Why Cats Love Cardboard Boxes More Than Cat Beds

Cats just love boxes. It's a fact! There are even examples of large boxes being put in zoo enclosures, and the big cats like lions settling in to enjoy them.

But… why?

For a lot of cat behaviors, you can assume it's something they evolved with. They like playing with toys because it's a way to stimulate their hunting instincts. They put their hands on your face because it's one of the ways they can express affection towards you. They meow for attention and communication.

But what about boxes? They can't have instinctual, evolved behaviors around cardboard boxes when we only just invented them a couple of hundred years ago!

Well, the truth is, there are actually a bunch of different reasons all coming together to make the simple cardboard box immensely attractive to felines of all sorts. It's a fascinating topic, so buckle up and let's dig in!

Cardboard Boxes are Cozy Safe Spaces

Here's one thing you might not have noticed: when cats go after a box to sit in, it's almost always something just about the right size for them, or a little smaller. Bigger boxes might be great for playing around, but they aren't the spot they choose to take a snooze.

One of the instinctual behaviors ingrained in the feline mind is to find someplace safe and secure to spend their time. When they aren't out hunting, seeking a mate, or moving to greener pastures, they're sleeping in their den, safe from predators.

In the wild, that might mean shelter under a bush, in a nook under a porch, in a hollow of a tree, or in a crevasse under some rocks. The important point is that it's small (so larger predators can't get to them), it's enclosed (for warmth and for shelter from the elements), and it has an entrance they can watch.

In your home, they'll often seek out enclosed spaces in a similar manner. They'll hide under chairs, tuck themselves away under beds, and squeeze into drawers. Or, if you leave one out, curl into a cardboard box.

Now, a cardboard box might not fit the bill exactly; it's exposed at the top, after all, and it's not a ton of shelter. But at the same time, in your home, there are no elements to be exposed to, no predators to hide from (except, maybe, your pooch or a nosy child), and they don't need quite the same level of security.

Despite that, your cat still feels safe and secure in a box, enclosed on all sides, snuggled up where they can doze.

This is far from unique to cardboard boxes, either. Anyone who has ever found their cat hiding in a handbag, snoring in the sink, or huddled in a hamper knows that they'll pick anywhere enclosed and cozy enough to nap.

Cardboard Boxes Offer Some Insulation

Back in 2006, researchers did a study into cats to find what temperature ranges they found most comfortable. We all know that cats have a higher body temperature than we do, and your perception of external temperature is partially dependent on your internal temperature. So, it makes sense that they might prefer warmer temperatures than we do.

What they found might be surprising to you; it's even higher than you might think! What they found is that cats in general prefer temperatures between 86 and 97 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't know about you, but I'd be really unhappy at that temperature for long!

Cardboard, as it turns out, is a pretty good insulator. Air itself is the best insulator commonly available, and corrugated cardboard traps air in cells all throughout it. When they curl up inside it, it stores some of their heat inside with them, rather than letting it dissipate throughout the house.

Sure, it might only be a difference of a degree or two, but when you're constantly a little chilly, you'd take a little warmth, right?

Cardboard Boxes Are a Safe Haven

This is somewhat similar to the first item on the list, but there's a bit of a difference. A box can be small, enclosed, and familiar. It can absorb their scent and keep out the scents of others, including other cats, dogs, or people in the home with you.

This is especially important for newcomers to your home. If you're adopting a new cat, a box they can call their own is a "home base" they can use to hide in and acts as a home base for them to explore. One Dutch study showed that cats that had a box to use as a base were faster to adapt to new homes than cats that didn't have that haven. It was admittedly a small study, but a bit of stress reduction isn't unlikely.

Cardboard is also pretty absorbent. That means a box can soak up your cat's scent, and when they smell their own scent, they're going to be more comfortable.

You can see this especially if you have multiple cats in your home. Set out several boxes, and each cat will probably claim one to be their own, and usually stay away from the other boxes. If you have three or more boxes, they'll probably claim one each and use the remaining boxes as a playground.

This might not hold true if your cats are littermates and are attached to one another, especially if they sleep together often, but for cats that don't have that close of a relationship, having their own scent-marked box is a comfortable place to spend their time.

Cardboard Boxes are Disposable

Now, your cat doesn't know this, but you do. If you're used to a cat that scratches at the furniture and you've put a lot of time into training them not to, your cat may be a little frustrated at only having a dedicated scratching post or scratch pad to dig into.

