Cats in shelter environments face stress from confinement, social disruption, and unfamiliarity that enrichment programs can significantly alleviate.
Shelter cat welfare requires accommodating the specific coping strategies of a territorial species placed in an unfamiliar, high-stimulus environment. Cats that cannot hide experience chronic stress that manifests as behavioral shutdown or aggression that reduces adoptability. Providing hiding boxes, elevated perches, and visual barriers creates welfare improvements with minimal cost. Cat-friendly ward design based on feline behavioral needs dramatically reduces stress indicators including upper respiratory infection rates that increase with stress.