Ask Lyle is our weekly cat-to-cat advice column from Modern Cat (and ridiculously outspoken gentleman), Lyle. Submit your questions to asklyle@moderncat.com, and he will be happy to answer them. Don't forget to include a photo of the questioning cat so that we can post it with the advice!

You can also follow Lyle's adventures on Twitter and Instagram,@lylestagram. 
 
Dear Lyle,
 
I love, love, love to be up high. I am a skilled climber, and I love to explore every space I possibly can. One of my favourite things to do is to jump up on the kitchen counters, and then see how far I can get with my exploring. This is just fine when my human is not home, but when he's there he seems to get really agitated and worried about what I am doing. What is deal? Why can't I go anywhere I please?
 
-Thrill-Seeking Turbo
 
Hi Turbo!
 
It sounds like you are quite the acrobat, and I applaud you for your commitment to exploring your world. Not all cats have the nerve to jump up on top of things and look for new and exciting adventures. As to this problem with the counters, a couple of things come to mind. The first problem I think your Dad might be trying to prevent is you getting hurt. This is just him being a really good Papa. Even though we are known for being able to land on our feet under any circumstance, the truth is we are susceptible to injury if we are jumping from tall places. 
 
Another problem is that there might be stuff up on those counters that could hurt you (kitchen things like hot human foods or machines that make the human foods into different sizes). Even though it looks like a world of fun from the ground, I can tell you from personal experience that it isn't all roses up there. Once I was in the kitchen when my Momma's friends were heating up some human foods, and I wanted to get a better look so I jumped up. Well I guess I landed on some sort of hot thing on the stove because all the humans in the house went absolutely nuts. They said I "berned" my paw or something, but I truly didn't even notice. Anyways, it might be best just to stay off those places your Dad warns you about, if only to save them the stress. Sometimes we just have to humor these fools. Thanks for writing in!
 
-Lyle
PS. If you don't already have one, a tall scratching post/condo is a great way to experience the thrill of being up high without all the stress. You could always leaf through a cat-alogue and leave it open to an appropriate page for your Dad to see.