Thanks to their climbing and balancing skills, cats can explore many areas of their home that are off-limits to dogs. Dogs undoubtedly get irritated when they see their feline roommates casually strolling across the kitchen counters, but I have never allowed cats, dogs, or birds access to areas where I prepare food.
Unlike my previous cat, Olga didn’t try to jump on the counter and luckily she’s not as agile as a Siamese. However, she gets excited before meals, and when I open a can of food or pour kibble into a bowl, she stands on her hind legs with her front claws under the edge of the counter and walks around. back and forth. She’s a calm cat, but she makes her cutest meows to encourage me to move faster with the food.
![Olga reaches as tall as possible to get to the counter.](https://www.catster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Olga-reaching-as-tall-as-she-can-to-get-to-the-counter-600x383.jpg)
Playful behavior
I haven’t trained Olga to stop moving her claws on the edge of the counter because it cracks me up. She looks hilarious, and it’s one of the few times, other than car rides to the vet’s office, when I hear his voice.
After putting his food bowl on the floor, I always sanitize the counter. Since its claws only touch the bottom edge, they are less likely to contaminate my food, but I don’t like to take risks when it comes to food safety.
Indoor Cats vs. Outdoor Cats
Indoor cats like Olga typically don’t encounter rotting carcasses, fertilizers, pesticides, or feces from wild or stray animals in their homes. Some owners may think that keeping their cats indoors makes them less likely to contaminate their kitchen when they jump on counters.
While this makes sense, indoor cats spend a lot of time in their litter box. Once Olga has gone through and covered her trash, the last place I want her to jump is a clean counter that I use to prepare food.
Security Considerations
I have friends who allow their cats to eat and play on the counter, but I think it’s a bad idea for several reasons. Besides the possibility of me getting sick from litter box bacteria, I’m afraid Olga will hurt herself if she jumps onto the counter and lands on a chef’s knife or serrated bread knife. I don’t eat out often and usually cook dinner at home, so I cook food on the counter every day.
Although I let her near the counter when I’m preparing her food, I keep her at a distance when I’m cutting vegetables, making dough, or working with ingredients like onions and garlic. Olga is not a picky eater, but since onions, garlicand all species in the Allium family are toxic to felines, I keep it away from the kitchen when I prepare them.
Sometimes the aromas from the kitchen are too strong for her to ignore, and she runs into the kitchen and asks for a bite. It’s hard to resist the pleas of a mostly silent cat, but I say, “No!” and she reluctantly walks away. If your cat plays on counters, I suggest training him to explore other rooms in your home.
Cooking is dangerous, even for humans, and your gourmet meal will delight your family and friends even more if it is prepared in a sanitary environment.