Why does my cat pushes stuff of tables/surfaces

oreoreo · Apr 4, 2007

Hi everyone

I am a proud furmommy to 4 cats. My oldest who is now 14 has an annoying habit. He likes to push things off surfaces. He keeps breaking my husband clock radio by pushing it off the night table. He does that with everything and anything as soon as he wants attention.....If he wants to be petted, fed, talked to ...Any reason is good. He does not just do it to small items like pen to play with them once they have fallen, he will push glasses off tables, keyboard and I am worried he will break something dangerous for him or the other cats. He has now shown our younger cat (1 year old) this not so nice behavior.

His "adopted" sister of 16 died about a year ago and we have noticed he is worst since then. We pay a lot of attention to him. He is a lap kittie and loves to be cuddled and brushed and fussed over. We spend lots of time paying attention to him but yet the problem seems to not go away.

I know from experience saying NO works when I catch him before he does it but would you guys have solution to prevent him from doing this for good? Since he is an older boy I would rather no have to stress him out using an empty can with money in it.

Why does he do that and how can I stop the behavior?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Oreoreo

reesespbc · Apr 4, 2007

He does it probably because he's bored and/or he wants to see what's going to happen. It could be too that if you give attention, which I'm sure you do after he does it, that's why he's doing it.

With Reeses I've either had to ignore the behavior and she stops, depending on what it is. I also have had to either remove certain items or even bolt stuff down *lol* Our lamps are puttied to our end tables and that stopped the behavior.

rushrulz · Apr 4, 2007

Mi-ke did that as a kitten. She'd knock it off, I'd put it back, and she'd knock it off again. It was a stimulus-response thing, like a baby dropping his spoon over and over. Honestly, I'd just try not to respond to it, and he may give up.

cheylink · Apr 4, 2007

I think you answered your own question perfectly.......He does it when ever he wants attention. The only real way to try to challenge this behavior is to stop leaving things where he can push them off of. It may sound as if he defeats you by changing a behavior you have, but really you defeat his behavior and by doing this it is much more frustrating for him then it is for you! Cats are smart, they like a challenge, if there isn't one there, they can and will create it. He needs some personal play time designated toward him so he doesn't feel the need to challenge you to get it.

theimp98 · Apr 4, 2007

Originally Posted by cheylink

I think you answered your own question perfectly.......He does it when ever he wants attention. .

this is the cats job from God. they need to confrim gravity by checking it several times a day .

yep, i agree. cheylink you answered your own question mine do the same, heyu will push something, then look at me, then push it again etc.

i dont know how to stop it, accept to do what she wants.

althekitty · Apr 5, 2007

Mine does the same with the lamp in the lounge and has made various attempts to knock over the t.v!!! When he started I would go and take him off, I never yell. But I realised that it became a game! He would want to play and I would be busy so he would jump on the wide screen tele and that would wobble like mad and then he would head butt the lamp over. Then I realised that he was doing it for attention, the next time he did it I ignored it and after a while he got the hint!!! I undersatnd your concern though as mine was on the kitchen counter and knocked over a glass bowl that smashed on the stone floor and I nearly had a heart attack!! I grabbed him and got him out and checked all his paws, he was fine tho!!!

mooficat · Apr 5, 2007

Miss Moofs is The Great Gravity Inspector in our house

So as mentioned by others, you have to ignore or move things.

We have now managed to get Miss Moofs down to one object that she uses for attention - its a small wooden ladybird

she knocks it onto the tiled floor and then we know she either wants to go out or fancies some biscuits

epona · Apr 5, 2007

I am thankful that mine limit themselves to small objects. Radar does knock things off shelves but that is because he is extremely clumsy and charges around the bookcases leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. He is not a graceful cat at all, he is a bull in a china shop. As a result my collection of 1960s glass vases is now residing unseen but safe in a kitchen cupboard

rockcat · Apr 5, 2007

Oliver pushes things, breakable stuff only, when he wants a treat. He has been very sucessful at teaching me when to give him one.

