9 Scientific Reasons a Cardboard Box Is a Cat's Best Friend

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Expert-backed reasons kitties crave cardboard
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If you've spent any time at all on the internet, you're no doubt familiar with the fact that cats of all shapes and sizes love boxes. You could spend hours watching videos of cats embodying the mantra "if I fits, I sits" and still barely scratch the tip of the iceberg. But what is it about boxes (and in some cases bags) that gets cats so fixated? Science has some answers! Plus, we have tips from veterinarians and cat behavior experts to help you understand what your cat digs about boxes so you can make their experience even better.

Why do cats like boxes?

For a cat, a box represents comfort and shelter. Cardboard is cushiony and insulating, while also being smooth enough not to snag the cat's fur. The porous material absorbs the cat's smell and is delightful for cats to scratch and chew. Boxes are great for cats as long as you remove any strings or staples.

Section 1 of 2:

Reasons Cats Love Boxes

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  1. Studies show boxes help cats deal with stressful situations. Cats don't handle stress very well and they tend to get really frightened when they're in new and unfamiliar situations—but a box can really help! This was shown by a study of new feline arrivals to a Dutch animal shelter. Researchers observed that cats with access to a box were less anxious and adapted to their surroundings more quickly than cats without boxes. [1]
    • Make it even better: A soft blanket or towel in the bottom of the box can help it feel more cozy. Your cat can also burrow under the blanket if they feel the need for even more protection.
    • A smaller box might also give a cat a greater sense of control.
    • Certified feline training and behavior specialist Molly DeVoss notes that "whiskers pressed flat back on the face and a lowered tail or crouched position indicate a cat is unsure of its surroundings." If you see your cat acting like this, a box might help!
  2. Cats need a warmer environment than most humans find comfortable. All mammals have a thermoneutral zone , the temperature range where they don't have to burn energy to maintain their body temperature. For cats, this ranges between 30C and 38C (86F–101F)—considerably warmer than most people keep their homes! This means that your pet cats are probably constantly cold. Corrugated cardboard is an amazing insulator that helps trap your cat's body heat so they don't have to expend as much energy to keep themselves warm. [2]
    • Make it even better: A soft blanket or pillow that your cat can curl up with can help make the box even warmer and more snuggly.
    • Keep in mind that because cats are a lot smaller and weigh a lot less than you, cardboard actually feels like a memory foam mattress to them—it's very soft and cushiony, with just enough give.
    • The smaller the box, the warmer the cat—that's because curling up tightly helps a cat naturally conserve body heat.
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  3. Cats in the wild need a sheltered spot to hide from predators. "Cats hold the unique designation of being both" predator and prey, explains certified dog and cat trainer Russell Hartstein. "They can get attacked by birds of prey or other animals," he continues. A box can shield a cat from view overhead. Cats also sleep a lot (between 11 and 13 hours a day!) and need a place that's safe enough for them to relax and sleep. [3]
    • Make it even better: Cat trainer and behavior consultant Jessica Char recommends that you "hide treats there, put their toys there, [and] give them attention there."
    • The ground might not be the place where your cat feels most protected. "Because cats are both predator and prey, it's in their nature to want to be on high ground so they can see danger coming," explains DeVoss.
    • If your cat runs to counters or jumps on top of shelves frequently, try putting a box in a high place for them. "It's natural for them to want to be up high," agrees Char, "so make sure… they have appropriate places to be up off the ground, so they can kind of see the world."
  4. Cats are ambush hunters and need spots to hide and wait. Fitting for a creature that serves as both predator and prey in the wild, cats prefer to hide out of sight and catch their prey unawares. The element of surprise allows the cat to get the upper hand. If your cat has ever launched out of the top of a box towards your unsuspecting legs as you walked by, you know this use all too well. [4]
    • Make it even better: Play with your cat by dangling a toy around the box and teasing your cat with it. Just remember to let your cat catch its "prey" every once in a while!
    • When cats are playing with toys, they're actually practicing their hunting skills. Hartstein explains that cats do this in the wild as well, "wearing the prey down and 'playing' with them… [because] exhausting the prey makes it easier" to kill and ingest.
  5. Cardboard absorbs pheromones from glands in your cat's face. When cats rub their cheeks or flutter their tails on a box, they're releasing pheromones that tell the feline world this box is their territory. This is important because cats are territorial creatures—marking their territory is something cats need to do, and something as simple as a cardboard box can fulfill that need. [5]
    • Make it even better: You might experiment by poking holes in one side of the box or propping up the flaps of the box to give your cat different edges and openings to rub on.
  6. Cats tend to run away from anything they don't like. Cat behavior is pretty simple in this respect—if cats don't like something, they get as far away from it as they can. Having a place to hide makes life less stressful for them and allows them to avoid conflict. This is especially important if you have more than one cat. [6]
    • Make it even better: If you have more than one cat, offer a separate box or hiding place for each of them.
    • If you hear hissing or growling coming from the box, give your cat space. "Hissing is a warning that indicates a cat is feeling fear or a threat," explains DeVoss. "Cats will growl when they want to scare off a potential threat."
    • "If you think your cat is frightened or upset," Char advises, "give them some space to calm down and some time… just give them a chance to show you when they're ready to re-approach you."
  7. Cats naturally want to inspect anything new in their environment—including a box. Curiosity is one of a cat's basic personality traits. [7] When they see a box for the first time, they'll automatically be interested in checking it out to see what's inside and around it and how it works.
    • Make it even better: Change up boxes on a somewhat regular basis. Choose boxes of different shapes and sizes to stimulate your cat's curiosity.
    • DeVoss notes that "ears and whiskers forward, with an upright tail and tall stance, suggest a cat is curious and happy."
  8. Cats enjoy scratching and playing with the box. Cats need to scratch to trim their nails (plus it just feels good!), and cardboard provides the perfect material. Cats love to puncture the cardboard with their claws and the pointed edges of their little teeth, digging and snarling. They also enjoy playing with toys or even with their own tail, pouncing and flopping around. [8]
    • Make it even better: Toss some of your cat's favorite toys in the box or hide treats in the box to keep it interesting and stimulating.
    • If you want to encourage your cat to scratch on the box instead of on a piece of furniture, "make a nice environment around [it]," Hartstein advises, "with catnip or silvervine or honeysuckle or whatever the case may be. And then, all of a sudden, they're going there" instead of ruining your furniture.
  9. Research shows cats even gravitate to a box-shaped outline on the floor. It turns out that even if you place shapes on the floor to represent the corners of a box, domestic cats still sit in the box—even when the sides of the box aren't clearly marked! You can even try out a similar experiment at home with your own cat and see the phenomenon firsthand. [9]
    • The study was inspired by a 2017 internet phenomenon in which cat owners made squares on the floor in masking tape to see if their cats would sit in them (Spoiler alert: they did). [10]
    • Science can't yet explain what it is that attracts cats to this particular shape, even if it doesn't offer actual shelter or protection.
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Section 2 of 2:

