I agree.. don't worry about yelling at him or having squirted him with water.... We've all done that when they are being brats!

They KNOW what not to do, I think they just want to see if you still love them enough to notice I think if I slacked on my kids and let them try to get where they know they aren't supposed to, they would think they weren't loved anymore!

I am sure they know not to do whatever it is.. as for the WHY behind it.. i really don't think they know that it's because "it could hurt them... they could get stuck...insert common sense reason here" but more of "we shouldn't do this because then she tells us NO, and if we STILL don't listen, she says it LOUDER and LOUDER until we get the point..and if we dont, she will come OVER to us and tell us NO while moving us away...what a grouch and spoil sport!"

I tell ya, I catch them starting to do a no no and they PEEK and see if i'm watching.. and if I don't say something, thinking "they'll stop cuz they saw me watching" they go at it again until i say no.. then they walk off with this look like "A HA! she does still luv us!"

But really, you gave it your all with Oliver, and i'm sure he knows you love him, but he just wants to be king.. and know that we know that, he can find that perfect one cat home just for him, and he'll still know that humans aren't the bad guys!