Why Do Cats Like Boxes?

Those empty boxes may be trash to you, but your cat can't get enough of them. What's up with Fluffy's affinity for cardboard castles?

There are several reasons why cats love boxes, but the big one is safety and security, says Marilyn Krieger, a certified cat behavior consultant and owner of TheCatCoach.com.

"All animals have different coping mechanisms," she says. "This is a cat's way of dealing with stress. If she's feeling overwhelmed or in trouble, she can retreat to a safe, enclosed space where she can observe, but can't be seen."

In fact, a recent study in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science found that boxes can actually help reduce a cat's stress levels. A group of new shelter cats were randomly assigned to either receive a box or not. After just a few days, researchers reported that the cats that were given boxes recovered faster and adapted to their environment more quickly than the cats without boxes.

So if you're adopting a new cat, bringing your cat to a new place, or leaving your cat for the day, Kreiger suggests setting up a few boxes. "It'll instantly give them controlled, secure hiding places where they feel protected and calm," she explains.

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