It’s a classic: you buy something for your cat, open the package, and the cat ignores the gift and gets into the box. It’s neither a coincidence nor a whim. Almost all cats are drawn to small, enclosed spaces, and there are several reasons why.
1. A safe hiding place
The cat is a hunter, but it is also small enough to be prey for larger animals. In nature, resting in a protected hollow makes perfect sense: no one can surprise you from behind, and you can see without being seen.
A box provides exactly that:
- Walls on the sides and back, which protect the body.
- An opening from which to keep an eye on what is happening.
- A snug space, in which the cat feels contained.
2. Hiding helps them lower stress
Cats usually don't resolve conflicts by confronting them. They prefer to walk away or hide. A place to retreat to gives them control over the situation.
There is a frequently cited study on this from Utrecht University (2014). It was conducted with 19 cats that had just arrived at a shelter: some were given a box to hide in, and others were not. Stress was measured by observing their behavior using a standard scale. The cats with a box adapted sooner: their stress scores dropped faster during the first few days. After two weeks, both groups were the same. A later study in shelters in the Netherlands found a similar result.
In other words, the box is not magic, but it does shorten the unpleasantness of a change. That is why it is a good idea for a cat to have hiding places when arriving home, during a move, or if there are visitors.
3. Warmth
Cats feel comfortable at higher temperatures than we do. Veterinary sources place their thermal comfort zone, in which they do not expend extra energy to maintain their temperature, at approximately 30 to 38 °C (86 to 100 °F). A normal house is quite a bit lower.
That is why they look for the sun, the radiator, an on laptop, or your lap. Cardboard insulates quite well, and curling up in a small space helps to conserve body heat.
4. Curiosity and play
A new box brings new smells and is an object that changes the territory. For a cat, that begs to be investigated. Furthermore, it is a great hunting post: from inside, it can stalk a toy and pounce.
Added to this is their own scent. By rubbing and sleeping inside, the cat leaves its scent on the cardboard, and in a few days, the box becomes "theirs." That is why sometimes an old, squashed box is more successful than a new one: it already smells like them.
What if my cat doesn't get into boxes?
That is also normal. Not all cats look for them in the same way: some prefer to hide under the bed, on top of a closet, or behind a curtain. The important thing is not the box itself, but that they have somewhere to retreat when they need to.
Even with boxes that don't exist
In 2021, a citizen science study was published in which owners placed drawn figures on the floor: a square of adhesive tape and an optical illusion that "suggests" a square without having its edges. The few cats that completed the test sat inside the illusion with a frequency similar to that of the real square. It is a small study with limitations, but it points to the fact that they are attracted to outlines that delimit a space, not just walls.
How to take advantage of it at home
- Offer at least one hiding place in each area where the cat spends time.
- Place some up high: many cats like to keep watch from above.
- Respect the hiding place: if it is inside, do not pull it out by force. It is its safe place.
- Check the boxes before giving them to the cat: remove staples, tape, and plastics.
- Leave the carrier open at home with a blanket. If it uses it as a hiding place, visits to the vet will be less traumatic.
If you want something more durable than cardboard with the same sense of refuge, in our section on cat beds and resting spots you will find enclosed cave beds and beds with high rims.