Their videos go viral because we film them and share them. Some cats, left to their own devices, might not go gaga for boxes at all, if not for the fact that the humans they love lavish attention on them when they oblige. Something about the box behavior is almost certainly ancient and ingrained, written deep into the DNA that cats and humans share.
A year into the pandemic, people can certainly relate to a craving for security and a desire to define our own boundaries, made up though they might sometimes be.
Cats are, above all else, inscrutable creatures. Depends on where he was headed next. Calvin strode confidently over to the configuration and parked his booty not inside the square, but onto one of the illusory cutouts. It was a moment enshrined in tragedy: He could not squeeze the entirety of his substantial rump into a three-quarter circle.
In the end, he had fallen prey to the greatest deception of them all—the true size of his own bum. Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic. Popular Latest. The Atlantic Crossword. Sign In Subscribe. She found a significant difference in stress levels between cats that had the boxes and those that didn't. In effect, the cats with boxes got used to their new surroundings faster, were far less stressed early on, and were more interested in interacting with humans.
It makes sense when you consider that the first reaction of nearly all cats to a stressful situation is to withdraw and hide. This is as true for cats in the wild as it is for those in your home. Only instead of retreating to tree tops, dens, or caves, yours may find comfort in a shoe box. It's also important to note that cats really suck at conflict resolution.
To quote from The Domestic Cat: The Biology of its Behaviour , "Cats do not appear to develop conflict resolution strategies to the extent that more gregarious species do, so they may attempt to circumvent agonistic encounters by avoiding others or decreasing their activity. So rather than work things out, cats are more inclined to simply run away from their problems or avoid them altogether.
A box, in this sense, can often represent a safe zone, a place where sources of anxiety, hostility, and unwanted attention simply disappear. Of course the problem with these explanations is that they make box attraction seem like a symptom of a mal-adjusted, stressed out cats. I don't know about you, but to me, Maru does not appear to be suffering from high levels of stress in the video below. Astute feline observers will note that in addition to boxes, many cats seem to pick other odd places to relax.
Some curl up in a bathroom sink. Others prefer shoes , bowls , shopping bags , coffee mugs , empty egg cartons , and other small, confined spaces. Message us. Discover our range of cat food. Buy Now. Owners are constantly baffled when they buy their cat a cool new toy and they're much more interested in the box it came in! But why do cats love boxes so much?
Keep reading to find out why. Why do cats like boxes? Boxes are safe Cats get comfort and security from enclosed spaces, which is why they love spending time in cardboard boxes. They help cats to adapt. Cats are just curious Cats are notoriously curious creatures, so it should come as no surprise that whenever you buy something new they make a beeline for it to investigate.
They make great places to sleep Another reason why cats like boxes is because they are a great place to sleep. Boxes not just for house cats! Explore our cat brands:. Related articles. Advice and articles tailored to your pet's needs.
Free access to our in-house team of vets, behaviourists and advisors. Discounts and offers from our brands. Sign me up.
0コメント