It really depends on the cat! Some cats think "ooh, water! Fun! Let's play!" (hello, Pippin), whereas others think it's just "awful awful, how undignified, I'm - gasp - WET!" I do think the spray bottle can work as a detterent ONLY if used when the cat is caught in the act. Sprayng kitty two minutes later won't let the kitty know what specifically was wrong.