Enriched Cats are Happy Cats: Incorporating Play into Your Kitty’s Day
Picture this: a sleek and supple feline prowling through the jungle, stalking its prey, leaping over logs and through the trees with grace and precision. Now, replace that jungle with your living room, the prey with a laser pointer and the trees with your bookshelves. Welcome to the world of feline enrichment, where our domestic cats can tap into their wild instincts.
Feline enrichment is all about providing our cats with mental and physical stimulation, just like they would experience in the great outdoors. Enrichment offers ongoing opportunities for cats to express themselves in species-specific ways that are beneficial to their physical and emotional health.
Below are a variety of enrichment ideas to incorporate into your cat’s home life that stimulate both mind and body.
The Great Outdoors (Indoors)
Just because your cat lives indoors doesn't mean they can't experience the great outdoors. Invest in a cat window perch or create a designated sunny spot with a comfy cushion. Your cat can enjoy hours of bird-watching and cloud-gazing without ever leaving the safety of your home. or harming any wildlife.
Hide and Seek, Feline Edition
Cats are natural hunters, and they love a good treasure hunt. Hide treats or toys around your home, under furniture, or inside puzzle feeders. Watching your cat sniff out their hidden prizes is not only entertaining but also mentally stimulating.
Whisker-Twitching Playtime
Cats benefit from some variety with their toys. Feather wands, laser pointers, crinkle balls and electronic toys programmed to move in prey-like ways can keep your cat engaged and active. Just be sure to never shine lasers directly into your cat's eyes.
Climbing Heaven
Cats love to climb and chill out up high with a viewpoint. Vertical space allows your cat to explore, exercise their muscles and gain a whole new perspective on their domain. You can include elevated feline furniture such as cat trees, shelving, perches, towers and human furniture that the cat can use as well.
High hideouts increase the square footage of the cat’s living space.
Several high-rise hangouts can also offer a vertical “highway” of sorts for the cat to safely view their surroundings and navigate their living space.
Hideouts
Ever discovered you’ve accidentally locked your cat in a cupboard or she’s sleeping in that cardboard box that’s a little too small? Cats love to hide out in cavernous, enclosed places. Giving them options to go ‘underground’ include cat tunnels, boxes, covered cat beds and cubbies. DIY a cat cave by cutting an entry & exit area into a cardboard box, even taping together multiple boxes that allow free movement.
Cat TV: The Ultimate Reality Show
An important part of the predatory hunt being the ability to eye and visually stalk their prey, cats enjoy watching “prey” move about, which provides a mental workout. Visual entertainment can include a loft placed so the cat can view outdoor wildlife activity. Indoors, some cats enjoy watching fish swim inside a closed-top tank or an enclosure with insects such as crickets inside. Alternatively, turn your TV or computer into a cat entertainment center. There are plenty of videos designed especially for cats, featuring birds, fish and small mammals.
Indoor Grass and Herbs
Bring a little piece of the outdoors inside by planting cat-friendly grass or herbs like catnip and catmint. Cats love to nibble on these plants, and it's a safe and natural way to provide enrichment.
DIY Kitty Puzzles
Get creative with DIY cat puzzles. You can make a puzzle feeder out of an empty plastic bottle, create cardboard hideaways, or even assemble a mini obstacle course with household items. Your cat will enjoy the challenge.
Catnip Extravaganza
As an occasional treat, catnip provides a mild hallucinogenic affect on cats due to the active ingredient cis-trans-nepetalactone. The response to catnip is inherited genetically, meaning that not all cats will be affected and kittens under the age of 6-8 weeks are not able to respond. The plant is a safe and non-addictive recreational drug that we recommend not using every day or in cats with a history of seizures. Use it in toys, sprinkle it on scratching posts, or stuff it inside homemade catnip pillows. Just be prepared for some antics.
Mealtime
Cats have an innate instinct to hunt, so using food puzzles, food dispensers or mock ‘hunts’ at mealtimes can provide some challenge. Take care not to cause the cat to get frustrated. As with all enrichment, what is enjoyable for one individual might be frustrating or boring for another. Find what your cat enjoys and go with that.
Water
Most cats prefer fresh or running water. Having a water fountain can encourage drinking and also provides stimulation.
Feline enrichment isn't just about keeping your cat entertained; it's about nurturing their natural instincts, promoting physical activity and strengthening your bond. A happy and engaged cat is less likely to be stressed and therefore
Need a veterinary consultation or want to discuss your cats health or behaviour?
Book a video appointment to chat with one of our vets.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Kirra Balmanno