10 Amazing Life Hacks That Are Actually Backed By Science

8. Stop Your Cat Bothering You With A Cardboard Box

Cat owners know only too well that your beloved moggie can ignore you all day, until the moment you settle down to some work, then all of a sudden it's playtime.

There are lots of theories as to why cats love to walk all over your keyboard and generally get in the way. Feline psychologists (where were they on careers day?) think that the motion of typing looks a lot like a game to a cat, and the tip-tap of the keys sound a lot like the pitter patter of tiny prey-paws.

Anyway, a popular hack for keeping your cat out of your hair when you're trying to work, is to set up a box nearby and they will be drawn, seemingly magnetically, to it.

To get to the bottom of the feline obsession with cardboard boxes, scientists did some research into the effect that the presence of a box has on our furred friends. They found that, simply by being in a box, the cat's stress levels dipped dramatically. This isn't just a case of feeling less frazzled, as a reduction in stress levels offers a protective effect against infectious diseases.