Environmental Enrichment For Cats
Most house cats nowadays do not have access to the garden or the street. A house cat is a sure feline that will not run into the dangers that stray cats face (cars, dogs, etc.) and will not suffer from hunger or cold.
However, living indoors all day can be boring, just like it is for people. The solution, therefore, is environmental enrichment for cats.
What is environmental enrichment?
The term “environmental enrichment” is usually used for wild animals in captivity. It is about adding objects, plants and other elements typical of its natural habitat to the space in which the animal lives. In this way not only does he not feel far from his world, but he can also entertain himself with these objects.
With environmental enrichment for cats we try to satisfy the basic instincts of these animals. Plus, it offers them fun or distraction. We can also change some elements of the house to make them feel better.
The instincts of cats
We can satisfy different instincts of cats through environmental enrichment:
- Cats love height. In nature, cats are both prey and predators. From above, they can watch what is happening below and flee from a possible predator that is approaching. Although a house cat has nothing to fear, its need to reach high places remains.
Using certain areas to make it easier for them to climb and peer from above will satisfy their natural need, as well as help them keep moving.
Cat fanatics not only offer their cats wall-mounted shelves that they can climb on, they also create walkways near the ceiling for them to walk around the room.
Another cat instinct is to scratch and scratch. Having a scratching post is essential, but we can transform many corners of the house into scratching posts from which the animal can choose and vary.
Sleeping is one of the favorite activities of cats. Probably all the cats in the house have their own bed, but they can decide to sleep anywhere else. One of the characteristics of these animals, in fact, is that they get bored easily and prefer to try and discover new environments. We can encourage them to try different places to sleep by leaving a pillow or blanket folded.
Safe fun for cats
Environmental enrichment for cats is also about how they spend their time and have fun. They must also have some toys available to play with, but it’s important that they change from time to time.
As we said, cats get bored of things easily and greatly appreciate new things, so changing their toys from time to time is good and fun for them. They don’t have to be sophisticated: cats just need rubber bands, bottle caps or paper balls to be happy.
Another enjoyable activity for these animals is bird watching. Having windows to do this, especially at sunrise and sunset, will make them happy. It is also possible for us to facilitate their observation of the external world.
Many owners make the mistake of playing with their cat with a laser pointer . Obviously, it is an immaterial prey that is impossible for the feline to reach. Consequently, it is a game in which the cat cannot win and which excites him in exchange for nothing; eventually, therefore, he will feel frustrated. There are many positive forms of cat entertainment; forget about the laser.
Those presented are a few examples of environmental enrichment. If we take into account the instincts of cats, with a little imagination we can help them not to get bored and to enjoy their feline nature without fear of the dangers of the outside world.
