Some cats are affectionate, while others are aloof. Some love to pounce around, and others prefer to lurk mostly out of sight. Then there’s that thing where a cat zooms from one corner of a room to another in a blur, as if possessed. These are just a few of the many challenges of living with felines. Still, there’s one question that lingers in the minds of most cat owners: Why do cats knock things over? Is it a hardwired feline obsession with gravity, or is there something else at play? Cat behaviorist Pamela Merritt points out that a play-prey drive exists in all cats. The level of this drive is a mix of the cat’s genes and early life experiences. A higher prey drive can result in a cat using its paws to knock things over as a means to try to find out more about the environment around them. Some cats knock things over simply to get attention. From the cat’s perspective, looking like they’re about to strike means you’ll swing right into action, and that’s what they’re looking for. Human reactions reward the cat, which means they’re more likely to do it again. What gets rewarded gets repeated. So, can you teach your cat NOT to knock things over? There’s no surefire way to get cats to stop whacking at things altogether, but there are some things you can do to minimize the occurrence.
- 1. Stop giving your cat attention when they knock things over. Turn your back and focus your attention elsewhere. Don’t look, don’t speak, don’t laugh……..just ignore. Your cat may be persistent, but in a few days to a week, they will lose interest if they’re not being rewarded.
- 2. Reward your cat for other behaviors. Try teaching your cat another way to get your attention and reward them for doing it. Let’s say you want your cat to sit quietly in its bed. Give it attention there using eye gaze, verbal praise, and the occasional treat. Most cats will react positively and do what you want them to do.
- 3. Thwart boredom by keeping your cat active. Cats get bored if they don’t have enough to do. Consider playing with your cat using an interactive cat toy like a laser pointer or fishing rod. You can even turn feeding time into a scavenger hunt by scattering nibbles around the house to give the cat something to hunt for.