Let the Balloon Training Commence!

We we attended the Infant Safety and CPR class in December, the instructor spent a little time talking about pets and how to adjust your pets to having a new little creature in the house. It seems like most of the problems that can arise do so with dogs and cats are fairly benign. Knowing that our cat is anything but benign, we asked about training the cat to stay out of the crib and bassinet. The instructor said that we had three options, ranging from mild to extreme. The first is to fill the crib with balloons. When the cat tries to jump into the crib, it will pop a balloon or two and become so traumatized by the noise it will never approach the crib again. If you cat doesn't quite get the whole one-trial learning thing, you can move on to Method #2. This involves buying a sensor that is hooked up to an air can. When the cat jumps into the crib, it gets blasted with air. And then, if your cat is unfazed by puffs of air (I am sure Sierra would be as she is unfazed by water spraying), you can try Method #3. This method uses another purchased product that consists of a blanket you place into the crib. When the sensors in the blanket sense a change in weight (i.e. when the cat jumps into the crib), it gives the cat a small electrical shock. About what you would experience from static electricity. Very annoying to the cat, but sure to provide entertainment for the adults.
At first I didn't think that Sierra was going to even attempt to jump into the crib. She didn't like us putting it up and seemed to spend a lot of time sniffing it, then running away. But then I discovered her sleeping in the crib one night as I was making dinner. Right on top of some nice warm baby blankets. She looked at me like I was crazy when I told her to get down (I am sure she thinks that we have set this crib up just for her to take naps in) and I decided that we needed to try the balloons.
It took forever to find balloons. Seattle, unlike most of the country, seems to think that balloons are not one of those staples that should be carried in grocery stores. We have noticed this with other products as well, like risotto, pignoli nuts, and barley. Even the little card store, which had an entire wall devoted to party supplies, did not carry balloons. I guess they are not that popular for birthday parties anymore. We finally found some over the weekend and filled both the crib and the bassinet with balloons. Sierra was terrified of the balloons as we inflated them...she usually doesn't like anything that moves on its own. Especially if it is about her size or larger. But now she seems even more curious about the balloons in the crib. Two of them have popped in the crib, seemingly spontaneously, which has really scared her. But she has discovered that she can climb up into the changing insert on the bassinet, look out the window, and be totally unbothered by the balloons. I think we will have to line it with aluminum foil...something else that cats are not supposed to like.