Why does my cat knock things down? How do I stop this behavior?

Unfortunately this is a very common cat characteristic . I recommend to either a restricted area that Lady Bird has access to or to keep the countertops clean so there is nothing to knock down. There are some products to deter cats: motion activated fog horns, electric collars, and certain odors but they work with varying degrees of success. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

There are several reasons cats like to "knock over water dishes" or play in their water bowls, including (1) it's fun - they enjoy splashing the water and making it move, seeing the reflective surface, (2) they prefer to drink from a moving water source (because moving water is more aerated and generally tastes better/fresher), (3) the bowl isn't to their liking - too big, too small, too deep, etc., so they splash water out and drink from the floor, (4) you give them fresh water whenever they knock the dish over so they have learned that this a successful method of getting your attention. Some things you can do include: (1) purchase a water fountain for cats (water moves continuosly); (2) get a heavy cermic bowl or a bowl with a wider base than top, (3) put a placement or plastic tray under the bowl, (4) offer more shiny, sparkly toys, like Mylar balls, to catch your cat's attention, (5) changed the water at least twice per day so your cat doesn't need to ask you for clean water.

She is playing. Usually kittens play hunt like that with their siblings or other cats, but since there are no other cats she picks the next best moving thing....you.. Get a fishing toy (stick with a string and a feather on it) or tie a crumpled up piece of paper on a string and play with her. Set aside at least 30 minutes/day for wild playing with your kitty. I am sure this will reduce the the pounce attacks, if not stop them completely. It is all about growing up and learning to be a predator. This has to be practiced (it is an instinct, not a bad habit) and you can support that. So instead of turning yourself into the prey, let the paper or feather serve as prey.

Hi there! It’s not recommend to try and “discipline” cats in this way (scruffiness, yelling, squirt bottles, etc) because it generally isn’t effective and can make your cats stressed and afraid of you. Instead, focus on providing her with other things to scratch and claw that are more effective than your rug. This is a normal behavior for cats, so she needs appropriate options to meet her needs. Try a tall, sturdy cat tree or scratching post, or a horizontal scratching tray if she prefers this. You may also need to take up the rug temporarily until she is reliably scratching more appropriate things.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bad Missy! Some kittens love to play with water! I would put the bowl in something to prevent it from tipping over. You can get adhesive to hold the bowel down as well. They do make non-spill bowls. None of this will stop her from dipping her paws in to it, so you a large water proof mat for your floor. She will grow out of this. I would add some interactive toys and get a laser pointer to play with her. Sometimes boredom comes in to play with these kind of behaviors. Good luck!

It sounds like Snuggle has created her own game. I see that she is a kitten, so I would work on environmental enrichment for her to more appropriately get her energy out. This website has a number of good ideas for that. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats Remember that kittens are supposed to be practicing their hunting skills many times a day. My best recommendation would be to find ways for Snuggle to use her hunting skills without involving you or your soon. One of my favorite things for kittens is a no bowl feeding system like Doc & Phoebe ( https://docandphoebe.com/ ) that requires them to "hunt" for their food. You could also try a feeding ball. I also recommend using laser pointers and interactive cat toys like a Cat Dancer ( http://www.catdancer.com/ ) to get kittens to play with you more appropriately. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

This is not an unusual behavior and is an expression of the natural hunting instinct in a dog. Removing the toys when not supervised and increasing her active play sessions and walking times to increase her mental and physical stimulation will likely help to reduce the destructive behaviors