Evening Reading: Faylure Averted

Herding Cats Thread:

So, our cat loved getting up on our desks, which is inconvenient as the best place for him to sit is right in front of or on top of our computers. To remedy this, we bought a perching shelf made for cats that you affix to a window as well as a cat bed that we put on top of it. It was ideal for him, because it was right in between our desks, so he was very happy there.

Unfortunately, he liked to push against the bed when he got in it, so one day, he pushed it off the shelf while he was half way in and fell off the shelf. Since then, he hasn't gotten back on either the shelf or the bed and actually avoids sitting in the bed regardless of where we put it.

I read that cats avoid something if it startles them once, like if you have a scratching post that falls over while they use it, they won't ever touch it again. Is there a way to train him into liking the bed again? I tried putting catnip and treats inside it, but he still doesn't want to get in.