How do I take care of my cat's wellbeing?
Enrichment for any animal is key, but for our cats it is just as important as getting everything else right such as diet and home environment.
The holistic outlook on optimal health includes areas such as physical, emotional, social and psychological wellbeing. Enrichment offers the perfect opportunity to fuel these areas with positive experiences by engaging their natural instincts for scavenging, hunting, chasing, smelling and playing.
What are the positive benefits of enrichment?
- Provides opportunities to relieve stress.
- Help to avoid unwanted behaviour.
- Helps stimulate both mentally and physically.
- Helps to make confident individuals.
- Can help to build personal bonds.
- Can be tailored to any budget.
- Can reduce the risk of common health problems related to stress.
It's important to understand a cat's natural behaviour and how it would behave if it was not domesticated like the cats of today. Providing ample opportunities to engage in natural instincts such as hunting will enrich their lives and keep them happy and healthy.
How do I enrich my cat’s life?
When thinking of enrichment ideas for a cat, variety is key. Cats naturally love to explore and using enrichment will help feed into this instinct. It is also important not to overwhelm them, as this can have the opposite effect.
- Prey toys – these allow lone enjoyment as well as interaction with people.
- Catnip toys – use with caution as it activates their inner hunter instincts.
- Outdoor access such as ‘Catios’.
- Trees, tunnels, igloo’s, cardboard boxes, feathers, ribbons and leaves.
- Climbing trees and scratching posts.
- Puzzle feeders – these can be stationary or movable.
- Scatter feeding – free activity.
Top tip!
Not all enrichment needs to be expensive toys, these have their place but so do things readily available in the home environment this also includes the garden. Make use of things that you may have lying around such as feathers, leaves, logs and cardboard boxes to name a few. Always supervise your cat when playing with toys.
Whether your cat is an indoor or outdoor cat, look to incorporate as many life enriching opportunities as possible. These will help to not only keep their minds sharp and focused but will also help to avoid common issues such as obesity and behavioural issues.
Hungry for more? Check out our other cat guides:
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What should I feed my new kitten?
How to help them grow fit and strong.
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Is my cat overweight?
How to spot the signs.
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Urinary health & diet in cats
Why you should encourage your cat to drink.
