Let me guess — shortly after you receive a boxed delivery, you find your cat snuggled up inside the cardboard container. Have you ever wondered why?
Even when they have to squeeze themselves in, cats love to play or nap in boxes. That’s because the pressure against their sides is comforting, especially when they’re stressed. It goes beyond the soothing squeeze, though.
Cats will often choose to sit in 2-dimensional squares marked off on the floor too. That may be a protective instinct. Cats likely feel safer in a corner — where they can watch and wait — than falling over a “cliff” delineated by a boundary.
Turns out, our pampered pussycats aren’t the only ones that love boxes. Big cats love lounging in and playing with them, too.
The next time you order cat toys, the box may be the biggest hit of all. But you already know that.