Research overview: environmental enrichment for shelter cats

Beyond basic housing, enrichment can substantially improve shelter cat welfare and adoptability. This overview surveys interventions studied in shelters: hiding boxes and elevated perches, toys and play, scent and visual stimulation, foraging and puzzle feeding, predictable routines, classical music and auditory enrichment, and positive human interaction. It examines evidence for which enrichments reduce stress, increase relaxed and affiliative behaviour, and make cats more appealing to adopters, as well as the constraints of staff time, biosecurity and turnover. It discusses tailoring enrichment to individual temperament and length of stay. The synthesis frames enrichment as a cost-effective lever that simultaneously improves welfare, supports health by lowering stress, and speeds adoption in resource-limited shelter environments.