It turns out, according to a new study from the University
of Utrecht in the Netherlands, that cats use boxes for stress relief.
Researches took 19 cats that were new to shelters and gave 10 boxes, while the
other 9 did not. Over a 14 day period, the felines with boxes showed far less
stress on the Kessker and Turner Cat-Stress-Score (CSS), and adjusted to the
shelter environment far better than their box-less cohorts.
Cats are also awful at resolving conflict. If you have more
than one cat, pay attention to where they go after a squabble, or to avoid one.
Chances are, they are hitting an enclosed space, most likely a box. Hiding out
in them helps them ignore whatever is stressing them out. That’s assuming your
other cats don’t try to follow into the same box.
Outside of stress relief, boxes also provide something
every cat needs: extra warmth. Cats prefer to stay between 86 and 97 degrees
Fahrenheit, about 20 degrees higher than the average temperature of homes.
Since cardboard is such a great insulator, curling up in boxes helps them
maintain their comfort temperature. The same goes for cats curling up in a
sink, or in a corner of the basement when they are too hot. They don’t do it
simply to be cute.
