Keeping cats indoors protects them from road accidents, predation, and disease, but indoor environments must be deliberately enriched to meet cats' behavioral needs for hunting, exploration, and vertical space.
Indoor cat welfare requires active design of enriched environments rather than passive containment. A cat confined to a small flat without vertical space, hunting opportunities, or interactive play is experiencing chronic deprivation of behavioral needs that are fundamental to feline wellbeing. The welfare benefits of indoor living - dramatically extended lifespan and reduced injury - are real and significant, but they do not automatically follow from simply keeping a cat indoors. Owners who invest in environmental enrichment, regular interactive play, and species-appropriate stimulation create genuinely high welfare for their companions. Those who provide only food, water, and shelter fall far short of what indoor cats need.