Why Do Cats Like Crinkly Things – 12 Reasons!

It seems there is nothing more satisfying for a cat than playing with any item that crinkles or makes a fun crunching noise. What is the logic behind your cat’s love for bubble wrap, crinkly tissue paper, or walking across anything that makes as much noise as possible? 

Cats like crinkly things because the the noise these items make satisfies them. Crinkly noises naturally stimulates a cats senses because it resembles other animals such as small birds, mice, and rabbits. Crinkly items also stimulate a cats hunting instincts.

Let’s get into why cats do this in a little more detail!

Reasons Cats Like Crinkly Things  

Crinkly things are something you will find your cat gravitating to. There’s many reasons for that, and we’ve listed them below!

They love the way it sounds when they step on crinkly things

The noise of a crinkling bag sounds different for a cat than it does for a human. This is fully supported by science because cats have ultrasonic ears. They can hear things at a frequency that is completely inaudible to humans. Due to this, the noise of a plastic bag or a piece of crinkle paper resonates for them at a very different frequency than for humans. The sound of a crinkling bag is much more pronounced with a cat’s level of hearing.

It stimulates their senses

Any out-of-the-ordinary noises will typically pique your cat’s interest and may lead them to come closer to explore. Cats are naturally very curious animals, so it is great to have new items in your house that they can explore. 

Cats use all five of their senses to learn more about things when they are exploring, and crinkly bags provide an opportunity for them to sniff something new, feel a new texture, and hear a noise that is more unique to them. It’s good to give cats items like paper bags or receipts to play in a confined setting to keep them stimulated. Cats that do not have toys and do not get a lot of outside stimulation daily are prone to growing bored, leading your cat to act out in disruptive ways. 

It reminds them of hunting out in the wild 

While the correlation between a crinkly candy wrapper and hunting may not correlate, it triggers something in cats. While cats are aware that these crinkly things are not alive, it still reminds them of the high-pitched noise some birds and mice make out in nature. This spurs them to instinctual action to hunt the item in question, even if they know it is not a wild animal. 

They enjoy being disruptive 

Some cats enjoy being disruptive or being the center of attention. It certainly depends on your cat’s personality, but some cats thrive when all eyes are on them. Walking loudly across crinkly paper is a guaranteed way to get people to pay attention to you. Cats that act this way are often the ones that are the most vocal as well and meow frequently to try to communicate. 

They are trying to get your attention 

We know that cats cannot simply talk to communicate with us, but they indeed find other ways to communicate when they want their owner’s attention. Most cats have learned that making noise is an excellent way to get their owner to turn around and see what is happening. While some cats rely heavily on meowing for this, they may also use objects in their environment, like walking across a very loud crinkly plastic bag, to signal that they need your attention. 

Your cat takes note of which sounds get the most significant reactions out of their owner. In this case, they may start using this technique when trying to let you know they are hungry or want to be pet. 

They are exploring

Cats are natural explorers and love to play with any new items you might bring into your home. Some people believe that cats are constantly on a mission better to understand the human world. Any new box or crinkly bag you bring into the home serves as an unexplored terrain for your cat to conquer. They like to familiarize themselves with foreign objects to assess the risk involved with the new item. 

Crinkly things make comfortable beds 

Cats are always looking for the most comfortable spot in a room to sleep in, and sometimes the places they choose can be quite funny for us to witness! Cats tend to love sleeping on top of bags or any paper. They do this because paper insulates heat, which makes it a warmer spot for them to sleep. While it may not compare to a soft bed, they would rather sleep on a warmer paper object than on the cold floor.

It is soothing to your cat

The sound of crinkly things is like music to your cat’s ears. Humans often put on white noise or sound machines of soothing sounds like the ocean, and cats get the same relaxation from listening to the sound of a paper bag crinkle beneath their feet. The sound of crinkling is sort of similar to that of small twigs and grass crackling beneath their feet in the forest, which may bring up happy memories of exploring the outdoors for them. 

They’ve never experienced anything like it before  

Crinkly items like trash bags might be really fun for your cat to play with simply because they have never experienced anything else like it. The novelty of certain items might be enough to keep your cat coming back to play with an item like a crinkly Christmas ornament. 

Once your cat establishes that the crinkly item is not scary and won’t hurt them, they will keep coming back for more!

They think all crinkly items are toys for them

Cat toy makers know that cats love crinkly materials, so they often deliberately make cat toys with a crinkly material inside. This delights cats, but it also might cause them to think other crinkly items in your home are cat toys as well. If your cat frequently gets into your shopping bags, you might want to get them some crinkly toys of their own so that they can play with a more appropriate item for themselves.

It reminds them of a cat crinkle sack

Pet companies have learned how much cats love crinkly items, and because of this, they have created products like kitty crinkle sacks! These little sleeping bags are for cats with a crinkly material on the inside, so cats get the satisfaction of hearing the noise while they crawl into the sleep sack.

This is the perfect thing to buy a cat who is always trying to sleep in your paper bags. It combines all of their favorite things, like a warm material on the inside for an incredible nap, a private spot to hide, and their favorite crinkling sound.

They want to scent mark the object 

The territorial nature wants to make sure their scent is on every possible surface of their home so that other animals know it has been claimed as their own. When you bring home a new crinkly piece of jewelry or packaging, it will be your cat’s natural first response to run over and scent mark it. Any new objects in their home are unclaimed territory, so they want to quickly mark it as their own! 

Things To Consider

You often hear the idiom “curiosity killed the cat” because it is true that cats love to be up close and personal to any new items being brought into your home. While there is a lot of science and instinctual evidence to support these behaviors, another explanation is that your cat wants to be close to you and whatever you are doing. 

Cat owners often find that cats are happiest when they can sit close to you and be involved in what you are working on, whether sitting on your computer keyboard while you are typing or trying to jump on the counter while you are cooking. 

While cats love crinkly items, there is also an equally extensive list of sounds that they typically despise. Some of those noises include the sound of tin foil, loud banging noises, the sound of a pressure cooker, or the loud whistle of a tea kettle. Most cats are finicky and have their quirks about what delights them and what sends them running for another room. The joy of owning a cat is that each one is a little different, and their unique personalities cause them to react differently to things.