Cats can't resist boxes, even when they're imaginary: Kanizsa's optical illusion

Any feline guardian and practically anyone knows that cats are big fans of cardboard boxes, but did you know that they will also get into any square drawn on the floor? If we draw a square using adhesive tape in a colour that stands out from the colour of our floor and observe what our feline companion does, chances are that they will sit inside it.

Carlos Gutiérrez, a veterinarian and educator on the YouTube channel Mascotas y familias feliz , explains that cats like to sleep in square-shaped structures, such as cardboard boxes or laundry baskets, but what makes them want to get inside a drawn square?

"Numerous studies have shown that these shapes give them a sense of security , and not long ago, a new study decided to draw a square for them using only the corners (drawn in a specific shape)," explains Gutiérrez. "This is called the Kanizsa contour."

This concept first appeared in 1955 at the hands of the Italian psychologist Gaetano Kanizsa, who popularized the well-known Kanizsa Triangle . In the figure, a white equilateral triangle can be seen, but in reality there is none, as it is an optical effect.

The relationship of cats with the Kanizsa contour

Furthermore, what is special about the study mentioned by Gutiérrez is that the cats were presented with illusory environments of squares (instead of the drawing of the figure itself), created from circles with corners of the square placed so that, by the same optical effect that occurs in the Kanizsa Triangle, they would form the figure .

"Our feline companions can imagine the walls of these illusory contours that would provide them with that refuge and a peaceful environment, and that's why they place themselves inside," adds Gutiérrez. "It seems that it is an ability that they share with us."

The feline expert veterinarian explains that cats like small surfaces, generally square in shape, for reasons that come from their nature in freedom. "If we think about how they live outside the home, they often have to look for shelters in nature that cover them completely except for one side , so that the potential enemy only approaches from that side," he explains.

"Another theory of why they like these small, closed spaces is related to rest," he adds. "As they spend many hours a day sleeping and are therefore less alert to what is happening around them, if they take shelter in a protected place it is easier for them to rest better ."

In addition to scientific studies on the subject, Gutiérrez points out that there are explanations that can be given for why they sleep in small places such as cardboard boxes. "In addition to meeting the aforementioned characteristics, it is a material that attracts their attention because of its smell ," he says.

"If we put cardboard in the house, it is common for the cat to try to scratch it, bite it or play with it," adds the expert. "And it also has a great advantage: it is a very good insulating material that, when it is cold, helps them stay warm."