Most cat owners are aware that their cats LOVE boxes. The phrase “if I fits, I sits” is something every cat owner is aware of and we all delight in seeing our cats shove themselves into even the tiniest of boxes. We know that cats love boxes because they feel enclosed, safe and warm, and that even big cats in captivity will put themselves into boxes placed in their enclosures. Did you know, though, that if you tape a square onto the floor, it’s likely that your cat will put himself into that 2D square? Even more mind bending is that if you create a square on the floor and remove portions of the square, like the corners, they might be just as likely to move into that visually incomplete square.
During the nationwide lock down due to coronavirus, a team of researchers set out to find out how likely a cat is to recognize the shape in their environment and place themselves inside that shape. One goal was to determine how cats perceive illusions, which can be compared with other species, to better understand cognitive perception in those animals. Although a small sample size, the results were quite interesting, and it’s something you can definitely try out at home with your cat… mental enrichment can be really fun for your cat!!
Check out the article detailing the research here.