Well, you can actually teach them not to. But they are more fun to watch when they do all kinds of things. The only thing my Sim has taught them is to use their scratching posts and not the furniture, as it will eventually break from the abuse.
I feel very happy playing Sims 4 again. The various graphical glitches don't bother me. I stay away from gardening though, as that feature is broken and probably won't get fixed ever. It is fine though, as I can buy all the produce I need for cooking and baking and drink making. The quality of the produce does not affect the meal.