We all know cats big and small are obligate carnivores who hunt their prey in the wild.

Your little fluffy may look like a domesticated animal, but at the end of the day, cats are still wild animals with primal instincts. You may notice these instincts in action when you go to put your cat in a carrier to go to the vet, when they see birds through the window or when you corner them by accident. These are enate reactions or urges that cats have programmed into their minds in order to survive.

Why do I bring this up? Well, it’s because more and more research is showing that in order to have happy and healthy cats we must provide enrichment for them to stimulate their minds, their muscles and let them be their true selves. Jackson Galaxy coined it best by calling it “Kitty Mojo”. Many behavioural and health concerns in cats are actually due to environmental stresses and boredom.

Steps you can do to enrich your cats life is simply “active play” with them; these can be as simple as a laser pointer for 20 minutes, or a mouse on a string etc; but as a word of the wise- never end an active play session with a laser pointer as it deprives your cat of the “win” switch it to a string toy, or a cat-specific plush toy for them to claw or bite into.

Another thing you can do is to stash food in certain areas around your house, high and low and make them “hunt” for their meal; this stimulates them to have to work for their meal, keeps their brain occupied and keeps them moving to increase blood flow and prevent obesity in house cats! Not only that but it helps build up the confidence of many timid or shy cats.

The last thing you can do that I’ll write about here is you can “catify” your house by ensuring that a) there’s one more litter box than cats in your house b) provide adequate places for your cat to sleep, claw and climb and c) add wall furniture for your cat to climb and jump, while also providing alternate ways for your cat to get away from anything that may spook them.

Your cat is part of your family, and if your family member wasn’t doing well mentally you’d help them right? So make sure you’re doing this with your cats too! Make sure your cat gets their vaccines and wellness exam once a year by a board-certified vet to ensure they stay healthy and to address any concerns you may have.

For more resources visit Jackson Galaxy’s YouTube channel for more enrichment ideas!