Why do cats love boxes so much?
Cats love cardboard boxes - size and color don't matter! Our cats may prefer this simple and very inexpensive accessory to the most expensive and advanced toys. For a normal psychophysical state, it is vital for them to settle down in confined spaces, and banal penny cardboards are the most convenient option for this.
Cats choose cardboards - and do the right thing!
Why is this so? There are many versions, but there is no clear answer. But don’t let this stop you from giving your pet another box in which he will feel:
- comfortable and warm;
- interesting and fun;
- calm and reliable;
- cozy, like in childhood.
A box is the best gift for your cat
In an ordinary cardboard box, oddly enough, cats feel safer and more comfortable than anywhere else. Here, in their opinion, they are guaranteed to be protected.
What I think about is how beautiful I am
A love of boxes is a trait of all cats.
An inexplicable love for boxes is inherent in all cats, not just our pets. Many zoos and safari parks are now actively offering the boxes they adore to large predators.
Photo gallery: packaging for a big cat
A lion cub is the same as a kitten; it is safe and secure for him to sleep in a box.
Even the formidable jaguar wants to feel small
The tiger demanded a larger box - can you really refuse him?
For the lynx, the box became both a crib and an observation post
The leopard slightly expanded the box to fit its dimensions
Cheetah with cubs - it’s convenient to raise children in a box
The caracal chose a box to match the color of its skin - what a great disguise!
Video: reasons for cats' love of boxes
The box is an ideal place for an ambush
Nothing can be done against nature - our charming domestic, completely tame cats, by nature, were and remain passionate hunters. In natural habitats, many feline predators can hide in shelters for a long time, waiting for prey, and then, choosing an opportune moment, quickly attack from an ambush.
A cardboard box is the best springboard for an attack
Cats do not necessarily hunt to satisfy their hunger. Cats walking on their own—that is, cats that are walking on their own and are well-fed—often bring birds, lizards, mice, and even rats they have killed as gifts to their owners. Look, they say, I caught this myself, played with it a little and brought it to you - help yourself, dear!
But a lazy apartment cat, who has neither enemies nor prey, can easily put on a show in which the terrible enemy will be a towel falling on the floor, and the prey, for example, will be the owner’s legs... And our hero will picturesquely begin to jump out of the box, take incredible poses and fearlessly rush to attack! However, you have probably observed all this yourself, and more than once.
In a protected box
Pleasant childhood memories of cats - about an affectionate mother, tasty milk, funny games with brothers and sisters - are most often associated with the cardboard box where the “birthing center” was set up. That is, the box seems to them to be an ideal shelter in order to escape from various stressful situations.
For kittens, a box is a home
The nature of an adult cat is such that, unlike a dog, it prefers not to solve problems that have arisen, but to get away from them. In this sense, a magic cardboard box is an ideal shelter, because it helps not only to hide from reality, but to briefly return to a happy, problem-free childhood, where all difficulties were solved as if on their own.
Such behavioral strategies were studied by Claudia Vincke, a veterinary scientist from Holland. Ethological studies were carried out in several cat shelters and concerned the rapid social adaptation of animals in trouble. So, cats that had the opportunity to hide in boxes came out of stress much easier and more calmly accepted new living conditions and new owners.
No matter how hard cats try to seem proud and self-sufficient, they really miss their owners. When you leave home for the whole day to go to work, in your haste you often forget to even pet your pet goodbye. And he will become sad all the time while you are gone.
Master, I miss you - come back to whom you told!
How does a pet spend its leisure time when left alone at home? Some people will simply fall asleep, while others will cause chaos in their apartment out of boredom. But both of them would absolutely love a cardboard box for sleeping and playing - preferably not a brand new one, but one in which the beloved owner kept his things for at least a short time.
Video: cat hide and seek
Box - heat generator
Cats are very thermophilic. And this is by no means a whim of a pampered animal - the temperature comfort zone for a cat is in the range from 30 to 36 degrees, which is much higher than the usual human norm. That’s why pets so often cling to their owner, his warm hands, and love to crawl under the blanket with him.
Who is where - and I’m in the house, it’s warm here
There is a version according to which the most ancient ancestors of modern domestic cats lived in hot desert areas. That is why their current descendants still love to bask in the sun, do not tolerate cold well and, by the way, consume very little water - unless, of course, they eat dry food.
Due to the peculiarities of its structure, corrugated cardboard acts as a thermos and retains the cat’s body heat well. Hence the funny predilection for cramped, obviously oversized cardboard boxes - they simply have less heat loss. This same property of cardboard boxes also explains how elderly animals with sore joints like to climb into them: they set up a “physiotherapy room” here with warming up their paws.
