My cat Badd @$$ Buddy loves to be up high. That's what cats do. It's an escape for him. You can try putting aluminum foil on the counters. Seriously, I don't know what the big deal is.

You need to get him his own TALL cat tree and spray it with catnip spray. It used to bother me when they climbed up on the counter. But not anymore. Like Katladyd said, it's their house too.

You can try a squirt bottle. Just don't squirt them in the face. Aim for their body. Life's too short to let that kind of stuff bother you.