The Countertops are Irresistible

Charley likes to get on the countertops. We tried using a squirt bottle on him whenever we caught him on the counter, but unfortunately, the only thing he learned is not to do it when we were around. It obviously did not teach him the countertop was forbidden territory. We still shoo him off every time we catch him on the countertop, but I turned my squirt bottle into a cleaning bottle. I filled it with water and a drop of dishwashing soap, and we just wipe down the countertop before we use it. Still, I'm wondering if anyone else has had any luck dissuading a cat from getting on the kitchen counters?

Soft claws up close 

Charley's new soft claws 

Charley's new nails 

Soft Claws--The first couple of weeks

So far, none of the soft claws have stayed on for over a week. The product claims they'll stay on for 4-6 weeks. I believe part of the problem is the size. They are too big for Charley. The soft claws should just cover the tip of the claw and not abut the paw when the claw is retracted. I've taken to cutting them down to resolve this problem. And I believe if I had kitten size rather than smalls, the performance would be better.

Another issue that cannot be resolved is that when a cat loses the outer sheath of his claw, the soft claw comes off. However, I've taken to pulling the sheath out of the soft claw and reusing it, so the only loss is in time and effort. But Charley is very patient with the process, so it's no big deal.