Opinions on cats getting on the counter...

[ChicaPiton519]

So my grandparents just got a kitty, he is cute, but im concerned because they are letting it get on the counter...
Personally i think it's unsanitary to let it up there seeing as it goes from its litter box to the counter...


do yall let your cats up there? what do you think about it being sanitary?

its just kinda nasty.

[Mindibun]

Our cats have always gotten onto the counter, but I agree - I've also always thought it was kinda gross. They poop or pee and then use their paws to cover it up and then walk all over the counter. But they're technically not MY cats, so I have no say in the matter.

[Bruce Whitehead]

I think it is nasty... but I say that not having any cats any longer.

I think when you have an animal you get comfortable and it isn't scary or gross. I mean my cat Mallory would paw my face every morning to wake me up. Nasty as it gets, but did I flip out... never.

She would also suckle at my hair when I slept... nasty, but it was almost cute.

She was my cat and I loved her...

Bruce

[Bruce Whitehead]

addendum.... we let our snakes slither all over us. I think a snake is way dirtier... I mean, they LAY in their feces and urine.

[JD Constriction]

My GF has 2 cats that she got after we moved in together. They are cute and all but the kitty litter/counter/hair everywhere thing to me is totally gross.

I, of course, can't complain much. I take up an entire room with snakes, have a dog, and fill the garage with rats.......the cats stay

[wolfy-hound]

It's no nastier than everyday life IMHO. Snakes end up with feces and urates on them. Dogs lick their heinies, then your face. People touch a doorknob, and then their face.. not thinking that the people before them touched it.. after blowing their nose, scratching their butt, etc(who knows).
Cats are generally cleaner than most creatures, including a lot of humans.

[kjhowland]

For a non-cat person, it's nasty, but you get used to it.

[onebreitgirl]

It's no nastier than everyday life IMHO. Snakes end up with feces and urates on them. Dogs lick their heinies, then your face. People touch a doorknob, and then their face.. not thinking that the people before them touched it.. after blowing their nose, scratching their butt, etc(who knows).
Cats are generally cleaner than most creatures, including a lot of humans.

Or when you eat out you don't know who or what has touched your food. A study was recently done to see how much bacteria is on a woman's purse and it was seriously disgusting. People are quick to judge animals as dirty, but humans are just as filthy.

My cat's litter box is in the bathroom so she has to walk a good ways to get to the kitchen. I wipe down the counter with a bleach solution before cooking and I don't prepare food directly on the counter anyway.

[legionxxii]

Or when you eat out you don't know who or what has touched your food. A study was recently done to see how much bacteria is on a woman's purse and it was seriously disgusting. People are quick to judge animals as dirty, but humans are just as filthy.

My cat's litter box is in the bathroom so she has to walk a good ways to get to the kitchen. I wipe down the counter with a bleach solution before cooking and I don't prepare food directly on the counter anyway.

I dont think there is anything wrong with it. First off I DONT put food on the counter i will set it on something like a plate or a cookie pan of somesort. I dont have any cats in the house but a counter is still dirty unless it was just cleaned. Rule of thumb for me is to clean anything before I put food on it. It was said that dogs lick there buts sad thing is there mouth is still cleaner then ours if I remember right. They have something in there saliva that kinda kills bacteria dont quote me on this though.

[python.princess]

My problem with cats on the counter isn't really for sanitary reasons- if I'm going to have food or silverwear on the counter, I'll make sure it's clean first.

What I don't like is the risk of her knocking things off of the counter. She knocked a glass off the counter the first time she got up there (that we know of) and knocked us out of sleep!

Also, I don't know if you can really train them to not ever go on the counters. Binka gets in trouble whenever she's caught up there so knows not to do it when we're home/awake. But we've seen signs that she goes up there when we're not around. But I think the same goes with any rules you try and give cats. They'll follow the rules until you turn your back on them...