Have you come home with a cardboard box and your cat has gone straight for it? Whatever the breed, a cat always falls for a cardboard box to sleep, hide, scratch or play. And seeing that moment, you may have asked yourself: Why do cats like cardboard boxes ? Keep reading, we are going to try to answer this question so that when he does it again you can empathize with him more.

therapeutic effects

Being a closed space, cardboard boxes provide cats with security and help minimize stress. In fact, it is proven that when a kitten is separated from its mother to start a new life away from her, having a box helps the little kittens to better adapt to the new circumstances. So if you are thinking about buying a kitten or adopting a kitten... give him a good welcome box !

Shelter

Whether it is a large or small box, it is a perfect hiding place. You will have seen him get into it and wait for the right moment to quickly come out to give you a scare. Cats are very playful and if they are given the right tools, they will know how to adapt them to get the most out of it! This use of the box as a shelter comes from his feline nature . Turning a cardboard box into a bed can be a good, cheap and sustainable option for your cat to sleep peacefully without fear of anyone waking him up.

Insulating

We already know that cats are very independent and that they like to go their own way, but when they come back inside the house, they like to feel warm, whether it's asking for caresses, rubbing against the blanket or if they have a cardboard box, they will look for it. in order to maintain your body temperature . The stronger the box, the more thermal insulating it will be, so a double channel (double wall) cardboard box will maintain heat better than a single channel box.

Novelty

In that saying “ curiosity killed the cat ,” popular culture is already warning us that cats are very curious . Like any curious being, they love to discover new things, explore new spaces and investigate everything that involves novelty. If they see a new box , they will smell it, lick it, rub themselves against it, and walk around its interior and exterior until it becomes clear to them what this new gadget is. They can be entertained for a few days, until they get tired and become familiar with it.

feline world

A curiosity is that all felines like cardboard boxes and whether it is a fearsome tiger or an elusive lynx, if they are offered a cardboard box, they will tend to do the same things as cats: hide, investigate, sleep In it, feel safer... Also used in its natural environment, it can be of great help when hunting to feed or defend itself from other predators.

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Watch this video, a user has built his cat a castle tower made of cardboard boxes .

Tips before giving a cardboard box to a cat:

Security. Make sure there are no dangerous items inside the boxes. Many times, when unpacking, we leave pieces of the packaging inside the boxes, which to us are tiny, but your cat may try to eat it and choke. Check under the flaps that there is no trace of anything left, to rest assured. Cleaning . That the box is clean and free of odors is good for him and for you, because if there is any stain or liquid left and your cat gets on it, he can take on the bad smell, spread it throughout the house and need a bath sooner than expected. ! Passable . Place the cardboard box in a position that can move freely to the entrance and exit. Many times it is easy to get in, due to the position of the flaps, but difficult to get out. This can cause the cat to feel trapped and overwhelmed and not want to go back in because of the unpleasant incident. Stability . The cardboard box should be on a flat, stable surface at a low height, such as the ground or somewhere not too high. Inside it, the cat will move and may move. If it is not on a flat area, it can fall and be very scared. Ventilation . If you can get a box with handles, for example, or with a ventilation inlet, the better, as we can avoid accidents when we are not at home and cannot go out for some reason. Hardness . A double cardboard box will be the best option to offer a cat, because apart from its greater insulation, as we have seen in the previous section, it will guarantee more durability if it decides to tear its nails. Adaptation . You will be able to make the box a more welcoming place for your cat if you put a toy or blanket in it to have a softer texture. Many times, after a move, we can reuse the boxes and put some already used and washed moving blankets inside. The roll of adhesive tape is a very fun toy for cats since they can throw it like a wheel and if you put a piece of it in the box, it can give them a lot of play. Now yes, we hope that it has become a little clearer to you why cats like cardboard boxes and you understand why your cat behaves like this when it sees one!

Cat inside cardboard box

We also recommend that you read this article How to Decorate Cardboard Boxes after Moving