Jumping from one place to another is a favorite exercise of cats. Ragdoll isn’t an exception either. If you own a ragdoll, probably you have seen their work. In this article, we address whether the Ragdoll is liable to jump on and off counters and what to do in case it does.
Do Ragdoll Cats Jump on Counters?
To put it briefly, yes ragdoll cats can jump on counters.
Cats are, by nature and by physicality, jumpers. They like high perches and can jump off balconies more than fifteen feet high with ease and panache.
The reason lies in the world of dynamic physics. They go into a crouch and jump lightly, a smooth, singular motion that allows them to land on the balls of their paws.
It shifts the impact of the landing from the paws to the muscles in their fore and hind limbs and prevents injuries.
Ragdoll cats, too, are jumpers. They are curious to explore and view counters as undiscovered territory. Add to it the lure of a jump, and they will do it.
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Why do Ragdoll Cats Jump on Counters?
A few different reasons can be held attributable to a Ragdoll’s inclination towards jumping onto a counter.
The first is a natural consequence of its nature. Ragdolls like to be in the physical proximity of their owner and are likely to develop a habit of following them around the house.
It poses relevance when said owner is in the kitchen, and the cat jumps on the counter to maintain or improve the degree of closeness. Ragdolls, as do all other cats, like high perches and vantage points.
In an environment of limited opportunities, i.e., an apartment, countertops may be the highest frontier available to the cat, one that it has to breach.
The fondness for high perches is why cats want to have an elevated view of their surroundings and feel a sense of protection from possible predators. Now, the latter is usually scarce in an urban setting- but the instinct remains.
The third and last possible cause behind countertop jumping is, unsurprisingly, the lure of food and the pull of curiosity.
Ragdolls are curious and are known to get to the bottom of things that bemuse them. Add to it the sounds and smells that emanate from a kitchen, making it a chest of undiscovered treasures.
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Can you train a Ragdoll cat not to jump on Counters?
It is entirely possible to train a Ragdoll cat to not jump on counters.
While some owners are content with wiping down the counters after their cat has been on them, some might want to avoid the jumping altogether.
There are two alternatives to doing this. The first is early prevention- training techniques implemented at a nascent stage that discourage your act from the act.
The second is remedial action, which comes in later and transpires in the form of corrective behavior. The first tends to be more effective.
How to prevent Ragdoll cats from jumping on counters?
Prevention can take place in the form of an alternative or a deterrent.
Alternatives allow the animal the pleasure of a high perch; nevertheless, it keeps it off the kitchen counters more pertinently. Some viable alternatives are high stools, a cat tree, or a TV tray.
If your cat is already in the habit of jumping onto a kitchen counter, it may take them a while to adapt to newer vistas. Rubbing catnip on these areas can significantly hasten the process.
On the other hand, Deterrents are objects or method that will actively deter the cat from jumping onto the kitchen counter. It is advisable to exercise caution when trying out deterrents because, although practical, they can sometimes be unsafe. Proper research is advisable.
Training and a strategy of reward and punishment is the first method recommended by trainers and vets. Make sure you are going by the rule book, and there are no deviations.
Any training procedure that involves yelling or swatting is not correct. Risking the sanctity of a pet’s relationship with its owner is inadvisable.
Additionally, one must also be careful not to create negative punishment associations.
The ideal deterrent should have nothing to do with the owner. Some ingenious methods that you can use are:
Sticky tape
Cats hate the feeling of sticky tape underneath their paws.
Taping the edges is an intelligent solution to keep your cat away, as they give up on trying after a couple of failed attempts. Remember to reapply.
Clean countertops
You need to empty your countertops of all edible temptation. Once the enticing smells are gone, the impulse to jump will also witness a significant reduction.
Running faucets
The sound of running water attracts cats. Make sure to shut any running faucets to not draw their attention to it.
Another thing to keep an eye on is to gauge if your cat always drinks from the faucet. A cat ignoring its water bowl could result from a stressful environment around the bowl, whether intentional or not.
Eliminate all stressors. It could also be because the fresh, running water is more appealing than stagnant, room-temperature water from the bowl.
Change the water a few times a day and add an ice cube or two to lower the temperature.
Tinfoil
Taping aluminum foil around countertop edges is another way to deter cats, for they hate both the texture and characteristic crinkling noise of foil.
Remove the chair
If your cat enlists the aid of a chair to climb onto the counter and cannot reach without, then the chair must immediately be removed.
Clicker training
Positive reinforcement, easy-to-reach treats, and clever distraction- these are all components of what constitutes clicker training.
A little ingenuity, as I hope you can tell, goes a long way!
If these methods fail to affect fruition, then a feline behavioral therapist might be able to help. However, treat this as a last resort. Ragdoll cats are easy to train and are, by nature, obedient.
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Conclusion
As a pet owner myself, I agree with the maxim that adequate training, implemented at the right time, can cure bad behavior with almost perfect efficacy.
The same should, hopefully, apply to a jumping-on-the-counter situation.
All the best, and may you cure your cat of its ill-advised antics!
Hi There, AJ Oren here. I am the founder of this amazing pet blog & a passionate writer who loves helping pet owners to learn more about their pets through my articles. I am also the content manager of this blog. I have experience in pet training and behavior, sheltering, and currently working for a veterinary clinic.