Cats Have Chosen Concrete Slabs As Their New Favorite Toy, And There Might Be A Good Reason Why

To say that TikTok has a wide variety of content is an understatement, but watching animals do funny things is one of the main draws for some people. Among the current crop of viral trends are videos of people giving concrete slabs to their cats, and the cats absolutely loving it. They immediately start rolling and rubbing on the concrete — sometimes quite aggressively. As it turns out, there are a few possibilities why felines take such a shine to concrete.

The topic of why cats like concrete slabs so much hasn't been part of any official science experiments with cats, but pet behaviorist Dr. Annie chimed in with her hypotheses in her own video on TikTok. One sensible explanation could be that the felines are simply fascinated with their owners bringing home new, out-of-place objects. Because of their innate curiosity (as well as their predatory and territorial nature), cats like to explore everything in their space and tend to claim unexpected items. In this case, it's the concrete slab, but in others, it's an unattended shipping box.

Another theory from Dr. Annie is that cats like the warmth of the concrete when the slabs are placed in sunny spots. The love that felines have for heat is an inherited survival tactic from ancestors that lived in deserts. Additionally, their body temperature ranges from 99 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, so they seek out the coziest areas, often on warm blankets and human laps. In fact, a study published in Scientific World Journal found that cats prefer environmental temperatures of 86 to 100 degrees. So, concrete slabs left in the sun to absorb the heat become a cozy spot to lay when average indoor temperatures are set to 68 to 72 degrees.

The newness and warmth factors probably aren't the only reasons cats love concrete slabs so much. For different reasons, felines are attracted to concrete as a type of composite material because of its porous and tactile nature. As Dr. Annie notes in her TikTok hypotheses, this porous material holds onto smells. "A big part of the way cats communicate that a territory belongs to them is through their scent," she explained. "This is traditionally accomplished by spreading litter boxes and other scent-soaking stuff — like cat beds and cat scratchers — throughout your home, but these concrete blocks are probably playing that role, too."

Generally, cats spread their scent by rubbing sebaceous glands along surfaces in their environment. These glands are located along their cheeks, chins, lips, foreheads, paw pads, and tails. When watching the trending social media videos of cats with concrete slabs, it's obvious that they're rubbing these areas of their bodies on the surface, so their scent is left behind.

Regarding the fact that concrete is a tactile material, the simple explanation is that the uneven surface delivers "some pretty good scratches," adds Dr. Annie. Tactile stimulation in the form of physical touch — petting and scratching — is an overall healthy way to reinforce positive behaviors. When cats are doing the tactile stimulation themselves, such as rubbing on a concrete slab, they have control over the positive stimulus. This aspect improves their welfare by providing an enrichment activity that reduces boredom and stress. In other words, buy your cat some concrete already.