Your cat seems to materialize inside any box left lying around, and will curl up in the tiniest square-shaped space, even a taped outline on the floor. It’s not just your cat. The behavior is universal among felines.
A fortress of safety
At the heart of it is a cat’s need for security. In the wild, cats are both predators and prey, and enclosed spaces let them watch their surroundings without being seen. A box is a little fortress where they can relax and feel protected, which is why even the most pampered house cat can’t resist cardboard.
They love the idea of a box too
Cats don’t only sit in real boxes. Scientists have found cats are fooled by optical illusions in which a square shape is only suggested by strategically placed lines or shapes, and cats in experiments have sat inside these imaginary squares. Even the perception of a boundary seems enough to make them feel safe.
What it means for you
Want a happy cat? Give it a box, a square, or even a taped outline on the floor. That cat squeezing into a box half its size isn’t being silly. It’s following an ancient instinct that has kept its kind safe and cozy for thousands of years.
