Cats are very playful animals, capable of distracting themselves with anything they find that seems a little curious to them. Many times we spend money on expensive toys for cats, and they tend to be more interested in simple balls of paper or pens, for example, than in a doll designed especially for felines.
The same goes for sleeping beds. Has it not happened to you that your cat prefers to spend the day or night inside an empty box, than in his own fluffy bed? This is something that amuses the owners of felines, who cannot explain this behavior.
To clear up your doubts once and for all, on our site we want to talk to you about Why do cats like boxes?You will see that this is not a whim on the part of your kitty, but that he has very justified reasons for preferring cardboard boxes.
You don't like your bed?
The scene is typical: you just bought a new bed for your cat, or a toy, and your cat prefers to use the box the item came in, and not the item itself. Sometimes this is often frustrating for owners, who have carefully chosen a gift for their kitty.
In cases like these, don't be discouraged: your cat thanks you for bringing home such a perfect box just for him This does not mean that he does not appreciate the other things you have achieved for him, much less that he is ungrateful. The box, despite its simplicity, brings together a series of irresistible attractions that can be difficult for a human to guess.
6 reasons why cats like boxes:
Now yes, the time has come to reveal the charm that cats see in that cardboard box in which your last appliance came, and from which your cat does not seem to want to part. There are several factors that make it the perfect toy/house for your feline:
1. The survival instinct
Although it is very unlikely that cats will encounter something that wants to harm them inside houses and apartments, the instinct to stay safe from predators persists, which is the same one that often leads them to prefer high places at bedtime. Remember that they spend a large part of the day sleeping, so to be calm they must find a place that gives them a sense of security.
The same thing happens with boxes: for your cat it's like a cave where he can feel safe from any danger, plus to allow him to isolate himself from the outside world and become a space just for him, in which he can be calm and enjoy solitude.
two. The hunt
Maybe your cat seems like a cute little animal to you, with its shiny fur, cute whiskers and adorable paw pads. However, you must remember that in a wild environment the cat is a hunting animal, a natural predator of smaller beings.
From the darkness of his box/cave, the cat feels that is lying in wait for his next prey, ready to surprise it in any time, no matter if it is a toy that you show yourself, a human leg or some insect that passes in front of its hiding place. To be in the box is to remember his hunting spirit.
3. Temperature
Surely you have noticed that your cat loves to lie in the sun, hide between the sheets or sofa cushions, and even inside the cupboards. This happens because his body needs to be at a temperature of about 36 degrees Celsius, so he looks for the best places to keep warm and comfortable
Cardboard boxes, because of the very material from which they are made, provide a warm and warm refuge for the animal, so it is not surprising that they go crazy as soon as they see one inside the house.
4. Curiosity
It is completely true that cats are very curious, anyone who has one at home will have seen it: they always want to smell, bite and stick their heads inside or near those things that seem new and interesting, so if you've bought something that comes wrapped in a box you'll want to find out what it is
5. Box
The texture of the material of the box is perfect so that the cat can scratch and bite, which you have surely noticed that he loves it. Also, it can sharpen its claws and mark its territory with ease.
6. Stress
Interestingly, a recent study conducted by researchers from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Utrecht, located in the Netherlands, revealed that another reason why cats like boxes is because it helps them manage stress.
The investigation was carried out in an animal shelter, where they chose 19 cats that had just entered the shelter, a situation that usually makes cats nervous when they find themselves in a new place, surrounded by people and of so many unknown animals.
Of the chosen group, 10 were given boxes and another 9 were not. After a few days, it was concluded that those cats that had had a box adapted more quickly than those that had not, since it allowed them to have a place of their own to get away from when the environment made them flustered. This, of course, thanks to all the positive features that we already mentioned that cats like so much.
