If you’re a cat parent, chances are you’ve witnessed your feline friend deliberately knocking a cherished item onto the ground, over and over and over again. Right? It’s kind of cute the first time, but then it’s like… HEY, STOP THAT! The video above shows a conniving kitty toying with our emotions in this very way. They seem to have a knack for finding the breakable stuff, too (and I don’t think this is all in my head). The sound of shattering glass is alarming, sure, but then they come back for round two later. So what the hell is this behavior about?

According to Dr. Katherine Houpt, a professor of veterinary behavior at Cornell University, “they do it because they can.” I’m imaging the smile on her face when she told this to Upvoted, because come on, it’s funny. She says that sometimes cats do it for attention, often in the middle of the night. But this behavior could be instinctual rather than learned. Apparently lion cubs do it too, to practice hunting. I guess it makes sense; we’ve all seen a domesticated cat use their paws to swat at pests before (ever so gracefully) capturing them. Knocking over our precious things is just a way for cats to practice their hunting skills in the safety of home. Awww.

To nip this problem in the bud, you could outfit your house with fishing pole toys. But isn’t the amusing behavior of your cat one of the reasons you got him or her in the first place? Reach out on Twitter to tell us all about your cat’s kooky habits, or make a comment below.

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HT: Upvoted

IMAGE: YouTube/GoalsGoalsGoals