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"     My tabby jumps onto the kitchen counters, which drives me crazy. Any ideas for how to get her to stop? P.D., Savannah, Georgia Cats are natural climbers who like to be above it all \u2014 both in attitude and altitude \u2014 which is why they frequently jump onto counters. It&amp;#039;s normal behavior that requires some cunning on your part to eliminate. I&amp;#039;ve found two very effective measures. They may seem a little extreme, but your food-prep area is no place for paws. The first option: Invest in some clear vinyl overlay \u2014 the sheets with the pointy bits on one side that people use to protect carpets (available at amazon.com). Cats don&amp;#039;t like to walk on this stuff, so if you lay a strip knobby-side-up on the counter, your feline friend will flee. This works well if you go out \u2014 just take the vinyl off when you come home. The second method involves a toy squirt gun. If you&amp;#039;re cooking and Kitty shows up to help with the shrimp cocktail, a short blast from a small plastic water pistol \u2014 and a few scolding words \u2014 will send her scooting. Eventually, your tabby will associate counter jumping with getting wet, and you&amp;#039;ll convince her there are better places to hang out. Dr. Rob Sharp, author of No Dogs in Heaven? (Running Press) would love to answer your pet questions. Drop him a line at countryliving@hearst.com. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.countryliving.com/life/kids-pets/a2818/cats-jumping-training-0609/>