How modifying the home environment improves cat welfare and reduces stress-related behavioral problems.
The domestic cat's behavioral needs evolved in a complex, outdoor environment and are incompletely met by a standard home setting. Cats need to climb, hide, scratch, watch prey, and retreat — and when these needs go unmet, the resulting frustration often expresses itself as house soiling, aggression, or stress-related illness. Environmental modification is among the most effective and lowest-cost welfare interventions available to cat owners. It requires understanding what cats need and then reorganizing the home to provide it, not purchasing expensive products.