Will a hiding box provide stress reduction for shelter cats?

Vinke, Godijn and van der Leij tested whether giving newly admitted shelter cats a simple hiding box reduces stress. Cats provided with a hiding box showed significantly lower Cat-Stress-Scores and faster behavioural adaptation than cats without one during the critical first days after admission. Because hiding is a primary feline coping response to perceived threat, denying it leaves cats unable to manage fear. The study offered a cheap, easy intervention with a clear welfare payoff and became one of the most cited works supporting mandatory hiding enrichment in shelter cages. It directly shaped shelter guidelines recommending hiding places for all confined cats.