Indoors is the safest place for your feline friend, but you need to find ways to let your cat express their natural behaviors to stimulate their mental health and well-being. Our Tender Touch Animal Hospital team is a Cat Friendly practice, and our feline experts explain how you can provide appropriate enrichment and stimulation to prevent stress and boredom.

Why supporting natural feline behavior is important

You don’t have to take your cat on twice-daily walks, and felines typically need less attention than their canine counterparts. However, cats require enrichment and interaction to prevent issues such as:

  • Boredom — Without appropriate mental and physical stimulation, cats can get bored, which may result in unwanted behaviors, such as destructive scratching and aggression.
  • Stress — Cats who aren’t allowed to express their natural behaviors can feel stressed, and stressed cats commonly communicate their condition by urinating outside their litter box, which no one finds fun.
  • Illness — Stress can also lead to health issues such as urinary tract problems and stress-induced dermatitis.
  • Weight gain — Physical activity is important to keep your cat at a healthy weight and prevent health issues associated with obesity.

Provide vertical space for your cat

Have you ever lost your cat and found them peering down at you from the top of a bookcase? Cats enjoy high places where they can survey their environment without fear of being ambushed. Ensure your cat has access to vertical space. Ideas include:

  • Cat trees — You can find numerous commercially available cat trees online or at your favorite pet store. These products often come with multiple levels as well as comfy hammocks and boxes where your cat can hide.
  • High areas — You can provide your cat with vertical space without investing a lot of money. Simply clear high areas, such as the top of a bookcase or the refrigerator, so your cat has an elevated resting place. 
  • Floating shelves — If you want to up your feline vertical space game, install secure floating shelves around your home, so your cat can navigate your home from an elevated position.

Allow your cat to scratch appropriately

Cats scratch for numerous reasons, including stretching their muscles, maintaining claw health, and leaving scent messages. While you can’t stop your cat’s scratching behavior, you can redirect it to more suitable surfaces. Provide cat scratchers throughout your home so your cat has appropriate places to sharpen their claws. Considerations include:

  • Provide a variety of materials — Cat scratchers come in many materials, including cardboard, sisal, carpet, and wood. Provide many options to meet your cat’s scratching preferences.
  • Provide different orientations — Sometimes, cats like a good vertical stretch, and other times, they prefer a horizontal stretch. Offer multiple scratching orientations to appease your feline friend.
  • Ensure stability — If your cat starts to scratch, and the scratcher falls over or wobbles, they will likely be spooked and avoid the scary object. Ensure the scratcher is stable before your cat investigates.
  • Provide enough scratchers — If you have multiple cats, ensure every cat has access to at least one scratcher. Place the scratchers throughout your home where your felines like to rest and play.

Provide hiding places for your cat

Cats benefit from alone time, and they need safe hiding places, especially if they are feeling overwhelmed. Provide accessible hiding places throughout your home and never interrupt your cat when they are hiding. Examples include:

  • Space under the bed
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Shelves inside the closet
  • Cat caves
  • Elevated resting places

Schedule playtime with your cat

Schedule three or four five-minute play sessions with your feline friend throughout the day. Use wand style toys or a laser pointer to encourage them to run, jump, and play, and switch up toys and games to prevent boredom.

If your feline friend seems stressed or bored and you need veterinary assistance, schedule an appointment with our Cat Friendly team at Tender Touch Animal Hospital.