Indoor cats without adequate enrichment develop stress-related behaviors and health problems. Evidence-based environmental enrichment significantly improves indoor cat welfare.
Indoor cats receive significant protection from outdoor hazards but face a different set of welfare challenges from environmental impoverishment. Cats are obligate hunters with strong predatory drives that remain active in domestic settings. Without outlets for these drives, indoor cats develop stress, obesity, and behavioral problems. Environmental enrichment that meets feline behavioral needs — vertical space for climbing and surveying, hiding spots for security, interactive play that mimics predator behavior, puzzle feeders that engage foraging motivation — dramatically improves indoor cat welfare. The welfare investment in enrichment is modest compared to the benefits in cat quality of life and reduction of stress-related illness.