide to jump o your counter. However, this is likely to be quite a rare reason.

3+ Ways to stop your Maine Coon jumping on counters:

Understanding why this happens is one thing, but stopping it from happening is another. Here is a few ways that you can use to do this:

01. Stop it getting access to the room

One of the simplest methods is simply banning your cat from the kitchen itself. However, it is simple, but not always easy to implement. This is because some homes are not laid out well enough to accommodate this.

02. Put aluminum foil on the counter

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Cats are known to dislike aluminum foil. This is for a couple of reasons: they hate the crinkly sound it makes when they walk on it, and the texture on its paws.

Therefore, you can use this to your advantage with your Maine Coon.

03. Cans with coins inside

This method is quite effective but takes some work to set up. Essentially you will place some coins in some old cans. the idea is to position them on the counter so your cat will knock them off and make noise to scare them off.

04. Double-sided tape

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Double-sided tape is another trick that you can use to stop your Maine Coon from jumping on your counters. They hate the feel of the sticky tape on their paws. In time this will train them that the counter is off-limits.

Why you shouldn’t punish your Maine Coon for this:

If you see your Maine Coon on your counter your instinct may be to snap and punish it. Whether that may be physically or verbally, either way, is not the way forward. But, here are the reasons why:

01. Won’t stop it from happening

The chances are you may get an instant reaction from your Maine Coon but it won’t stop it from trying the same thing again in a few hours when your back is turned.

Why? because it doesn’t connect your frustration with the fact that you do not want it on your counter, are you with me?

02. Will confuse your cat

Following on from my last point, regarding the fact that it won’t understand. It is more likely to confuse your cat and make it think you are unpredictable. And, therefore become wary of you.

03. May break the trust you have

And, following on from my last point, again, once your cat starts to find you unpredictable. It will start to have less trust in you. Which can begin to break down the relationship.

What can happen if your Maine Coon jumps on your counter?

You may be thinking, so what if my Maine Coon jumps on my counter, right? Well, let me explain why this is an issue for you now, and in the future:

01. Burn itself

The kitchen counter is known to have numerous hot dishes and liquids on it. If your cat is unlucky it could jump up there directly into one of these items resulting in it getting burned.

02. Spillover any item on the counter

As well as getting burned it could easily knock over (what about a cup? click here) a pot or pan with food that can waste the food. And, the spillage could then pour onto you, a child, or another pet resulting in an accident.

03. Mess or stain your counter

As well as injury. This type of spillage could easily stain your flooring or carpet. For example, red wine. Are you with me?

Why is it important to stop your Maine Coon from jumping on there?

Apart from the accidents that can happen there are other reasons why this behavior should not be tolerated:

01. It needs to learn boundaries

Your Maine Coon is quite energetic already, right? Especially if it is young and hasn’t calmed down yet. So, it’s important to establish some boundaries to improve its behavior.

02. Can escalate to other areas in your home

Also, if you do not establish these barriers things can escalate from jumping on counters to ripping up your carpet (Click here to see what to do, if this happens), peeing on your floor, etc.

03. Embarrassing when guests visit

As well as this imagine how embarrassing it could be if your guest comes round and sees your cat behaving in this way? They will assume you have no control.

04. Unhygienic

Last, but not least, is the hygiene issues. A cat jumping on your counter, near, or in, your food is not hygienic and should be avoided at all costs.

Are Maine Coons good jumpers?

Maine Coons are good jumpers. It is believed that this agility is derived from their wild ancestors. Also, physically they are built to jump with their athletic physic. 

But, even though they can jump well it doesn’t mean that they jump all over the place. They are known to be quite selective about it. Instead, they choose the right time to jump.

3 Maine Coon Distractions to keep them off your counters:

Earlier I talked about some proactive ways that you could stop your cat from jumping on your counter, remember?

Well apart from that there are some simple distractions that you can use as well as this to maximize your results:

01. Cat tree

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A cat tree is a great distraction for your Maine Coon. This may help it get its fix for climbing and keep it off your counters.

02. Scratch post

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Similar to a cat tree, a good scratch post can serve as a great distraction for them. They can keep themselves entertained and maintain their nails.

03. Window perches

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A window cat perch is another great distraction that you can use to keep your cat away from your counters.

Can you use negative reinforcement to clear your counters?

Some cat owners prefer to try some negative reinforcement strategies to get an instant reaction. Some are against this. But, here are a few that some cat owners use:

01. Motion Sensor

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These motion sensors will wait for some movement in a specific area, such as your counter, and then spray to get your cat away from the restricted area.

02. Water Spray

If a motion sensor is too much for you a simple water spray has been known to be used. The problem is you need to be there and quick to use it for it to be effective. As well as the moral dilemma if you should even be using it in the first place.

03. Physically moving your cat

Lastly, another simple technique is just moving your cat physically from the counter. And hoping it will learn that you do not want it there. However, this is quite hard to make your cat understand using this method.