Cats kept permanently indoors can develop behavioural problems and chronic stress if their environment does not meet their behavioural needs. Environmental enrichment is the primary tool for maintaining indoor cat welfare.
Indoor cats deprived of appropriate enrichment develop chronic frustration and anxiety that manifest as aggression, overgrooming, and inappropriate elimination. Lack of exercise contributes to obesity and metabolic disease. Boredom reduces positive welfare states and increases the frequency of negative ones. Cats are natural hunters that need opportunities to express stalking, pouncing, and prey manipulation behaviours even when they cannot hunt live prey. An indoor environment with multiple vertical levels, hiding spaces, interactive toys, and daily play sessions can provide substantially better welfare than a barren indoor environment.