Cat people and dog people usually are two different breeds (a little play on words there). Dog people understand and accept the impact on their lives such as walking the dog, cleaning up after the dog, etc. Cat people should understand that cats are different from dogs. It is difficult to impossible to train a cat so you must accept certain intrusions. For example, we typically do not force the cats off the table unless there is food present. We do try to keep them off the counters where food is prepared but we understand that they may get up there when we are not around.
When I was in college, my friend had a cat and he tried very hard to train it to stay away from his stereo equipment. That worked as long as he was at home. One day when he opened the door to his apartment, the cat, who had been in with the stereo equipment, bolted out because she knew she should not be in there. In the process she got tangled in wires and broke her hip. He had to take her to Michigan State University to have a rather expensive operation. My memory of his experience is a powerful incentive not to try to train cats.
