You’ve probably seen this behavior in countless videos on the Internet and in the example of your cats. If the cat is on a hill (on a table, on a closet or on a pedestal), and there are small objects next to it, it often cannot resist the desire to throw these objects on the floor.
People who don’t like cats can easily explain this behavior by the fact that cats are harmful and their main task is to annoy people! Even some cat lovers may agree with this explanation, but is there any truth to this? Do cats knock things to the floor to get on people’s nerves? Of course not! For cats, this behavior has a different meaning.
Cats use their paws to explore and check their environment
When a cat has grabbed a potential prey, it will often use its paw to check if what it has caught is moving. If he sees a hitherto unknown object, he can also touch and wiggle it with his paw to check whether it moves, bites, or poses a danger. You can often see this behavior in your cat’s example if it collides with something on the floor, such as a piece of unknown food, an insect that doesn’t move, or any other small object. It is safest for him to examine the object with his paw before bringing his muzzle closer to it, where there are such vulnerable organs as eyes and nose.
The cat can even use its paw to check the water level in its bowl. This is especially true if the bowl of water is too deep and too narrow and the cat has to press its whiskers down to drink. Then the cat moistens the paw in the water and then licks the water from it.
Cats use their paws to move objects in the game
There may be objects on your nightstand or table that will roll if they fall to the floor. If the cat is looking for something to play with, it can start checking objects with its paws to see if they are light enough to become an improvised toy. The cat can even be amused by the sound of an object falling to the floor.
If the problem is your cat knocking things like pens, paper clips or flash drives off the table, keep in mind that lighter items are most attractive to the cat! Although my Tisha can throw, for example, a bottle of detergent directly onto the robot vacuum cleaner. After all, the robot can turn on from this, and this is so interesting! And it’s even more interesting to watch how the mother flies like a goalkeeper to prevent a fall. So, boredom is the main reason a cat dumps thing. The cat just wants to play!
Cats can drop objects to get attention
Cats are very smart. They are constantly looking for the attention of the owner! And if they see that a certain behavior is giving them more attention than usual, and this is repeated on an ongoing basis, they will tend to repeat that behavior. A classic example is a cat that throws something heavy and loud from the bedside table, and this wakes the owner of the cat. What does the owner most often do if the tireless tailed beast wakes him up at seven in the morning? He gets up, puts food in a bowl and hopes that the cat will calm down on this. Bingo! The owner reinforces the cat’s behavior! Rest assured that the next morning his favorite watch or glass of water will fly off the bedside table to the floor again!
Also, a cat can drop objects not only in the morning to wake up, but also during the day, if the owners emotionally react to this fact. Even if the owners of the cat shout at him or run after him with a broom or a towel to prescribe a lula, this is still what the cat wanted – attention!
Tipping objects can be dangerous for your cat
Even if you don’t mind your cat throwing everything off the shelves, this behavior can be dangerous for your cat. Overturned glass objects can break and the cat will jump off and cut itself on them. Jars of pills that are not securely closed may open and spill out if dropped on the floor. There are many objects on the tables that, if broken or dropped, could be dangerous for the cat.
How do I fix unwanted behavior?
Reduce temptation! If you have a cat who has a tendency to dump objects, the first step is to remove any items that could potentially attract the cat in drawers or glass display cases. Valuable or fragile items can still be visible for guests to admire, but can be protected from the cat by secure doors. Small items such as pill bottles, jewelry, etc. should be placed in drawers or cabinets. If your cat likes to tip over cups or glasses of water, use weighted cups to reduce the chance of the cat moving them, or keep cups out of the way.
Provide safer alternatives to items of unwanted behavior. If boredom is the reason your cat dumps things on the floor, then you need to relieve that boredom! Keep your cat entertained with cat-friendly toys such as food puzzles. Strategically place safe cat toys such as plush mice, balls, and anything else your cat loves throughout the house so he can find them unexpectedly. If your cat likes the process of dropping toys on the floor, then place the toys on the bed of the cat complex. Let the cat climb in and throw them off.
Play with your cat. Even if you’ve enriched your cat’s environment so that it doesn’t get bored on its own, it won’t replace playing with you! Use a fishing rod toy and play with your cat for at least half an hour a day. Play prey as you move the rod, let the cat catch a toy, ambush, or run over rough terrain.
Don’t reinforce unwanted behavior. If your cat is dropping things to get your attention, don’t reward him with affection, food, or even a reprimand. It’s also important to figure out why it needs attention so you can fix the problem. Is it because you play little with her? Does the cat disagree with the feeding schedule? He is bored? Find out the cause and eliminate it, and after that the behavior will no longer be as intense or even disappear.