The number 1 cause of behavior problems in cats and kittens is the lack of proper environmental enrichment! It is common thinking that for a cat (or several cats), all you need is a litter box, a water bowl and a food bowl. This is simply not true. Environmental enrichment is important for quality of life.
The house cat does not have mice or birds to chase or trees to climb. When an animal does not have a normal environment, that environment needs to simulated to prevent undesirable behaviors and medical illness. It is common thinking that for a cat (or several cats), all you need is a litter box, a water bowl and a food bowl. This is simply not true. Environmental enrichment is the term we use when discussing the simulation of the natural environment in the home situation. Environmental enrichment prevents urinary tract infections and many other disease conditions as well as prevent scratching sofas, climbing curtains, and urinating out of the litter box.
- Cats require vertical climbing surfaces. In the wild they climb trees. You can go online and find a cat tree that is 5-6 feet tall for $60-80 with no shipping. You should have one cat tree per cat at least. Cats like textured carpet. Some cats also like sisal (that thick rope).
- Cardboard scratching items as horizontal scratching items. Kittens often like the carboard circles will balls around the outside to chase.
- Window perches.
- At least 1 water bowl per cat per level of the home.
- At least 1 food bowl per cat.
- Kitty fountains. If they are messy drinkers, get a flat plastic lid from a bin and put under the fountain.
- Both canned and dry diet that is good quality food in correct amounts- canned diet is an excellent form of environmental enrichment. This also facilitates the human kitty bond as you cannot leave canned food out and have to give it the kitty.
- Puzzle feeders- cats are used to hunting for food so puzzle feeders are very helpful for kitties and then they also eat slower to prevent regurgitation. Cats in the wild spend 8-10 hours hunting. They make 100-150 attempts to catch, actually catching 10-15 prey per day. Simulating hunting for food is ideal.
- Playing with the kitty. While kitties are lower maintenance pets, they are happier and have less problems if you take out the laser pointer or kitty fishing pole toy and play with them even just for 5-10 minutes every day.
- Multiple kitty toys on a rotating basis- catnip mice, balls, toys with bells- cats find them more fun if you switch it up – put some out at a time and make it new all the time!
- Even well fed cats have the need to chase prey so fishing pole toys and playing with cats like it is a mouse (moving it along the ground slowly away from the kitty). Toys with fur or feathers are ideal. High frequency, low intensity play at similar times each day- cats like consistency- are best.
- Cat tunnels
- Hideaway beds- cats need a place to hide and get away from everyone (at least 1 per cat) . Igloo beds are nice as they can push them down and sit in them hunched down or go inside.
- Visual enrichment- bird feeders, cat TV
- Some cats- especially kittens- prefer to have a friend (remember there are rules to introduce kitties very gradually)- they can play together, groom each. Now, not every cat likes cats, some prefer people and some even prefer dogs, so it does depend on your kitty. Some cats prefer not to have other cats as they can be solitary animals