Why do cats like boxes? Why do they wiggle their butts before they pounce and does cat nip really make cats high? All these questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy.
Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.
- A 2014 study in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science with shelter cats with and without hiding boxes to see if boxes could reduce stress
- When cats are just lying around not expending energy, their ideal temperature is 86 to 100 degrees F (30 to 38 degrees C), according to a study published in 2016 in the Scientific World Journal
- Its scientific name is Nepeta cataria. And it belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae
- Most cats — or maybe even all — are affected by catnip to some degree
