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Should I take cabinets to the ceiling?

Bunny
11 years ago

I didn't, and this is one of the consequences:

Comments (33)

  • jerzeegirl
    11 years ago

    Wow. Those cats are beautiful. They remind me of little cows.

  • herbflavor
    11 years ago

    try a ceiling fan...I'll bet you that will solve the issue. Every time we turned it on-even the low setting the cats freaked and ran out of the room. Finally removed the fan.

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  • EATREALFOOD
    11 years ago

    My ceiling is 9ft and I didn't take the cabs to the ceiling because I put that money towards SS instead. How on earth do your beautiful cats get up there ?Do they scale the fridge panel like spiderman ? They must have a bag of mountain climbing gear hidden someplace in your house.
    I am so lucky as my cat only wants the windowsills not the counter, although once in awhile she tip toes from the windowsill to the sink counter. Just to get my reaction. That's what the sink sprayer is for, just a threat you understand ! She didn't spend her formative years with a kitchen...she's was employed by a shop.

  • Bunny
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    jerzeegirl, exactly! I call them the Holsteins.

    herbflavor, if I put in a ceiling fan, the cats would laugh at me. What might work is if I installed a vacuum cleaner up there, because that always clears the room. :)

  • Bunny
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    ERFood, I have no idea. I'm guessing from the top of the fridge. Dang, built-in fridge would have fixed their wagons. Oh well, next time.

    The cab boxes are original. There used to be no crown molding which made it easier for previous cats to get on top. With the crown angling out, this required a leap of faith for Bessie, one which Zephyr hasn't yet attempted. It's only a matter of days...and another test of the durability of the paint job. :)

  • akcorcoran
    11 years ago

    I was in the same boat and decided yes with our Fieldstone Cabinets b/c I didn't want to have that gap to clean up there - and I'm not a person who has anything in particular to display up there.

    One thing my cabinet designer did, however, is vary the depths on certain areas so that it gave it visual interest and wasn't just one straight line across the top. You can just sort of see it as you look at the design. It pulls out by the ovens, drops back by the sink (and hides two recessed lights,) the comes back out to run around the corner and pulls out a little by the hood. Just some variation so it's not monolithic.

    Our ceiling are 9' high (old colonial.) Now, they aren't actually in yet, so I should probably not count my chickens before they hatch but I would go to the ceiling every time.

  • blfenton
    11 years ago

    That is just too funny. We think we are doing everything for ourselves - great function, looking great - and turns out, not so much. So nice of you to have planned a play area for your furry family members. :)

  • amandasplit
    11 years ago

    I have a 3" gap below the ceiling and I'm having the same dilemma. Following this thread!

  • taggie
    11 years ago

    OMG they are ADORABLE!!! Are they playing, or is it more of a mild catfight (I was here first, go find your own spot) kind of a thing? :-)

  • karin_mt
    11 years ago

    Awww, what cuties they are. Our cats love that spot too. They jump from countertop to top of fridge to that space up there. Then Inga would pace back and forth and howl down to us. But we just brought the cabs up to the ceiling last week so they will have to come up with new antics now. No doubt they will (we hope!).

    Thanks for sharing the cute photo!

  • Bunny
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    taggie, Bessie (on top) was up there chirping and pleased with herself for figuring it out. Zephyr (below), her twin brother, was all, hey, how did you do that? He hasn't figured it out yet, or is unsure about getting over the crown.

  • breezygirl
    11 years ago

    Cute!!! Bessie actually looks like she's egging him on to get up there. "Come on, brother. You can do it. Let me get a hold on the top of your head. See! You're so close!"

    Built-in fridges will solve that problem. But then you'll still look over on the counter to see this going on.

    It's Zephyr's sister from another mother. :) It's the first time I've caught her on the counter. I thought she was better behaved than her sister and her mother. Oh, not so! I was looking at something on the ipad while standing at the trash pullout, and when I looked over I couldn't believe my eyes. Just a few feet from me. And the fact that she sat there while I turned on the ipad camera and let me take her pic took lots of feline guts. As soon as I took a step towards her she ran for the hills looking plenty guilty.

