Why Do Cats Like Boxes?

by Lisa Selvaggio

Published: January 27th, 2022

Why do cats like boxes? We’re about to let the cat out of the box! Here are a few reasons why cats love to hide out in these fortresses of solitude.

If you’ve ever left an empty box lying around the house, you may have turned around to find your cat having a great time inside it. And let’s not fail to mention the many cat videos online that feature frisky felines playing inside boxes.

Whether you own cats or not, you’re probably already aware of the fact that they love boxes. But why do cats like boxes and similar objects so much?

Instincts Toward Safety and Security

Boxes are confined spaces that appear safe to cats on an instinctual level. The same types of spaces in the wild would be attractive to a cat who’s trying to get away from a predator or who’s trying his best to hunt his prey without being seen.

In addition to being able to hide and feel safe and secure, sitting inside of a box is a great way to avoid becoming prey because a predator is unable to sneak up behind a cat and take him by surprise. Plus, the sides of the box prevent sneak attacks from those directions as well. If any other animal wanted to get the cat, he’d have to approach from the front, which means the cat would be able to see him and either fight back or try to get away.

While sitting in a box, a cat can also comfortably watch the world without being seen. If something of interest passes by, whether it’s a prey animal in the wild or a fun toy in someone’s home, the cat can jump out at a moment’s notice before quickly retreating back to his safe spot.

Tip: Set up boxes in areas of your home where your kitty can enjoy some playtime with you. Perhaps get a toy on a string or a feather toy and move it around in front of the box to give your pet a pleasant surprise and entice him to play. He might try reaching out and grabbing the toy or he might run out of the box to chase the toy down. This can be a fun way to encourage your pet to exercise, and it’s sure to be amusing for you to watch his antics as he gets excited by the sudden “prey” that has appeared outside of the box.

An Ideal Place to Sleep and Stay Warm

Considering how much cats sleep every day, it’s no surprise that they want to be certain they have a place to rest without having to worry about their safety, and a box is a great option. In addition to protecting a cat from predators and sneak attacks, a box is an ideal spot for a nap because it’s cozy and covered, providing shelter and security.

If a box is quite small, a cat won’t hesitate to climb in, curl up, and relax. And while this may seem uncomfortable to you, it’s actually just right for the cat because this is one way that he can keep warm by preserving body heat. Corrugated cardboard, in particular, happens to be a good insulator, which may explain why your cat especially enjoys climbing into cardboard boxes.

Tip: Rather than just getting a cardboard box and setting it up for your kitty to find, make it comfortable by placing a soft blanket or a small cat bed inside. This can also help your kitty feel even warmer when he decides to use the box to settle down for a rejuvenating nap.

Stress Reduction

Having a box to hide in can actually help a cat reduce his stress levels. For example, if you bring a new kitty home for the first time, providing him with a box to hide in could reduce his anxiety and help him get used to his new home more quickly.

The initial reaction of most stressed felines is to hide and essentially withdraw until they feel it is safe to come out. When given a place to hide, such as a box, cats might cope with stressors and environmental changes better. Think about wild cats that retreat to caves, dens, and treetops, and then apply that behavior to your pet cat who isn’t much different.

Also, because cats resolve conflicts by basically running away from them and avoiding them, a box is a great place where unwanted attention, hostility, and anxiety can simply go away. Perhaps giving each of your cats their own box might help if there’s conflict you hope to resolve. Each kitty can use their box to avoid confrontations with other pets in the family. Or, if your cat tends to get shy or a bit frazzled around strangers and people he doesn’t know well, he might decide to retreat to his box when you have guests over that make him feel uneasy.

Tip: There are several strategies you can try when you hope to reduce your cat’s stress. Setting up a box is one step you can take. And, as mentioned above, making the box super comfortable and inviting by adding a bed or blanket can certainly be helpful. But you can also go a step further by using things like catnip and feline pheromones, which might help your companion feel more at ease too. Try out different things to see what works best for your one-of-a-kind cat.

Take Advantage of Your Cat’s Love of Boxes

Don’t get annoyed if your kitty has an affinity for boxes. Instead, use it as an opportunity to provide your cat with a really affordable toy that he’ll enjoy. Give it a try: place a towel or a pillow inside his favorite box and place it near a window so he’ll have a quiet, warm, and safe place to sleep. You might find that it becomes one of your kitty’s go-to places in the house.

If you want, you can also get creative by flipping the box upside down and cutting holes along the sides and on the top. When your cat hides inside, you can tempt him with toys that he can try to grab through the holes.

Some handy cat owners have even built kitty condos by attaching cardboard boxes to one another and cutting out holes that allow a cat to travel through his own “fortress of solitude.”

