I bought a toy squirt gun and it shoots pretty far. Kitty doesn't like water and most of the time she doesn't know where it comes from because suddenly she is wet and on a place she shouldn't be. She'll learn not to go there otherwise she will get wet.

Squirt guns are wonderful trainers for most cats. Some are just more needy than others and will endure the water to be close to you.

Shemjo, you are correct. My friend, Pat, she has a cat that likes to take showers with her. The cat will get right into the shower and then after Pat will towel the kitty off. Pat has couple cats that think it's ok to get on the counters.

Cats like being up from the ground, whether it's a tree, countertop, on top of kitchen cabinets, wherever, it's just the way they are. I've had cats for over 40 years, and I have found 2 ways to break them of things I don't want them to do. One is to use a child's squirt gun, and just give them a quick squirt at their face (won't hurt them) when you catch them doing it. The other is to give them a quick flick of the finger on the bridge of their nose (not hard, just enough for them to feel it). Both these methods kind of startle them, and evenually they associate what they are doing with something they don't like. Once they learn, all you usually need to do is snap your fingers at them and call their name.
Hope this helps!

Okay -- all good suggestions. But we have 2 cats for 3 yrs. We also have had cats all our life....now let me give you a BIG lesson:

CATS DON'T GET TRAINED....THEY TRAIN YOU!!!!

Boy! that's the truth too, cats train you. They can also tell time. Our kitty, Annie, knows when 5:00 p.m. rolls around that it is feeding time and she'll go to the pantry where the canned cat food is kept. Even the new puppy is catching on to this. Annie will also gave me one of her "looks" as if to say "have you checked my litter box lately?" So as her "maid" I go and clean the box.

So true. Mine have me trained well. :)