Cat Enrichment Ideas and Boredom Breakers for Indoor Cats
Updated: 2 days ago
Head straight to these 6 cat enrichment ideas:
Environment
Enrichment isn't just for indoor cats, it's beneficial for every domestic feline because even those that have the freedom to roam are a world apart from their natural habitats. Not everyone has the luxury of a woodland in their back garden or living smack bang in the middle of the countryside. Built-up towns and cities don't provide the same opportunities that a cat would get in the wild, so it's a case of tapping into one's creativity to stimulate as many of those feline instincts as possible.
Cats are born hunters, which means they love to engage with and explore their environment. The home setting comes with many limitations for an indoor cat, whether you live in a one-bed flat or 100-metre skyscraper. It's not uncommon to see some level of stress and/or behavioural issues in our feline friends, as is evident from the flood of anxiety remedies on the market - yes, I'm looking at you, Feliway!
Toys and play are great for stimulating a cat's predatory instincts and physical exercise, but enrichment goes way deeper than that. It focuses on their environment and senses to improve mental and emotional wellbeing.
Climbing Areas, Cat Trees & Scratch Posts
Cats are natural climbers, but that doesn't mean all cats like to climb; just that they can if they want to, which usually involves surfing the kitchen counters or trampling over your new sofa. In the wild, they'd be using their powerful leg muscles and agility for escaping predators and hunting. This allows them to climb vertical surfaces such as trees with ease.
This can be hard to imagine when we look at our lazy (and in some cases, chubby) domestic cats, but oftentimes they've lost touch with their abilities because they have no need for them. Cat trees come in all sizes, from small one-seaters - which are great for kittens and senior cats - all the way up to ceiling height.
Scratch posts give cats a chance to use their muscles, stretch their limbs and bodies; as well as sharpening claws and marking territory. Even if your kitty doesn't have a passion for climbing, there's still a lot you can do to get them moving.
PawHut Floor to Ceiling Cat Tree has multiple levels with two ramps, two condos, two hammocks, a cat tunnel, hanging pompoms and scratch posts for multiple cats to zoom up and down.
Horizontal Shelves & Perches
As well as hunting and climbing, cats love to explore and observe their surroundings. In fact, they're sometimes known as "scanners" in the sense that they use multiple senses to scan their environment and create a mental map, of sorts. This way, they can quickly detect if something changes and react accordingly.
If you have a kitty that seems to hate closed doors or blocked off areas, it's because they need to be familiar with every corner of their territory to ensure there are plenty of escape routes, safe places and access points. My Drax goes through the trouble of pushing open every door in the house, multiple times a day. In short, cats would make fantastic security guards!
The point here is that even if you have an inactive or low-energy kitty, it's essential to provide a variety of different levels for observation purposes. As well as vertical surfaces, horizontal platforms can provide a fun kitty climbing frame while adding extra territory, thus minimising problem behaviours such as aggression in multi-cat households.
PETEPELA Cat Scratcher stands at 50cm with a soft plush top bed. Sisal scratch post and mat provide multiple scratching opportunities, with a self-grooming massage brush and springy ball so cats can play, scratch and snooze all in one!
Wall-mounted shelves and ladders can be installed in a few simple steps (pardon the pun) but these won't be suitable for every home, particularly rented properties. Window hammocks are a great alternative as they use suction cups that stick to the glass, so you could apply multiple hammocks to a single window.
For more budget-friendly options, you can turn furniture you already have into cat beds by placing a blanket, towel or basket on top of drawers and units; with a stool to climb up if necessary. Placement also helps, such as positioning a sofa or coffee table in front of a window for some outdoors viewing.
PawHut 4PCs Wall Mounted Climbing Shelves includes a plush hammock, nest, jumping platforms and scratch posts for smaller areas where floor space is limited.
Safe Places, Boxes and Tunnels
It's important to remember that cats are also prey to larger animals in the wild, so their first response to danger is either running or hiding. Physical conflict is usually a last resort, but as with any creature, some are cockier than others!
Cats feel a sense of safety and security in small enclosed spaces, which you might have noticed in their obsession with cardboard boxes. Cat huts, tents and tunnels provide a cosy retreat from noisy humans and other household pets. You can even get wall-mounted huts for height advantage.
Underbed spaces, wardrobes and homemade blanket dens can all be utilised without costing you a penny.
PetSafe Blue Egg-Cersizer and SlimCat Orange Dispenser Toys can be filled with treats or kibble that falls through the holes when batted around. Holes are adjustable to make it easier or more challenging. Toys help to slow down feeing, tackle obesity and stimulate natural hunting instincts.
Toys, Games & Puzzles
It goes without saying that providing a variety of toys to suit your cat's age and preferences is essential for mental and physical stimulation. Puzzle feeders or treat dispensers and interactive toys provide more of a challenge and encourage natural hunting behaviours.
