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Published in the Ithaca Journal on Friday, September 5, 2003
To owner's dismay, tipping glasses is cat's fancy
Spotlight on Pet Behavior
By MICHELLE BAMBERGER
Special to the Journal
Question: My one and a half year old neutered male cat has an obsession with tipping over water glasses. This has gone on for a year. I’ve tried things I probably shouldn’t have, such as tapping him on the hind end and pouring water on him, but he continues to tip glasses. It usually happens with a glass of water I keep by my bed, but he will tip any glass. I scream and yell when he does this, but to no avail (my boyfriend ignores him). Is my cat thirsty? Is my cat trying to seek my attention? Otherwise, he behaves normally. Please help. I have never heard anyone tell a cat story quite like this and I am at my wit’s end.Answer: From your description, it sounds as if you are dealing with a behavioral problem and not a medical problem, however it is still important to have your cat checked over by your veterinarian before proceeding with behavioral management. By doing a physical examination and simple blood tests, your veterinarian will be able to determine if your cat is neurologically sound and in good health.
Whatever the exact cause of your cat’s behavior, try to avoid leaving water glasses unattended or alternatively, place your glass in a spot where it is unlikely to be tipped. If you must place a cup in a vulnerable position, you might try using a mug or cup with suction on the bottom.
You mention that the punishment you have used on your cat doesn’t seem to be effective. It is important to note that punishment for an action must take place immediately after the action but may result in your cat becoming fearful of you or even becoming aggressive towards you; because of this, I don’t recommend it. Instead, try to be a more astute observer of your cat’s behavior just before he is about to pounce on a glass. Does his tail begin to twitch and his ears move from a forward to a side or back position? Any of these postures might indicate that he is aroused and about to act up. If you can begin to predict when he will misbehave, you might try to startle him out of the behavior by shaking a penny can or using an air canister just before he jumps. Once you have startled him, you can then distract him by tossing a toy or waving a cat dancer in his direction. The key to this technique is that your action must take place before he decides to jump and tip a glass; otherwise it is not as effective.
You say that your cat might be thirsty and imply that a water dish is not available in your bedroom. If your cat is knocking over glasses to get at fresh water, you might try adding several water bowls placed in various locations throughout your home and changing them at least once a day. You might also consider making a fresh water system available to your cat.
To determine if your cat’s behavior is truly attention-seeking, stop responding in any way when your cat tips a glass. By this I mean that you should not look at your cat or say anything when this happens; instead, like your boyfriend, you should completely ignore your cat and go about doing what you were doing. If possible, even avoid cleaning up the mess until after the cat has left the room. If you try this suggestion, you might find that your cat’s behavior will worsen before it improves. This is to be expected (especially since your cat’s behavior has been occurring for such a long time) but don’t give in, because if you do, you will have reinforced the behavior even more.
If you do indeed determine that your cat’s behavior is attention-seeking, it is very important that you provide your cat with the attention he craves, but in a positive form. Many cats love to interact with their owners, but turn to inappropriate forms of entertainment when they cannot. You might try spending more playtime with your cat and be sure your cat has a vertical space, such as a kitty condo, and toys that are rotated each month.
Once your cat begins to act appropriately around your water glasses, make sure he knows it. Reward him for good behavior with tasty treats and lots of praise. He will soon learn that it is better to leave your glasses of water alone.
Michelle Bamberger is a veterinarian and owner of Vet Behavior Consults (www.vetbehaviorconsults.com), a practice based in Ithaca and devoted exclusively to solving behavioral problems in small, large and exotic animals. Send questions for her column to mjb57@cornell.edu, mail them Care of Jessica Keltz to The Ithaca Journal, 123 West State St., Ithaca, NY, 14850, or fax them to 277-6845.