All cat owners know a universal truth about their cats. Cats love cardboard cat houses. Maine Coons, Persian Cats, Ragdolls, British and American Shorthair cats all love to curl up in their own cardboard cat house. Give them cardboard with four sides and they’ll get inside it.

That is not only a universal truth among cat lovers. It’s also been proven in studies by animal behaviorists and cat experts. So why do cats love cardboard cat houses? The reasons are as complex and varied as our cats. But scientists have found a few common reasons.

The primary reason is that your cute little lap cat is actually a ruthless predator. Hard to believe, but true. So, having a familiar, hidden place from which they can stalk prey and pounce at just the right time is a great asset for a predator cat. In other words, cardboard cat houses give cats a hunting advantage.

Cats in the wild are also susceptible to many larger predators. Your cat may have nothing more to fear than you skipping their afternoon treat, but they don’t know that. Their instincts always have them on guard and watchful for approaching predators. Cardboard cat houses provide house cats what would otherwise be the security of a den in the wild. Having four walls surrounding your cat gives your cat a sense of security. They feel less vulnerable to prey which would have more difficulty approaching a cat that is protected on multiple sides. Being protected on multiple sides also only requires your cat to watch in only one direction for approaching dangers

Cat Box Classics Cardboard Cat Houses are designed to provide cats with this instinctual comfort of a safe place from which to hide and watch. The large entrances of our cat houses include space on each side for cats to partially obscure themselves while keeping an eye on the outside world. Strategically placed play holes also give cats the opportunity to feel hidden while being able to peek out of various sides of the cat house. Studies have also shown that cardboard cat houses are a great way to lower stress in your cat. Scientists have actually shown that cats who are able to spend time in spaces similar to cardboard cat houses have lower levels of damaging hormones and display fewer stressful behaviors.

Many cats also experience stress when they are left alone. This can be particularly true if their owners have recently returned to work outside of the home. So, giving a cat its own warm special place within your home gives them a sense of comfort in your absence. Houses and even apartments by scale are huge spaces for a cat. And when you leave, they are there alone. So cardboard cat houses gives them a home within a home where they can feel comfortable until you return. Some cat experts have also speculated that the comfort cats feel when they’re curled up in their own special protected space reminds cats of how they felt when they were small kittens nestled against their mother.

Cardboard cat houses are also scaled for the size of cats. Cats are a fraction the size of people. So it’s easy to see how a large room or apartment could feel overwhelming for cats. So a cat house scaled to their size is a naturally more comforting environment.

Cardboard cat houses are also the perfect place for cats to avoid conflict. As of 2017, 96 million cats were living in homes across the United States. That number is believed to have risen significantly over the last three years. Many of those homes include more than one pet. Anyone who has more than one cat or multiple pets of any kind knows that conflicts occasionally arise. Most of the time cats are able to work it out between themselves. But sometimes tensions run a little too high.

Ongoing conflict between cats within households, according to some studies are a primary reason owners give for relinquishing one or more of their cats. Cats are also considered to be less skilled at conflict resolution than other domestic animals. Dogs, for example, are considered to have more ways to signal to other dogs that they don’t want to fight than cats have. As a result, cats are often left to either fight or flee. So it is better to give them a place to flee to. And, as cat owners know, often after a few minutes the mood and conflict passes and both cats are happy and relaxed again.

Ongoing conflict can also be a form of stress in cats. And if those are not resolved over time they can lead to persistent anxiety. So, anything we can do to reduce the number of conflicts in multi-pet households is a positive.

Cardboard cat houses also provide the warmth cats crave. Most of today’s house cats are the descendants of early desert animals. DNA tests have shown that domestic cats are most closely related to wild cats living today in deserts around the world. So, our house cats are evolutionarily designed to thrive in warm climates.

While some cats over time have developed longer coats and fatter bodies to help stay warm, the short hair and slender bodies of many of today’s domestic breeds are designed to dissipate heat. That means that house cats have to actively seek out sources of heat. Cardboard cat houses, which are designed to reflect a cat’s own body heat, are the perfect place to curl up and stay warm. Cats also prefer warm places to sleep. Cats’ body temperatures decrease when they sleep. So, sleeping in a warm spot, such as a cardboard cat house, allows their bodies to relax and not work as hard to retain their body heat.

The thermoneutral zone of cats and humans are also very different. The thermoneutral zone is a temperature which the body is naturally able to retain its body temperature. A cat’s natural thermoneutral zone is approximately 86 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Humans have a thermoneutral zone approximately 20° lower. That means that we might feel comfortable when our home thermostats are at 70° but your cat will be cold. So instead of turning up your heat to a costly and uncomfortable level, cardboard cat houses allow both you and your cats to be warm and cozy.

Cardboard cat houses also offer the opportunity for play and mental stimulation. Play for cats is not only fun but important for their development and ongoing mental and physical health. It teaches kittens vital skills as well as keeps the bodies and minds of older cats in shape.

Play also helps keep cats at a healthy weight. According to one published study, 59% of domestic cats in the United States are either obese or overweight. So, it’s vital to give your cat exercise through play.

Anyone who has seen a cat stalk a catnip-stuffed banana toy, knows that cats are natural predators. Play often mimics a cat’s natural predatory instincts, such as stalking and pouncing.

Play also helps relieve stress in cats. Unresolved and ongoing stress in cats can lead to negative behaviors, such as spraying and aggression towards other pets. Play also provides an opportunity for cats to bond with their owners and other pets in the household.

A study presented by CNN showed that cats who are not securely bonded with their owners often display signs of stress. However, cats that were well bonded with their owners felt more relaxed in stressful situations

Cardboard cat houses that include scratchers and play holes are the perfect way for your cat to play and occupy themselves as well as interact and bond with you. You can use a cat play wand or other toys to have your cat run in and out of their cat house or try to grab the wand through various play holes. Cats can pretend to stalk and pounce on prey that passes by their cat house. And cat houses that include scratchers allow cats to relieve stress and flex their muscles by scratching. Scratching in their box also releases scents that identify the cat house as their own, making them feel even more comfortable.

Cardboard cat houses also let your cat sleep in peace. While your home might be a perfectly safe environment, your cat’s instincts remain strong. They are always worried about unseen dangers. This is particularly true when they are asleep. Cats like to position themselves and sleep in locations in which predators would be unable to sneak up on. Sleeping in a warm, familiar and partially obscured space offers a sense of comfort and security.

But cats also want to be able to react instantly and spot approaching dangers during sleep. A lot of cats’ sleep is actually in a state called slow wave sleep. That means that cats actually remain partially aware of what is going on around them even while they are sleeping. A cardboard cat house with various openings offers cats the opportunity to wake quickly and spot approaching dangers.

Also, if your cat spends a lot of time hiding in your home in places that are unsafe or where you don’t want them to spend time, it could be because they do not feel secure. So giving them their own dedicated space allows them to spend time where it is safer and healthier for your cat.

In summary, cardboard cat houses are nearly perfect spaces for your cats. They are warm, safe, familiar and offer the opportunity for you to play and bond with your cat.