You know what the experts say. Cats are quite capable of doing tricks, if they want to. My female has decided that playing fetch is fun, and I did not teach her. I just cooperate, like a good slave! Counters? Of course mine stay off them--as soon as I catch them and yell. Then they give me sooo much love and look so repentant I can't possibly stay mad!
On the topic of "training" cats, I was watching a show the other day about this guy in Russia who does "cat circus", it was amazing!! All the cats live with him in his home and he has dedicated his life to "talking Cat language" and seriously, these cats will do whatever he tells them!! He even had one climbing a 30 foot pole and jumping straight into his arms when he gave "the nod"!! You could just see that he loved the cats and the cats loved him to bits!
I just had to add this pic of Ninners! She got into my desk this morning and grabbed her Whisker Lickin's. Sh was carrying the bag in her mouth and I had to chase her all around the office! My boss was laughing at me as I ran. I finally caught her but she ripped a big hole in the bag!
Yup Krazy Kat, they stay off the counters. I couldn't believe how easy they were to convice. The first time Trent jumped up there, he got a squirt of water and "NO!" Ophelia decided she didn't want to try it, and Trent never did it again.
The table is a running battle, though. Any time it is actually cleared off they think they can go there.
And Trent is allowed on the counter of the second bathroom...he told me so.
Oh, Heidi, You don't really think I meant it when I said my angels walked on the counters, do you? Actually, I had those little paw marks professionally painted---um yeah, that's it, professionally painted. They really look like wet paw marks.
Actually, they usually just use one counter as a launching point to a high shelf, and like Trent, they do have to watch me brush my teeth or shower (well, everything, actually) from the bathroom counter. They consider that a responsibility.
my babies don't get on the counters because they can't jump that high. It seems they can't jump more than about 3 feet high. They're allowed on the kitchen table, because it's a convenient place to sit and look out the window, and we don't eat there anyway.They get there by climbing on the chair, and from there to the table. Same for the desks, they have to climb from the futon, to the coffee table, to Mike's desk, and walk across his desk and mine to get to the velvet cusion.