If you share your home with a cat, you're probably familiar with the fact that cardboard boxes are a favorite among felines, often more appealing than even the most stylish furniture. Regardless of the cat's size or the box's dimensions, our furry friends seem content to perch inside the packing material for hours on end.
Now, cutting-edge cat science has revealed that cats are also drawn to imaginary boxes.
In a recent study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science, researchers in animal cognition, including co-author Gabriella Smith of Hunter College, collaborated with pet owners to create an optical illusion: each "corner" was cut at a 90-degree angle, forming the impression of a square shape on the floor, known as the Kanizsa square.
To ensure that the cats recognized a square as a square, the shapes were also used to create a regular square and a lopsided square. The cats were then brought into their living quarters and filmed for six days to gauge their reactions to the shapes on the ground. Nine out of the 30 cats who completed the experiment to the researchers' satisfaction consistently sat in one of the Kanizsa or regular squares, while one chose the irregular square.
What does this indicate? It suggests that cats have a strong inclination to position themselves inside squares or an area with box-like boundaries, as the participating cats preferred to sit within the shapes. The Kanizsa square also demonstrates that cats can perceive visual illusions, as they seem at ease inside the box.
Cats often seek out confined spaces such as boxes, sinks, or even the sight of a square, as it makes them feel secure in their womb-like environment. It also helps them regulate their body temperature. (Assuming, of course, that they're in a real box.)
The experiment also reveals that cats aren't particularly interested in science. The initial study involved over 500 cats, but only a few could be monitored throughout the six-day experiment.