Big Fat Ditto!!!!!. I provide places for them and everytime i catch them where they don't belong I pick them up and put them on one of THEIR surfaces and sometimes I have to get alittle groff because i run out of patiences but generally thats all it takes is once. You could also try a spray bottle, my one youngest now sees the bottle and runs. I have heard crumbled foil but that didn't work for me.
I am sure you will get lots of suggestions.
Good luck.

I throw an old sheet over much of it, especially where fabric is of concern. One cat in particular likes to sleep on the soft stash (as only one of his many bedding choices including real cat beds) so as long as I have it covered its okay. Its very easy to just fold back a sheet to grab some stash material. I also keep my machines covered when not in use mainly just to keep the dust out. I have doubled up two plastic bags that I just cover over my old Pfaff so that I don't have to put it down in the cabinet and it is up and ready for the next sewing session. I put the plastic cover over my Pfaff 2170 that came with it when not in use. I love my kitties!!!! And they love the window right over my machine cabinet and use it as a "step" to get up into the window, so I put a notebook over my closed laptop as well.

Oh My Goodness...LOL...Debbie I had a stressful day and your cat in the cage gave me just the laugh I needed-thanks so much :-D

Try a squirt gun. Everytime you see them on things they shouldn't be on sneak up on them and squirt them. They don't like it and will get the point.

I think it's like kids - they'll do whatever they know they can get away with. They aren't born (kids or cats) knowing that they should/shouldn't do something.

Discipline and abuse are not the same thing. Due to DH's allergies, our cats have always been allowed in kitchen, laundry, family room, but NOT in the living room or bedrooms. No door between living room and family room, we just taught them it was off limits, as were the counter, table, stove, refrigerator. A loud clap and sharp "NO!" is really all that was needed, and we've had several cats over the years. The thing is, you can't waiver when they are little - you have to be consistent, even if they are so cute you'd really rather not be the meanie.

Well, I should admit that now that we are down to one (and DH says no more pets :cry: ) and he is older, he is allowed to sleep on my side of the bed.

I have it on good authority...(my cat told me) that cats own everything, and they are doing us big favors by letting us live with them! Honestly, we've had cats for years and they are all the same - sneaky little boogers! Yes, they are on the kitchen counters, the dining table, etc., until you look at them. When you look at them, they are magically on the floor, prettily cleaning their paws. I've decided that I must disinfect counter tops before cooking, and I must keep an old cloth on the table...I must also be grateful that they allow me to live here in their nice home with them!

GOOD luck . I have 3 inside cats and they always lay on whatever I am working on and get upset if I try to move them off or move the material as I sew. One is 14 and one has Feline Leukemia, the third is fine (as far a we know). So I hate to upset them.

I would just like to relate a story about my cat and being around the sewing machine and threads. She always wanted to play with the thread on the machine and I had to constantly shoo her away. I always closed the sewing room door, except on the day I forgot. She started throwing up, I took her to the vet and back to emergency for the vomiting. To make a long story short she had ate the thread off my machine and it was wrapped around the back of her tongue and in the intestine. By the time we figured it out it was too late and I had to put her down. Needless to say, I always cringe when I see these cats in the sewing areas. Please be aware that this disaster could happen. I know this is a sad story but one I feel needs to be told. WATCH YOUR KITTIES AROUND THREAD!

Oh I have lemons in the fridge. Will cut one and put it up there and see what happens. Thanks for the tip and will let you all know how it goes.

That made me laugh out loud, so cute.