How to teach my cat not to go upstairs

Ah, I see. I understand your decision much better now. Well, I really hope it works out for you. Best of luck!

I agree in principle, but then there's the reality of the situation. The house I'm in at the moment is almost sold. One of my cats peed on a light oak landing and I didn't spot it for several days (leaving a big black stain). I won't even go into the look on the buyer's face when she saw that horror! I spent hours sanding it down as best I could. Anyway, sometimes you just have to limit their access.

Right now, I've put up a visual "barrier" on the bottom step, and I've also placed a metal bowl with some cutlery in front of it. Sure enough, I heard a massive clatter yesterday; I think I'll have some peace for a few days because it gave her a right fright!

Installing a cat gate can be really useful (it’s just like a baby gate).

No judgement here, but I have to say I’m not really in favour of restricting a cat’s territory. Besides, cats don’t really understand the concept of being told "no"—the more you try to forbid something, the more it draws them in. As for fleas, a spot-on treatment on the back of the neck once a month and the problem is sorted. You can get them from the chemist or the vet. I think you might be trying to train your cat like a dog, but you can’t really train a cat; in their heads, your home is their territory and you’re just the squatters! A cat is clean, gentle, and well-behaved because they’re happy and settled in their environment, not because they’ve been well-trained. Worst case scenario, you could just keep the bedroom doors shut, but it’s a bit of a shame—my daughter sleeps with her two cats and they have such a lovely bond. But that's just my personal opinion. I hope things work out for you.

Nice one, Dad... What about a door? Surely that’s the obvious solution. A cat isn’t like a dog; they go wherever they please. Maybe you should’ve thought about that before adopting him? Sorry, but I don’t really get it. As for the fleas, obviously you need to treat him; don’t leave the poor thing like that. Spot-on treatments available exclusively from the vet are very effective (supermarket products and flea collars are completely useless). Just be careful—if it's a bad infestation, you’ll need to treat the house as well.

Hi there. One option is to try and startle your cat when they head upstairs: as they go up, give a very firm "no" while making plenty of noise (banging on the walls or stomping your feet – though obviously never hit the cat...). Mind you, this mainly works with kittens, as they’re much more impressionable. If your cat has been going upstairs for a long time and is already in the habit of sleeping up there, it’s clearly going to be a struggle. They won't understand the sudden change, and it might really stress them out. You really should have stuck to the rules from the very beginning, at least by stopping them from sleeping in the bedrooms.