Environmental Enrichment for Your Cat

Addressing your cat’s physical and emotional needs enhances their health and quality of life.

A cat’s environment includes:

• Their physical surroundings
  • Your house, cat run and garden
  • All the objects in your house both those specifically for your cat such as their bowls, beds and litter trays and those not specifically for your cat such as furniture and appliances.
  • Their social interactions
    • Human family members and visitors, other family pets, neighbourhood animals (may just be through scent)
    • Sounds and smells

Understand the Needs of Your Cat

The needs of today’s cats are very similar to those of their wild ancestors.

• Cats are social animals but their social structure differs from ours. Cats may be content as a single cat or living with other cats.  
• Cats are solitary hunters spending much of their day (or night) searching the environment for hunting opportunities. Being both a predator and prey, cats also feel the need to protect themselves from any perceived danger.
• Cats are territorial animals. They feel threatened if their territory is disturbed either by an animal or physically.
• Cats use scent, posturing and vocalisations to communicate when they feel threatened.
• Cats have a superior sense of smell and hearing. Stress can occur due to strong or strange smells or sounds which may be undetectable to us.

The Five Pillars of a Healthy Environment for Your Cat

1. Provide a safe place
2. Provide multiple and separated key environmental resources: food, water, toileting areas, scratching areas, play areas and resting or sleeping areas.
3. Provide opportunity for play and predatory behaviour
4. Provide positive, consistent and predictable human-cat interaction
5. Provide an environment that respects the importance of the cat’s sense of smell

1. Provide a safe place

Every cat needs a safe and secure place to retreat to so that they feel protected. There should be the ability to exit and enter the space from at least two sides if they feel threatened. Most cats prefer that the safe space is big enough to fit only themselves, has sides around it, and is raised off the ground.

Vertical space is highly desirable for cats and increases the overall space available to your cat.  Provide “cat trees”, preferably with hiding spots, cat perches and shelves. Other good examples of safe places are a cardboard box or a cat carrier. There should be at least one safe place per household cat located away from each other so that cats can choose to be on their own.

2. Provide multiple and separated key environmental resources: food, water, toileting areas, scratching areas, play areas and resting or sleeping areas.

Key resources include food, water, toileting areas, scratching areas, play areas and resting or sleeping areas. These resources should be separated from each other so that cats can have free access without being challenged by other cats or other threats. Separation of resources reduces risk of competition, stress and stress associated diseases.

Cats in the wild eat 10-20 small meals a day.  By making all food available in the bowl, foraging time for indoor cats has been reduced to a few minutes per day, as compared with the hours needed for natural foraging.  This contributes to obesity problems in cats, which can lead to various disorders including early death.

Tips to make feeding more natural for your cat:

• Food puzzles, interactive food toys, food/treat balls
• Make homemade food puzzles from a cardboard box, egg carton or plastic beverage bottle with holes cut into it
• Hide food in different places around the house and in or around new objects so that your cats can “hunt” for their food

In a multiple cat household, set up several stations with litter resources available at more than one site, a cat can choose which path to take and which cat to greet or avoid.

Remember scratching is normal cat behaviour. Provide acceptable scratching materials (e.g. scratching posts).  To train your cat to use the post, reward with treats and praise.  Also put catnip, treats and toys on or near the post.  Scratching posts should be sturdy and made of materials cat prefer (usually wood, sisal rope or rough fabric including carpet).  Locate the scratching post next to a window, sleeping area or another favourite area.  Many cats prefer vertical scratching posts, some prefer horizontal ones.

Outdoor enclosures or runs for cats protect them from injury and infectious diseases while still allowing outdoor exposure. There are a number of specialised companies that can build these such as Catmax or Secureakat.

3. Provide opportunity for play and predatory behaviour

Play and predatory behaviour allow for cats to fulfil their natural need to hunt. Play can be stimulated with the use of interactive toys that mimic prey such as a toy mouse or feathers on a wand. Cats need to be able to capture the “prey” at least intermittently to prevent frustration. Do not let your kitten or cat bite your hands or feet.  If your kitten is doing this – substitute a toy to bite on instead. Using food puzzle or food balls can also mimic the hunting action and provides more natural feeding behaviour. Studies indicate cats play best and most often with toys that require human interaction.  Rotate toys to avoid boredom and reward appropriate play with treats for positive reinforcement. If you have more than one cat, play with them individually as they are solitary hunters.

4. Provide positive, consistent and predictable human-cat interaction

Cats are social animals. They need companionship and mental stimulation. Social companionship can be in the form of gentle patting and stroking, feeding, grooming and play.

Each cat has their own individual preference on how much they like human interactions such as petting, grooming, playing, being picked up and sitting on their owners lap. This is largely determined by both their genetics and their exposure to humans in their early socialisation period of 2-7 weeks of age. Remember that every cat interacts differently and respect their individual preferences. Do not force interaction and let the cat initiate, choose and control their human interaction.

Cats can be trained and enjoy the associated attention

• Reward cats with treats or positive attention to encourage desired behaviour
• Redirect undesired behaviour
• Do not punish, do not swat, slap or yell at your cat
• Train under calm, fun conditions using positive reinforcement (e.g. toys, treats, massage, praise)
• Cats can learn to “sit”, “come” and do a variety of other tricks. Start with things your cat already likes to do.
• You can also train your cat to allow teeth brushing, nail trimming and grooming.

For anticipated changes in the family, such as adding a new pet or baby, prepare the environment and introduce your cat gradually to these changes.  For example, when moving first introduce your cat to a small, comfortable space in the new place which has been previously stocked with favourite items such as toys or your clothing.  When your cat has adjusted to this new environment, gradually increase the new space available to her or him.

5. Provide an environment that respects the importance of the cat’s sense of smell

Unlike us humans, cats use their sense of smell to evaluate their surroundings. Cats mark their scent by rubbing their face and body depositing natural pheromones within the boundaries of their safe, secure territory. Avoid cleaning the scent off these areas, especially when introducing a new cat into the home or if there is other changes with pets, people or the environment. Feliway, a synthetic feline facial pheromone can mimic the cat’s natural pheromones and provide a calming effect in stressful or unfamiliar situations. Some smells can be threatening to cats such as the smell of unfamiliar animals, or the use of scented products, cleaners or detergents.

But my cat doesn’t seem stressed, how does this help my cat?

Providing an enriched environment makes your cat happier, reduce stress and helps prevent many behavioural and medical problems. Your cat will be easier to handling at home and at the vets and you will have a strengthened bond between you and your cat.

Our Midland & Drovers Vet Hospitals are both accredited ISFM Cat Friendly Clinics.

The Cat Friendly Clinic programme is an internationally recognised assessment accreditation scheme which is open to any veterinary practice that cares for feline patients. There are certain requirements regarding design, equipment and facilities within the clinic, which must be met to achieve the standard. The clinic must also demonstrate that a high quality of care is provided to cats and that all staff understand cats and their needs in a clinic.

The benefit to the clinic is that not only will the scheme help to improve the clinical care of feline patients but may also increase the number of clients who are actively seeking a cat friendly clinic for their pet.