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Environmental Enrichment for Cats
All animals require mental as well as physical stimulation and our feline friends are no exception. In the wild, animals have complex and stimulating environments that provide them with many choices. Confined animals become bored as these choices are no longer available. Boredom can manifest into destructive or socially unacceptable behaviours as the cat attempts to provide its own entertainment. Its up to us to provide complexity, unpredictabiliiy and choice in our cats daily environment whether they are primarily indoors or a combination of in and outdoors. All cats can benefit from increased stimulation and activity. We suggest you visit http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/indoorcat.htm a brilliant website on how to enrich the life of an indoor cat.
In this handout we have included a range of ideas that you might find useful. Choose those that you think might work for you and your cat. Bear in mind that if your cat is not used to playing with toys she might take a while to warm to the idea.
Toys and Activities
Self play toys such as kongs and treatballs are useful when your cat is home alone as most self play toys dispense food which motivates the cat to interact with the toy. These toys can often be used to replace the food bowl. The kong company make the 'kitty kong' for cats. This is a rubber toy that can be stuffed full of soft food. You can visit them online at www.kongcompany.com. We stock a range of different kongs and treatballs in the clinic.
There is a large range of other types of toys designed to keep cats amused including tunnels, zigzag balls, swat toys, talking balls, glow balls and lasers. http://www.catlovers.com.au has a range of feline toys.  Alternatively, you can create your own toys using simple household items. You can create balls to be batted around with rolled pieces of paper, newspaper and foil! Cats also love to play with cardboard rolls from the inside of the toilet roll. Lets not forget cardboard boxes! Cutting holes out of the sides of the boxes creates special places that cats can investigate. Cats will also climb in and out of boxes and will even sleep inside them! You can also cut small holes in the sides of small boxes and place food treats inside!
Toy rotation is an excellent way of reviving old toys. When you return home at the end of the day, collect the toys that she has been playing with and store them away. Your cat now has you for entertainment. When you depart the following day, pick out a different set of toys for the cat to play with.
Scratching posts can act as indoor trees and provide hours of fun and amusement. Cats love to climb up and onto furniture and when outdoors they love to scurry up and down trees and fences. The scratching pole replaces these objects for climbing. There are many different types of scratching posts - from basic single pole designs to ones that provide hidey holes, platforms, beds and different levels. For some really groovy feline furniture, check out funky cat at www.funkycat.com.au. You might also like to consider an indoor garden made up of pot plants filled with catnip, catmint and cat grasses. Cats love to chew on these! Make sure that if you have any other types of indoor plants, that they are not toxic to cats!
With all toys safety comes first. Observe your cat with all new toys to make sure that they are not easily destroyed or ingested.
Visual stimulation
Cats enjoy being able to lie or sit on window ledges that provide views of the outside world and let them bask in the sun. A birdbath or bird feeder within sight of the window can increase your cats enjoyment and birds soon habituate to their admirers.
Fish tanks can also offer an excellent source of stimulation provided they are safe and secure for both the fish and the cat!
Watch out for roaming cats. They can be a source of stress for a confined cat and often sight of these cats can trigger urine spraying/marking.
Cat enclosures are an excellent alternative to allow your cat the freedom of outdoors without the dangers that can be associated with free roaming. Check out the following suppliers : www.catmax.com.au, www.catnip.com.au and www.classicpetenclosures.com.
Another way of providing visual stimuation is through the television. There have been a number of dvds designed for cats including fish tank scenes, birds in trees and running mice. See www.cattv.com and www.feathersforfelines.com and www.catsize.com.au Not all cats will watch tv but if your cat has shown an interest then maybe a dvd would be an amusing addition to your cats enrichment program.
Your cat might simply enjoy having some background music left on for her.
Food
You can also offer your cat some meaty treats such as large chunks of raw meat or raw chicken wings. These are both also excellent at keeping cats teeth clean!
Excursions
If trained early, most kittens will accept wearing a harness. This enables owners to take the cat for walks in the yard where they can climb trees, sniff around and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Avoid walking on the footpath as dogs might frighten or harm your cat.
Training
Cats can be trained to perform a number of tricks including sit, down and wave. To be successful you will need to use positive methods to reinforce your cats good behaviour as most cats will not be forced to do something that they dont want to do.
It is important to make time to handle and brush your cat from when it is a kitten. Start initially with short periods and then increase the time as your cat gets used to it. Your cat may even learn to enjoy being brushed if it is something she has learned not to be fearful of. A good time to start gentle brushing is meal times. Whilst your cat is eating brush her gently. Slowly increase the pressure of the strokes. If she appears stressed, then stop as you dont want to scare her off her food bowl.
Remember the most enriching thing in a cats environment is YOU. No toy can replace the time she spends with you; curled up on your lap whilst you watch tv OR sitting in the middle of the newspaper you are trying to read OR walking across the computer keyboard OR a lazy Sunday morning in bed. Cats thrive on attention and affection from you can your family and they then provide the same in return.
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