One of the biggest complaints from cat owners is that they seem to feel as though their cats are doing whatever they want whenever they want, with no regard to the rules. A personality of their own is what most people chalk it up to. The thing is though, it is your house and you have the right to not have your furniture clawed up and your counters walked all over. The first thing you need to do is to figure out what the cause of the problem is. If your issue with your cat is that it will not go to the bathroom in the litter box, then there may be a medical reason. In this case it is wise to have some good pet insurance and bring it to the vet for a check up.
Cats who avoid the litter boxes do so generally for one of two reasons. One, the littler box is not being cleaned in a timely fashion. If this is the problem, start cleaning the box. If the box is always clean, then the cat may have a urinary tract infection, which is painful. Your cat could be associating the litter box with pain and therefore is avoiding it as much as possible. Once you have determined that the cause of the problem is not medical, you know it is simply behavioral. Now it is time for some tough love.
Whenever you see your kitty about to climb the curtains, scratch up the couch, or jump on the counters, spray him or her with water. Always keep a few spray bottles around the house filled with water. As soon as the cat is misbehaving, give a little spray and the cat will stop. This will take a few times but eventually the cat will associate that particular behavior with water and will stop. After a couple of weeks you will have the well-behaved kitty you always wanted.