People and their pets

We have always had a cat. Would never allow her on a kitchen worktop or dining table. I love my cat , but sitting where I prepare food is a very big no no for me ! She jumped on worktops soon after we brought her home from rescue centre. I made it very clear I was unacceptable - a loud NO and she was put straight back onto the floor! She has never done it since - there is a theory that cats can not be trained . My experience is they can , not to the extent of a dog but enough to keep her off my kitchen work surfaces!

It wouldn't have put me off, although all the cats I have lived with have been swiftly removed from tables and kitchen surfaces.

Went to a friend's house once and she had baked some delicious cup cakes with lovely butter icing which she left on the side ready to serve. We went into the lounge and emerged five minutes later to find that each of the cup cakes had had a tongue full of butter icing licked off. Cat no where to be seen but it did not upset them. From then on everything was kept in a tin in the larder.

My cats go everywhere and that’s certainly never done me or my family any harm. Living in close contact with animals is natural and proven to be beneficial to children, who develop a stronger immunity system.
I’d rather have paws on the worktop than nasty chemicals from sprays or wipes.

My cat used to jump on the worktop when the Jack Russells were annoying her. A quick spray and wipe down with anti-bac before plating up food did the trick.

Not in front of guests though.

My cats are not allowed to walk on the kitchen counter or any table on which food is served and eaten or prepared. Nor are they allowed to beg at the table.

I would not mention it if a friend's cat was walking on these surfaces, anymore than I would mention the bad manners of their relatives.

If a cat tried to get onto my lap and eat off my plate, that would be different. I would most certainly request it to get down FAST.

We have 2 dogs and have had cats in the past. They were not allowed on worktops or tables.
Only 2 dogs were ever allowed upstairs in our bedroom - one elderly dog dying of heart failure in his last few weeks and a young puppy who came in my bed that had pneumonia on both lungs. Puppy survived against the odds then slept in the kitchen.
Love my animals v much but they are animals so do as I say - well most of the time lolol

My cat has just attempted to write his own answer - he was lying next to me, and playing with my hand, and pushing against my forehead. I do not prepare food on my kitchen table- and I clean it thoroughly + use clean matts and/or a table cloth. As said, my visitors will never know though ;)
He is such a joy

My cats weren’t allowed on kitchen worktops, but I didn’t mind them sleeping on beds.

When I was ill as a child, the visiting doctor was surprised to discover a sleeping cat under the eiderdown! I think he recognised good therapy when he saw it, and made no objection.

For a big family dinner I had bought a very fancy Sarah Lee gateau decorated with peaks of cream, left in a closed up kitchen to thaw forgetting about the cat flap in the back door.

I came back to check 20 minutes later. The cream peaks were as smooth as a skating rink and my Persian cat was sitting smugly cleaning her whiskers.

I hastily skimmed off about the top quarter inch and said nothing.

Nobody died.

Thankyou Witzend
I loved going to my great aunt's house as well and could not understand why people made such a fuss over the dog drinking out of the tea cups, I thought she (the dog) was ver clever!

It wouldn’t have bothered me and I certainly wouldn’t have mentioned it if it had - friends are more important than a few cat/dog hairs.

I like my tea really strong so sometimes leave the teabag in the mug. I did that the other week only to find that I’d left it on the floor and the dog had ate it. All of it. Thankfully it was decaffeinated. I won’t be doing that again….

sparkly100, I once spent ages making a salmon mousse for a dinner party starter - all beautifully decorated with lemon and cucumber slices.

I put it on the table and called everyone to come, but during those few minutes when people were finishing their G&Ts, having a wee, etc., our dog had managed to get up and take a slurp out of one side of the mousse.

Luckily all 4 guests were dog lovers and just found it hilarious - I sliced off that part and we had it anyway.

What the boy or. the Tortoise Pink Princess?

Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’ve just been reading how some pet owners buy their pets a card ... !
🤣
A fool and his money came to mind.

Blondiescot

I wouldn't have done or said anything, to be honest. I'm sure I've eaten food prepared in far worse conditions in the past and lived to tell the tall - what the eye doesn't see and all that...
I've dropped food on the floor, rescued it and served it, for instance. Years ago, I was about to dress some fish for DH's dinner, got the breadcrumbs out and turned round to find the cat nibbling the end of the fish. I trimmed the end, dressed it as usual and he was none the wiser.

I did the same with a beef joint-cut the end off and served the rest.

Forget cat bottoms on the worksurface, how about people who sit on worksurfaces to carry on chatting? To me that is even more disgusting and totally unacceptable.

At least their clothing covers their bums. Cats - none.

No pets on work surfaces for me. Would I have said anything in OP’s case? No.
We trained our dog not to beg from us when we are eating but she sees each visitor as a new target so she has to be shut out if the dining room.

Urmstongran

Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’ve just been reading how some pet owners buy their pets a card ... !
🤣
A fool and his money came to mind.

Totally agree, I am a huge animal lover, but as much as I love them, I refuse to humanise them. No fancy toys, etc. And I HATE, truly HATE all how people clothe and accessorise their pets. I have bought a coat for our rescue arriving next Sunday, from Africa- for obvious reasons. Warm and simple.

I shall always remember the first time I saw 3 large poodles, died pink, blue and pale green, at the East of England show in the early 90s. since then, it has got worse and worse- poor dogs, and poor cats, and all pets, used as toys

I love my cat. He's been a mad and affectionate companion through many ups and downs. But I don't let him on the work surface. I have friends who don't shoo their cats away when they are plating up food and it turns my stomach. However - here's a challenge .... my cat's litter box is in our bathroom, and I put his poo down the toilet and flush it safely away. A couple of people I know have been horrified at this, pointing out it pollutes our water system, but my question is this ... bearing in mind all the drugs we take end up going down the toilet - I take blood pressure meds, a lot of pain killers, occasional antibiotics and had chemotherapy a few years ago, plus think about all the birth control pills, viagra, cocaine and "medicinal" marijuana - how polluting can cat poo be, when flushed safely down the loo?? Thoughts much welcomed!!

Whilst I agree with your sentiments about humanising pets especially with regard to clothing etc. I do know that some people are very lonely and rely on their pets for companionship and love. Not always straightforward.

No cars on the worktop please. It's just as bad as sharing a hot tub. Faecal material gets passed on.

Cats, not cars!