Environment
Your cat’s environment encompasses their external physical surroundings (when at home, outdoors, and away from home) as well as their internal physiological environment (inside their body). These are influenced by a huge range of factors, from your home set-up and the people and other pets within it; to external factors like the weather, as well as your cat’s physical health and their internal physiological state such as whether they’re hungry, hot or cold.
Aspects of your cat’s environment may be continuous or transient in nature. They may range from predictable and controllable to the opposite. The perfect environment for your cat is one that consistently caters to their physical, mental and emotional needs. These factors are all interconnected and need careful consideration.
In this section
You will learn more about:
- Why your cat's environment is important for their emotional wellbeing
- Cat-proofing your home
- The role of environmental enrichment
- Top tips and ideas for environmental enrichment
- Bringing a cat home for the first time
- Reducing stress in unfamiliar environments
- Key Points
Why is your cat’s environment important for their emotional wellbeing?
A cat’s external environment can be a source of stress or comfort, or sometimes it can be both. Having a safe and comforting home and enjoyable outdoor experiences can help your cat relax, be contented and cope with any stressors that might arise. Changes to household dynamics (such as moving to a new house or arrival of a new baby) and any disturbances, large or small (such as catching a glimpse of the neighbour’s new cat or loud fireworks), can be a source of stress and a gateway to unwanted behaviour. Furthermore, even minor stressors can cause your cat to show signs of physical illness1. In these ways, a cat’s environment can directly affect their emotional wellbeing and quality of life.
A cat’s interactions with their external environment and how cats adapt to their environment can also indirectly affect their physical, mental state and emotional wellbeing. For example, prolonged stress may lead to a cat to develop lower urinary tract disease and toileting outside the litter box because their current environment isn’t meeting their needs (see Health and Individuality).
The importance of the internal environment
In addition to their physical surroundings, your cat’s internal environment plays an equally important role in influencing their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, and therefore their behaviour. Physical health status, hunger, thirst, reproductive status, and pain are just a few factors that may impact their internal environment. Your cat’s internal environment is complex and changes often.
For example, a cat that is not getting the right diet may not only experience a decline in their physical health marked by, for instance, weight loss, low energy, and illnesses caused by nutritional deficiencies (see Health and Nutrition), but also the mental and emotional impact of hunger or malnutrition. This includes a reduction in the motivation to engage in positive natural behaviours such as play or social interactions (see Individuality...
In addition to their physical surroundings, your cat’s internal environment plays an equally important role in influencing their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, and therefore their behaviour. Physical health status, hunger, thirst, reproductive status, and pain are just a few factors that may impact their internal environment. Your cat’s internal environment is complex and changes often.
For example, a cat that is not getting the right diet may not only experience a decline in their physical health marked by, for instance, weight loss, low energy, and illnesses caused by nutritional deficiencies (see Health and Nutrition), but also the mental and emotional impact of hunger or malnutrition. This includes a reduction in the motivation to engage in positive natural behaviours such as play or social interactions (see Individuality, and Socialisation).
Understanding how your cat’s external and internal environments impact them and which factors influence their environment can help you make modifications that will enhance your cat’s emotional wellbeing and overall quality of life.
Key terminology
Environment
The surrounding conditions and elements in which an animal lives and interacts, as well as the internal chemical and biological factors that affect their survival, development, and evolution.2
Physiological state
A condition of biological system function defined by different combinations of observable characteristics that persist over time,3 such as sleep, hunger, or thirst.
Environmental enrichment
Modifications to a cat’s environment to enhance the level of physical and mental stimulation. This helps them express species-typical behaviour4 and provides opportunities to exercise control or choice.5 See Introduction, Health, Nutrition, and Environment for more information about the other types of enrichment.
Agency
The capacity of your cat to make their own choices and act beyond the degree dictated by their momentary needs, including the propensity to engage actively with the environment to gather knowledge and enhances their skills for future use.6,7,8 For cats, we often need to add richness and complexity to their environments and provide opportunities to solve novel challenges.
Creating a happy indoor home environment for your cat
Just like for humans, the home environment plays an important role in how our cats feel and behave and can be a vital factor in their happiness. The perfect home environment is one that allows our cats to feel relaxed most of the time, express natural, normal feline behaviours and meets their unique needs (see Individuality).
