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by Chase Townsend<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Boxes are a favorite subject of feline study. That is because boxes are The Best Things Ever! Boxes must always be investigated for potential use as beds, toy storage, and ambush points, along with countless possibilities limited only by one\u2019s imagination. Attraction ratings should also be a consideration when contemplating the merits of a box. No self-respecting cat will waste even one curious sniff on a dirty or torn box that makes him appear less appealing!<\/span><\/p>\n For reasons I do not understand, cats and humans view boxes from opposing perspectives. The feline approach is entirely positive, while humans retreat from the very notion as if boxes were undesirable and frightful things.<\/span><\/p>\n As a professional boxer by a variety of definitions, I am an expert on the subject, and I can tell you from seven years of experience that boxes are irresistible concepts, well worth your time to study! Among a vast assortment of other aspects, a box is:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2026 <\/span>a status position!<\/span> <\/strong>\u00a0When you live in a multi-cat household, as I do, you will find that each box provides its own unique level of status enhancement:\u00a0 my box is bigger than your box, I have a box and you don\u2019t, I got the new box while you\u2019re stuck with the old box, and so forth. Newer boxes loaded with features such as portholes and door flaps are especially prized.<\/span><\/p>\n Humans play in their boxes in a similar fashion, and they don\u2019t even realize it! Humans call their boxes by a variety of names \u2013 careers, possessions, wealth, social caste, homes, automobiles, relationships \u2013 and use them to look fancy and to compete for position, just like cats do. It is humorous, then, that humans actively despise the thought of occupying the very boxes they so deliberately pursue.<\/span><\/p>\n Humans often confuse boxes with ruts, when they aren\u2019t the same at all. A rut has been described as a grave that hasn\u2019t been filled in yet. Even a cat would agree that this is true. Boxes, on the other paw, offer wonderful flexibility. You can get into them. You can get out of them. You can exchange one for the other. If you see a box you like better than your current box, you can pounce on the new one and claim it for as long as you want it \u2013 or until a larger or more clever cat ousts you and moves into that particular box. But even if this happens, there are always other boxes. Explore them all, and take your pick! How can the unlimited opportunity to choose your own box ever be considered a bad thing?<\/span><\/p>\n \u2026 a place to play!<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Cats excel at many things at which humans do not, and one of the most obvious is play time. We know how to play with utter abandon, happily putting all of our energy into enjoying ourselves! A box at playtime might be an arena in which two cats wrestle. It may be a rink in which we play mouse hockey. (Using toy mice, of course.) It may be a birdwatching station, a corral to prevent our toys from escaping, or a wonderfully shreddable medium on which to exercise our claws.<\/span><\/p>\n Humans who see only four walls and a floor miss out on unlimited potential when they don\u2019t allow for playtime inside all of those boxes!<\/span><\/p>\n Perhaps vacations are an area in which many humans need boxes most of all. A vacation spent rushing from one activity to the next only to fall into bed exhausted every evening is merely the temporary exchange of one rat race for another. Humans are as quick to shun rest as they are to resist boxes, as if the need for rest is weakness, and boxes are limitations. But if we don\u2019t set intelligent boundaries that ensure we get the rest we need, we become less for that lack of physical and mental rejuvenation \u2013 not more for pretending it\u2019s a waste of our time.<\/span><\/p>\n If we don\u2019t set intelligent boundaries that ensure we get the rest we need, we become less for that lack of physical and mental rejuvenation \u2013 not more for pretending it\u2019s a waste of our time.<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Melody-in-Box-9419.jpg?resize=300%2C199&ssl=1\")
\u2026 a place to explore!<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 No two boxes are exactly the same, even if they were manufactured to be identical. Some have lids that close behind you when you go inside. Others do not have lids at all. Some are purrfectly cat-sized, while others are large enough for two cats to share. Some are too small to climb into, but are great for swatting around or for dropping toys into in order to dig them out again. The best boxes are roomy caves with an entrance, an exit, and holes large enough for paws and toys to fit through.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Zane-6408-in-Box.jpg?resize=300%2C240&ssl=1\")
\u2026 a place to rest!<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Boxes are great beds for relaxing, napping, and sleeping. Think feline staycation. When we decide we\u2019ve rested enough, we spring out of our boxes and resume our individual occupations, refreshed by the time we spent simply enjoying life.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/actownsend.com\/MEOW\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Chase-4543-name-LR.jpg?w=1140&ssl=1\")
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