A cat owner from Australia made a DIY toy out of a cardboard box for her fur-baby, and the feline's reaction to it has melted hearts among internet users.
In a post shared on TikTok in February, under the username @oscarandcora, the fluffy tabby cat can be seen having the best time playing with his new toy, made out of a cardboard box with some dangling mice hanging from tiny ropes.
"This is how you don't throw the box away," reads layover text in the clip. "Make this instead. DIY cat toy." The feline then goes on to play uninterruptedly for the entire length of the video, sometimes joined by his sibling, clearly entertained by their owner's creation.
Every cat owner has probably been through the heartbreak of seeing their feline rejecting a new toy and just playing with the box it came in, so this seems like a fair solution to make both cats and pet parents happy.
But why do cats love boxes so much? What is it that grabs their attention in a way that even toys designed specifically for their enrichment cannot?
Newsweek previously delved into this topic and found many reasons behind this unorthodox choice. For starters, cats love hiding places, and cardboard boxes make great hideaways, especially the bigger ones.
Cats are also comforted by small places, particularly by spaces that are just large enough for their bodies, as it gives them a sense of security.
They love the warm and natural smell of cardboard, and its texture too, which allows them to scratch it and play with it. In short, cats love anything that has to do with boxes, making them unexpectedly great toys.
While they usually cause no harm, boxes can become very dangerous when your cat starts chewing on them. According to what Dr. Jess Kirk says on Vet Explains Pets, when this happens you should immediately remove the box and provide them with safe, non-toxic toys and objects to play with.
Ingesting foreign objects can be dangerous for cats and when that happens you should contact your veterinarian and have your cat assessed.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 988,700 views and 47,200 likes on the platform.
One user, EmmaNorman535, commented: "My cats won't let me throw any boxes it becomes their new bed instantly for them if I go near them."
Mikeltie Pitre said: "My cat would never touch this again. The box has to be 'untainted."
Char Aless wrote: "This is simply brilliant. Nothing gets stuck under the couch. So simple. Perfection."
Jackie BBB added: "Clever. Think I'm going to have to give this a go."
Newsweek reached out to @oscarandcora for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
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