2 out of 3 of my cats would not see a punishment in this. The other will pack his bags and never be heard from again (till dinner time)

Human beings and cats have been cohabitating for millenia. Ain't nothin wrong with my cat's germs. They're my germs too.

I love my cat but the idea of it walking in my food... man, I see what those toe beans do in the litter box, I do not want that around food.

blech

Indeedy, cats go where they want. When I'm around they stay off the counter but at night she's wherever.

Which is why my cutting surface is not the countertop, it's a cutting board that's kept inside a cabinet she can't physically get to. Also if I do have to use straight counter, I wash it down! I mean, I still wipe it down even when using a cutting board, in case. It's just extra washed.

I love cats for their soft fur and little meows.

My first cat definitely stayed off of countertops. On several occasions, I left food he liked on them unattended and he never touched it. No idea why, but he didn't directly go on anything above roughly the height of a chair.

My subsequent two cats, on the other hand, get on just about everything.

Kinda...