The influence of food presentation on the behavior of small cats in confined environments

Shepherdson, Carlstead, Mellen and Seidensticker tested whether changing how food is presented could enrich the behaviour of small captive cats. Instead of single predictable meals, they provided food in hidden, multiple and less predictable ways that encouraged searching and 'hunting'. The manipulation increased activity, exploration and species-typical foraging while reducing inactivity, suggesting that feeding regime is a powerful, low-cost enrichment lever. The study was among the first to formalise feeding-based enrichment for felids and showed that the temporal and spatial unpredictability of food, not just its quantity, shapes behaviour. Its findings underpin modern practices of scatter-feeding, hidden carcass parts and variable feeding schedules in small-cat and big-cat husbandry alike.