Indoor cats need cognitive stimulation to maintain mental health. Evidence-based enrichment strategies address boredom, frustration, and anxiety in confined environments.
Indoor cat welfare requires active management rather than passive provision of food and shelter. The indoor environment, however comfortable by human standards, lacks the sensory complexity, movement opportunities, and behavioral outlets that cats need for genuine wellbeing. Cognitive enrichment addresses the gap between what cats need and what indoor life provides. The Five Domains model recognizes behavioral opportunities as fundamental to positive welfare — a cat that cannot hunt, explore, climb, or engage in predatory play sequences is experiencing a welfare deficit regardless of physical health.