We’ve put together a quick guide with some great tips on how to start creating the perfect happy indoor home environment for your cat.
Creating a happy outdoor environment
Cats that spend time outdoors should always have access to the same basic resources as indoor cats, for example, providing access to the home via a cat flap as a safe space and for protection from the weather.
Here's another guide with some smart tips on keeping your cat safe outdoors
Providing a safe indoor and outdoor home environment
Ensuring that your cat’s home environment is free from hazards is critically important for their physical health. Making sure your cat feels safe is vital for their mental health. And both of these are vital for optimal emotional wellbeing. Providing a litter tray with low sides can help improve access for cats with arthritis, making them feel more comfortable and confident, and ultimately reducing stress within their home. For more information on how your cat’s physical health affects their overall emotional wellbeing, see Health.
Cats are naturally inquisitive and as a result, may expose themselves to danger if left alone in an unsafe environment. Even if you have an enclosed garden, yard or ‘catio’ it’s best to supervise your cat, where possible, to help prevent accidents or injury. Cats should always be microchipped (and registered with your current details) a...
Ensuring that your cat’s home environment is free from hazards is critically important for their physical health. Making sure your cat feels safe is vital for their mental health. And both of these are vital for optimal emotional wellbeing. Providing a litter tray with low sides can help improve access for cats with arthritis, making them feel more comfortable and confident, and ultimately reducing stress within their home. For more information on how your cat’s physical health affects their overall emotional wellbeing, see Health.
Cats are naturally inquisitive and as a result, may expose themselves to danger if left alone in an unsafe environment. Even if you have an enclosed garden, yard or ‘catio’ it’s best to supervise your cat, where possible, to help prevent accidents or injury. Cats should always be microchipped (and registered with your current details) and up to date with vaccinations and parasite control, regardless of whether they spend the majority of their time indoors or outdoors (see Health).
Potential hazards in your cat’s home environment
Potential Hazards include17
- Toxic chemicals (e.g. cleaning products or car anti-freeze)
- Human foods (which are toxic to cats, like chocolate, grapes, onions and garlic )
- Chewing gum, mints, toothpaste etc. containing Xylitol (an artificial sweetener toxic to pets)
- Medications and supplements
- Slippery, hard, or uneven flooring (for older/arthritic cats)
- Unstable shelves or furniture where your cat may perch
- Rubbish bins (may contain cooked bones, toxic foods or inedible items that may cause an intestinal obstruction if swallowed)
- Cars and road traffic (cats may also sleep underneath cars)
- Garden tools or sharp objects
- Uncovered pools and garden ponds
- Toxic plants, like lilies, that can cause kidney failure
- Tilted windows (cats can get stuck and injure their organs), high balconies or open windows (cats may fall and injure themselves)&...
Potential Hazards include17
- Toxic chemicals (e.g. cleaning products or car anti-freeze)
- Human foods (which are toxic to cats, like chocolate, grapes, onions and garlic )
- Chewing gum, mints, toothpaste etc. containing Xylitol (an artificial sweetener toxic to pets)
- Medications and supplements
- Slippery, hard, or uneven flooring (for older/arthritic cats)
- Unstable shelves or furniture where your cat may perch
- Rubbish bins (may contain cooked bones, toxic foods or inedible items that may cause an intestinal obstruction if swallowed)
- Cars and road traffic (cats may also sleep underneath cars)
- Garden tools or sharp objects
- Uncovered pools and garden ponds
- Toxic plants, like lilies, that can cause kidney failure
- Tilted windows (cats can get stuck and injure their organs), high balconies or open windows (cats may fall and injure themselves)
- Fireplaces, candles and heaters
- Electrical devices and cords they may chew
- Curtain cords/tassels they can get caught in
- Children’s toys that can be chewed/swallowed
- Batteries
- Strings, ribbons, rubber bands & hair ties (once licked, cats struggle to spit them out, causing intestinal obstruction if swallowed)
A more complete list of household hazards can be found here.