I have tried to retaliate by distracting him for awhile and then giving him a treat when I choose to. It is a behavior modification in progress. I'll let you know if it works.

laureen227 · Apr 5, 2007

Originally Posted by theimp98

this is the cats job from God. they need to confrim gravity by checking it several times a day .

exactly!
personally, i think they do it for entertainment purposes.

bab-ush-niik · Apr 5, 2007

Try hissing at him rather than telling him no. I've had more luck with that personally. It might not work here, since he's wanting attention, possibly even negative attention.

cococat · Apr 5, 2007

I would say they do it just for fun

Just to see what happens.

persi & alley · Apr 6, 2007

Originally Posted by Oreoreo

Hi everyone

I am a proud furmommy to 4 cats. My oldest who is now 14 has an annoying habit. He likes to push things off surfaces. He keeps breaking my husband clock radio by pushing it off the night table. He does that with everything and anything as soon as he wants attention.....If he wants to be petted, fed, talked to ...Any reason is good. He does not just do it to small items like pen to play with them once they have fallen, he will push glasses off tables, keyboard and I am worried he will break something dangerous for him or the other cats. He has now shown our younger cat (1 year old) this not so nice behavior.

His "adopted" sister of 16 died about a year ago and we have noticed he is worst since then. We pay a lot of attention to him. He is a lap kittie and loves to be cuddled and brushed and fussed over. We spend lots of time paying attention to him but yet the problem seems to not go away.

I know from experience saying NO works when I catch him before he does it but would you guys have solution to prevent him from doing this for good? Since he is an older boy I would rather no have to stress him out using an empty can with money in it.

Why does he do that and how can I stop the behavior?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Oreoreo

Because he is a cat!

I just toss things on the floor rather than lay them on the table because that is where they are going to go anyway!

sharper16 · Apr 6, 2007

Originally Posted by Oreoreo

Hi everyone

I am a proud furmommy to 4 cats. My oldest who is now 14 has an annoying habit. He likes to push things off surfaces. He keeps breaking my husband clock radio by pushing it off the night table. He does that with everything and anything as soon as he wants attention.....If he wants to be petted, fed, talked to ...Any reason is good. He does not just do it to small items like pen to play with them once they have fallen, he will push glasses off tables, keyboard and I am worried he will break something dangerous for him or the other cats. He has now shown our younger cat (1 year old) this not so nice behavior.

His "adopted" sister of 16 died about a year ago and we have noticed he is worst since then. We pay a lot of attention to him. He is a lap kittie and loves to be cuddled and brushed and fussed over. We spend lots of time paying attention to him but yet the problem seems to not go away.

I know from experience saying NO works when I catch him before he does it but would you guys have solution to prevent him from doing this for good? Since he is an older boy I would rather no have to stress him out using an empty can with money in it.

Why does he do that and how can I stop the behavior?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Oreoreo

OMG! My 4 year old Cheeto does this same stuff! Every night he knocks my glasses off the night stand. He will move anything and everything that is on our night stand on to the floor. This includes knick knack, remote controls, magazines, you name it. I have put everything on the floor because of this is. He also started sliding our alarm clock back and forth across the headboard.

Sorry, I can't help your problem, but I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one!

littleraven7726 · Apr 6, 2007

mine do it for fun. and i think they like to see the humans yell and wave their arms in the air.

my solution was in 1998, about 2 weeks after adopting raven & nabu, i packed up my knick-knacks. after a couple weeks of them throwing my breakables on the floor i was not amused. although they were.

for the alarm clock, i would suggest keeping it further from the edge if it's right on the edge. another tactic is to wedge it onto the shelf with something else. would double sided tape hold it down?

malena · Apr 6, 2007

Tape, tape and more tape is the solution. Tape with glue on both sides. I also keep small toys on the table so if they go for a pen or a lighter I can redirect their attention to a toy by pushing on the floor my self.
I havn't found a solution for socks though. They steel it from the dirty laundry and by know I only have one of each colour. Somewhere in this house there must be a huge pile of socks that I cannot find.

Why does my cat pushes stuff of tables/surfaces

oreoreo

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reesespbc

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rushrulz

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cheylink

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theimp98

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althekitty

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mooficat

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epona

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rockcat

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laureen227

Darksome Duo!

bab-ush-niik

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cococat

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persi & alley

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sharper16

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littleraven7726

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malena

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