For many of us, the option of letting our cat outdoors is off the table. This can be down to breed type, personality type and their environment. Some cats are simply not safe in the outdoors, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a fulfilled life as indoor adventurers. Cats need mental and physical stimulation to be satisfied, so if your favourite floof doesn’t venture into the outside world, providing enrichment at home for your cat is the next best thing. And this doesn’t have to be tricky or expensive! There are plenty of DIY enrichment games and activities to explore.
Get Growing!
There’s a few different ways in which you can enrich your indoor cat’s life, starting with their environment! Growing some cat-friendly plants and cat grass can give them that outdoor feeling and light up their senses! They’ll enjoy smelling and snacking on them, and most likely find some pretty cool new spots to hide. And don’t forget the catnip for that extra energy boost!
Scratching
Scratching is a cat’s favourite pastime, so introducing more areas they can scratch to their environment will also boost their enrichment levels. Cat scratchers and cardboard surfaces are perfect for this, and hopefully mean that your furniture will stay safe. As well as scratching, cats love to climb, so providing some vertical space and high-up spots for them to chill will also improve their mental well-being at home. They love having a bird’s eye view of their space, and feeling superior above us mere humans. The cardboard can double up as another great hiding place too!
Playtime and Puzzles
To socially enrich your cat, you’ve got to interact and play with them! Lots of cats love playing hide and seek, or a classic game of chase around the house, so channel your inner cat and get involved! There are also plenty of cat toys on the market that mean you can get involved too, a simple wand with a string toy never fails to keep them (and you) entertained for hours. Toys drive their natural hunting instincts, kicking their brain into gear.
Brain training shouldn’t be forgotten about, and certainly isn’t just for the dogs. Cats can also enjoy food puzzles and brain games just as much as their canine counterparts. And who says you can’t train a cat?! You can certainly give it a try, and see how far you get with training your cat some tricks in your spare time! These activities engage their brain, as well as providing plants of treats for those furry tums.
Lickimats
Finally, there’s sensory enrichment. Licki mats are a great example of this. Using a licki mat to feed your cat their wet food causes them to slow down and lick their meals, keeping them entertained and occupied. And never underestimate the power of a good view! Your cat may not be one to venture into the outside world, but they can certainly observe it. Making sure they have a viewing platform to the outdoors will keep their senses stimulated just by watching the world go by.
There’s so many ways to enrich your cat’s world, and a little each day will go a long way to keeping them mentally stimulated and as happy as can be.
