
Why Do Cats Love Boxes? - iamben
http://www.wired.com/2015/02/whats-up-with-cats-and-boxes/
======
51Cards
I'm not sure I go with the temperature theory though it does explain the
sun/lap loving behavior of cats in general.

I have an adult Maine Coon and he is a walking fur factory. I have never seen
so much hair on one cat. His actions are very different from other cats I've
had, he avoids sunshine, he doesn't like to sit on laps, and he always sleeps
stretched out vs. curled up on the coolest surface available. To me that
indicates he's plenty warm and desires no excess heat. However if you put a
box down he'll claim it instantly.

I have always thought cats like boxes because it feels secure to them. A
Reddit post once commented "Cats are in a difficult position - they're small
enough to be prey but they think of themselves as predators. So their natural
state is somewhere between dangerous and nervous." I think the enclosure of a
box gives them some peace of mind.

~~~
Eric_WVGG
I was thinking about the “security” theory a couple months ago when I took
this picture of a box my cat is obsessed with.
[https://twitter.com/Eric_WVGG/status/521764321622507520](https://twitter.com/Eric_WVGG/status/521764321622507520)

I don’t buy it.

~~~
bashinator
Leftover predator behavior where a cat will attempt to camouflage themselves
by picking a resting place that's already visually distinct from the
background field.

------
azakai
The reasons suggested are

1\. Cats are ambush predators and have a tendency to like small places they
could stalk prey from

2\. Cats like to go to safe places where they can be alone, when they feel
uncomfortable around humans or other pets

3\. Cats prefer warmer temperatures than humans, and boxes keep them warmer

It seems then that the ultimate cat box would be heated, and in a location
that both lets them look at everyone else, but also feel secluded enough, like
maybe up high on the wall. Or maybe a two-part heated box, one facing the
room, the other more private.

~~~
_Adam
And inevitably, if one were to construct such a box the cat would not use it.

~~~
duskwuff
They'd probably prefer the box it shipped in. Not because it's more suitable,
but just to be contrary.

------
radarsat1
> "The box-and-whisker plot"

If this article were written for the sole purpose of being able to employ this
as a section title, I would understand.

------
snarfy
I believe one reason it's boxes and not just any container is because cats
love paper. Put some papers on the floor and a cat is likely to lay on it. My
parents would get the newspaper and the family cat would always lay on the
papers, and my dad's theory was it was due to the static electricity that
builds up on a cats fur, and the paper minimized their discomfort.

~~~
mattstreet
I'm not disagreeing but I'd like to mention that two of my cats absolutely
love my plastic laundry baskets.

------
jhawk28
Kids love boxes too. So many cheers of excitement every time a big amazon
order comes in.

~~~
thumper
This was my thought, too. I spent countless hours hiding inside of boxes as a
child. I always found it comfortable to be "held" by the box, and loved the
notion that I couldn't be seen by others.

My cats did not join me in the box.

------
Vaskerville
I think publications write about "Anything Cats" simply because they know that
alot of people will read and discuss the articles.

That being said, my cat doesn't like to sit in a box but she does enjoy an
open sock drawer or suitcase.

------
shawnee_
_According to a 2006 study by the National Research Council, the thermoneutral
zone for a domestic cat is 86 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s the range of
temperatures in which cats are “comfortable” and don’t have to generate extra
heat to keep warm or expend metabolic energy on cooling ...Corrugated
cardboard is a great insulator and confined spaces force the cat to ball up or
form some other impossible object, which in turn helps it to preserve body
heat._

Yeah, Occam's Razor, not Schrödinger's cat.

