Cats are primarily olfactory animals whose scent enrichment needs are almost entirely overlooked in standard cat keeping.
Feline scent enrichment is a nearly zero-cost welfare intervention that is almost universally overlooked by cat owners. Cats explore their world through scent before visual or tactile investigation. Novel scents from fresh herbs, wildlife, and prey items provide genuine olfactory engagement that enriches the indoor cat's sensory world. Catnip and silver vine produce demonstrable positive emotional responses in susceptible cats. Rotating scent sources provides ongoing novelty at minimal expense and addresses a fundamental sensory need that movement-based toys cannot meet.