Fabulous felines | PETS
http://www.petsmagazine.com.au 35
surfaces. From photographs and fine china to
other cats, many felines seem to get a kick out
of knocking stuff off a shelf to watch it fall on
the ground.
However, PETstock vet Dr Bronwen Slack
says this behaviour is nothing to worry about.
“It is a normal cat behaviour and often a
source of constant delight (and outrage) in my
household. My little cat loves to knock over
vases, ornaments or anything sitting on a table
or shelf,” she says.
“It is hard to know why they enjoy doing
it; I suspect it is because they want to see if it
will bounce/roll so that they can then chase
it. If your cat tends to knock things over, use
some Velcro tape to stick those things down or
make sure that they are put away in a drawer
or cupboard. Ensure that your cat has plenty
of other toys to play with so that they are less
inclined to topple your china.”
Dr Jo Righetti, animal behaviourist and the
host of radio show Talking Pets every Thursday
night on 2UE Talking Lifestyle, offers a similar
explanation. “It is, I believe, replicating how
they might ‘play hunt’ with small creatures —
paw them to get them moving, watch them
scurry away or fall off shelves. It’s simply fun.
Their action has a reaction, the behaviour is
fun so it is repeated,” she explains.WHY DOES MY CAT ...
LIKE TO SIT IN HIGH PLACES?
Does your cat love finding the highest perch
in the house, no matter what or where it is,
and then curl up in that very spot? This is a
very common feline behaviour and one that
Dr Jo says is completely normal. “Cats sit in
high places to get a cat’s eye view, to feel safe
and secure, to be able to see, hear and smell
from a distance and to look down on everyone
else in the household,” she says.WHY DOES MY CAT ...
LIKE TO CURL UP IN
SMALL SPACES?
This is another perfectly normal feline
behaviour, as Dr Bronwen explains. “Cats like
to curl up in a small space where they can feelCoco’s teddy bear Coco’s teddy bear
obsessionobsession
Coco is a ten-and-a-half-year-old
ginger cat with a unique obsession:
he absolutely loves teddy bears.
“He loves to play fetch with his two
favourite teddy bears — we throw
them, he brings them back,” explains
Coco’s owner, Yvette Salvaris.
“And every night as soon as my
husband and I are in bed and the light is
off , Coco will go and bring his two teddy
bears into our bedroom, place one on
the fl oor on my side of the bed, go back
[to] get the other and put it on the fl oor
on my husband’s side of the bed, then
jump up on the bed and go to sleep.”
Coco’s love of fetching teddy bears
started when he was a kitten, and he
brought his two favourite bears to
his owners when they were watching
TV on the couch Since then, it has
continued. “He picks them up by the
ear/legs/arms and meows while he
brings it to us. It usually gets dropped
at our feet and he hangs around for
praise and a pat. We have even tried
just throwing it back down the hallway
after he brings it to us, and he just
waits a few moments then goes and
brings them back,” Yvette says.
But according to Dr Jo, the reason
for Coco’s behaviour is simple: some
cats simply enjoy a game of fetch.
“The behaviour itself is reinforcing
— either by the owners throwing or by
the behaviour itself exercising the cat
and providing fun. Since the cat enjoys
it, he will keep on doing it. Unless he
is OCD about it, or the owners are
frustrated by it, there’s no need to
change,” she says.PLF071_pg034-038_Why Does My Cat.indd 35PLF071_pg034-038_Why Does My Cat.indd 35 8/22/2017 10:21:11 AM8/22/2017 10:21:11 AM