It’s not difficult to see the appeal a helpless garbage can holds for our cat. What are the best ways to keep our cats out of our potentially messy trash?

Each trash can is approached by the cat for a certain purpose. They might need to be persuaded to leave each one alone in somewhat different ways.

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The kitchen garbage. Chicken bones, heavy soups, and yogurt containers shouldn’t have been thrown away while it smelled so lovely, the cat thinks. This is a powerful pull, so we should be nice about teaching the cat that once something is in the trash, it is off limits.

Get a lid for the garbage can if it is not in a cupboard or otherwise clearly sealed off.

We have to draw boundaries for the cat for them to recognize what they are doing is wrong.

Let them have some if it is a cat favorite. Scrape the plate into their dish first, so they know the good stuff is available, not in the trash. Let the cat have the yogurt container, just make sure they don’t get their head caught in it, or let them have the last spoonful.

These little shared treats come with our approval and affection. This teaches the cat that the good stuff is in their areas, not the trash.

Secure the garbage can lid and spritz some water at it (not at the cat) to make it less appealing. Use childsafe locks on cabinets. All of this is for a little while, and likely during a kitten being raised. Adults both get the point faster, and are less driven to not think first.

The bathroom garbage. Some cats don’t care. Some cats care too much. What on earth can be in the bathroom garbage that is so appealing?

To mention a few favorites: crackly paper, interesting little bottles, flashy plastic containers, flappy boxes, and, maybe most of all, ear swabs of every kind.

We found that a swing top lid was enough of a deterrent to keep Ordell out of the bathroom garbage, and we preferred bribing him with his own, clean, ear swabs upon request. Get the plastic ones with swabs at both ends for safety if we have such a passionate collector on our hands.

Likewise, offer the boxes cleared of potentially dangerous materials like twist ties or medicine residue. For bottles, rinse well and put the caps on firmly. They will get tired of it soon, and so what?

It’s an easy way to keep them amused for nothing, and; out of the trash.

The paper garbage. Now that writers have word processors, there’s far fewer light wastebaskets full of balled up paper, always so irresistible to cats. But there’s still junk mail, recyclable food boxes, or our crafts wastebasket to offer potential fun and trouble.

Cats who love cardboard boxes are tunnel hunters, and love peering into containers. So get a different kind of box, seal one side or otherwise restrict their access, and put a toy or a treat in it for them.

Explain that the different ones in the trash don’t have treats in them. Remember, any cat who is driving us crazy looking through all the boxes is a cat who is asking for just this kind of toy.

Cats who love balled paper can be given a similar kind of toy, while shredding cats need some soft, yielding, stuffed animals.

Dangerous garbage. A cat’s curiosity can be drawn to large open shop barrels or bins that have paint, tools, or sharp objects in them. Make a point of making this garbage threatening by letting things clatter into it, or even make distressing noises ourselves as we reluctantly approach the scary garbage. To the cat, it is scary garbage, and this is how we will tell them that.

Of course, such as when power tools are operating or paint is being sprayed, cats are unwelcome in the shop, and usually don’t want to investigate this kind of activity.

However, if we spend a lot of time there and would even appreciate the company, give the cat their own items to play with that we know are safe. We can firmly warn them away from the trash or workspace when they show too much curiosity about it. Let them keep a distance and only approach if they behave.

We must redirect the energy that is driving the cat towards off limits areas, and turn it into something else which satisfies the cat. To the cat, this is all they wanted in the first place.

This is the way to ask the cat to pass up all those Temptations in the Trash.

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