If you’re scrolling on Instagram, TikTok, or the more specific sub genre #CatTok you may have come across some interesting feline behavior as of late: Numerous videos of excited cat owners presenting their pets with concrete slabs, even taking trips to the hardware store to pick up some pavers. When presented with their new gift, ever curious, cats investigate and ultimately seem to enjoy their hard, new toy. But why?

“As is typical with cats, only they know,” Bruce Kornreich, a veterinary cardiologist and director of the Feline Health Center at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, tells Popular Science. 

While we don’t really know for sure, there are some things we can glean from this behavior. Cats generally love exploring objects with different textures. Yet, like in humans, it’s different strokes for different feline folks.

[ Related: Why do cats make biscuits? ]

“Scratching posts are a good example,” says Kornreich. “Some cats like wood with bark on it, while some cats like cardboard.” Sometimes a scratch post’s orientation can determine whether or not a cat uses it. “Cats like them upright, other cats like them horizontal, and some cats want horizontal with carpeting on it.”

As for concrete, the porous nature of the material may offer cats somewhere to deposit their scent. Smell is important for many animals, felines included. Cats can use their urine and pheromones as a way to communicate. According to the ASPCA, an individual cats’ urine marking alerts other cats of his/her presence and also “makes a statement about such things as what piece of property is his, how long ago he was in the area, and, over time, when other cats can expect him to return.” Felines will also use urine to advertise when they’re looking for a mate. 

That same porous property in the concrete might also be good for one of the most common cat behaviors—scratching.

“We believe that cats like scratching posts because they can partake in a natural behavior,” says Kornreich. “We believe that in many cases, they’re scratching to mark territory. So they may scratch on these things or rub their pheromones on them to mark them as their own.”

Temperature may also be involved. The cat might use the slab as a place to warm up if the block’s been left in the sun, or cool down if it’s in an air conditioned room. Introducing a concrete slab to a cat’s environment could also simply be something exciting for them to explore or a piece of new territory to claim. 

“They may be saying, ‘Hey, this is a new thing. It’s kind of porous. I can put my scent on it. I can sit on top of it. I can scratch my nails on it. It also provides me with a nice little scratch on my back.’ So it’s certainly possible that these things are involved in why a cat would be attracted to it,” explains Kornreich.

[ Related: The mystery of cats and their love of imaginary boxes. ]

Kornreich and other veterinarians recommend cat owners stimulate and play into their feline friends’ natural behaviors. Introducing scratching posts, supervised time outside either walking on a leash or on an enclosed outdoor “catio,” and using toys to mimic hunting behaviors all help a cat stay healthy, happy, and entertained. Even just “five minutes a day” of dedicated play time will help make cats’ lives more full and enjoyable, says Kornreich. Switching cat foods periodically under a vet’s supervision can also help keep them stimulated. 

Social media can sometimes seem tailor made for documenting strange feline behaviors, from cats talking to hiding inside tables. But if your cat develops any destructive habits or behavioral issues, discussing your concerns with a veterinarian is key.

But if your cat just loves a slab of concrete? “I don’t see any real concerns,” says Kornreich.

 

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