Indoor cats live longer and safer lives but face significant welfare risks from boredom, inactivity, and lack of behavioral outlets without enrichment.
Many indoor cats live in environments that fail to meet their behavioral needs, leading to chronic boredom, obesity, and stress-related conditions including overgrooming, inappropriate elimination, and inter-cat aggression. Owners who provide food and shelter but no enrichment may not recognize that their cat is suffering. Cats that engage in normal hunting-like play behavior, have vertical territory, can scratch appropriate surfaces, and have opportunities to observe their environment have significantly better welfare. The welfare gap between a stimulation-poor indoor environment and an enriched indoor environment is substantial.