Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: May 5, 2023 by Crystal Uys
Most cats enjoy knocking things off tables and counters, and while this behavior may be frustrating for us humans at times, it makes purrfect sense from the cat’s perspective. “A lot of cats knock things over because they have learned it is a quick and easy way to get their human’s attention,” cat researcher Mikel Delgado, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis and our resident cat behavior expert, told Inverse. “This behavior typically stems from boredom and/or a failure of the owner to acknowledge cats for good behavior.” Visit Inverse to read more about why cats do this, and what you can do to stop the behavior.
If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap: on Monday, we told you about a clinical trial that verified the efficacy of the Assisi Loop, on Tuesday, we reviewed the Galaxy Spiral, on Wednesday, we ran the final installment in our three-part series Saying Goodbye to Hedda about creating an end of life ritual and we alerted you to a recall of two single lots of Rad Cat chicken and turkey, on Thursday we featured adorable Cat Hug Socks from Triple T Studio, and on Friday, we reviewed A Thousand Purring Cats.
Today’s video shows some big cats for a change. Robert Martinez, a so-called “camera trapper,” has been tracking mountain lions in Angeles National Forest west of Los Angeles by setting up several cameras in areas the cats are likely to visit, and he captured this stunning footage. If you turn the volume up, you can hear the mother’s call out to her kits.
Have a great weekend!
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About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
Hmmm, Cody does it when I am sleeping, he can stop being bored and go to sleep himself! (KIDDING!)
My cat Pono takes knocking things over to the extreme. I collect perfume and have lots of bottles on my dresser. He will reach his paw to the back and knock a bunch over like dominoes. He mostly likes to do this in the middle of the night when he wants a midnight snack or my husband to move to the couch where he can sleep with alone.
It sounds like he has you well trained, Janine! 🙂