Consistant and immediate correction is the only way you're going to change behavior, especially if the cat has figured out that doing this gets your attention and is doing it for that reason.

The simplest answer is going to be to declare that certain surfaces are Not For Cat. My cats aren't allowed on "food surfaces", those being kitchen counters and the dining room table. If I put objects I don't want them to tamper with on a surface that is officially "theirs" (including the living room coffee table), I accept that I may have to guard it. You will have to tell the cat "no" every time they go on the forbidden surface, and you will have to accept that -- being cats -- even after they understand the rule they may test periodically to find out whether it still applies. But if you actively enforce, you can carve out an agreement.

You also have to be very careful not to reinforce the undesired behavior. Saying "no" and then immediately picking the cat up to cuddle because you feel bad about doing so doesn't work. You don't need to punish (which doesn't actually work well), but you do need to avoid rewarding for long enough to make the point.

And even with all that, you may occasionally find the fuzzy ones make trouble for reasons that make sense only to them. They're cats. They can be persuaded to cooperate, but they need to understand why it's to their advantage to do so... and like kids, even when they know the rules they may try to cheat or push the boundaries. Be consistent, be firm, and if you can't explain a specific item to them try setting a more general rule which has the same desired effect.

Consistant and immediate correction is the only way you're going to change behavior, especially if the cat has figured out that doing this gets your attention and is doing it for that reason.

The simplest answer is going to be to declare that certain surfaces are Not For Cat. My cats aren't allowed on "food surfaces", those being kitchen counters and the dining room table. If I put objects I don't want them to tamper with on a surface that is officially "theirs" (including the living room coffee table), I accept that I may have to guard them. You will have to tell the cat "no" every time they go on the forbidden surface, and you will have to accept that -- being cats -- even after they understand the rule they may test periodically to find out whether it still applies. But if you actively enforce, you can carve out an agreement.

You also have to be very careful not to reinforce the undesired behavior. Saying "no" and then immediately picking the cat up to cuddle because you feel bad about doing so doesn't work. You don't need to punish (which doesn't actually work well), but you do need to avoid rewarding for long enough to make the point.

And even with all that, you may occasionally find the fuzzy ones make trouble for reasons that make sense only to them. They're cats. They can be persuaded to cooperate, but they need to understand why it's to their advantage to do so... and like kids, even when they know the rules they may try to cheat or push the boundaries. Be consistent, be firm, and if you can't explain a specific item to them try setting a more general rule which has the same desired effect.