Environmental stress is a major driver of health and behavioral problems in cats - understanding and modifying the home environment is one of the most powerful tools for improving cat welfare.
The indoor cat environment is entirely human-created and entirely human-managed - if it fails to meet feline needs, the cat cannot seek alternatives. Cats evolved as solitary hunters with exclusive territories, and the indoor multi-cat household requires significant environmental compensation to prevent chronic stress. Insufficient resources, inadequate vertical space, and lack of escape routes from other cats create environments where cats live in persistent low-level anxiety. This has measurable health consequences: stress-induced cystitis, over-grooming, inter-cat aggression, and immune suppression. The good news is that relatively simple environmental modifications - more litter boxes, cat trees, hiding spots, and separate feeding areas - can dramatically improve welfare outcomes.