Why do cats prefer cardboard boxes over expensive toys?
Cats naturally ignore expensive store-bought items in favor of ordinary cardboard boxes and paper bags. This leaves owners frustrated after spending money on elaborate cat furniture that their pets completely refuse to use.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Providing cardboard boxes instead of buying expensive toysDid this help you?
- 2giving cats simple boxes and paper bags instead of expensive furnitureDid this help you?
- 3rotating toys or leaving them in a basketDid this help you?
- 4using household items like bread ties, twist ties, boxes, paper, and cotton swabsDid this help you?
- 5buying budget-friendly toys like springs or fluffy snakes on a stickDid this help you?
- 6purchasing a standalone sturdy scratching post instead of a large cat treeDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I absolutely love the post of the giant tree inspired cat tree but I don't have enough space or money to even make it work (And enough cats)”source ↗
“We tried to buy one in the past and she absolutely hated it, couldn't fit in the cubby despite it being for "Large cats" and maybe touched it once”source ↗
“If I bought them a million-dollar house, they’d still choose this cardboard box 😂”source ↗
“I bought my cat a cat tree with three floors, a hammock, a hiding box and a scratching post, for €75 and he prefers a paper bag or a simple box.”source ↗
“I'm always worried about her swallowing them 😭”source ↗
“Costs me a bomb in new toasters though.”source ↗
“I don't have room for a cat trees, but my best buy has been an extra tall, really sturdy scratching post.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5Why does my cat scratch furniture instead of her scratching posts?
- 17Why does my cat ignore the bed I bought?
- 6Why won't my cat play with toys when I'm gone?
- 3Why does our cat only like one of us?
- 14Why do cats eat non-food items like plastic and fake plants?
- 2Why does my cat prefer my male guests over me?