Cat Enrichment
Cat enrichment is a great way to reduce your cat’s stress and boredom which can help with a wide variety of behavioural issues while keeping them physically healthy.
Here’s a tip!
Ensure that you are playing with your cat in a way that mimics how prey would behave; dangling a toy in front of your cat’s face won’t get them as excited as dragging toys under towels watching them disappear or around corners. Try to engage your cat in play before a meal when they are likely to be more active.
Cat enrichment comes in many forms:
Provide your cat with a variety of places to perch, hide, scratch, and climb. To prevent your cat from getting bored, make sure there are options that vary in size, shape, color, and texture.
Set up a place for your cat to perch near a window. Place bird feeders and plants outside your window to attract birds, butterflies, and bumble bees. DVDs and online videos for cats, usually of birds, squirrels, fish, and other small animals, can also provide entertainment.
Use food puzzles to feed your cat her meals. Some of these puzzles approximate the normal hunting routine of the cat, catching a moving “prey” and then eating their prize. Others are stationary but still require problem solving and coordination to obtain the food.
Open the windows so your cat can hear nature sounds outside, or keep a radio on while you are away.
Allow your cat to experience natural smells by bringing pet-friendly plants into the house, such as silver vine or cat grass. See the ASPCA Toxic & Non Toxic Plants List
Make sure to set time aside each day to spend time with your feline friend, cuddle, play games, and maybe even a short trick or training lesson too!