Literally no one knows why domestic cats do anything and they’re lying if they tell you otherwise.
That said, cats are predators, with a strong hunting instinct. When a prey animal, such as a mouse, is scared, it’ll often freeze; hiding in plain sight, trying to look uninteresting until the threat has passed.
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So, when a cat bats a tabletop item, such as a pen or a pair of glasses, they could be testing it to see if it will unfreeze and flee.
Think of it as an ‘I wonder if I can chase and chomp it’ test. Also, the cat might just be bored.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Fraser Walsh, Birmingham) 'Why do cats love knocking stuff off tables?'
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