Indoor cat welfare depends on environmental design that meets behavioral needs for territory, hunting expression, and security that outdoor access would otherwise provide.
Indoor cat environmental enrichment welfare is about recognizing that confinement without enrichment creates behavioral and psychological welfare deficits even when physical needs are met. The natural feline day involves patrolling territory, hunting, resting in multiple locations, and complex environmental interaction - none of which happens in a bare indoor apartment. Welfare-positive indoor environments create spatial complexity through vertical dimension, hunting simulation through interactive play and foraging enrichment, and security through multiple hiding spaces. This is not luxury care but the foundation of adequate welfare for indoor cats.