------
coldcode
Dogs have owners, cats have staff, goes the popular saying. Apparently staff
includes people who try to figure out cats. What a difficult profession to be
in.

~~~
leeoniya
Popular saying, huh?

Don't remember last time i had to take my cat outside twice a day, pick up his
turds on every street corner, then hire a babysitter if i needed to be out of
town for a weekend. Also never seen him eat shit.

He does get let outside a few times a week, he does hunt, and when i choose to
go outside with him (without a leash), he follows me everywhere by himself,
though usually trailing by 50ft. Did I mention he also bathes himself, daily?
Then watches TV, kneads the blankets and sleeps next to us at night.

Reality is different than catchy quotes :)

~~~
WaxProlix
My impression was that the quote had more to do with how cats and dogs
supposedly perceive or act towards their owners, not about the level of
maintenance required for one or the other. We get that you like your cat,
though.

~~~
leeoniya
different species and individuals socialize differently. i dont understand
people who make comments like this with no experience. you have to be around
any kind of animal long enough to understand/appreciate the subtlety in
behavior/moods. all pets need feeding and cleaning, but i dont troll every dog
thread with snark about them being filthy and high maintenance. i plan to get
a dog myself once my lifestyle allows it.

~~~
marincounty
Yea, all my dog breeds have had different behaviors; the only thing they had
all in common was locality, and unconditional love.

1\. Dachshund--huge appetite, genetic problems from over breeding. Fearless!
As a child I had to pull her off the >100 German Shepard. She ran out and
grabbed his neck until I got her to realease.

2\. Bullmastiff--Big sweet, but with genetic problems due to over breading.

3\. American Bulldog/Pit mixes. The two had no obvious genetic problems, but
for brothers from the same litter they had vastly different personalities.(One
was so aggressive, and neurotic a vet put him on Prozac--didn't do anything,
like my experience on SSRI's.) The one thing that I never expected was both
would Only urinate and deficate in my backyard. I took them on vacation and
they held it for two days. I took them on walk and for 14 years they never
once relieved themselves until they got home? I never used negative
reinforcement? Actually, they were potty trained in a few day. One other
thing, they were both males, but never lifted their leg to urinate? Neither of
them would over eat, even when given something really good?

4\. One thing about all the dogs in my life; they seemed to have more common
sense than a lot of by buddies at the time? I never saw my dogs eat shit, but
if I did see them eat grass when they were not feeling well--which makes
sense? I never saw one eat shit, but their might be something good about about
it(reintroduce good bacteria?)

5\. They were my best friends!

~~~
leeoniya
never said dogs were not good pets/companions. getting back to the original
comment about cats needing "staff", you haven't addressed how taking care of 3
dogs is less staff-esque than 3 cats. i would never have 3 dogs, not if i also
want any hope of staying employed and taking care of future children.

------
ck2
Some of my cats love boxes but others have no use for them.

I don't think it is 100% universal.

------
err4nt
I have noticed cats, even light-couloured cats, can't seem to resist sitting
on black backpags of duffel bags. Has anybody else noticed black-bag-seeking
behaviour before?

------
ozi
Ah, Caturday.

------
iamben
"It is widely grokked that cats have the hacker nature." \- Eric S. Raymond

~~~
delinka
I have yet to observe human hackers utilizing boxes in any manner similar to
cats and therefore am uncertain as to the relevance of this quote. This is not
intended as criticsm as much as an invitation to elucidate on the cat's hacker
nature with regard to corrugated containers.

~~~
adrusi
Hackers think of themselves as dangerous. They have powerful skills that can
they can use to intimidate and take advantage of others. But hackers are also
extremely vulnerable. As children, they were always the outcast, the one that
got their glasses stolen and tossed around on the playground. Deprived of
valuable peer interaction, they develop into reclusive adults who can easily
be taken advantage of by one with an understanding of their psychology.

Hackers prefer warmer temperatures than other people. This is why they eat
Cheetos to grow an insulating layer of fat, and why they spend so much time in
a sealed room full of octo-core CPUs and graphics cards.

By extrapolation, I predict that hackers are also ambush predators.

~~~
NAFV_P
> _Hackers think of themselves as dangerous._

The other day a work colleague of mine described me as "so meek and mild", and
I couldn't agree more.

~~~
elpachuco
Until you take out your claws. Then who is meek and mild? I assure you, you
are a danger to humanity!

------
benihana
Can someone who loves cats explain to me how so many cat owners seem okay with
letting it walk all over the surfaces they eat from after it walks all over a
box of sandy cat piss?

~~~
jimmaswell
Can someone explain eating directly off of the table to me

~~~
pestaa
I am very grateful for this joke.

