Even if you don’t share your home with a cat, you probably know from social media that cats love to get in boxes. My favorite cats-in-boxes memes show several cats sitting in boxes with the caption “Cat traps.”
But have you ever wondered why cats have this weird thing for boxes? The answer is pretty much what you’d expect: They feel safer and more secure, all tucked up in a tiny space.
(Credit:Khomulo Anna/Shutter)
Some studies have found that when shelter cats are given boxes to hide in, their stress levels drop significantly. In a piece for The Conversation, veterinary behaviorist Nicholas Dodman explains that hunkering down in small, enclosed spaces is a kind of “swaddling” behavior left over from cuddling up with their moms and littermates when they were kittens.
But box sitting is more than just cute; it may be important for cats’ mental health. Dodman writes that ...