    My ceiling is so short that there wasn't a question on running cabs all the way.

  • Bunny
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Breezy, your girl is definitely from the same tribe as mine. I'm hoping the novelty of scaling the cabs wears off. Or not. As long as they don't muck up the paint job, what's the diff?

  • akcorcoran
    11 years ago

    To amandasplit, you can have them just order filler to go above your cabinets but the issue is more than your cabinet company is providing the crown molding so it's built in and matches. That's a pretty big price difference.

    But, back to my point, in our butler's pantry, the cabinets had about a 3" gap and we're putting wood filler in before the molding. That area is a stained wood (not painted) and it's pretty high so it's not very obvious.

    Breezy, your cats are adorable, even if I am allergic! Such personality - that's what they say about cats, I know, but yours is the very definition of personality. You should video them crawling up to that space above your cabinets and then send it to America's Funniest Home Videos - you always see those animal videos! :-)

  • Artichokey
    11 years ago

    Linelle, that picture made my day!

  • breezygirl
    11 years ago

    Linelle--I agree. As long as your paint does get damaged, what's the harm. They are animals after all, and I know you're good about cleaning the food surfaces in the room before you use them. They just look so cute up there! I assume they brazenly do this in front of you knowing you're watching, correct?

  • autumn.4
    11 years ago

    linelle-no help but to say my kitty used to get up there somehow too, never actually saw him in the act of the climb or jump. I would be in the kitchen and get that eery feeling someone is watching you, look up and he'd be hanging out staring at me. He loved it up there!

    I bet Zephyr figures it out before too long....

  • springroz
    11 years ago

    Mine would be up there, fighting!! the favorite thing in my kitchen is the undercab kitty tanning bed....I have some good pics, but I cannot get to them right now!

    I adore black and white kitties!!

    Nancy

  • MizLizzie
    11 years ago

    Okay, Linelle has thrown down the gauntlet.

    Stuart was a shelter cat who came to us full grown. Our other cats, a litter of ferals, were deferential, quiet, well-mannered felines. So the first day I realized a cat could scale the fridge and use the uppers as a catwalk, Stuart literally dropped like a bomb from overhead -- onto my ham sandwich.

    The scream still echoes . . .

  • tnanock
    11 years ago

    MizLizzie, that is hilarious!

    I can imagine that this going to be a problem in our new house too. One of our cats is notorious for climbing up to the top of the wire shelves we are using as a pantry in our rent house. She especially likes it if there is an empty basket she can crawl in to. I think she gets up there so our big cat can't get to her.

    I had intended to go all the way to the ceiling on one wall, but our tight budget is going to prevent that. I guess Karamel will have nice hiding spots from now on.

    :) Kim

  • mabeldingeldine_gw
    11 years ago

    I love this, thanks for sharing. I have the Flu so need the laugh! I will say my cats LOVE the open space above our fridge. Twice I have had the bejeezus scared out of me when I went to open the fridge and a cat plummeted from above. Still, I wouldn't trade them in.

  • blfenton
    11 years ago

    Breezy - OT - did you get your banquette done? It looks like in your picture you have another lower level off the back of your island with something on it? Just wondering? Cute cat - any claw marks on the beautiful wood?

  • islanddevil
    11 years ago

    Guess there are a lot of cat lovers on GW, but for me the thought of them on kitchen counters is very unappetizing to say the least. Any of you have cats trained not to do that; is it even possible?

  • Bunny
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Island, hahahahahahahahahaha...

    I'm sorry. It doesn't affect my appetite, perhaps because everything in my house has had a cat paw or butt or tongue make contact with the surface. I do wipe my counters compulsively, whether or not I've seen a cat in the vicinity. I wash my hands after I scoop out the litterbox. I realize germs abound, but it doesn't upset me.

    If someone discovers a way to train a cat to stay off the counter, I want to hear about it. Also, if you can figure out how to make mine stop shredding the toilet paper and stealing my jewelry, I'm all ears.

