Why cats love to sit in boxes—even fake ones, according to science

[FfFfFfFF 58,373]

It is no secret that cats adore sitting in anything square-like. Social media is filled with images of cats squeezing themselves into cardboard shipping boxes, baskets, suitcases, drawers, and plastic storage bins. In 2017, the social media tag #CatSquare showed multiple felines plopping themselves in square outlines on the floor made with masking tape.

A new study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science found cats were more likely to sit inside 2-D shapes that imitate an illusion of a square, and it may give researchers more insight into our furry friend’s perception of visual illusions.

Study co-author Gabriella Smith, an animal cognition researcher at Hunter College in New York, first had the idea of testing a cat’s cognitive perception after hearing a lecture on a dog’s susceptibility to optical illusions and wondered if a domestic cat could also fall for visual trickery. “Cats like boxes and even shapes outlined on the floor—would they sit in a box that is an illusion?” Smith tells Gizmodo via email.

Smith and her team designed a citizen science experiment in which pet owners were instructed to create the illusion of shapes using paper and tape by creating corners without sides, reports Gizmodo. This exercise is known as the Kanizsa square illusion, which gives the perception of edges without the shape being there.

“The major takeaways are that cats are susceptible to the Kanizsa illusion in a human-like way, and are most likely attracted to 2-D shapes for their contours (sides), rather than solely novelty on the floor,” Smith explains to Gizmodo. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/if-i-fits-i-sits-experiment-shows-felines-also-sit-illusory-boxes-180977681/

[TSUNAMI 21,297]

Because they're territorial? 

[Killa 18,852]

Why? 

 

More research is needed

This not the answer i wanted. Im a pull a karen

[Rebel 5,221]

I had 2 just-emptied boxes from Amazon on the floor and my bbs were already inside them in seconds lmao they just love the feeling of having their own space I think 

[Killa 18,852]

8 minutes ago, Rebel said:

I had 2 just-emptied boxes from Amazon on the floor and my bbs were already inside them in seconds lmao they just love the feeling of having their own space I think 

I give them 2 new boxes every week. One inside, other outside. The more nervous one enjoys them the most. Any bag or box or other recipient will be exploited in matter of seconds

Those amazon ones are good for scratching!! 

[Helxig 45,428]

I always thought it was something to do with the fact they feel safe in confined spaces/boxes and it's somehow evolved to anything with '4 walls', like a square on the floor, over time  

[bionic 50,111]

Next can they answer why my dog sits right next to his bed rather than on it   I've tried with various different types of bed/fabric/color etc but he just lays down adjacent

[Rebel 5,221]

15 minutes ago, Killa said:

I give them 2 new boxes every week. One inside, other outside. The more nervous one enjoys them the most. Any bag or box or other recipient will be exploited in matter of seconds

Those amazon ones are good for scratching!! 

Yeah they get new boxes every couple weeks too. They must love when it’s payday and I go to Costco cause I come home with the biggest boxes of the month 

[StarstruckIllusion 53,580]

This doesn’t explain why… just that they love squares plsss

[sarahb 17,211]

Seeing my cat sit in a box never fails to amuse me  I remember showing my mum a picture of cats sitting in boxes titled 'cat trap' and she didn't get it because she'd somehow never heard of cats loving boxes. So I got out a box in front of my cat to prove it and he immediately jumped in it, she's called them 'cat traps' ever since

I always assumed cats enjoying boxes was because it made them feel safe. 

[Glamourpuss 29,080]

There's something about the smell of cardboard boxes that cats seem to like. They even like those peel off cardboard strips you get on those smaller Amazon packages. 

I've noticed when I open a brand new box I've barely removed the contents before a cat has claimed it for itself and they get bored after a day or two until a new box arrives.