Research overview: evaluating enrichment by welfare benefit rather than use

A recurring pitfall in enrichment research is treating an animal's interaction with an item as proof of benefit, when use and welfare improvement are not the same. This overview surveys the methodology of enrichment evaluation: distinguishing engagement from genuine welfare gain, measuring outcomes such as reduced stereotypy, increased behavioural diversity, lowered stress hormones and improved health, controlling for novelty and habituation, and using appropriate baselines and experimental designs. It examines why some heavily used items confer little benefit and some beneficial changes attract little obvious interaction, and how to detect unintended harms. It draws on critiques urging rigorous, hypothesis-driven assessment. The synthesis frames careful evaluation as essential to knowing whether felid enrichment truly improves welfare rather than merely occupying animals.