Girlfriend Nags Boyfriend For Encouraging Bad Behavior By Letting Their Kittens Jump On The Counter, Calls Him Bad Cat Parent

He finds it entertaining to see the cats doing this.

May

• Published in Interesting
• July 13, 2023

Cats are intelligent pets. They are capable of understanding how their humans want them to behave.

But sometimes, pet owners unwittingly encourage unwanted behavior. Perhaps they find a specific behavior entertaining, so they don't bother disciplining their feline over it.

Remember that bad habits in cats could pose a problem down the line. For example, if you find it cute to watch your cat use your laptop as a warm bed, soon enough, your computer could experience issues.

It's best to redirect a cat's attention by adding heating or warming pads to the spots where they love to rest. And to keep them entertained, you need to give them toys that promote physical and mental stimulation.

As a cat owner, you need to discipline your furball by discouraging unwanted actions and reinforcing good ones. Don't be as silly as this Redditor who lets his cats jump on the counter.

He even asked the "Am I The A**hole?" (AITA) subreddit if he's the a-hole for letting them do so, as his girlfriend is upset about it. She tells him that he's a bad cat daddy who encourages unwanted behavior in those kittens.

The community was quick to consider him the a-hole because of how unsanitary it was. The counter is the place where they prepare their food, after all!

The original poster (OP) is a cat owner who lives with his girlfriend.

Much to his girlfriend's dismay, he loves seeing the cats jump on the counter.

The OP should just teach his cats to jump on the sofa and chairs, not the counter.

The OP can still correct the behavior of his pets since they're still kittens. But if it becomes a habit, then he has no choice but to clean up the counter regularly.

Imagine all the germs that get on their counter. No wonder the girlfriend is upset.

Cats can contaminate kitchen items. Germs can get into their food.

Although this user doesn't consider the OP the a-hole they still don't recommend letting cats do their thing on top of the counter.

For some Redditors letting the cats on the counter is the same as preparing food on the cat litter box.

Even fellow cat owners don't agree with what the OP is doing.

Imagine what the cats would be bringing from their litter box to the counter.

Does the OP not understand how unsanitary it is?

He needs the give the cats a spot where they can jump on. He needs to stop encouraging his kitties from doing unsanitary stuff.

The girlfriend wants to take over the cat duties if he insists on letting the cats on the counter.

The OP can curtail this behavior by placing items that cats would find unpleasant. This way, they'll stop playing on the counter.

Experts call these environmental punishers or deterrents. One classic example is placing sandpaper on spots where they're banned.

The feeling of the sandpaper on their paws will make them stop hanging out on the counter. Some scents they don't like include eucalyptus, geranium, and lavender.

If the OP continues to let the cats have their way with the counter, then maybe the girlfriend is right. He just needs to stick to his video games, books, and weed.

May