It doesn’t matter if you own a cat or not, I’m sure you’ve seen many hilarious pictures of cats in boxes. Cats love to play in them, sleep in them, hide in them, or simply push them around on the floor.
When the mailman comes by our house, it’s not just me who gets excited, but also my cats! They love plain old cardboard boxes more than their (rather expensive) cat scratchers. If you’ve ever wondered why that is, now is the time to find out!
A Box Is Your Cat’s Private Spot
Even though you provide your cat with everything from comfy cat beds to giant cat trees, it will still pick out a random box to take a nap in. Even though some people find this behavior strange, it is actually quite common.
Cats are known for their love of crawling into or through narrow spaces. When you think of it, it makes purrfect sense! Tight spaces provide us with a sense of security, and sometimes, that’s just what our cats need!
Your Cat Is Not Only Safe, It’s Warm Too
Other than feeling safe and secure, the box provides your cat with warmth. As strange as it may sound, boxes are actually great insulators, and once your cat finds itself a comfy box, he will stick with it.
My cat spent the entire last winter curled up in a box. Lucky him!
A Cat In A Box Keeps The Stress Away
If you’ve ever owned a cat, you know how stressed cats can sometimes be. When a cat is under stress, it will seek refuge somewhere snug, warm, and dark. Any clue where that might be? A box, of course!
Most cats hide in a box when they first get to their new home, or when they get scared by other pets, or house guests, for example. It is always a good idea to keep a cardboard box somewhere in the house, in case your cat ever needs it.
Just take a look at the photo below, does this cat look stressed to you?
Believe It Or Not, It’s Every Cat’s Instinct
Cats are known for their natural hunting instincts, which they inherit from their wild ancestors. However, what most people fail to realize is that wild cats hide while preying on an animal they’re about to hunt.
Similarly, our domestic cats love to hide inside a box during playtime. It provides them with the perfect place to hide and wait for the perfect pounce on their “prey”.
If you don’t believe me that this is your cat’s natural instinct, check out the video below that will definitely change your mind…
It’s Just FUN!
We’ve all been kids, and I’m sure you can still remember those good times you’ve had playing and building forts out of cardboard boxes. My mom would come home with a new toy, but the box would turn out to be the best part! Almost every time!
There are just so many things you can do with a box. This applies to your cat’s playtime too! Cats are easily entertained, and when they are introduced to a box, where does the fun end?
Cats can pounce on it, hide in it, jump in and out, push the box, and so much more. Boxes come in many shapes and sizes, as well as providing intriguing scents for your cat to experience. Every new box will be more exciting than the last!
For more funny videos, take a look at this compilation of what I call “If I fits, I sits”, in the following video.
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