Cat Traps

Frank (immediately following an ambush)

                We got a fresh supply of cat traps this weekend.  Commonly known as cardboard boxes, cat traps offer hours of amusement for cats and their owners.  We call boxes “cat traps” because within a minute of setting one out, a cat will climb in, guaranteed.  If we put out five boxes, we will catch five cats.

                 It’s hilarious unless we actually want to use the boxes, in which case we’re out of luck.  At times we’ve resorted to packing things on top of a cat, just to encourage him to get out of the box.  Suitcases work the same way, so I am sure someday we’ll accidentally zip a cat in and tote it along on vacation.

                 Cats approach box usage in many different ways.  Some use them to hide in.  Size is not important in a good hiding box.  As long as a cat’s head fits inside so he can’t see the rest of him sticking out, it’s big enough.   Boxes are also good for sitting in and looking out at the world.  I’ve never quite understood the point of that, but they find it satisfying.

                Boxes are great for staging ambushes, especially if the flaps fold down after the cat is inside.  Cats will sit in there forever waiting for an unsuspecting victim to pass by, then pop out like a jack-in-the-box.  The terrifying sound of a cat bursting from the box sends the victim running and the chase is on.

                The final use for a cat trap requires a playmate.  One cat sits outside the box, another sits in with one or two flaps closed.  Through the resulting hole, the cats can swipe and punch at each other for hours without actually making contact.

                We’ll leave the new boxes out for a few days until the novelty wears off, then get new ones next month.  Not only can the cats can have an endless supply of fun for free, all the mess is recyclable!

Boxes my daughter was trying to pack for college