Your Cat Wants To Climb And Objects Are In The Way
When your cat is feeling frisky and wants to explore, he may discover random objects in high places present an interesting opportunity . It’s in their kitty DNA to climb and hide in small places off the ground, so your unsuspecting shelf quickly becomes a favorite spot. If your home doesn’t offer things to climb, your shelves, desk, and countertops are the only options. And if those spots are full of “dust collectors” , your cat may see them as a roadblock.
To prevent having to clean up messes from fallen objects, provide your cat with climbing options like scratching posts and cat trees and put them near windows so they can watch the birds outside . Or get creative and build or purchase shelves designed with your cat in mind.
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Knocking Things Down Can Bring Attention
Cats are masters at interpreting human behavior. When they knock something off a high surface and it goes crashing to the ground, it usually causes at least one human to come running. That activity and attention can be enough reinforcement for the kitty to do it over and over in anticipation of the hubbub and attention.
Keep Your Cat Off The Counters
Cats are quite agile creatures and can jump onto your counters and shelves with ease. Keeping your cat off high surfaces where you store your knick-knacks is a surefire way to keep your objects upright. Laying down a strip of double-sided tape on countertops and giving your cat a cat tree to fulfill her desire to be up high can reduce this behavior.
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Help They Just Broke Another Glass
At first, a young kitten who enjoys batting things around is amusing. Over time, though, this cute instinct can turn into trouble for an owner who wants to keep heirlooms, vases, and other breakables unbroken. Kitty will find these items irresistible. But why?
Curiosity And Fun: Fighting Boredom
Any time there is a change in your cats environment, she will want to explore these new changes. Did you just get a new candleholder? Your cat wants to know what that new object is all about and will explore it with her paws. Did you recently tidy up and rearrange items in your office? She wants to check out these new changes to know whats going on. Cats are very smart and curious animals, and any changes to their environment, no matter how subtle, they will pick up on and investigate.
Investigating various objects on your desk also becomes a game for her. What will happen to this pencil when I swat it? How about this business card? These objects become a form of mental stimulation for her.
Both this curiosity and need for fun can be signs of boredom. There are steps you can take to help alleviate your cats boredom. Put some of her toys around the house to explore so she becomes interested in those instead of your pencils. Cycle these toys, putting some away for a while and replacing with different ones so the toys become new again to her. This creates new items for her to explore instead of the items on your desk.
Give your cat lots of things to do, such as a perch with a view of the bird feeder. Again, treat or food puzzles are a great form of mental stimulation. Look into other toy options, and most importantly, try to schedule playtime with your cat.
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Cats They Do The Darndest Things
If you’re a cat owner you know this strange attraction to knocking perfectly innocent objects;over is all too common in our mischievous;four-legged friends. There are tons of videos and GIFs to submit as evidence for these catty crimes.;
This odd and sometimes frustratingly entertaining behavior has long stumped us humans. Why do cats;do this weird and potentially property-destroying thing? Are they secret scientists testing to see if gravity still works? Unfortunately, no. But the answer is a lot sweeter than you’d think! They do it to get your attention.;;
A lot of cats knock things over because they have learned it is a quick and easy way to get their humans attention, cat researcher Mikel Delgado told;Inverse. This behavior typically stems from boredom and/or a failure of the owner to acknowledge cats for good behavior.
Cats are intelligent creatures that learn the tricks and trades of getting their way with astounding ease, so this attention-grabbing technique shouldn’t really come as a surprise to most cat owners.;
Why Cats Paw And Bat At Objects
The problem is that cats often paw objects, in a seemingly intentional manner. This leaves little doubt about the consciousness in this action. And from one perspectiveâit is true.
Pawing and pushing objects is in the catâs nature. From the age of 12 days, kittens start to bat at moving and non-moving objects. Playing is an innate behavior, meaning that cats do it without being taught. It helps to learn hunting skills and understand the world around themâespecially the laws of physics.
Under such circumstances, it is only a matter of time when a household cat jumps on a tableâeven if he is not allowed toâand will bat at an object of interest. By a strong chance, one beautiful day that object will fall off and shatter in small pieces. Often we observe that cats seem to enjoy the process. It is fun to watch the object fall, and the sound is pleasing, too.
