Cats are complex creatures. It is always hard to tell what they are thinking; we can’t always tell whether they love us or they are planning to take over the world.
It is pretty clear, however, that cats love cardboard boxes. If you have a cat, you have probably seen this, and if you have not, you can test it out. It is believed that cats like boxes because the boxes make them feel enclosed and safe, decreasing their stress levels. It is pretty entertaining to see how they act around boxes as well. They enjoy climbing in them, but they also enjoy playing with them.
A group of research scientists at Big Cat Rescue wanted to see if this applied to big cats as well, such as lions, leopards, and tigers. What they did was put large cardboard boxes in the pens of these cats. Obviously the boxes had to be quite a bit bigger than they would be for a domesticated housecat, but the reaction to them was not all that different.
The reactions to the boxes is actually quite entertaining to watch. Some of these large cats go up to the box and just climb inside them to sit peacefully. Others push them around and play with them, and others crush them completely and sit on top of the tattered cardboard.
They are clearly enjoying themselves with cardboard. It is obvious that they have just as much of an appreciation for these boxes as their domesticated counterparts.