Cat in the box?

I read something the other day about this cat in the box thing and the question was if time goes by with a toxic gas or something like that in it will the cat be dead. and the aswer is half dead because of the reality of it and not the presumtion. but after reading that if the cat is in the box then he is dead to you till you even look because he is not there for you too look at. i mean what is all the time before you open up the box. if for a year you wait to open the box then for a year that cat has been dead to you already. no, yes?