Cats and Boxes! Cats are multi-sensory creatures situated on both sides of the ‘predator and prey’ scale. Their chemistry is undeniable. So, why do cats like boxes? Boxes are like enclosed spaces that ensure a feline friend of its safe zone, warm shelter, and an isolated hibernating spot.
While they possess the instinct of being natural hunters, their comparatively smaller size sets them up as potential prey for even larger animals. So, it technically makes sense when our kittens choose a hiding box to protect themselves and monitor others simultaneously.
Let’s look further into the most intriguing factors that make a random cardboard box so compelling to every furry friend!
1. 5 Interesting Reasons To Know About Why Cats Love Boxes
1.1 Boxes Make The Coziest Hiding Spots
Cats are playful animals and love to experiment with new places and spots. However, they value their privacy and comfort above all. Your cat may disappear if it feels overwhelmed or anxious under certain stressful situations like a loud, noisy environment, the sudden appearance of a stranger in the house, or even the arrival of a new pet.
At times like these, they prefer taking a long deep nap in isolation inside one of those unused small cardboard boxes.
Cats generally prefer squeezing themselves in smaller boxes since it helps them retain their body temperature, working as a great insulator. A cat’s normal body heat is way higher than that of a human being, which makes them more desperate to search around for relatively warmer spaces.
This makes a cardboard box the simplest and the cheapest useful tool for our domestic and stray cats out there.
Isn’t Hide and Seek an endearing game to play? Cats will jump around or make a mess around the house to get away with it and conceal themselves in their boxes. They keep you confused about their hiding spot and use it as their strategic sneak attack locations.
Cats love to monitor their surroundings while believing that they are not seen by anyone, even if they have their tails or butt sticking out.
To all the Cat owners with plenty of old empty boxes, it’s time to cheer up!
1.2 Boxes are a Play Thing for Cats
Cats tend to be strangely drawn to a cardboard box for several reasons. As a cat owner, I find it amusing how cats love to scratch, bite, chew or even shred that poor board into pieces within a few seconds.
Your pet cat is bound to be attached to the great texture of the boxes. A few old cardboard boxes could also smell vintage or have a specific scent that cats like being around.
When they dig their sharp nails into the box, it wakes up their hunting pattern as if they are preying on an animal; the process helps reduce stress in most domestic cats.
Other big cats, not typically house cats but rather stray ones, have exposure to the outer world, which is why they would rather hunt down smaller prey than a scratch on a mere cardboard box.
Especially in young cats, the tendency to chew on cardboard boxes or other inedible material is usually high.
Most cats suffer from certain pica disorders in their early chapters of life. It brings out this intense tendency to chew on non-consumable items and stimulate their inner ferocious predatory self.
There are also a few reasons that psychologically prove the chewing habits of these notoriously curious creatures. However, the list of why cats love boxes so much does not end here.
1.3 Boxes are a Mom Cat’s Ideal Nest for Her Babies
Female cats carrying new souls in their bellies find cardboard boxes the loveliest enclosed space to feel safe in.
Many cats find it difficult to wander in wide open spaces with their newborn since there are many ambush predators loitering. It could be dogs or even other wild male cats that can mistake a baby kitten as their potential prey.
Generally, female cats hide their kittens in a well-flapped box when the mother goes out for searching food. These boxes provide the insulation required to keep the babies warm and comfortable until their mother returns.
When Cats need to shift to a safer new environment for appropriate shelters, the mother often puts her babies in hiding places like boxes since cats are open to changes or adaptability.
They take their time with it in cardboard boxes as it greatly reduces their stress levels or anxiety.
It is important for cats to feel safe and secure at their nesting stage; it also affects the children she is carrying. Humans often try to pull out their cats from their boxes, urging them to play with them.
However, it does negatively affects the initial calming composure they had created. All these fun facts signify why cats love boxes so much.
1.4 Boxes are like Anxiety Relievers for Cats
Cats love boxes since they keep them happy and free from anxiety. Simple, right? Due to its enclosed spaces and walls, a box is the epitome of security and leisure for our furry friend.
Even if there is no box, cats tend to hide in small spaces like under the table or at the corner of a closet since a sturdy surface makes them feel protected.
In an originally published cat research experiment, there was a test on two groups of cats. One group was given boxes, and the other wasn’t given anything.
The objective of the experiment was to evaluate their brain functions under stressful situations and how they react under such circumstances.
The experiment results gave us the answer to why cats like boxes this much. Under certain frustrating environments, the cat group with no boxes showed higher anxiety, nervousness, and low mood.
The second cat group with boxes displayed a remarkable difference. They showed significantly lower anxiety levels and were even in a far greater mood than the group.
A Cat’s love for boxes is boundless when there are so many reasons a cardboard box can be useful for them.
However, if your cat chooses to stay in a box for too much of the time, which is getting kind of worrying, then it is recommended to give your cat veterinary medicine or anything crucial to be done.
1.5 Boxes are like their Winter Blankets
Cats like boxes because they provide the optimum warmth they need and crave to feel at home. A cat has a higher body temperature than their human being cat owners, which makes them require a warmer ambiance.
You might often notice on scorching summer days; your cat may be lying on its back facing the sun and bathing in the rays of light while you are suffering due to the heat.
But your feline buddy is on top of the world, enjoying their relaxing moment. It pretty much makes sense. Well, that is why cats prefer being in these brown boxes.
They retain the high body heat of your fellow and help them stay warm and relaxed. Apart from all these factors, they are diversely known for being aloof and introverted creatures.
So, it is understandable if our fluff balls enjoy alone time instead of just jumping around and socializing. As an introverted cat owner, I like my pet cat and am proud!
Check Out: The Top 10 Awesome Reasons To Love Cats!
2. Why do Cats like Boxes?
A feline is such an intellectual being; whether it is about liking a cardboard box or not, everything they do has a sole purpose and a reason. As for the cardboard boxes, our little pets love them because they provide them security, safety, and warmth and as a key source of shelter and relaxation!
Last Updated on by Steffy Michael