Indoor cats require thoughtfully designed environments to express natural behaviours and maintain psychological wellbeing. Evidence-based enrichment prevents common welfare problems associated with understimulating home environments.
Indoor cats face welfare risks from environmental poverty - insufficient space, lack of vertical opportunity, absence of hunting-like activities, and inadequate hiding options. These deficiencies manifest as FIC stress flares, overgrooming, aggression, and anxiety. Enrichment that addresses cats' core behavioural needs - hunting sequences through play, climbing, scratching, and choice of social interaction - significantly improves welfare indicators. The indoor environment should be designed to meet the cat's needs rather than adapted as an afterthought. Multiple resources positioned to prevent inter-cat competition are essential in multi-cat households.