Cats and Cardboard Boxes - North Toronto Cat Rescue

by Nomi Berger

What IS it about cats and their affinity for cardboard boxes?

Cardboard boxes provide them with a sense of security: Despite being domesticated for some, today’s cats retain much of their original, natural instincts. One way for cats in the wild to remain vigilant and keep themselves safe from predators is by squeezing into small spaces that make them feel secure. Studies show that those cats given cardboard boxes as hiding places adapted more quickly to changes in their environment than those who weren’t. Many animal behaviorists, therefore, recommend that cat owners provide their feline friends with cardboard boxes in such paw-tentially stressful situations as bringing home a new pet, home renovation, moving and/or after visiting the vet.

Cardboard boxes are purr-fect for scratching and biting: Both are normal, instinctive behaviors and serve several purposes. Cats utilize the boxes to express their emotions, sharpen their claws and “mark” them with the scent glands located in their paws. The texture of the cardboard is ideal, allowing cats to sink their teeth and claws into it while rewarding them with a most satisfying sound. Not surprisingly, due to its popularity, many commercial cat scratchers today are constructed out of cardboard.

Cardboard boxes are warm: Famous for finding comfy, cozy places in which to nap, cats will typically curl up contentedly in the sunniest areas of their homes, next to heat-generating sources like radiators and on top of their owners’ beds. Since cardboard retains its heat so efficiently, it’s an especially effective insulator and allows cats to control their own body temperatures when they cram themselves into snugly fitting cardboard boxes.

Cardboard boxes are fun: Cats may be creatures of habit and comfort, but as natural-born predators, they must still exercise their hunting instincts through play. And because cats love hiding and stalking their prey before pouncing on them, they find that cardboard boxes will allow them the precise concealment they need from any and all unsuspecting targets. Although the “prey” for indoor cats is most often restricted to their owners, their feline and/or canine friends and their toys, a cardboard box affords them the concealment they crave while they wait to pounce, albeit playfully, on their next chosen “victim.”

Cardboard boxes satisfy their curiosity: As affectionate, active and entertaining as they are, our cherished cat companions are purr-haps best known for their endearing, enduring and boundless curiosity. Luckily for them, having a cardboard box in their midst is both enticing and exciting, definitely peaking their interest and sparking that oh-so-legendary curiosity. Wondering what this mysterious material is all about, they will gravitate towards the cardboard, and in the blink of a kitty-cat eye discover its various awesome uses. Whether it serves as their new, favorite napping spot, a secret space from which to view their indoor world, a multi-purpose makeshift toy or a surprisingly efficient scratching post, endless hours of self-entertainment are as limitless as their own imagination.