Evidence-based approaches to indoor cat enrichment that prevent boredom and promote psychological wellbeing.
Indoor cats live safer lives than outdoor cats but often at a significant behavioral welfare cost. A standard home without deliberate enrichment provides few opportunities for the behaviors cats are motivated to express — climbing, watching prey, hiding, scratching, and hunting. Chronic under-stimulation in indoor cats produces boredom, obesity, and stress-related conditions. Effective indoor enrichment addresses the full range of feline behavioral needs: vertical space for climbing and surveying, window access for visual stimulation, multiple hiding options for security, interactive play for predatory expression, and scratching posts for claw maintenance. These provisions transform an inadequate indoor environment into one that genuinely supports feline wellbeing.