A cat never met an object at rest that it didn’t want to knock over an edge—and that’s science! At least, according to the dad of YouTube cats Porky Belly and Jim.
“The laws of cat physics say, ‘if an object is at rest at the edge of a table, the cat must knock it down,'” he says into the camera. He then, of course, puts this rule to the test.
🐶🐱 SIGN UP to get “pawsitivity” delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends🐾🐾
The video starts immediately with Jim knocking over a dry-erase marker, as if on cue.
First up, officially, is a paper towel roll.
“Jim leaves the big ones to Porky,” the video caption reads as we watch Porky Belly stalk stealthily up to the paper towel tower. After a few gentle sniffs, the roll goes flying over the edge. The law seems to hold intact.
We watch as Jim pushes over a bottle of painkillers, then Porky makes quick work of a USB flash drive.
As the video continues, we see the technique advance. At first, Jim pretends he’s not interested in an earbud case, but because these are the laws of cat physics, the earbuds must fall—and they do!
Jim even knocks down a watch! Good thing his dad catches it before it falls to the floor.
All the tests were passed with flying colors. Sir Isaac Newton would certainly be proud.
Related: These ‘Catlympics’ on TikTok Are Impressive and Have Us Cracking Up
Why Do Cats Push Things Off Edges?
As with many cat behaviors and characteristics, the urge to push something off a counter or tabletop stems from their hunting instincts.
Cats are predators, after all, and swatting at items around the house is just like swatting at prey in the wild. It helps your cat check the object for any movement or weakness, which, of course, doesn’t matter so much when the object is inanimate, but how will a cat know unless it tries?
That’s the other thing about cats. They’re very curious, and their sensitive paws reveal a lot about the world around them.
Cats also learn that this gets your attention. If your cat is pushing a bunch of stuff off the table, maybe it’s time to take a play break.
Pushing items off edges is also a sign of boredom, so play with your cat often and offer enriching activities, and your cat will be a lot less pushy—hopefully.
If your cat doesn’t stop pushing stuff off the table? Hey, those are just the laws of cat physics.
This story was originally published by PawNation on Apr 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add PawNation as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
