DEAR JOAN: I think my cat is trying to kill me and/or destroy my house.
My male Siamese cat, Larry, is about 3 years old. He belonged to my mom, but in January I took him in when she moved into assisted living. I’ve always gotten along with Larry, but he’s started systematically breaking my things by knocking them off the shelves, bar and tables.
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I have a collection of large seashells on shelves above my bed, and a few times, he’s knocked the biggest ones off in the middle of the night. I’ve been lucky that they haven’t hit me, although last night, one landed square on my head.
Obviously, I don’t think Larry is really homicidal, but I wonder what’s going on with him. I’ve had cats before and none of them did this.
Is he upset that he’s in a new place? Is this common in Siamese cats? Other than gluing everything down or packing it away, is there anything I can do to change his destructive behavior?
— Ron C., Berkeley
DEAR RON: I, too, had a Siamese cat who often made me sleep with one eye open to avoid falling objects, but I really don’t think the behavior is breed specific, as I’ve also shared my home with other cats that had a habit of swatting objects off shelves and tables.
There are a few reasons for the object tipping. Because it is so common in cats, animal behaviorists theorize it might be instinctual. Cats have great eyesight and are able to discern objects in the dark, but they are particularly good at tracking moving objects. Couple that with loving to hunt and the temptation to put belongings in motion, and this all just might be too strong to resist.
Cats might also swat stuff as a way of getting our attention. I’ve seen my cats look me right in the eye while nonchalantly knocking something off. When we react, either before, after or during a swipe, we’re likely giving them what they want – our undivided attention. And cats are quick learners.
In Larry’s case, he might be knocking objects off because he’s somewhat upset by the move and because he doesn’t find his environment suitably stimulating. No offense to you, but Larry might be bored.
You probably won’t be able to change the behavior, but you can put your valuables in places Larry can’t reach them, and you can add some interactive toys to his environment to keep him engaged. I’m sure you already are, but make time for some one-on-one attention with Larry.
DEAR JOAN: I just read the letter of March 4 about Pumpkin. Our 19 year-old Morgan was in a similar place. She was blind and seemed to not be able to find the litter box. We discovered cat diapers on Amazon.
She got used to them very quickly ,and it made all the difference. Like with a baby, I would make sure she was cleaned well when I changed them, and it meant she could still be with us and cuddle until she passed at 20 years old in February.
— Pat DeWhitt, San Jose
DEAR PAT: My condolences for your loss. Thank you for the tip on the diapers. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of that, but you and several other readers took the time to recommend them. With so many endorsements, they certainly are worth a try.
Animal Life runs on Mondays. Reach Joan Morris at AskJoanMorris@gmail.com.