Kitchen Raiding Cat

Question
I have a 4 year old neutered feral rescue named Sawyer. I have had him for
two years, and he has rehabilitated nicely. Sawyer is a very friendly,
affectionate cat. However, he is a major counter surfer.

I have run the gamut of options (spray bottle, aluminum foil, sticky tape,
ssscat cans, citrus smell, etc.) and he still will get in my kitchen and on my
counters. He won't do it if I'm there to see it, only when I'm away (I believe he
has associated me as the Kitchen Cop). His favorite things are plastic bags,
dog treats, and any sweet things. I make a conscious effort to make sure
these things are put away, but unfortunately I forget at times or an item he
has never bothered with before (see next paragraph) is available and he takes
that. When I get home, I find the damage done. He has a big cat tree, window
with bird feeders, and interactive treat toys, along with music from time to
time.

I've had to store stuff in my microwave so he can't get it- and now he's
breaking into my butter dish, taking the stick of butter and dragging it
through the house. There's only so much I can store in my microwave- any
answers you can give are much appreciated.  

Answer
It sounds like he might do well with something else to occupy his time instead of this. You did mention he has toys, do you have a separate room that you could put him in and start designated it as his personal play time? I have found that cats will get bored if they just have toys out for their disposal, but if you only give them one toy at a time, they think of it as a new thrill. Once you start him on this playtime then you could put him his area while you are gone and he won't think much of it besides this is where he plays.

Have you tried scruffing him and carrying him to a different area of the house? This did work for me and you could try it to.