This post is for my readers who’s life is dominated by a feline roommate….
I am not a cat person but I will say that cats are the very example of indifference…..cats have one trait that I do not understand and I pride myself at having a logical mind….but this one thing defies logic.
That one thing is why do cats indiscriminately go along knock stuff over?
If you have a cat that resides in your abode I know you have asked yourself many times that same question.
Mental Floss takes a look into this irritating feline habit….
Cats have a knack for knocking things off their perches—even after you plead with them not to. There’s something seemingly passive-aggressive about the way they slowly tip over your belongings, but are they intentionally being jerks? According to experts, this behavior has a few explanations, but being a bully probably isn’t one of them.
One possible reason for your kitty acting up is boredom. Cats need stimulation just like you do, but they’re probably not up for streaming something on Netflix with you. Just like when they cry at night or scratch at a closed door, knocking something over also earns them attention (a.k.a. you running into the room after hearing a crash, or begging them to not smack something off the table in the first place).
“Your cat is curious, not purposefully aggravating,” My Cat from Hell’s Jackson Galaxy told Parade in 2014. “And, depending on how you look at it, bored! Think about a toddler who has been given crayons, but no paper. Hello, bedroom wall mural! Ask yourself, ‘Do we have enough cat toys?’ If the answer is yes, would he still rather bat a cup off the table? If so, it’s time to get new toys!”
This destructive habit is likely derived from a more primitive behavior called “toying.” When your pet starts pawing at items, it’s similar to them batting around prey.
“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 (and possibly a good lunch),” Dr. H. Ellen Whiteley told How Stuff Works. Your naturally curious cat doesn’t mean your shelves any harm, so if you need to blame anything, blame feline boredom—or gravity.
There are a few things you can try to do to stop your cats from knocking things over. You could prevent having your pens, glasses, and more wind up on the floor by training your kitty to stay off your counters and tables. It’s also good to make sure your pets have easily accessible toys and enrichment activities around to keep their minds occupied when boredom strikes. And if all else fails, make sure you store any breakable objects where your curious cat can’t get to them.
(mentalfloss.com)
I think that some of the time cats are being purposefully aggravating….my daughter has a cat, Jar Jar, that relishes the destruction.
Now we know what some ‘experts’ think about the habit.
My week is starting with a bang….a transformer blew about a block away and scared the Hell out of me….so go out and have a wonderful day….and as always….Be Well and Be Safe….
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
I’ve always had cats. Or, perhaps more accurately, cats have always had me? Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love dogs, but I’ve always been fascinated with cats even as a wee lad. So I’m mumble de mumble years old, and all those years, after all of the cats I’ve owned or lived with, I have never had one that knocks things off of shelves or tables deliberately. Not one.
While I’m sure that there are some cats out there that do this, I do not for a moment believe it is some kind of universal behavior with cats. What I think is going on is that videos of cats doing this are cute and funny so the few owners of cats who have this behavior put the videos up on Youtube or Tacky Ticky or wherever so often that it’s being interpreted as being a universal behavior of the little buggers.
The other thing that’s become a widespread myth about cat behavior is that cats are freaked out by cucumbers because of videos people put up of placing a cucumber behind a cat that’s preoccupied with eating or whatever, and then jumping six feet in the air and scrambling for a hiding place when it turns around and sees the cuke sitting there. I’ve tried this on many, many cats (well, okay, not many, 8 cats in all) and not one has ever reacted this way.
I’m sure there are cats out there that deliberately knock things off tables, etc. But it has nothing to do with some kind of “play” or predator behavior. It’s because they are annoying, passive/aggressive little gits who take great delight in mildly annoying their people.
My daughter’s cat is the most irritating little sh*t….he likes being a pain in the butt. chuq
My two are pretty mellow but I know some that seem to take great pleasure in being as annoying as possible. Great fun aren’t they? <grin>
And irritating at times…LOL chuq