Cats kept permanently indoors require structured environmental enrichment to prevent boredom, frustration, and associated behavioural problems.
While indoor living protects cats from many external threats, confinement without adequate enrichment creates a welfare deficit. Cats have strong instinctive drives to hunt, explore, climb, scratch, and interact on their own terms. Frustrated motivation leads to stereotypic behaviours, anxiety, and inter-cat conflict in multi-cat households. Rotating novel toys, food puzzle feeders, and structured interactive play sessions can substantially improve welfare. Window perches providing visual access to outdoor activity partially compensate for lack of outdoor exploration.