‘She missed being outside on the pavement’: Cat owners are buying concrete slabs for their pets, thanks to TikTok

The new must-have pet accessory? A concrete slab.

On #CatTok, videos are racking up views as cat owners bring slabs into their homes, set them down, and watch their beloved pets sniff, lick, roll, and rub against their new favorite toys. Bonus points if they’re placed in a sunny spot.

The trend appears to have started with an orange tabby named Kurt and his owner, Abram Engle. “Kurt loves rolling around on the concrete outside, so I’m bringing the concrete to him,” Engle explains in a video posted back in May. That video has since gained 4.7 million views and inspired other cat owners to try the DIY enrichment hack for themselves. Some are even taking their cats to Home Depot to pick out their own slabs.

Several cat owners have speculated whether their pampered pet’s former life might have something to do with the attraction. “Since Minnow was originally a street cat, I was wondering if she missed being outside on the pavement,” one owner theorized. “It’s safe to say she loved it, and now I’m stuck with this new piece of furniture.” Or, as one commenter put it, “the toe stubber 3000.”

If it’s not nostalgia for a life once spent sleeping rough on the streets, what explains the attachment to what is, after all, just a block of concrete?

While there haven’t been any formal studies on the phenomenon, Purina pet behaviorist and TikTok user Dr. Annie, aka Annie Valuska, PhD, has a few theories. For one, “they’re new and kind of out of place,” she explains. “Due to cats’ territorial and predatory nature, they really like new stuff.”

The material itself may also play a role. Concrete’s porous surface holds onto scent—a major way cats can communicate that a space belongs to them. It also offers a satisfying texture for scratching. And if you park it in the sun? Even better.

“It warms up really nicely when it’s placed in a sunny spot,” Valuska says in one video. “Cats like warmth because they have a higher body temperature than humans do, and they evolved from a species adapted to a warm environment.”

Best of all? It’s cheaper than most cat trees or towers.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91370313/cat-owners-buying-concrete-slabs-for-their-pets-tiktok?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss