Instructions
Provide your cat with alternatives to jumping on the counter. Cats are climbers and jumpers by nature so they need an outlet for this behavior. Cat trees and window platforms provide such an outlet.
Remove the incentive for jumping on the cabinets. Cats like to play with things like coins, string and paper. If they find things to play with on the top of a cabinet, it reinforces their behavior. Clearing the top of the cabinets of all items removes this reinforcement.
Close the blinds on any windows above the cabinets. Sometimes cats jump on cabinets to get to a window to look outside. Having the blinds closed might discourage this behavior.
Set up a remote or environmental correction for the jumping behavior. Commercial products are available, including a plastic device that looks like a mouse trap and which startles the cat when it jumps on the cabinet. A homemade alternative is to balance lightweight cookie sheets on top of the cabinet so when the cat jumps up, the sheets topple, making a startling noise.
Pop a balloon in front of your cat several times so that it learns to dislike the startling noise. Then put balloons around the top of the cabinet to discourage the cat from jumping up.
How to Keep Your Cat From Jumping on Cabinets
Cats like to "surf" the tops of cabinets and counters in search of food or fun things. Other cats jump up on counters and cabinets because they like jumping, to survey their territory, to escape something or because the top of the cabinet provides a warm, sunny place to sleep. Teaching a cat not to jump on cabinets involves removing incentives to jumping and using remote or environmental corrections so the cat learns not to jump even when you are not home.