Mary Allen
Sometimes it’s easy to assume that cats do certain things just to annoy us. For example, when they throw things on the floor. However, this is a misunderstanding, because the furry friends do not act out of malicious intent – this habit is more related to their hunting behavior and the fact that the clever little guys understand quite quickly how they can educate their favorite people in their interest.
As a cat owner, you have to be careful not to leave any fragile objects on tables and shelves – there is a high risk that the objects will fall victim to the velvet paws and consequently fall on the floor. Why do cats do this?
Hunting Instinct & Curiosity: Maybe It’s a Mouse?
Have you ever seen your cat playing with its prey after a successful hunt? It nudges the mouse with her paw and if the little animal tries to flee, it is knocked out with a well-aimed paw swipe. Above all, indoor cats train their hunting instinct when they throw things on the ground, after all, it could be that the object is potential prey that can only be recognized by a paw nudge. But even when cats actually know that things are inanimate objects, they like to throw them down. This could be related to their natural curiosity, they just find it very exciting and entertaining when they make things fall.
Cats Throw Things on the Floor When They Are Bored
Cats are more likely to vent their curiosity and hunting instincts on your furniture, pens, glasses, phone, stationery, or collectibles when they have no alternatives. So boredom can be the reason if your furry friends keep throwing things on the floor. They notice that they are attracting your attention and that they are being rewarded for their behavior, so to speak. Your velvet paw then wants to tell you that she wants to be noticed – either because she wants to play or because she is hungry.
How Do Get Cats to Stop Throwing Objects?
You can’t completely prevent the instinctive behavior, but at least you can make sure that it doesn’t happen as often and that less breakage occurs. Play with your kitty regularly and change the cat toy from time to time to keep it interesting. Try intelligence toys and food games that will stimulate your kitty’s curiosity. So she is better utilized and no longer has to find an entertaining pastime herself. As a precaution, you should keep fragile collectibles or valuables such as your mobile phone out of the reach of your rioters – for example in a drawer or glass case.