My cats do this too! So annoying! I really don’t want to come home to a broken lamp. Our lamps are all glass and I don’t want to get rid of my beautiful lamps just because we adopted adorable and kooky cats. I had to put all the lamps up on the highest furniture pieces, and try to crowd them with other items so there is no room for kitty underneath. This would work if it didn’t drive me crazy, it looks so cluttered! There is something about the lampshade they really like tho. I think I’ll try something sticky like double sided tape along the edge of the lampshade.
Cats - gotta love 'em! LOL They're strange little creatures. We have nine of them, and each one has their own little purrsonality and quirks. :)
I have absolutely no idea what might be attracting Mr. Furley to your lamps. The suggestion I was going to offer was the squirt bottle tactic, and you've already said that he's basically unaffected by it. The only other thing I can suggest is to take double-sided tape. Put some paper under the one side so that it doesn't stick to your table, and leave the other side up. Put this on the nightstands where the lamps are. When he jumps up on the nightstands to schmooze with the lamps, he'll stick to the double-sided tape and hopefully not like it. Keep the tape up there for a while until he figures out that if he jumps up there, he's going to stick to it. Hopefully after a couple of leaps and getting stuck, he'll decide that it's not a good idea to jump up there.
Ghilly
I would try Sticky Paws on the night stands. It is the same thing used to discourage a cat from stratching the furniture and it is the same concept at the contact paper you mentioned using, except that Sticky Paws shouldn't damage the furniture and contact paper might. Also the Sticky Paws won't get stuck to him and contact paper might get stuck in his fur. I know you can get Sticky Paws at any pet store. A few contacts with the sticky paper and he will likely stop climibing on the night tables and bothering the lamps.
Unfortunately, he seems immune to water (I've used it to try to keep him off the kitchen table and counters). Plus, I'd be worried about damaging the wood. Thanks to both of you for the suggestions/responses - I appreciate it!
No, I would not use oranges scent, unless it's natural. Try not to use chemicals. Water sounds OK.
Have you tried spritzing him with a squirt bottle every time he goes for it? I've also heard that the scent of oranges will drive them off certain surfaces, but I haven't tried it.