An indoor lifestyle is the healthiest and safest option for cats but can lack the excitement and novelty of the great outdoors and lead to health problems that affect your cat’s quality of life. Fortunately, there are many ways you can bring in the outdoors. Here’s a closer look at feline enrichment and five tips for helping your cat unleash their wild side from the safety of home. 

Enrichment: Embracing your cat’s instincts for better health

Most owners bring their cats to Stack Veterinary Hospital because of their physical health. But, emotional well-being—including your cat’s mood, sense of safety, and comfort—also plays a direct role in their overall health. Enrichment is a care strategy that involves satisfying a cat’s instinctive needs through their environment. Natural cat behaviors, including scratching, hunting, and climbing, help cats experience less stress and associated health problems, such as:

  • Obesity
  • Urinary issues
  • Digestive issues
  • Behavior problems, such as destructiveness, aggression, or house soiling

Is my cat bored? Feline stress signs

At Stack Veterinary Hospital, our veterinarians believe all cats need enrichment. However, if your cat currently seems stressed, a veterinary exam should be the first order of business. Contact our team if your cat is showing the following signs:

  • Hiding
  • Decreased appetite
  • Decreased interest in play or social contact
  • Unexplained personality change
  • House soiling 
  • Increased or decreased grooming

Before pursuing enrichment, ensure your cat is not stressed because of an underlying health condition. 

The great indoors: Encouraging your cat’s wild side

Satisfying your cat’s natural behavior needs doesn’t require an outdoor setting or turning your house into a jungle. Create a stimulating and enriching indoor environment with these fun and easy tips:

  • Hone your cat’s hunting skills with interactive play — Use toys that resemble prey, such as feather wands or laser pointers, to encourage chasing and pouncing. This not only triggers your cat’s predatory behavior but also provides physical exercise.
  • Encourage appropriate scratching by providing posts and mats — Scratching is a natural cat behavior that maintains their nails, leaves scent messages for other cats, and maintains spinal flexibility. Invest in appropriately sized, sturdy scratching posts or pads that you place in areas your cat frequents, such as near their food and water station, resting place, or favorite window. Offer scratching posts or mats with different textures, such as sisal, cardboard, or carpet, sprinkle catnip to encourage use, and praise your cat for appropriate scratching.
  • Indulge their curiosity and create safe vertical spaces — Climbing and perching are natural cat behaviors and cats need elevated resting areas to rest and observe their environment from a safe location. Provide vertical spaces by installing cat trees around your home, placing non-slip matting on shelves and tall furniture, or creating a window seat. For added entertainment, hang a bird feeder outside.
  • Rotate toys and activities for variety — The great outdoors is filled with novelty and change. Create an ever-evolving sensory experience for your cat by rotating their toys and introducing new activities. Incorporate puzzle feeders, cat tunnels and play structures, and simple DIY toys to keep your cat’s mind sharp, strengthen natural cat behaviors, and add excitement to their day.
  • Soothe their social needs with regular attention — Cats have a reputation as solitary creatures, but social interactions are natural cat behavior. Spend quality time with your cat every day engaging in their preferred activities. Depending on your cat’s personality, these may include petting and snuggling, grooming, playing, or simply being in the same room. If your cat enjoys other cats’ company, consider adopting 
  • Create safe outdoor experiences — Consider offering your cat safe outdoor experiences, such as training them to walk with a harness and leash or in a secure catio (i.e., cat patio). Your cat can enjoy the outdoor sights and smells while remaining protected from potential dangers. Before venturing outdoors, ensure your cat is up-to-date on their vaccinations and flea, tick, and heartworm preventives.

Although our feline friends of today are domesticated, they still are strongly linked to their wild past. Acknowledging this link by encouraging natural cat behaviors can help protect and improve your feline’s emotional and physical health, while also providing a great deal of fun.

Is your cat feeling less than frisky? The AAHA-accredited Stack Veterinary Hospital team can help them return to purr-fect physical and emotional health. Contact us to schedule your cat’s next visit or request an appointment online.