Also, your kitty might want you to set up a box so he can jump into it from the opening at the top or he might prefer it to be placed with the opening on one side so he can easily walk into and out of it whenever he wants. With a little observation, you’ll be able to figure out what your cat wants, and you can then use boxes to enrich his environment and keep him happy.

Boxes: Small, Secure Places That Can Be Loads of Fun

Cats can showcase some habits and preferences that might not make much sense to you at first. When he enthusiastically climbs into a box, you might wonder why he’d want to sit inside such a small space. But, as you get to know your cat better, you may realize that there are some pretty solid and interesting reasons behind his quirky behavior. That simple box isn’t just a place where he can feel secure, it can also be a spot where he can have some fun.

So, the next time your cat is eyeing up a box to jump into, let him. After all, he’s just following his instincts and having a good time. Plus, it’s really cute and you might be able to get some adorable photos of your furbaby!

Lisa Selvaggio

Lisa Selvaggio is a freelance writer and editor, and our resident cats-pert, with certifications in pet nutrition and pet first aid. She enjoys producing content that helps people understand animals better so they can give their pets a safe and happy home.

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Parrots and small birds are exceptionally vulnerable when their cage is left unkempt and dirty – proper hygiene and a clean space to rest and eat in are a must for the good health of all avians. What is more, a bird cage that is left unclean can become a threat to your health as well, with airborne bacteria and pathogens flying all over the place. All in all, it’s clear that regular cleaning of your bird's cage shouldn’t be seen as just a dull chore but as a necessary task to protect everyone’s health and wellbeing. However, while it’s obvious that you need to do it regularly, just how often should you clean your bird’s cage? Is it on a check-and-see basis or is there a recommended frequency of cleaning? Let’s find out.How Often Should I Clean My Bird's Cage?The frequency at which you should clean the cage depends on several factors, including the size of the cage, the number of birds you have, and the species of bird in question. For example, a smaller cage will get dirty in no time, while a large one that houses a single, bigger bird will remain cleaner for longer. While these are good starting guidelines, things are not that simple.The best approach to take is to clean the cage daily, weekly, and monthly. Of course, the amount of cleaning you do each day will differ from the one you do on a monthly basis – here’s how it should look like:Daily Cleaning:Change the  food and water dishes daily to ensure fresh food and clean water. This is imperative and a major part of caring for your bird. Don’t allow water to remain unchanged and food to go stale.

Scientists Uncover Secrets of Extinct "Wooly Dog" Breed

Throughout history, dogs have played several key roles in the lives of people globally. They have hunted, worked, and provided for us, forever weaving them into the fabric of human existence. We often use this knowledge to better understand our modern dogs by reflecting on their original purpose as a breed. Unfortunately, not every breed continues to thrive among us today.The Coast Salish wooly dog was a unique breed, kept by the First Nations people throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Vancouver Island, for its fleece-like coat. A new study reveals insights into the history of the now-extinct breed.Unlike most animals at that time in history, the dog was kept in pens and longhouses. This was done to prevent the dogs from mixing with village and hunting dogs, preserving the breed and the fleece it provided.“They were sheared like sheep, and the wool was woven into blankets,” recounted Eliot White-Hill of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. “Blankets were like currency in our economy prior to contact and some of the most important things you could own and give away as gifts.”The dogs were fed a diet of fish and elk and were seen as beloved family members.“It’s not just a dog – it’s a relative. It has enormous spiritual power, conveyed in its wool,” explained Michael Pavel, an elder of the Skokomish-Twana tribe and one of the study's authors. “Imagine being able to receive the gift of wool fiber, being able to learn to weave that into yarn, into an entity, or a blanket or robe that you could wrap yourself in the coldest of winter and feel the warmth of those prayers. That’s how we look at it, and we can now enjoy a scientific view, as well.”Unfortunately, the breed did not survive colonization. It’s not clear exactly what caused the demise of the Coast Salish wooly dog – the introduction of European dog breeds, rules enforced on First Nations people during assimilation and displacement, or smallpox epidemics being a few of the hypothesized factors.But thanks to the preserved pelt of a wooly dog named Mutton, who died in 1859, researchers can now learn a little more about the unique DNA of the dog, its lineage, and insight into the breeding practices of local Indigenous communities.Researchers compared DNA from Mutton’s pelt to that of a separate non-wooly village dog that lived and died in the same region at approximately the same time.While the information gathered from the study did not offer any conclusive answers about the disappearance of the breed, it did hypothesize that the Indian Act of 1876 played a critical role as it would have directly impacted the ability of Indigenous women to pass on valuable knowledge about caring for the dogs and weaving necessary to its survival.On a positive note, the study did support historical facts shared by First Nations people in that area – a valuable piece of the puzzle as many work to reclaim the traditions of their ancestors.“It brought a large group of people together that reaffirmed for us the history we know,” stated Violet Elliott, also of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. “It was a gift of collaboration with other nations.”

