Indoor cats face higher risks of frustration, obesity, and stress-related illness without adequate environmental enrichment — meeting their needs requires active, structured effort from owners.
Keeping cats indoors eliminates road traffic, predation, and infectious disease risks but creates an obligation to actively supply what the outdoor environment provides: novelty, challenge, movement, and agency. Static indoor environments without enrichment gradually erode feline welfare through boredom, frustration, and learned helplessness. The Five Pillars of a Healthy Feline Environment — safe space, resources in multiple locations, play and predatory behaviour opportunities, positive social interaction, and olfactory stimulation — provide a practical framework. Window access to bird feeders, rotation of novel toys, food puzzles, scratch posts, and scheduled interactive play sessions are minimum standards. Cat welfare should be assessed by behaviour, not just physical health.