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Environmental enrichment for cats - Everything you need to know

Environmental enrichment for cats - Everything you need to know

You've probably heard the term environmental enrichment on occasion, but not be absolutely clear what it means or how it can benefit your cat .Although many cats have an incredible luck to be accommodated in a comfortable house, the innate curiosity of felines can lead to boredom and alterations of the character with the passage of time.

In Animals and Pets Online, we suggest you read this article so that you understand what is environmental enrichment for cats and everything you need to know , as well as discover how to carry it out in your home in a simple and cheap way, reducing stress in your life.

Definition of environmental enrichment

We could say that environmental enrichment for cats, are all the factors that provide a better quality of life to our cat.

Here there are too many things included (its interaction with people, with other animals to favor the game, quality food, etc.), but in this article of Animals and Pets Online, we will focus on two specific types of environmental enrichment:

  • Environmental enrichment for cats with inanimate objects: toys, structures and everything related to the physical space available to our cat.
  • Environmental enrichment for cats at the sensory level: visual stimuli, smells...
Environmental enrichment for cats - Everything you need to know

Environmental enrichment for cats with inanimate objects

Environmental enrichment for cats with toys

It seems more than obvious that a cat needs hours of play, but sometimes we do not give too much importance or spend many hours away from home and take sitting that they play alone with what they have on hand, however, the toys that allow us to interact with our cat, provide us with a much appreciated time to evaluate possible locomotor alterations, or detect early signs of disease , in addition to the mutual satisfaction generated by the company.

Some toys we can recommend are:

  • The gray hairs (imitating the fishing ones) that we can handle with a toy at its end, or with feathers, are an example of play for everyone, to which cats tend to be very receptive.Balls, mice stuffed animals and similar do not move alone, so it is common for our cats to lose interest after a while.
  • The tunnels of canvas such as those used in playgrounds (there are for cats), provide a mixture between den and toy that greatly attract our cats.
  • A prize in the form of appetizing food, such as a bauble with malt, or some of your favorite wet food , it will leave you feeling that the end of the game is pleasant and that playing has a reward (if it is a very comfortable cat and has entered the vicious circle of sofa-bed).
  • In cats very motivated by food , a simple hard cardboard cylinder, or the cardboard left over after finishing a roll of toilet paper, it can be a perfect toy to hide pieces of food inside and cover both ends.We can make some holes in the cardboard, so that when it is rotated when you smell the food you can take it out through those holes.

In the market there is a wide variety of juices Ets with that purpose, in addition to authentic labyrinths to get the bauble, which stimulate the psychic and physically cat, although they are not so economical.

Other ideas for the environmental enrichment of the cat

  • Structures for cats as environmental enrichment: With structure we refer to constructions of all kinds, from a simple cardboard box, to the three-story scrapers, with hiding place and hammock to sleep.Economical and simple option, it is a cardboard box, to which a hole is made so that it can enter.If they are installed in a high place (the cats prefer the elevated areas), it will be the perfect hiding place to escape from the visits not desired or when you want to escape from the hustle and bustle in the house.Many pretty handyman people can make wooden boxes that he distributes through the rooms of the house at different heights, which also gives them a perfect place for marking by rubbing jaws and some.You can build bunk beds with drawers left over from an old table, leaving cushions on them, to provide a bed and watchtower.Iglu type beds are a commercial option not as expensive as scrapers with multiple modules, and which they usually like very much.
  • Spread several sandboxes around the house is also something that could be considered as environmental enrichment with structures.We cannot always have your sandbox unpolluted and, if only there is one and the cat is maniacal in that aspect, it can help you a lot.

It is important not to overload the environment because sometimes we put into practice too many ideas, all at once, and limit without giving us count the area in that the cat can wander around.In addition, it is necessary to respect the adequate distance between the toilet area, rest area and food area, which is not easy in small apartments.That is why it is interesting to take advantage of the vertical space for your recreation or rest area, if it includes sleeping surfaces or hammocks.

And the laser pointer?

We are pleased to see to our cat chasing a light on the wall, but the truth is that generates frustration such that it causes the opposite effect to the desired one.The cat fails to catch anything, as if it happens with the stuffed mouse , the pen...Spend an hour chasing something that can not be touched and suddenly disappears.This kind of games are not recommended if what we want is to provide our cat with a suitable environment for a balanced life without stress.

Environmental enrichment for cats - Everything you need to know

Environmental enrichment for cats at sensory level

Apart from toys and other inanimate objects, there are other ways to enrich the day to day of your cat to improve its well-being, then we explain:

  • The visual stimuli are very important for our cat to be balanced and comfortable.Ideally, let him see through the window, but you have to be very careful for two reasons: more obvious, is that you can fall or get caught when we leave the window partially open, the other is that sometimes there is too much external stimulation (birds constantly in the area, for example), and our cat can end up frustrated by being too long observing without being able to do anything.Letting you access views towards a place traveled by people, and occasionally by other animals, but without too much presence of possible prey, would be ideal.Cats have good visual acuity and distinguish several colors, so many people choose videos to put them nature videos on the TV.However, the practice indicates that they do not capture their attention as much as the live life through a window.
  • The olfactory stimuli : Smells are very important in the life of cats, some attract them magically.Enrich their environment with herbs that are pleasant to them ( N epeta cataria, la catnip), or leave a droplet of bleach in each sandbox after changing them...etc, encourage them to be interested in their surroundings.Not everyone responds with the same intensity to the same smells, but they are easily and by little We can prove money.

Also, in older cats that develop something similar to senile dementia, olfactory therapy usually helps them recognize the different places : grooming, of food...When they are disoriented and do not remember where to go to urinate, the smell of lavender, for example (if we use it so routine in that place), "will remind you" that this is the place where you have to go to locate the sandbox.

Similarly, you can choose up to three smells, which we will arrange in the form of air fresheners in the places that we want our cat to recognize.Equivalently leave them notes in which they are reminded of a routine.

Environmental enrichment for cats - Everything you need to know

Other environmental enrichment tips for cats.

Additionally, although they are not as economical as the previous measures, we can use feline pheromones around the house.They are in the form of diffusers that plug in just like the air fresheners, so as in spray.In moments of stress , such as moving or a new member of the family, pheromones can help our cat to be more relaxed and entertaining.However, they must stay a few weeks to notice their effect.

We must also remember that facial marking and by sharpening of ones or rubbing, is essential in the life of cats.Do not allow them to do it , because it leaves hairs in the places of passage or because their ones can spoil some furniture, it is a mistake that we usually make.Instead, we can choose to put strips of coconut fiber in the corners that they visit frequently to mark.arrange as corners , covering sofas and door frames If the cat has a special interest, our furniture will be protected, and our cats will be relaxed.

Do you have any tricks for environmental enrichment for cats that you want to show us? At Animals and Pets Online we are looking forward to meet you and you We encourage you to share it with us and other users!

Environmental enrichment for cats - Everything you need to know

If you want to read more articles similar to Environmental enrichment for cats-Everything you need to know , we recommend you go to our Extra Care section.

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