If you own a cat … I’m sorry, I’ll start again … if you are a member of a cat’s staff, then you know the thunk and smash sounds of your beloved feline knocking over your stuff for no apparent reason. Cats just seem to enjoy batting things off tables because, well, because they’re sh*theads; adorable, furry sh*theads, but sh*theads nonetheless. It turns out, though, that your cat is gleefully destroying your priceless collectibles for a reason.
Cornell University’s Katherine Houpt says that cats knock things over mostly to get your attention, usually because they’re hungry and it’s the middle of the night. But they also do it because they have an ingrained predatory nature, and, well, basically, they’re honing their hunting skills by hitting things with their paws. Interestingly, deaf cats will knock over more stuff than other cats, probably because they can’t hear the sound of shattered glass — or the the screams of irate owners.