Boxes help keep cats much-needed warmth
Video: why cats hide
Cat hiding places in nature
For a person, a box is a capacious container and nothing more. For a cat, a box is a real refuge.
The box is a shelter for cats
All modern cats, both purebred and stray, have a wild forest cat in their ancestors. This is a fairly large fluffy animal, a dexterous hunter that attacks not only birds and rodents, but even roe deer, competing with lynx.
The wild forest cat is found in European and Caucasian deciduous forests. A wild cat has excellent hearing and vision, but its sense of smell is a little weaker, and it is impossible to be on guard 24 hours a day. Of course, she does not build houses for herself and does not dig holes, but she willingly takes refuge from bad weather and enemies under fallen trees, in hollows, abandoned fox and badger holes. Even a dense interweaving of branches, a rocky depression, a densely overgrown island in a floodplain, or a small hole will do. A wild cat is unlikely to sleep on an open lawn - it will climb higher on a tree or hide.
Cats feel calmer in a box
A wild cat waits out bad weather in its den; it may not go out hunting for up to three days. Female wild forest cats arrange a secluded place, preparing it for future kittens: they drag dry leaves, bird feathers and grass there. In such a cozy den, the kittens will be safe and the cat will be calm.
Favorite places for cats to hide and seek
Of course, in the ranking of cat preferences, cardboard boxes lead without any competition. In second place in popularity are... plastic bags. Why - this is definitely a mystery, especially since most of the above versions cannot be adapted to the package.
The package rustles so funny - I’m afraid and I’ll scare everyone!
Like any children, kittens are great inventors. No matter how many toys and houses you buy for them, they will definitely find something new for themselves. And you can definitely make a house out of anything!
Kittens can adapt almost any object into a house
Domestic cats are incredibly inventive - for hiding and playing, they adapt the most unexpected and inconvenient, from our point of view, places and objects.
Photo gallery: cats in the most unexpected places
Cat in a bag - an extra hole won't hurt
Kitten in a boot - both warm and smells like the owner
Cats sometimes hide in the most unexpected places
Kittens in bowls - so you definitely won’t miss lunch
Master, when you leave, take me with you
Cat in a flowerpot - I’ll lie down and warm the flower
The cat is in the sink - ready for water treatments!
A cat in a terrarium - it’s so beautiful here - warm and dry!
Cat in a stump - why not?
Owners of secret hideout lovers need to be careful
Video: where else do cats like to hide?
The nature of cats: what makes studying their behavior difficult?
Modern cats, well known to everyone, are very “old” animals. They came to us thousands of years ago from hot desert regions.
This fact suggests that cats are very hardy and intelligent creatures.
2 main reasons why cats are afraid of cucumbers
Today, every second family has a pet, and in more than 35% of cases it is a cat.
But I hasten to note that the trend towards the popularity of cats was not evident at all times.
In ancient times, cats were highly respected and were often even considered sacred animals. But the current demand for felines only increased by 1950. It was at this time, about 50 years ago, that the cat became the most popular pet, and in many countries it remains so to this day.
As cats began to be brought home more and more often as pets, researchers began to actively study the preferences, nature and behavior of cats.
But, as it turned out later, studying cats is not at all easy. The actions of cats sometimes cannot be explained at all, which gives rise to a lot of controversy regarding certain feline actions.
Scientists from all over the world have come to the conclusion that cats are very smart and “independent” animals, so many aspects of their behavior remain a mystery.
Desire for privacy
Cats are loners. In the wild, they do not live in herds and always defend their territory. They adapt quite easily to family life, but sometimes they still need the opportunity to retire, to feel like they are “at home.” And if people need a separate room for this purpose, then a small box is perfect for a cat. It allows you to simultaneously be isolated from other family members and continue to observe them.
Remember how you felt as a child when you built houses out of blankets and pillows, and you will perfectly understand the cat’s desire to lie down in a box!
Dangers that an animal may encounter when playing with bags
After playing, your pet may tear the bag and swallow part of it. Polyethylene is very negatively perceived by the cat's digestive tract, especially if the animal is older than 7 years.
Important! Self-medication and attempts to induce vomiting are unacceptable; it is important to contact a veterinarian as soon as possible.
A piece of cellophane stuck in the throat can cause a cat to suffocate, so postponing a visit to the clinic in the hope that it will go away on its own is unacceptable.
Sacks, boxes, bags - these are the best resting places for cats
Why do they chew packages?