New Study Reveals Dogs Can Sniff Out Neurodegenerative Diseases

We all know that doggos have incredible noses and a superb sense of smell. It is tens of thousands of times stronger than our own. This makes us wonder – what secrets can such a sense of smell unveil? Many scientists consider the canine sense of smell a great potential to enhance human lives thanks to its accuracy. And that is exactly what was unveiled in a recent study published in “bioRxiv”, by researchers Samuel V. Johnston and Lisa Holt from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Thanks to their efforts, and the incredible abilities of doggos, it was revealed that our four-legged friends have the potential to detect neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s disease is a terrible condition, affecting primarily seniors. What is even worse is that this disease has many difficulties in diagnosis, which prevents doctors from accurately identifying the disease in the early stages. But the breakthrough study could change all that! Thanks to doggos and their powerful noses, we could be on the brink of completely changing the way Parkinson’s is diagnosed. “Dogs have an extraordinary olfactory capability, which far exceeds that of humans. Dogs’ sense of smell seems to be the main sense, allowing them to not only gather both current and historical information about their surrounding environment, but also to find the source of the smell, which is crucial for locating food, danger, or partners for reproduction.”  writes Agata Kusiak, from the Institute of Animal Sciences, Warsaw University. “Dogs can be trained by humans to use their olfactory abilities in a variety of fields, with a detection limit often much lower than that of sophisticated laboratory instruments.”Utilizing this remarkable sense of smell, scientists trained 23 dogs of different breeds and backgrounds, to successfully differentiate between samples of both Parkinson’s-positive individuals and Parkinson’s-negative individuals. The results were more than successful, with the dogs showcasing 86% sensitivity and 89% specificity in distinguishing the samples. In many ways, this is a revolutionary study and opens new doors and new possibilities in medical diagnostics. What is even better, it offers new hope for the timely detection of Parkinson’s disease. However, it is important to note that the study is still in relative infancy, and is still awaiting peer review. But the potential here is incredible. If validated, the study could help improve patient outcomes, and help with early diagnosis of this troubling disease.

Is a Cat Tree Necessary for My Cat?

When you first bring home a new cat, it’s an exciting time – especially if you’re a first-time cat parent. However, amidst the excitement, there are many questions that may be holding you back from fully embracing the joy. Are you prepared to meet all your cat’s needs? Are there “must-have” items you have overlooked? The struggle is real! We have good news… Many of the items that are deemed “necessary” are actually optional. One such item is the traditional cat tree or cat scratcher. Do they offer benefits? Yes! Can they help to improve your cat’s mental and physical health? Yes! But is a cat tree necessary for your cat? No, it’s not. There are other ways you can meet your cat’s needs if your budget or space doesn’t allow for a large piece of cat furniture. Let’s dig into the truth about cat trees and your cat. What is the Point of Cat Trees? If you’re currently standing in your local pet store, looking over the wide assortment of cat furniture available, you may wonder – what exactly is the purpose of cat furniture? Is it just a fancy bed solution for your cat, or are there other considerations when these products are developed? It’s an honest question I often hear from first-time cat parents. After all, these large, elaborate structures often come with a hefty price tag. If they do nothing more than provide a place to sleep, wouldn’t a simple cat bed suffice? Cat furniture is designed to meet many of your cat’s instincts, including their need to scratch, hide, climb, and oversee their surroundings. Each type of cat furniture has its benefits to consider.

BARK Air Introduces a New Flight Tailored for Dogs

Onboard, they have carefully considered every aspect of air travel for dogs. For example, they serve all canine passengers their beverage of choice during ascent and descent to help prevent the discomfort often caused by cabin pressure changes. Of course, during the flight, your pup will be treated to a bit of pampering with dog-friendly snacks. “When we started BARK in 2011, we were on a mission to disrupt the dog space and create products designed for dogs and their humans. We are excited to take the insights we’ve learned over the years to create an experience that is truly dog-first, which is drastically different from just accepting dogs – from the ground to the skies,” explained BARK’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Matt Meeker. “We believe this initiative will elevate awareness of our brand’s mission and values, introduce more dog lovers to the BARK family, and help enrich the lives of dogs and their people around the world.” BARK Air will launch with limited routes from New York City’s Westchester County Airport (HPN) to Los Angeles’ Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and London, England’s Stansted Airport (STN). Dog parents are taking to social media, where the news is going viral, to express their excitement about the announcement. The first flights will take off on Thursday, May 23. Visit DogsFlyFirst.com for more information about BARK Air, available flights, and booking. Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

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