tabby pushing things off table

Question
Hi, I have a cat that is almost one year old. He has gotten into the habit of pushing his food dishes, water dishes, and anything else he can find off the tables and I cant figure out a way to make him stop. I come home and his water is all over the place, a food dish that is really an old baby food dish b/c it is heavier is on the floor. I can't get him to stop. Do you have any advice? Thank you. He is a one year old male orange tabby.
-Karen

Answer
Karen,

Your cat's behavior is very normal...for a bored kitty and for an orange cat. The orange cats seem to be more mischevious and energetic, AND have a lot of personality.

The smarter the cat is the more it needs mental stimulation. Also cats need a kitty friend for company, comfort, and companionship. A single kitty can get into a lot of mischief trying to keep itself amused. And humans can't play kitty games like another cat can. It's not good to have a cat TOO dependant on human companionship. Plus, 2 cats are easier to care for than one because it takes the pressure off of you to keep the cat amused.

He needs toys to bat around, like stuffed toy mice; ping pong balls in the bathtub (with the drain plugged) is fun for them; videos for cats (my cats love them!), here is a link where I got mine:

http://petsittervideos.com/index.html

A kitty condo in front of a window that he can climb and look outside; maybe a secure cage with gerbils, mice, or lizards that he can watch and safely try to 'hunt', a raw beef rib bone (I have the butcher cut them in half for me) for him to chew on (the fibers help clean the teeth) and they are like a 'fresh kill' to a cat.

Also get a pet laser light or a shoe string to pull and play with him when you come home.

He needs your attention too, and knocking his dishes on the floor is one way he found to get it. Is there a reason the dishes can't be on the floor or where he can't knock them off? Or get some heavy ceramic bowls from PetSmart, Petco, etc. that he can't move.

These are some suggestions. I hope they give you some ideas. A friend for him about the same age and temperament (after a 2 week introduction period) combined with the above toy ideas should give you a happy, well adjusted kitty.

Tabbi