Everyone knows that cats love cardboard, but what attracts our furry friends to this material? We looked it up for you!
There are several reasons cats love cardboard. For example, cats in a cardboard box often find an excellent place to hide from prey. Cats also often feel warm and safe in a small environment such as a cardboard box.
1. A safe environment
Cats like to crawl into cardboard boxes and bags because they feel safe here. By nature, cats like to observe the environment around them without being seen themselves. This has everything to do with the way cats hunt, where prey is often sneaked up from behind, for example. Did you know that cats are also very good at playing hide and seek?
A study by the University of Utrecht, which focused on the stress levels of cats in shelters, found that cats experience less stress when they have access to a cardboard box. By providing your cat with a cardboard box or cat house, your cat will really be a lot happier.
2. Cardboard provides warmth
Did you know that cardboard has a very good insulating function? Cats love warmth and a cardboard box is very suitable for your cat to warm up, the ideal temperature for cats is 22°C.
3. Cardboard reduces stress
Cardboard is thought to play an active role in reducing stress for a cat. This is because a cat can leave its scent on cardboard and can also easily scratch and bite cardboard, both of which help reduce a cat's stress.
4. Cats are curious
Cats are very curious animals. In nature, they often go out to discover new terrain, for example the neighbour's garden. But the same also applies indoors, for example with cardboard boxes or bags; your cat goes on a journey of discovery with great enthusiasm to examine the cardboard box from front to back.
