A throw blanket, a duvet, and a box. What do these three things have in common? Before you answer that question ask yourself, why do cats like being in boxes?
So if your throw, and duvet bring you comfort, then that cardboard box in the corner brings your cat comfort too! A plain old cardboard box doesn’t hold the same attraction and excitement now that you’re an adult as it did when you were a kid, but cats sure do love them.
Boxes seem to hold a strange power over cats who use them for hiding, ankle ravaging sneak attacks, or just another bed to sleep in. It doesn’t matter what size the box is, big, small, or irregular. Placed on the ground, in a chair, or on a bookshelf, a fluffy McSqueezebox is going to get in it!
Cats are to boxes like a cowboy is to wrangling horses and that’s about as true as it gets. According to experts, cats being in boxes is a form of comfort, and from an evolutionary standpoint it’s the side pressure cats find comforting. Let’s explore further this fascination cats have with boxes.
Table of Contents
The Cat Security Box.
First and foremost, cats are incredible hunters but at the same time they are also hunted at all times (perceptively). Your cat will use the concealment of a box to give itself the advantage of being covered from predators.
Kitty is able to see things coming and since they are in the cover of a box they feel those things won’t be able to see them, thus giving them a feeling of safety.
On the other side of that concealment, as a hunter they now have the advantage oftentimes of being able to surprise their prey since they can’t be seen, such as previously stated when they dash out from the box and attack your ankles.
A box serves as the best place for your kitty to stalk and pounce on prey from a hidden position. Have you ever noticed how your kitty has a favorite toy hidden in their box? That’s because since cats are solitary hunters, they like to bring their prey back to where they can eat it safely.
Keeps Kitty Warm
Cats are not that particularly good at regulating their own body temperature as well as some other animals. Cats need to maintain a body temperature of above 90 degrees in order to ward off hyperthermia (cats normal body temperature ranges from 100.4 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit).
Cardboard boxes do an excellent job of retaining heat and that makes it one of your cats favorite places since it helps them retain body heat. Outdoor cats crave the insulation of boxes since they also provide shelter from the weather.
Your indoor kitty, although well cared for, will also feel an instinctual need for shelter.
Helps Lower Your Cats Anxiety
Cats can be affected by different types of stressors which are unhealthy for your cat. Research conducted on the impact of stress on shelter cats due to environmental changes showed that shelter cats became reclusive and withdrawn.
The study further showed that when the cats were given a place to hide such as a cardboard box it allowed them to at least temporarily adjust to the new surroundings.
By providing your cat with access to a place that helps them to feel calm and safe during times of stress and anxiety or when looking for solitude, access to a box was the solution they needed.
Boxes allow your cats to minimize the amount of time that they experience moments of stress and aids in quickly normalizing them back to a happy environment.
They Like To Sleep In Boxes
Cats enjoy sleeping in boxes simply because it provides them with a stress free shelter and it helps keep them warm. Your kitty enters into a box and sees a safe and luxurious cave.
Boxes are a safe space that gives your kitty somewhere to escape, and sleep. Cats love the feeling of those four sides as they squeeze into a box so small they have no business trying to get into. Cats are also nesters’, so creating that nest is something they enjoy doing.
They’re Great For Scratching
Cats love to mark their territory, and that includes their favorite box. Cats love the texture of a cardboard box, which is evident by the number of cardboard scratchers you can find on the market.
The corrugated edges are absolutely perfect for your kitty to sink their claws into, scratch, and get a good stretching from. Your kitty loves nothing better than to turn that cardboard into their favorite cat scratch box.
The Box Zone – (For All Anti-social Activities)
There are times when your kitty does not want to deal with any conflict, and would much rather avoid others or decrease their activity in an attempt to bypass all that extra-ness.
Your kitty is more inclined to not work things out and rather just run away from their problems and avoid them altogether. After all, who wants to deal with any hostility, and anxiety when you have a nice box to go to and not be bothered with unwanted attention.
Loved By Cats Of All Sizes
Interestingly enough, boxes are not just loved and enjoyed by domestic cats, big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, etc…) also go crazy for cardboard boxes. Big cats behave in exactly the same way with boxes as normal sized cats do. It just goes to show that no feline is immune from the effects of seeing a box.
Conclusion
Cats are attracted to enclosed spaces for safety and comfort. There are so many added benefits to your cat having access to boxes, not to mention the zero impact it has to your cat’s maintenance expenses.
Boxes are a great way for your cat to entertain themselves without you (in addition to allotted playtime). They are a great source for stress management and relief for your kitty.
Boxes satisfy your cats instinct to seek shelter from weather and provide protection against predators, and cover for when stalking prey. That just might make a box the most versatile tool in your kitty toy box.