Cats on the Kitchen Counter, Yay or Nay?

If you fancy a lively debate, ask your friends and family if they let their cat on their kitchen worktops. If they don’t have a cat of their own, ask instead if they’d eat in a house where cat are allowed to counter surf. The conversation that this issue started at Kinship HQ was lively, to say the least. It turns out that once people start considering the matter, they realise they have very strong opinions about it.

Is it OK to let cats on counter-tops?

“We wouldn’t dream of walking across our dinner tables in outdoor shoes, but a cat’s paws can carry a greater concentrated variety of bacteria that can compromise gut health,” says Justina Semėnaitė, a nutritional therapist and health coach.

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“When a cat roams surfaces, you are inviting everything stuck to their paws, including faecal matter from the litter tray, toxoplasmosis parasites and outdoor soil pathogens, onto your food prep zone.”

Justine has had clients and friends that have had to re-think kitchen hygiene for their own health.

“My cat mum friend developed a persistent skin irritation that her GP eventually linked to the bacteria her tabby cat was shedding right where she prepared her salads and smoothies.”

“Allowing a cat on a worktop is equivalent to preparing your dinner on a public bathroom floor; the mix of E. coli and intestinal parasites present on a cat's paws makes the ‘sanitary’ surface a myth,” says Justine. Yikes! 

Increased risk for babies, the immunosuppressed and during pregnancy

Lexi Brown, product manager at cleaning company True Fresh, says contaminated surfaces in the kitchen where food is prepared are of particular concern for households with babies, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems.

“Cats bring different types of germs into the house, from litter trays, and if they are outdoor cats, from the external environment too. The issue is the transmission of these germs by paws, fur or saliva onto the food-preparation surfaces,” says Lexi.

“Cat urine and faeces can harbour microorganisms, the most significant of which is Toxoplasma gondii. While in most cases it’s not harmful to healthy adults, this parasite can be extremely dangerous to pregnant women and those with weakened immunity.” Unfortunately, our seemingly clean cats‘ ability to spread disease doesn‘t stop there. “Cats can also be carriers of bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter, which can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps. Cats can also carry parasitic worms, which may affect human skin, eyes or digestion.”

Outdoor cats introduce further risks, says Lexi.

“Outdoor cats have a greater chance of picking up bacteria, fungi and parasites on their paws and fur. This includes ringworm, which is a contagious fungal skin infection and cat scratch disease, caused by the bacterium known as Bartonella. There are bacteria in the mouth of a cat that can spread to surfaces by licking, and fleas and ticks can be brought inside too.” 

Not exactly the guests you’d welcome to your next dinner party.

How to mitigate the risks

But Lexi accepts it’s difficult to stop cats from jumping up onto the kitchen counters.

“In homes where cats are allowed to access all surfaces, it is a must that good hygiene is practiced. Counter-tops should be cleaned and sanitised prior to food prep, and uncovered food should never be left out,’ she says. 

Justine agrees.

“If you cannot keep your cat off your kitchen worktops, you must mitigate the risk by using medical-grade, food-safe sanitisers before every single use of the area, never leaving uncovered food out, and using glass or metal chopping boards that can be deep-cleaned.”

Putting your cat at risk too

Kitchen counters can be dangerous for cats too says vet Dr Emma Pemberthy, “Some of our favourite cooking ingredients can be toxic for cats. Kitchen staples like members of the onion and garlic families can destroy cats’ red blood cells and damage their kidneys, which may be fatal. Chocolate, grapes, raisins, caffeine, alcohol and cream of tartar are also toxic for cats. Even anything outside their usual diet has the potential to cause vomiting or diarrhoea.”

Cats’ paws are full of nerve endings to help them detect temperature, textures and vibration, which makes them incredibly sensitive explains Dr Pemberthy, ”If pets are regularly up on your kitchen sides, they could end up landing on something dangerous such as a knife or hot pan. Damaged paws would be very painful for your cat and may require veterinary attention, particularly if they end up with a burn or laceration on their pads.” 

Why do cats love countertops?

“From a cat’s point of view, kitchen worktops make perfect sense,” says Katie Gwilt, groomer, feline behaviourist and animal holistic therapist at The Kat Lady.

“Height helps them feel safe, observe their environment and control their space. Worktops are often warm, central and busy areas where their people spend time, so they offer both comfort and social connection. Kitchens also smell fascinating. Add in the fact that cats explore the world with their paws as well as their noses, and it’s easy to see why a kitchen surface feels irresistible,” says Katie. 

Can you train a cat to stay off counters?

But Katie believes you can train your feline not to use the kitchen as their personal catwalk. 

“Cats can learn boundaries kindly, but it looks very different from traditional training,” she says.

“Spraying cats with water or using other startle or punishment techniques is never recommended. While it may stop the behaviour in the moment, it doesn’t teach the cat what to do instead. More importantly, it can damage trust, increase stress, and sometimes lead to anxiety or avoidance behaviours, especially in sensitive cats.”

The key, Katie says, is to redirect, not punish your cat.

Hygienic and safer alternatives for cats seeking out height

“Rather than trying to make the worktop scary or unpleasant, focus on making alternative options more appealing. Provide your cat with appropriate high spaces nearby, such as a tall cat tree, shelving or a sturdy perch where they can still observe the room and feel included.”

“Managing the environment also helps. Clearing food away promptly, keeping surfaces less interesting, and covering tempting areas when not in use can reduce curiosity over time. Consistency matters too. If cats are sometimes allowed on surfaces and sometimes not, it becomes confusing. Calm, predictable boundaries paired with good alternatives are far more effective than sudden reactions.”

The final verdict?

If reading about the hygiene risks for you and the safety risks for your cat have given you pause for thought, the workable solution to a happy and hygienic kitchen is a combination of changing both your own behaviour and theirs. 

Put Katie’s kind training approach into practice, and help your cats find a safe, alternative space to explore and rest. But be realistic, too, with how you can help keep your home safe from germs by wiping worktops before food prep and keeping the counters clear of interesting but dangerous items. 

Bon appétit!