Cat-proofing your home
To help protect your cat from these potential hazards you should think about ‘cat-proofing’ your home like you would baby-proof for an infant. Not only will this help keep your cat safe, but it will also reduce the opportunity for them to destroy your property or possessions, which can put a strain on your relationship with your cat. It’s important to keep in mind that cats are able to access higher shelves and cupboards than dogs so make sure medicine and food items are securely stored away. Use doors to close off areas you don’t want your cat to access and make sure the rubbish bins are pet-proof (with a secure lid so your cat cannot fall inside and become trapped) or hidden away in cupboards. Any items you don’t want your cat to knock over or chew should be placed out of reach. This should include hiding away electrical cords and using protective covers over outlets.
More safety-first tips to think about
Cats with certain medical conditions may require special interventions to ensure they are both comfortable and free to exercise control over their environment, both of which are important for their overall quality of life and emotional wellbeing. For example, a senior cat with arthritis will benefit from steps or boxes to help them reach their favourite places, multiple, warm, well-padded cat beds in a variety of places, and easy access to essential resources such as food, water and their litter tray. You can find out more about caring for a cat with arthritis in this article.
Owners with cats that are blind, deaf or have a medical condition that affects their relationship with the environment such as cognitive dysfunction, should also consi...
Cats with certain medical conditions may require special interventions to ensure they are both comfortable and free to exercise control over their environment, both of which are important for their overall quality of life and emotional wellbeing. For example, a senior cat with arthritis will benefit from steps or boxes to help them reach their favourite places, multiple, warm, well-padded cat beds in a variety of places, and easy access to essential resources such as food, water and their litter tray. You can find out more about caring for a cat with arthritis in this article.
Owners with cats that are blind, deaf or have a medical condition that affects their relationship with the environment such as cognitive dysfunction, should also consider how they can best tailor the environment to meet their cat’s individual needs. Your veterinarian should be the first port of call in helping create a home environment that improves your cat’s physical safety, emotional wellbeing, and overall quality of life.
The role of environmental enrichment
Any modification to your cat’s environment that encourages essential physical or mental activity and the expression of natural behaviours is considered enrichment. Whether spending time indoors or outdoors, all cats need environmental enrichment. See Introduction for more information about the different types of enrichment.
Enrichment is a great way to help cats cope with chronic stress, limit boredom, promote mental stimulation and contribute to emotional wellbeing. Enrichment also helps your cat express natural behaviours such as exploring, chasing/hunting, chewing and scratching in a way that is acceptable to us - such as using a scratching post, rather than our new sofa!
How environmental enrichment can help
Developing the ideal environmental enrichment for your cat will depend on their age, personality, physical capabilities, prior experiences, as well as the preferences of both of you. Understanding your cat’s individual preferences (see Individuality), providing choice and agency is also key when choosing enrichment activities for your cat.
Environmental enrichment aims to make our cat’s environment more complex and provide opportunities for mental and physical stimulation, depending on their individual needs and preferences. To learn more about your cat’s complex environmental needs, read the following article.
Top tips and ideas for environmental enrichment8
Enrichment should give cats the ability to make choices and exercise control over their environment. These can include:
Encouraging agency and providing choice in your cat’s environment
Agency refers to your cat’s capacity to act beyond what’s dictated by their current needs through, for instance, problem-solving, exploration, and play.4
Providing your cat with opportunities for choice in their environment is important for helping them manage their own physical and emotional needs. For example, if a cat can decide whether to lie in a sunny spot next to the window or take refuge in the shade, they will be able to best regulate their own body temperature. A cat with access to an outdoor space might decide they need a break from interactions with people, children, or other pets and retreat outdoors for some alone time.
In addition to decision-making, agency also involves overcoming challenges and learning new skills. Just like humans, cats find these activities rewarding and can have a positive influence...
Agency refers to your cat’s capacity to act beyond what’s dictated by their current needs through, for instance, problem-solving, exploration, and play.4
Providing your cat with opportunities for choice in their environment is important for helping them manage their own physical and emotional needs. For example, if a cat can decide whether to lie in a sunny spot next to the window or take refuge in the shade, they will be able to best regulate their own body temperature. A cat with access to an outdoor space might decide they need a break from interactions with people, children, or other pets and retreat outdoors for some alone time.
