Cats in shelters face significant welfare challenges from the combination of confinement, unfamiliar social environments, and loss of territory, requiring targeted environmental management.
Cat shelter welfare can be substantially improved through relatively simple interventions including hide boxes, elevated resting spots, pheromone diffusers, and quiet management protocols. The FearFree and Cat Friendly clinic movements have developed evidence-based shelter management guidelines. Minimizing length of stay through proactive adoption, foster programs, and TNR for community cats reduces cumulative welfare burden.