Are cardboard boxes good for cats?

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  1. While science might not have unpacked all the mysteries surrounding the feline fascination with boxes, one thing's for sure—a box is a cat's best friend. Cardboard is an inexpensive material that cats can destroy as much as they want. It relieves their stress, makes them feel safe and comfortable, and helps them stay warm.
    • If you're taking care of a cat , place an empty cardboard box for them in an out-of-the-way place. Watch how they use it to get ideas for how to make it even better for them.
    • Make sure you remove any staples, string, or exposed tape before you give the box to your cat so you don't have to worry about them getting hurt.
    • Swap out boxes every once in a while so your cat has a new box to explore and destroy.

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      Warnings

      • Remove any staples or sharp edges from the box before you give it to your cat. You might also want to trim off any extra tape that's hanging off. Make sure there's nothing on or around the box that your cat could get hurt on.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159114002366
      2. ↑ https://veterinaryirelandjournal.com/small-animal/333-the-heat-is-on-the-feline-tnz
      3. ↑ https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-cats-sleep-so-much
      4. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016815912100160X
      5. ↑ https://www.catwatchnewsletter.com/behavior/scent-marking-and-what-it-means/
      6. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159121000083
      7. ↑ https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0183455
      8. ↑ https://www.humaneworld.org/en/resources/how-stop-cats-destructive-scratching
      9. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159121001258?via=ihub
      1. ↑ https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/05/what-cats-love-of-boxes-and-squares-can-tell-us-about-their-visual-perception/

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