Kitten trying to steal our food

We have the same issue! We avoid lifting him down from the table ourselves — we make him get down on his own. He knows the word "down"! If he doesn't listen, a quick squirt from a water spray bottle accompanies the command until he does. Once he's on the floor, I praise him and give him a fuss.

At first, he'll keep doing it like it's a game, which is really frustrating. But you have to be firm and stick with it.

He needs to be kept off the table at all times. It's simpler for him than trying to teach him "yes, you can come up now, but not when we're eating," and so on.

You can also try mimicking what his mother would have done — that's what I used to do with mine (I'd had experience with another cat who was very protective of his food bowl), so I must have looked absolutely ridiculous, growling and hissing, but it's incredibly effective for helping him understand what you expect from him early on!

My kitten also came from a rescue and was hand-reared by people, bottle-fed. He's 6 months old.

One more thing: to help him focus and learn to let go (as much as possible, anyway...), pick a spot in the house that works for him and make sure he only ever eats there — treats included when you're rewarding him. I taught mine "your spot!" — those two words let him know it's mealtime, or at least that something good is coming, and that he can only have his wet food and snacks in that one place.

It might help him understand that he shouldn't be eating anywhere else — and that means not on the table either.