Keeping cats exclusively indoors protects wildlife and reduces traffic casualties but requires active management to meet cats complex behavioral and environmental needs.
Indoor cats require significantly more environmental enrichment than outdoor cats to meet their behavioral needs. Without opportunities for climbing, hunting simulations, scratching, and exploration, indoor cats develop behavioral problems including compulsive behaviors, overgrooming, inappropriate elimination, and aggression. Interactive play sessions simulating hunting are essential. Puzzle feeders reduce eating speed and provide cognitive stimulation. Multiple litter boxes, scratching posts, and vertical spaces are basic requirements. Social needs vary enormously between cats and must be assessed individually. Cat-proofed outdoor enclosures or leash training provide outdoor enrichment safely. Two-cat households can provide social enrichment but require careful introduction and monitoring for compatibility.