cats‘ Cardboard Box Obsession Rooted โขin Instinct, Newโ Research Confirms
Jakarta, Indonesia – A seemingly worldwide felineโ fascination withโข cardboard boxes isn’t just quirky behavior; it’s deeply ingrainedโฃ in a cat’s natural instincts and providesโ a crucial โฃsense of security, accordingโฃ to animal behaviorists. The preference, observed in both โคindoor and outdoor cats, stems from a combination of hunting strategies and a primal need for safe, enclosed spaces dating back to kittenhood.
While often seen as a playful habit, the attraction to boxes is a meaningfulโฃ aspect of feline well-being. Understanding this behavior can help cat owners provide enriching environments that reduce stress and โcater to their pets’ essential needs. This is particularly relevant as more catsโ live primarily indoors, requiring ownersโค to actively create opportunities for them to express natural behaviors.
According to Dr. Stephen Delgado, a โคcertified applied animal behaviorist, boxes offer an ideal “hunting ground.” “Boxes โoffer the perfect hunting ground, โwith walls that protect them from view โand an open top that โขthey can use to pounce on potential prey,” Delgado told popular Science. Cats, existing as both predator and prey in the wild, instinctivelyโ seek concealed positions to ambush prey or evade potential threats likeโ hawks andโ foxes. Even house cats retain this hunting drive, and a box serves as a readilyโ available substitute for natural โhiding โขplacesโข like bushes or hidden corners.
Beyond hunting, boxes provide a fundamental sense of security. Danielle Gunn-Moore, a professor of feline medicine at the University โขof โEdinburgh, explains โฃthat mother cats instinctively seek quiet, enclosed areas to give birth. “Their first โexperience is a safe, enclosed space,” Gunn-Moore said. This early association with safety within โaโข confined space creates a lastingโข preference throughout a cat’s life.
Research supports this connection, demonstrating that stress hormones, such as cortisol, are reduced in newly rescued cats when given access to cardboard boxes. The novelty of a new box in a familiar environment also sparks a cat’s curiosity, further contributing to its appeal.