Evidence-based behavioral enrichment programs for indoor cats can significantly improve welfare outcomes by meeting the behavioral needs of a species evolved for hunting, territory maintenance, and exploration.
Evidence-based indoor cat enrichment is a welfare domain where the gap between what is known to improve cat welfare and what most owners provide is large but closeable. The research is clear: cats provided with appropriate hunting simulation through interactive play, cognitive challenge through food puzzles, olfactory stimulation through novel scents, and environmental complexity through vertical space show measurably better welfare outcomes — more behavioral diversity, more positive affect indicators, and less chronic stress. The interventions required are modest in cost and time but require knowledge and commitment to implement consistently. Owner motivation is highest when the connection between enrichment provision and cat welfare is clearly understood — cats that receive regular enrichment are not merely happier in a vague sense but show specific, measurable improvements in behavioral and health outcomes that represent genuine welfare benefits.