If your cat is stressed, give it a cardboard box

Cats just love tiny cardboard enclosures. Pet owners would do well to watch out for staples and sharp edges, though. — dpa

No sooner is the box unpacked than your cat has taken total possession of it. If there’s one thing that can be said about cats, it’s that they love tiny cardboard enclosures.

Indeed, pet owners can deliberately use these as stress relievers, while paying attention that any sharp edges are torn away or sanded off and that there aren’t any staples that could scratch the cat.

Animals instinctively seek safe retreats, animal welfare experts say, and that’s why keeping a cardboard box in the home can help keep kitty sane.

Boxes offer easy places for cats to relax, something that is especially welcome when there are unfamiliar people around or there’s a new surrounding, say the experts from Germany’s Industry Association for Pet Supplies.

In addition, cats love temperatures between 30°C and 36°C. Well insulated cardboard boxes warm up quickly, so if the cat barely fits in and its sides touch the walls, it should feel warm and comfortable in no time.

Don’t just use boxes as a little kitty house, though. Endlessly verstile for cats, they can also be converted into toys like a scratching post or a tunnel if you combine two with a hole in between. – dpa