Cardboard box steps for cats: how to play
Turn a few cardboard boxes into levels for your cat to explore, climb and hunt treats in, rewarding each small step on the way.
- Time
- 5 min
- Energy
- Low
- Space
- Small room
You'll need
- cardboard boxes of various sizes (large enough for your cat)
- treats
- one favourite toy
Set up
Use cardboard boxes of various sizes, all large enough for your cat, to make horizontal and vertical levels in one room. Keep a few treats handy and start when your cat is awake and curious.
How to play
Start with one box on the floor. Let your cat come to it in their own time; they may peek or hop into the box to explore it.
Mark and reward each small step: a nose to the box, a paw on the edge, a hop in. Mark the behaviour while it is happening, not after your cat stops.
Add more boxes of various sizes so there are more horizontal and vertical levels: floor, top of a low box, top of a taller one. Let your cat pick their own route up, across and down.
Hide some treats in the boxes and set your cat the challenge of finding them.
Put a favourite toy up in one of the boxes to keep things interesting, so your cat does not get bored of the same old places.
If your cat loses interest and goes away, that is fine. You can always play the box game again later.
House rules
- Mark the behaviour while it is happening, not after your cat stops.
- Anything your cat does with a box counts: stepping in, pushing it, pawing it, mouthing it, smelling it.
- Let your cat set the pace. If they walk away, end the game and try again later.
Signs it's having fun
Peeking or hopping into a box to explore it, pouncing in and out, attacking the corners, rubbing the face on the sides of a box to leave scent.
Stop if you see
Your cat tries to eat a piece of box: take it away at once. If your cat loses interest and walks off, end the game and play again another time.
Safety
Safety- Always supervise closely while the boxes are out. If your cat tries to ingest part of a box, take it out of their mouth straight away.
- A box is a safe den to your cat. If they settle in one to rest, let them be.
Sources
- Feline DIY Enrichment (ASPCA)
- Indoor cats (PDSA)
- Why Do Cats Like Boxes? (PetMD)
- 101 Things to Do with a Box (Karen Pryor Clicker Training)
Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.
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