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They actually prefer to jump in a box because to them, it's a safe space to hide and watch. Cats look for spaces like that because their wild ancestors (and fe
by psunavy03 2y ago
They actually prefer to jump in a box because to them, it's a safe space to hide and watch. Cats look for spaces like that because their wild ancestors (and feral cats now) are small enough that they are both predators and prey.
- refulgentis 2y ago[flagged]
- fluoridation 2y agoYup. Same reason why they like to climb to high places. They can feel safe and survey the surroundings. Additionally, cats will hide in confined spaces when ill or in pain; a sudden desire to hide for prolonged periods is a sign that it needs to see a vet.
- kijin 2y agoI think a lot of oddities we attribute to cats can be explained by the fact that they are both predator and prey. No other animal we spend a lot of time with occupies such a schizophrenic position in the food chain.
- popcalc 2y ago[flagged]
- jerf 2y agoI've noticed free-range chickens have some characteristics that derive from a similar position; chickens are not "predators" but they will happily predate if the opportunity arises, and they are also prey. Being birds and natural flock animals, it manifests differently, and there's some interesting behaviors I've noticed. "Chicken" as a synonym for "total, utter coward" is slander. Yes, running is their first play, but they do not just roll over and die like a sheep or a rabbit; if running isn't working they can and do fight back for all they are worth. And they don't have to be "backed into a corner" and only fight if it's the absolute last option, it just has to be as I phrased it: "running isn't working".
- armada651 2y agoWe owned a small chicken that roamed in our garden, but not long after we got that chicken our neighbors got a cat. We were worried their cat would attack our chicken at some point, until one day we saw their cat running for its life while a small chicken chases after it trying to keep up with the agile predator using its tiny chicken legs. From that day forward the neighbor's cat understood its place in the pecking order.
- kijin 2y agoA cat is like a small tiger. Ferocious at times, but mostly very cautious. If something doesn't work as planned, their default reaction is to abort asap. A chicken is literally a dinosaur.
- fluoridation 2y agoAlso the cat was probably well fed. A hungry cat may not retreat so readily.
- hnlmorg 2y ago> From that day forward the neighbor's cat understood its place in the pecking order Genius phrasing!
- shawn_w 2y agoA rooster in full on attack mode can be pretty scary.
- kulahan 2y agoYou say this with a high degree of confidence, including shooting down the other commenters’s idea, but as I understand it, the science on why they like boxes is still out.