But thereâs something else going on, as well. What was your reaction the first time it occurred? Probably not the calmest one. This is when your cat first learned that the shattering part wasnât left unnoticed. You might have been yelling at your cat, running after him, making a video or even showing an amusement. In any case, it brought your cat some attention.
Attention seeking is a common behavior in indoor cats, which, ironically enough, can make a cat prefer negative attention as a replacement of the dull lack of attention at all.
So, to sum up:
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How Can You Curb Feline Knocking Over Behavior
Here are some ways to get your cat to stop knocking things over or keep the objects stable.
- If your cat uses furniture to climb onto high spots where they can knock things down, try rearranging furniture until your kitty can’t get to those areas.
- Museum wax is excellent for fastening things to their shelves. Make sure you test the surface in an inconspicuous area first to make sure the wax doesn’t discolor or mar the surface.
- Use double-sided tape to make it unappealing for your cat to jump on the surfaces containing things you don’t want to be knocked over. Cats don’t like having sticky paws. Again, check in an inconspicuous spot first.
- Don’t yell at or punish your cat for the behavior. This could make it worse because a reaction of any kind might be what the cat is after. It also could result in stress and a decreased bond between the two of you.
- If you see your cat gearing up to knock something over, throw a toy the other direction and praise him when he chases it instead.
- Increase the interactive playtime you have with your cat to make sure she’s getting plenty of opportunities to blow off steam and engage in hunting behavior.
- Use puzzle toys when you aren’t home to keep your cat occupied. You can also try automatic toys that have settings allowing for the toy to come on periodically throughout the day when you’re gone, so your cat can “hunt” and be occupied.
- As much as possible, keep counters and tables clear of breakable items.
Why Do Cats Knock Things Over Exploration
In addition to seeking your attention, stimulating their natural instincts, and being bored, cats knock things over because they are exploring their world. Their paw pads are sensitive, and they use them to test surfaces and objects.;
If youve ever watched a cat walk on a new surface that theyre not sure about, youve probably seen them put a paw in front and tentatively place it on the surface in front of them. They want to make sure its stable and will hold their weight before they step forward. Sometimes they even do this when theyve lept onto a railing because they want to correctly calculate the distance or width.;
So yes, theyll paw at your pen, glasses, and post-it notes to see if they move. Or, maybe theyre conducting a physics experiment where they want to see how fast the item will fall to the floor.;
No matter why your cat enjoys knocking things over, there are some ways you can redirect this pent-up curiosity.;
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They Want Your Attention
If your cat is knocking things over, it may be because they are craving for your attention. They know full well that you are bound to react when objects fall over. And when they want to be noticed, theyd be glad to receive any kind of attention, whether you react in a positive or negative manner.
If you believe this might be the reason, its best if you ignore your cat when they try to get your attention this way and praise them when theyre not. Meanwhile, do remember to spend enough quality time with your cat for them to feel loved and cared for.
Is It Bad To Shake Your Kitten
Cats are already intolerant of human forms of punishment, but physically dominating a cat will break your bond with her. Never hold down, shake or hit your cat. Physically harming your cat can actually make the situation worse and cause her to lash out or become withdrawn.
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Is Your Cat Honing Her Hunting Skills
There are plenty of credible theories about why cats knock things over. One, posed by Dr. H. Ellen Whiteley has merit. Toying with prey is a common behavior in feline hunters. When your cat nudges a small, stationary object with her paw, she’s practicing the same behavior. She adds, Your cat’s instincts tell her that paperweight or knickknack could turn out to be a mouse. Her poking paw would send it scurrying, giving her a good game .
Why Do Cats Knock Things Over Its An Attention
Another reason why cats knock things over or swat objects is because they want to capture your attention. We all know kitties are smart little cookies, and they know based on experience that if they knock over your cup of water, youre going to come running. They may choose to employ this attention-grabbing move if their food or water bowls are empty, they want you to interact with them or even if you decide to sleep later than you usually do. Cats do not have a snooze button!
