We know how independent they are, so we must also take into account their criteria. A cat will not do anything to report annoyance or disgust, only what is beneficial, so it accompanies the teaching of pleasant, kind and with great dose of love, rewarding him when he achieves it.
They are taught to attend by their name, to use the sandbox, open doors, take advantage of small doors to get in and out, catch things on the fly, and many other skills.
Call attention to him at the same moment that you find him doing something that he should not, so he will understand that this is not allowed in the house, if you reprimand him later, he will not understand why and could take it as a lack of affection.
Never hit him, because besides that you can hurt him, he will fear you and could attack you as a reaction when defending himself.
The water and lemon in a sprayer will be functional when you find your cat doing a mischief, spraying so that he does not see you, in such a way that he will associate that unpleasant sensation with the situation if he repeats it.
If you want to avoid playing with any object in the house, buy a cat toy, also share with him for a while, so you avoid getting bored, do not look for other forms of fun in the house, which could prove to be harmful.
Keep the litter box very clean, dirty, your cat will look for another corner to relieve themselves.