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- Date change rule:
- Every June 19
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- 📦
International Box Day unwraps the simple joy of cardboard boxes every June 19. This day celebrates the undeniable bond between cats and their favorite cozy hideaways. Dive into the playful world of felines and their cardboard companions, and find creative ways to engage your cat with a new box, or simply observe their natural instincts.
Want to sponsor International Box Day? Learn how
Expected International Box Day Deals
While we await official 2027 promotions, history shows that pet supply retailers often run special offers around International Box Day. Look for discounts on cat toys, treats, and even cat furniture that incorporates cardboard elements from brands like Chewy, PetSmart, and Petco. Online retailers like Amazon and Walmart may highlight shipping box reuse ideas or offer deals on cat-themed merchandise. Even moving supply companies such as U-Haul or The Home Depot might feature their sturdy boxes as ideal play spaces. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as June 19 approaches.
Platform Guide for International Box Day
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #InternationalBoxDay. Film your cat’s funniest reactions to a new box or create a cardboard fort tutorial.
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #InternationalBoxDay. Share adorable photos of your feline friends enjoying their favorite boxes, or showcase creative DIY box crafts.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #InternationalBoxDay. Post videos of cats playing in boxes and invite your community to share their own.
International Box Day Hero
Dr. John Bradshaw
History of International Box Day
It’s a widely known fact that cats love boxes and most cat owners just don’t know why. You splash out on a fancy bed for them but they insist on staying in the box. What gives?
Cats get comfort and security from enclosed spaces, which makes boxes the perfect place for them to curl up in. Boxes are a great hiding place from predators and they also help reduce stress by offering a safe-zone where your cat can observe and not be seen.
A recent study conducted by the University of Utrecht discovered that cats with boxes adapted to their environment quicker, highlighting the key role boxes can play in dealing with the anxiety that often comes with change. From a cat’s perspective, boxes have it all – the perfect temperature, the personal space, and the required level of comfort.
This isn’t restricted to your little house cat. Big cats such as lions, tigers, and cougars share lots have shown a fondness for a box too. When living in wildlife reserves and given cardboard boxes, they had just as much fun as your pet kitty would. Yep, the tigers and lions were observed jumping in and out of boxes, sitting in them, and generally having a great time. For cats everywhere, a plain old box can keep them entertained for a long time.
International Box Day is our chance to celebrate this curiously odd coupling and for you to give your cat a box to enjoy.
International Box Day timeline
English firm M. Treverton & Son is believed to have made the first paperboard box.
A Brooklyn printer and paper-bag maker manufactured flat, pre-cut pieces that could be folded into boxes.
Corrugated cardboard boxes are produced in America for the first time.
It’s not just cats who love a good box, as any parent of a toddler will attest to.
How Businesses Can Celebrate International Box Day
Local pet stores can host ‘Cardboard Cat Fort’ building contests, inviting customers to bring their feline friends to play in elaborate box structures. Moving companies and shipping services could offer tips on safely repurposing delivery boxes for pet play, perhaps with a social media campaign featuring customer-submitted cat-in-box photos. Even cafes could set up small, cat-friendly box hideaways for resident felines, drawing in pet-loving patrons. The key is to highlight the simple, universal appeal of a cardboard box to a cat.
International Box Day FAQs
When is International Box Day?
International Box Day 2026 falls on Friday, June 19, offering a perfect mid-week opportunity to celebrate the simple joy cats find in cardboard boxes.
Why do cats love cardboard boxes?
Cats are natural ambush predators, and a cardboard box provides a secure, enclosed space where they can hide, observe their surroundings, and feel safe. The insulating properties of cardboard also offer warmth, appealing to their preference for cozy spots.
How many cats are there in the world?
While exact figures vary, it’s estimated there are roughly 600 million domestic cats worldwide, with a significant portion enjoying the simple pleasure of a cardboard box. This global feline population makes International Box Day a widely relatable celebration.
Is International Box Day only for cats?
While the holiday is heavily associated with cats due to their well-documented love for boxes, the spirit of International Box Day can extend to any pet or even human who finds joy in a simple cardboard enclosure. It’s about appreciating simple pleasures.
International Box Day Activities
Build your cat a box fortress
Head over to the supermarket or another large store and ask if they have any extra boxes. Bring them home and create the ultimate play area for your cat. Leave some open, put some on their sides, and your cat will soon be conquering his new castle.
Join your cat in a box
Ever wonder why your cat has so much fun with a box? Why not find a big one and join him inside? Who knows, you may celebrate International Box Day more than once a year. Don’t take offense though if kitty prefers having the box to himself.
Invite kitty friends over for a ‘boxing’ party
Gather your and your cat’s feline friends together for some insane box time. Collect as many boxes as you can, in all shapes and sizes, and sit back and watch the fun. Cats are good ones for amusing themselves.
Facts About Cats
Like Fingerprints
Like a thumbprint, every cats’ nose is unique
Close to ancestors
A house cat is genetically 95.6% tiger.
They have a Jacobson’s Organ
Cats have an extra organ that allows them to taste scents in the air
Heavy sleepers and groomers
Cats sleep 12-16 hours per day and spend 1/3 of their awake hours’ grooming
A name for their lovers
An ailurophile is a person who loves cats, the word ailuro is the ancient Greek word for cat.
Why We Love International Box Day
There aren’t enough cat and human holidays
Dogs may get all the credit for being man's best friend, but we beg to differ — cats make our lives better every day and they deserve a day (or two or seven) to be appreciated for everything they do. Take some extra time today to enjoy some purr time with your feline friend. In addition to a box or two, why not share some catnip?
It’s good for your cat’s brain
Cats thrive on playtime. Supplying them with a box to jump around in, play hide and seek and attack activates those brain cells. It also doubles as exercise which is good for their figures! A special bonus: it tires them out, making them more likely to sleep when you sleep (well that's the idea anyway — we can dream, right?)
It gives us an opportunity to think out of the box
International Box Day is a great day to think about creative ways to play with your cat. What unusual games can you come up with to play with your cat today? Surround you and your cat with some boxes and let your imaginations run wild.
Social Media Tips for International Box Day
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