4. Your cat is just minding her own business
Your cat is a true explorer. She likes to climb on high furniture and hide in small places, such as cupboards or under the bed. It’s in her nature, and she will do this no matter what you say. This is just how cats are.
When your cat feels frisky and believes it’s the right time for some exploring, she might want to go somewhere, let’s say on a shelf, but she might find out that her path is blocked by some books. What is she going to do next? Well, it’s the time when your cat knocks things over. She will push the books away and keep doing what she was doing.
She doesn’t think that she did something wrong because it is not her fault that your books were blocking her way. What else could she have done? Meow and wait for you to move them? That’s definitely not how cats work.
As we said, cats like to climb and explore, and if they see something up there that is blocking their way, they will mark it as an obstacle and try to eliminate it. Provide your cat with climbing choices like scratching posts and cat trees, and place them next to windows so they can see the birds outside. This can help a lot and stop your cat from making a mess every time she knocks things over.
If your cat knocks things over and doesn’t seem to care about the toys you bought, you can try to reinforce your cat’s good behavior. It’s a good idea to try rewarding cats with lots of positive attention. Or at least that’s what experts are saying.
If you want your cat to understand that something she has done is good, give her attention as soon as she does any of the desired actions. In this way, she will notice the pattern and repeat it.
In case you want to learn more about the behavior of cats and how to train them, the following book might be an incredible start: Understanding Cat Behavior: A Compassionate Guide to Training and Communication
You should also read: Teach Your Cat to Use the Litter in No Time With These Amazing Tips!