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How To Prevent Cats From Knocking Things Over
If your cat has broken one too many things in your home, there is no need to fret. Here are some ways to prevent cats from knocking things over:
- Provide them with activities
To avoid accidents involving your cat knocking over a glass or other breakable items, providing them with enough physical and mental stimulation will save the day. You can introduce sensory items such as a laser pointer, puzzles, and entertaining toys to keep their minds and bodies busy while being amused. You may also design their space in a way that there are places to climb, play, and hide.
Allotting time to exercise and play with your cat every day will prove beneficial. It would also be nice for your cat to have another playmate especially when you are out during the day. However, if you have only one kitty who stays home all alone while you are away, you can still play with your cat via Petcube Play 2, an interactive pet camera with a built-in laser pointer controlled remotely.
- Cat-proof your home
Cat-proofing your home includes strategizing where to put items such as picture frames, collectibles, vases, and other fragile items. If your cat pushes things off the table, shelves, or other particular areas in your house, it might be best for you to either place them somewhere else or place a barrier that wont allow your cat to topple them over.
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Eliminating Outside The Litter Box
Scenario:;My cat is mad at me! I went out of town for the weekend, and, when I came back home, she had urinated on my bed. Have you ever said this?
While it is normal to feel upset when your cat has urinated on your bed, keep in mind that animals do not behave out of spitethat is a human motivation.
The first thing to do is to take your cat to your veterinarian for a physical examination. Underlying medical causes such as a bladder infection, kidney disease or bladder stones can cause pain and discomfort.
Urinating on your bed may be your cats way of attracting your attention to her illness. If your veterinarian has determined that your cat is physically healthy, then we need to explore some behavioral factors that may be contributing to your cats problem.
There are several factors to consider in regards to the;litter box;setup that may be affecting her desire to use it.;Ideally, cats should be provided with an open litter box thats one and a half times the length of their body. It should be filled with an unscented, fine and granular cat litter. The litter box should be cleaned at least twice daily. It should also be placed in an area your cat has easy access to.
Another behavioral cause for urinating on your bed may be anxiety. Sometimes when cats get anxious they;may urinate in an area where their scent or the owners scent is the strongest. They are not trying to be spiteful or dominant.
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Why Do Cats Knock Things Over Its Prey Instinct
Cats are natural hunters. Even indoor cats who;have never seen a real mouse have the instinct to go after prey. When a cat does capture something, he uses his paw to test for any movement and make sure its dead. Cats could be demonstrating this behavior when they swat your pencil or lip balm off your desk and onto the floor. They obviously know the difference between a pencil and a mouse, but their instinct kicks in and they explore the object with their paws.
Why Do Cats Like To Knock Things Off The Counter
Your cat may knock things over simply because its fun. Knocking objects over or off of shelves and tables may be a way for your cat to express his prey drive, explore his surroundings, and get your attention, but cat behaviorists agree that there could be other undiscovered reasons behind this common cat behavior.
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Whats The Best Way To Keep Cats Off The Counter
Aluminum Foil. Tape a strip of aluminum foil to the edge of the counter. Cats dislike both the feel of it on their paws as well as the sound the foil makes. Dont use spray bottles as a deterrent. Spray bottles only teach the cat to be afraid of the person using it, and can damage the bond between cat and owner.
Your Cat Has A Natural Desire To Investigate
Cats, instinctively, like to hunt and creep up on prey. Their natural tendencies to be curious but cautious aid them in the hunting process, helping them to determine what is safe to pursue and what isn’t.
They are also natural investigators, analyzing and testing-out things that are novel. A cat’s paw is crucial to their ability to “be a cat”with their paws they scratch, touch and feel, knead, and slowly move things that pique their interest. Ever touch something, just barely, really fast to see if it’s hot? Yep, that little, fast cat paw is testing things out too. This includes objects that you may treasure or that happen to be near the edge of your table. And since cats are more active and see exceptionally well at night, you may find items “mysteriously” on the floor when you wake up in the morning.
To support your cat’s natural desire to inspect new things, make sure you keep items away from the edge of your table or desk or anywhere your cat is likely to jump. Offer them things they can safely push, like empty plastic cups, balls, or small toys.
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