Indoor cats need structured enrichment to express their natural hunting, climbing, and territorial behaviours and to maintain good physical and mental health.
Indoor cat welfare hinges on the owner's willingness to actively engineer an enriched environment. Cats whose lives consist solely of sleep and bowl feeding are not thriving — they are simply safe. True welfare meets the cat's motivational needs: the opportunity to stalk, pounce, and "kill" prey through interactive play; the security of elevated resting spots from which they can survey their territory; the stimulation of novel scents and textures; and positive social interaction on their own terms. These needs can be met entirely indoors with intention and investment in appropriate resources. Cats in well-enriched indoor environments show lower stress indicators, healthier weight, and more positive affective states than those in bare environments.