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Why Cats Are So Delighted by Boxes: Scientists Take This Question Seriously
06.07.2024 08:55
Any cat owner will answer affirmatively to the question of whether their pet likes boxes or other cramped places.
Today we suggest finding out what such, at first glance, inexplicable passion could be connected with – from a scientific point of view.
Why do cats like to sit in boxes
This behavior is explained by a simple animal desire for comfort, which is especially important in stressful situations.
In 2019, a paper published in the journal PLOS One stated that, according to Dutch scientists, the ability to hide is crucial for reducing stress levels in cats arriving at a shelter.
To measure stress levels in animals, a non-invasive Cat-Stress-Score was used, the criteria for which are the cat's posture, its vocal behavior, activity level and other changes in behavior, as well as physiological indicators.
Cats don't just like 3D boxes
By the way, it would be a mistake to say that cats' love extends exclusively to three-dimensional boxes.
A 2021 study published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science found that cats prefer to sit inside a Kanizza circuit, which is a rectangle of corners glued to the floor.
The Kanizsa outline is two-dimensional because it has no walls, but despite this, cats are more comfortable seeing inside it than outside it.
There are several explanations for this behavior: this is how pets avoid dangerous situations or, which has not yet been scientifically proven, choose a more convenient place for hunting.
Earlier we listed 3 signs that a cat is trying to control its owner.
