Enrichment Tips For Cats (That Many People Miss)

Cats bring a moderately-enriched life, but people demand to a greater extent than cognition close their felines inwards monastic tell to create better, according to a novel study.

Photo: Oksana Bystritskaya (Shutterstock.com)

By Zazie Todd, PhD

There are many ways nosotros tin improve our providing spaces high-up for cats to go. This is called environmental enrichment, together with is particularly of import for indoor cats.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 novel written report yesteryear Ana Margarida Alho et al (University of Lisbon) finds that although most cats create quite well, in that location are closed to things many people are missing. Here are closed to of the highlights.

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Food toys 

“Taking into draw of piece of employment concern human relationship their depression cost, the fact that they too tin hold upward homemade together with free, the ease of assembly, together with the inherent advantages promoting locomotion together with decreasing inactive behaviour, nosotros discovery it regrettable that such a modest pose out of guardians usage them,” tell the scientists.

Only 5% used nutrient toys such equally balls, puzzle toys together with hiding food. There are many types of food-dispensing toys for cats on the market, closed to of which bring adjustable difficulty levels together with thus yous tin get-go off slowly together with larn inwards harder ane time your truthful cat has got the hang of it. It’s too rattling slowly to brand your own, equally amongst these like to bring access to a window amongst an interesting view, together with cats similar to bring high-up places to sit down together with rest, equally good equally places they tin hide. Cat trees, cardboard boxes, hammocks together with shelves are all a proficient idea.

As well, cats demand horizontal together with vertical places they tin scratch, equally this is a normal behavior to them. Cats usage scratching posts when they are provided together with this tin salve the furniture. The best truthful cat scratching posts are unremarkably rope (sisal) together with over three feet high together with thus they tin larn a proficient stretch; they too similar truthful cat trees amongst multiple levels.

Play, grooming together with petting 

Most people inwards the written report played amongst their truthful cat every day, together with too had daily petting together with grooming sessions. This is proficient because before inquiry suggests that a daily playtime helps to cut down behavior problems inwards cats.

Other enrichment strategies 

Other ways to supply enrichment for cats that the scientists looked at included the usage of scents (such as catnip, lavander together with pheromones), television set or video for cats, together with rotating toys together with thus the truthful cat does non larn bored of them. None of these were rattling common.

The written report asked 130 truthful cat guardians to consummate a questionnaire. It was a convenience sample of people who brought their truthful cat to a item veterinarian hospital, together with thus may non hold upward example of the full general population, but it usefully highlights many areas where people tin brand improvements.

The researchers conclude that the enrichment practices to the lowest degree probable to hold upward used were those requiring either to a greater extent than endeavor on the usage of the owner, or to a greater extent than cognition close feline behaviour, suggesting that amend educational activity volition larn closed to agency to improving feline enrichment.

How create yous supply enrichment for your cats?


Zazie Todd, PhD, is the writer of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. She is the founder of the pop weblog , where she writes close everything from grooming methods to the human-canine relationship. She too writes a column for Psychology Today together with has received the prestigious Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article inwards 2017. Todd lives inwards Maple Ridge, BC, amongst her husband, ane dog, together with ii cats.

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Reference
Alho, A., Pontes, J., & Pomba, C. (2016). Guardians' Knowledge together with Husbandry Practices of Feline Environmental Enrichment Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 19 (2), 115-125 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2015.1117976


More truthful cat stories:
Five things to create for your truthful cat today
Interview amongst MD Sarah Ellis on The Trainable Cat
Most owners tell cats are usage of the family 
Education close cats may cut down feline behavior problems

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