Twenty-five yeas ago I had florescent lighting installed in my basement for my office and train set. I found out later they were not the best quality and before I replaced them all less then 10% still functioned. Now I need sunglasses in my basement! The humidity in my basement was so bad this year the envelopes in my office glued themselves shut. To prevent further damage I brought a Frigidare humidifier now my humidity is at 45% compared to 65%. Zeus, our new cat, is a born hunter and looks everywhere for his prey or perhaps I should say playmates as he does not eat what he catches. Occasionally he finds himself on the layout and has caused minor damage. Three times he has uprooted trees to bring them upstairs to play with. He does this outside also with branches. Twice he has done this with vehicles and put put them in his water bowl perhaps to wash them. At least now I have lights to work under to repair the damage in retrospect we should have named him No as we say this enough to him. He is bright fellow and we have observed jumping at door knobs trying to turn them to open the door. Oh well life goes on

Our other cat before Holly [ Smudge ] used to whine outside our bedroom window in the mornings until I got a water pistol. She got squirted once and never did do it again. So yes, the harmless water squirt does work. Our current cat doesn't mind getting wet though, so I dont thionk that would work, but pointing a finger at her when she attacks us, works. [ yes, she does occasionally grab your feet or legs with claws and teeth but we have worked out that retaliating makes her worse and she just wont give up. I dont like it when animals cower but what do you do to stop loosing your skin.] That is why I refer to her as Miss Hyde. When she turns, lookout.
Most of the time she is very affectionate, almost like a dog. My wife tells me she always runs to the front door when she hears me coming home, she comes running when I go down to the train room and is all over me while I am running the trains. I have to have a seat beside me to encourage her to sit there as she tends to climb on me the over the control panel and over the layout. Her tale goes continuously and ends up knocking small items on the floor. I usually pat the chair and she hops onto it, but always leans over for a got rub on the head, and then ends up on your lap again. Thank goodness she is only 20 months old. She will be around for a long time to come.
Dereck

I've found that grabbing the cat by the scruff of the neck and just holding them down on the floor for a few seconds to reinforce who is the alpha in the relationship usually works in communicating what is not acceptable behavior. Albeit it takes some self control and practice to do so once the cat has bitten or clawed into you but it is possible. Cats being more solitary (vs pack animals like dogs) don't work under the same hierarchy mentality, but I think a bit of their kitten understanding does remind them that they did something they should not have.