Here's Exactly Why Cats Like to Hang Out in Small Spaces, According to Vets 19 Shares It doesn't matter how many pet beds I invest in or how many blankets I pile on the couch for them, if there is a small cardboard box available my two cats, Tiny and Alfredo will sleep in it. And if there is no small box available, then not to worry — they will squish and squeeze their way into my linen-closet shelves, napping for hours on end sandwiched between a stack of towels and a Tupperware container full of nail polish. My cats, like many others out there, prefer to sleep in teeny-tiny spaces over practically anything (OK, maybe my lap and the computer keyboard are close seconds). But why? Don't these small spaces make them feel uncomfortable or, if you're like me and hate feeling stuck, claustrophobic? To help us learn more about this very common (and somewhat baffling) behavior, POPSUGAR spoke to two experts.