A cardboard box is something they can spend time in, on, and around, and importantly, they won't get in trouble if they chew on, scratch, or damage it. You don't care, it's just a box! They get to scratch to their fuzzy little heart's content, they get to chew and bite and tear apart, and if it finally collapses or is torn into a thousand pieces, you can easily get another the next time Amazon comes around.

Cardboard Boxes are a Great Spot to Watch and Hunt

Your cat might use their cardboard box as a bed, but there's more to it than just that. They'll also use it as a spot they can use to hide from whatever they feel like hunting. Maybe that's your toes, a toy, or another feline in the home; whatever it is, the box offers a place they can lurk, ready themselves, and pounce.

Cats are ambush hunters. They stalk slowly, in fits and starts, only when they think their prey isn't looking. A box gives them a place nice and close to whatever they want to stalk, obscuring almost all of them where they can just peek out over an edge or through a hand-hole, and it's not so in-the-way that they have trouble leaping out of it.

And when they're done, they can go right back to sleep right there!

Cardboard Boxes May Hold Fascinating Scents

Another potential reason is that the cardboard has been on a journey. Cats are curious and inquisitive, and when presented with something new, like a box from a fresh package delivery, well. That tells a story.

Other people have handled that box. It has been in other places, touched other animals (and possibly been crawled all over by prey animals), and who knows what else has touched it. All of those smells linger, far below where you could smell them, but bright and clear to your cat.

This is, actually, why cardboard might not make the best cat bed in some cases. You have no way of knowing whether or not any of the stuff that the box touched in its journey is actually toxic to your cat, so if they spend time sleeping in it or chew on it, they could poison themselves.

Fortunately, you can often tell if anything significant has spilled on a box, so if it has obvious stains or marks, you can get a different one.

The Cat Bed Might Not Be Ideal

The premise of this post is examining why cats like cardboard boxes more than cat beds, and the answer might not be that the box is good; it might be that the bed is bad.

This is something I've talked about before on this blog, so for a more detailed rundown, check out that post. To sum it up here, though, there are some very good reasons why your cat might not like the bed you get them, while the cardboard box is better.

• The bed has a very strong smell, like from foam or industrial manufacturing processes, and they don't like it.

• The bed might have a texture or covering that your cat finds unpleasant, especially if it's staticky or if their claws get caught in it.

• The bed might be further away from where you spend your time than the box, and they want to be closer to you when they sleep.

There are ways to address these issues, like moving the bed to a better position and infusing it with your scent, but the root of the issue might just be that they don't like the bed. If your cat naps in a box, but also naps in other places, including near but not on the bed, this could very well be the case.

More Questions About Cardboard Box Cat Beds

To wrap things up, let's go over a few questions I've had about cats and their incredible love for the humble cardboard box.

What can you do with a cardboard box when your cat is done with it?

If your cat is tearing up or damaging a box to the point where it's no longer suitable as a bed, what can you do? Well, obviously, you can just recycle it or throw it away, but there are some other options.

For example, you can cut the box into strips, laminate them together with some non-toxic glue, and turn it into a DIY scratch pad. You can also make cardboard toys out of used boxes.

Is it dangerous for a cat to chew on cardboard?

Well, maybe.

Chewing on cardboard is probably not bad on its own. The cardboard itself isn't toxic, and they'll enjoy the feeling of punching their sharp little teeth through the board.

If your cat is eating the cardboard, though, that's a bigger problem. Swallowing the cardboard can lead to bowel obstructions. If there's anything else on the cardboard, like packing tape, that can cause problems as well. That's why you should always remove things like tape, staples, and other materials from a box before giving it to your cat.

I want my cat to sleep in the cat bed and not the box. Help!

If your cat insists on sleeping anywhere except the bed you got for them, there are some things you can try. You can try to discourage them from sleeping in other positions, you can reposition their bed to somewhere you know they love to sleep, and you can put a shirt or something with your scent on it in the bed to help them feel more comfortable.

I have a post about encouraging sleeping in their cat beds over here, for more tips and thoughts.

My cat doesn't care about cardboard boxes. Is something wrong?

No, not really. Some cats are picky about things, some just don't like cardboard, and some have preferences for certain kinds or shapes of boxes. I've seen cats that ignore Amazon boxes but go absolutely feral over soda can boxes. It's all a matter of preference.

The only time you might consider something is wrong is if your cat loved cardboard boxes, and then one day decided never to touch one again. That could be a sign that they hurt themselves on the box, or it has otherwise caused them a problem, and now they associate that feeling with the box.

So, there you have it; all the reasons why cats seem to love cardboard boxes, no matter who they are or where they live. What do you think? Does your cat love them too?