Plastic packaging attracts pets no less than cardboard packaging. There are times when a pet furiously tears a plastic bag with its teeth. This does not mean that he lacks any substances or is sick. Not at all: if you are sick, have a vitamin deficiency or feel unwell, the cat is not interested in the bag. The animal entertains itself this way, because, you see, the owner often pays too little attention to it.
The cat begins its play by rustling and often by tossing a package. While entertaining herself, she may give in to her predatory instincts, similar to those when she plays with a mouse. Other individuals like the way their claws dig into the polyethylene. If the cat seriously chews or even eats the bag, most likely there was something edible in it, which left an attractive smell for it. For the same reason, the cat licks bags.
The benefits and harms of such entertainment
Anyone who has at least once tried to present a cardboard box to their cat will make such gifts again and again. And indeed, they have a lot of advantages for your pet:
Kittens get used to boxes from the very first days of their lives, which is why they help the animals calm down.
The cat bed problem is very easy to solve.
The cat is warm, cozy, calm and interesting in this life-saving box made of the most ordinary packaging cardboard. Even very small kittens in such a shelter perceive their new living conditions much more easily and get used to them faster.
There are few disadvantages, but they exist. Don’t chase beauty - a bright multi-colored box can be dangerous, especially for animals prone to allergies. Modern printing, unfortunately, often uses toxic inks - if a cat tastes such cardboard, it can get sick. Banal corrugated cardboard boxes are much safer, even if they are not very beautiful.
However, even with such harmless cardboard, a cat is quite capable of clogging its stomach - if, after playing too much, it chews off too much of it. Watch the animal and do not allow it to do this.
Instincts
Don't forget: cats are predators by nature. Hunting instincts do not disappear when animals live with people in comfortable conditions. Cats ambush their prey, and boxes are perfect for jumping out and grabbing prey at the right moment. This conclusion was made by pet experts. Unfortunately, the owner's legs are often the prey. The cat will probably like other things that can be safely played with, for example, special toys with feathers.
Cats' Increased Attachment to Boxes: Alternative Explanations
Not only scientists and biologists around the world were interested in the increased sympathy of cats for boxes. Veterinarians, psychologists and simply pet lovers have also taken up this issue.
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Based on certain facts, they named 3 more reasons why cats may have a “passion” for boxes.
They believe that a cat box is:
- A fun and unusual way to spend your leisure time.
Many people and psychologists are sure that cats sometimes live too boringly, especially if they live in apartments in big cities. There is nowhere to go for a walk, and the owners are often busy with work or are completely absent from home for a long time. It turns out that a box is great entertainment for a pet: you can hide in it, live in it, or scare it.
- Something that reminds them of nature.
Most cats prefer cardboard containers, which have their own specific smell. For many cats, psychologists believe, it is associated with the smell of wood, and therefore with nature. In the past, cats lived in caves, and often in trees.
- A familiar environment from childhood.
A large number of people who keep a pet in the house noted that from an early age they put their babies in a box, where they spent at least 50% of their time. It turns out that a box for a cat is a familiar environment, which the animals themselves perceive as a place of residence.
It seems to me that each of the above reasons has a right to exist. Perhaps for one cat this is indeed a habit, but for another it is a way to keep warm. But this is not the main thing. The most important thing is that this item brings joy to the pet, which means you shouldn’t take away such an important gift from him.
How to make sure your cat will like the box?
Have you been raising a pet for many years, but until now you didn’t know if he likes boxes?
There is an easy way to find out by following 3 simple steps.
| Steps | Description |
| Step 1. | Bring home a matching box. By “suitable” I mean the desired format and container size. |
| Step 2. | Get your pet's attention. Show him the box and let him smell it. |
| Step 3. | Leave your pet alone with the box and watch from afar how the animal behaves. If there is a liking for the box, then the pet will immediately settle into it. If there is no sympathy, your cat is truly unique. |
By the way, many cats, in the absence of boxes, are attracted to other similar objects. For example, large jars, flower pots, shells and even wide shoes.
If there is a box in the house, then it doesn’t matter what size it is. Even if the pet does not fit into it, it will at least try to occupy its territory with its paws.
Common versions of why cats love boxes:
Safety
In the eyes of people, cats are touching fluffy creatures that can be petted and held on your lap. The pets themselves present themselves as real predators of the savannah. Like the big cats, they need shelter. “Cats try to squeeze into small open spaces, where they feel safe. This is much more comfortable than staying outdoors, where animals are in danger,” say scientists from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Plus, the box is warm, which reminds the cats of the time they spent with their mother. Place a blanket or towel in your pet's favorite box to make it more comfortable.