    This post was edited by linelle on Fri, Feb 1, 13 at 13:34

  • Mistman
    11 years ago

    No cats in my kitchen, spray bottles work great. Once they figured it out they don't even try. I won't let them on tables, end table, dressers, etc..
    I hate cat hair, in the summer it's crazy how much they shed. Even though they are forbotten in the kitchen it still floats around in there. I love my cat but he's got boundaries and respects them. Cats are easy to train to not do things, to get them to do things is another story.

  • purrus
    11 years ago

    I LOVE those cats!!

  • beekeeperswife
    11 years ago

    Wow, another reason to take the cabinets to the top. One popular reason was not wanting to clean up there...

    so a thought comes to mind...

    You can give them a quick spray with endust and send them up there

    OR

    Maybe tie a couple of swifters to them, like a sweater, and send them up there.

    You know, once they know you want them to go up there, they won't go!

  • Bunny
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Bee, exactly. Tell a cat they HAVE to do something, they won't.

    Just to toot my horn a bit. I am the proud innovator of running lengths of paper towels over the tops of the cabinets to catch all the dust, grime and errant grease. The towels fit the space perfectly. Every now and then you replace them.

    Cats also get bored with things. The novelty of roaming the tops of the cabinets will eventually grow old.

  • MizLizzie
    11 years ago

    Island, it is definitely possible. My beloved old girls would never have dreamed of getting on a kitchen counter or a table. They were spray-bottle trained, and good cats. When they were about six, I got married. Husband was a softy with everyone -- his kids, me, cats. But no worries, because the cats were trained. Then they passed away. Got three new cats -- the litter of ferals. Suddenly, I was Bad Cop.

    Good Cop would wince at the spray bottle. Cringe. Shoot me go-to-hell looks. All explanations went unheeded. One day Good Cop exploded and said, "If you persist in torturing those poor cats, I am going to have to start going outside because it is too painful to watch."

    Well. What does one do? I stopped. A month later, Elliot stole his tuna sandwich when his back was turned. GC said nothing. Next it was Mary and a chunk of chicken salad. On and on. One day he exploded and said, "Give me that g** d*** spray bottle!"

    Alas, too late. Gotta train 'em when they're young. Or at least be very, very consistent. My husband still vacillates over the bottle. I keep it to hand always when cooking, and keep spray bottles of alcohol, peroxide, vinegar, and tubs of nasty disinfectant wipes. C'est la vie. I love my cats.

  • friedajune
    11 years ago

    MizLizzie - your ham sandwich story made me laugh out loud!

    As to training cats not to walk on counters, well, mine are very well-trained. That is, they are well-trained not to walk on the counters when I am not around. Ever. But often I come to the kitchen in the morning to see little cat paw prints on the counters and stainless steel. Sometimes--and I am piecing together from the evidence--they jump in the sink, and walk purposely in any water puddles that haven't drained.

  • angela12345
    11 years ago

    My kitty almost thinks the bed is too high to jump up on, LOL. Evidently white kitties can't jump. We have a bench at the end of the bed which she almost always uses to go up. She does sometimes get up on the kitchen counter when we (very rarely) leave the stools pulled out so she uses them as a landing point first. That's as high as she has been except for her cat tree which has multiple landings - about every 2 feet or so all the way up.

  • Bunny
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I started early with the spray bottle, and plastic wrap and aluminum foil and all the things that are supposed to deter cats. You have never met my Terrible Two. They will jump down when I merely hold up the spray bottle, but do not fear going back up and repeating the exercise. If I'm not there, they do what they want. I suspect a lot of you who claim to have well behaved cats actually have cats that do whatever they want when you're not home. Paw prints on the counter?

  • babushka_cat
    11 years ago

    adorable. i boxed in my fridge much to the heartbreak of my felines and would have the same problem if i had not! and my boy STILL howls when he sees that he can no longer access the top of the fridge. i almost feel guilty!
    thanks for posting, your picture made my day.

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