Did you know? Cats love boxes because they lower stress, and science backs it up
Why do cats love boxes? A Utrecht University study found cats with boxes were less stressed. Cats even sit in 'illusion boxes'. Here's why.
You buy your cat a RM50 toy, and it plays with the box instead. Every cat owner knows this story. But there's actual science behind the box obsession, and one big reason is that boxes make cats less stressed.
A box is a safe space
Researchers at Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in the Netherlands, including Claudia Vinke, studied 19 cats newly arrived at an animal shelter:
- 10 cats got a hiding box.
- 9 cats didn't.
The result: cats with a box recovered from stress faster in their new surroundings, at least in the short term. The difference was clear on days 3 and 4. The study was published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
Simply put, when the world feels scary, a cat wants a small corner it can control.
Even fake boxes work
Here's the funny part. In 2021, researcher Gabriella Smith of Hunter College (CUNY) ran an experiment with cat owners at home during the COVID lockdown.
Owners taped shapes to the floor that create a square illusion (the Kanizsa illusion), a square that isn't really there. The result? Cats sat in the "illusion box" about as often as in a real square outline.
Of roughly 500 sign-ups, only about 30 finished with reliable data, so scientists are still cautious. But it seems cats don't need a real box. A square-ish outline will do.
Did you know? A domestic cat's comfort temperature range (thermoneutral zone) is about 30 to 36°C (86 to 97°F), roughly 20°F higher than ours. Small spaces like boxes help cats feel warmer.
Other reasons cats love boxes
- Ambush spot: cats are predators, and a box makes a perfect hideout to stalk prey (or their owner's feet).
- Avoiding conflict: when a cat wants to be alone, a box is the place to go.
- Kitten nostalgia: one theory says boxes remind cats of snuggling with littermates.
Scientists still haven't fully agreed on the answer, but one thing's certain: think twice before throwing out that parcel box.
Is your cat the "box over present" type too?
