My guess is that if you put up a camera and see what happens when you're not at home to say 'AFGHANISTAN, NO!' then you realise that there's not much you can do to prevent it.

Specificly what about it is gross, and what's problematic?

I let my cats anywhere they want. I hold them in my arms, I cuddle them to sleep. I love them so much. I’ve had cats forever and never gotten sick from them being on the counter/flat top stove/tables/desks. I just do this magical thing called “wipe them down with some cleaner sometimes”