Indoor cats face significant welfare risks from environmental impoverishment, with anxiety disorders, redirected aggression, and overgrooming indicating unmet behavioural needs in millions of confined companion cats.
Indoor cats deprived of hunting, climbing, and exploration opportunities experience chronic motivational frustration. Hunting play opportunities are particularly important — cats are obligate predators whose predatory behaviour sequence is a primary source of positive welfare. Multi-cat households without adequate spatial and temporal resource separation create competitive stress and social conflict. Cats unable to escape or avoid conflict develop chronic anxiety manifesting as urine marking, hiding, and somatic illness. Environmental enrichment through vertical space, puzzle feeders, and interactive play significantly reduces anxiety and improves welfare indicators.