Obstacle courses can be made using tunnels, huts, ramps and different level platforms if your home allows for it. If you have the space, a cat exercise wheel is ideal for felines that love to run.
A very simple game that combines play and mental stimulation is to get a large box, fill it with balls of screwed up paper and toss in a handful of treats for some foraging fun. This stimulates all of the senses at once while promising a tasty reward!
For more budget-friendly ideas, check out this fun and furr-tastic post: DIY Cat Toys That Are Cheap and Easy to Make: Step-by-Step Guides
Catios & Outdoors
If you decide to let your indoor cat experience the outside world, there are plenty of safe ways to do this. For example, using a harness to "walk" your cat for some fresh air and exercise, even if it's just a few laps around the garden. Make sure cats are harness trained first, as safety is paramount to an enjoyable experience for both kitty and their owner.
Remember too that cats aren't dogs and should never be forced into activities that cause fear or distress.
Related post: Best Harnesses for Cats and Kittens
MEWOOFUN Cat Window Hammock featuring powerful suction cups and a stainless steel frame that can hold a weight of up to 18kg. Double-sided fabric makes it suitable for all seasons and it can be folded up when not in use.
Keeping cats indoors remains a topic of debate and is even frowned upon by some, but there's a lot to consider and each case is unique to your individual cat and/or circumstances. Heavily built-up areas, busy roads and neighbours with dogs can be a potential death trap, especially for nervous kitties that run from danger. Injured or missing cats is a parent's worst nightmare - and I've experienced both.
Catios are becoming more popular with parents that want to give their cats some outdoor space without the risks. This is an enclosure constructed from a wooden frame and mesh wire that can either be added as an extension from a door or window, or self-contained with a gate. Larger catios can be kitted out with shelving, cat trees and huts for extra enrichment, but it's an investment that not all can afford.
I highly recommend Omlet UK for their customisable and secure catios, balcony enclosures and outdoor cat trees.
If your garden is suitable, fences can be adapted with wire tops that are installed at such an angle that cats are unable to jump over. These can be helpful for preventing strays from entering the garden, limiting any chances of aggression or territorial behaviour. This can also be a risk with window gazing, so be sure to keep an eye out and close any curtains overnight.
Related post: The 6 Best Cat Deterrents for Gardens and Yards
Sensory Stimulation
Visual
Visual enrichment is particularly beneficial for indoor cats that don't get to experience any wildlife. YouTube is my go-to, with thousands of live footage nature videos and cartoon animal games. You could also set up a bird feeder outside of a window for cats to observe, but not for too long or they might get frustrated.
COLORLIFE Cool Jellyfish lamp comes with colour-changing LED lights, realistic floating jellyfish and a quiet motor. Safer than a real fish tank and relaxing for humans, too!
Sound
Hearing is a cat's super sense, with the ability to hear frequencies of up to three times higher than a human, at a distance of four to five times further away! Similar to videos, cats may enjoy listening to the sounds of wildlife while they're resting to mimic what they'd hear in the wild. If possible, open a window or install a cat-proof lock or screen to prevent escape.
You could also play reiki healing music to soothe and relax. This is a sound therapy composed of gentle melodies and vibrations set at cat-specific frequencies (hertz) for energetic healing.
Scent
Smell is more than a super sense but a cat's primary form of communication. This is how they greet each other (humans, too!) and mark their environment as safe and familiar. New odours encourage cats to explore, so you can start by placing blankets or objects already covered in their scents in different areas of the home to boost security.
Substances such as catnip and silvervine stimulate a cat's pheromone receptors when sniffed for a healthy dose of euphoria.
Taste
Taste is a matter of preference and cats will often show aversion to unfamiliar foods, but with a bit of enticing, their curiosity might get the better of them. Offer different flavours and textures of food, treats or snacks (in moderation) and specially-formulated cat milk for something different. Cat grass is also great for chewing.
Touch
Touch is something that both cats and humans can benefit from - who doesn't love bonding time with their furries? Showing affection through petting and brushing can be mutually rewarding, but some cats like to pick and choose when they want human contact.
The 3.0 Cat Self Groomer allows cats to pamper themselves at their own leisure or when you're away from home. It's designed with ABS plastic bristles for gentle massage as cats rub against it, helping to remove and collect loose hair. It can be mounted on walls or corner surfaces and contains a catnip compartment to attract cats.
You can also offer toys with a variety of textures, such as soft toys and feathers that mimic natural prey. Paper bags (with handles removed) are great for hiding in and cats seem to love the rustling noise, too.
For more ideas on how to support your cat's physical and emotional needs, check out this enlightening post: Holistic Cat Care: Natural Support for Feline Health and Wellbeing
Do you have indoor or outdoor kitties? Have you come up with any creative enrichment ideas that you'd love to share? Let us know in the comments.
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