In addition to decision-making, agency also involves overcoming challenges and learning new skills. Just like humans, cats find these activities rewarding and can have a positive influence on their mental state. Problem-solving has also been shown to improve confidence, physical fitness, dexterity and health long-term.7
Bringing a cat home for the first time
Whether you’re about to bring a new kitten or an adult cat into a new environment, it’s important to be prepared. Your cat is about to arrive into an entirely new environment and will understandably need time to adjust and become comfortable in their new home. It’s not surprising that moving into a new household with new people, pets, smells, objects, sights and sounds can be a stressful experience for cats.
Helping your cat feel safe and secure in a new home
Cats always need to feel safe and secure but especially when first introduced into a new environment. The introduction to new surroundings and their initial experiences can have a lasting impact, affecting how happy they are in the longer term. So first impressions count. With the right introduction, you can help reduce the impact on their mental and emotional wellbeing caused by stress and anxiety. To find out more about interpreting your cat’s body language and recognising the signs of stress and anxiety see Introduction, and Socialisation.
One room at a time
Consider restricting their environment to one room and gradually extending the space to which your cat has access-this can help them cope with the unfamiliarity. Remember kittens will not be able to focus on items far away from them, so reducing the available space will help them settle and find essential resources, such as their food or litter tray.
Once they appear more comfortable in their new surroundings, gradually introduce them to the rest of their new home environment.
A place to hide
Cats often seek hiding places when stressed, so a cardboard box on its side or an open cat carrier is useful as a place your cat can retreat to temporarily whilst they adapt to their new surroundings. Leaving a carrier out as a safe space will also help your cat feel safe when travelling.
Even once your cat has settled in your new home, providing permanent hiding places in fixed locations is important so they have predictable places to retreat to and feel safe.
Ideally the hiding places should be both high and low (cats have personal preferences. See Individuality)
Helping your cat feel safe and secure in a new home
Kittens should be rehomed no earlier than eight weeks of age, which means they will have passed their sensitive period: the critical time in which they learn what is considered safe and acceptable and which lays the foundations of how they see the world (see Socialisation and Individuality). It’s important that they had a variety of positive experiences in their previous home environment (e.g., with the breeder or animal shelter) and interactions with the other animals and people that live there.
Environmental changes and predictability
Predictability and consistency in routine and responses can help cats feel safe, secure, and happy and are some of the best ways on how to clam a cat in a new environment. Predictable surroundings also provide your cat some perceived control over their physical environment and social interactions, which helps reduce stress, build resilience and enables cats to cope better with new challenges.
However, change is inevitable and isn’t always a bad thing. Some changes to the environment can be helpful and reduce stressors, for example, providing extra feeding stations and hiding places to reduce competition in a multi-cat household.
Other changes may cause stress, especially for cats in a new environment or who are extremely sensitive to sudden change. We humans might think about the big changes such as moving to a new house...
Predictability and consistency in routine and responses can help cats feel safe, secure, and happy and are some of the best ways on how to clam a cat in a new environment. Predictable surroundings also provide your cat some perceived control over their physical environment and social interactions, which helps reduce stress, build resilience and enables cats to cope better with new challenges.
However, change is inevitable and isn’t always a bad thing. Some changes to the environment can be helpful and reduce stressors, for example, providing extra feeding stations and hiding places to reduce competition in a multi-cat household.
Other changes may cause stress, especially for cats in a new environment or who are extremely sensitive to sudden change. We humans might think about the big changes such as moving to a new house or a new baby, but depending on your cat’s individual personality and temperament, simply changing their mealtimes or having a new visitor in the house temporarily can result in emotional upset and stress-related behaviour, such as avoidance, over-grooming, reduced appetite and vomiting.20
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to support your cat’s physical and mental health and improve their emotional wellbeing during periods of change.
Top tips to minimise environmental change and support your cat’s emotional wellbeing
Introduce a new pet gradually
Start with scent swapping and slowly build up to an introduction on neutral territory, ensuring positive interactions occur.
Routines
Stick to your cat’s normal mealtime and playtime routines.
Provide lots of hiding places
Hiding places give your cat has somewhere safe to retreat to, if needed. Provide high and low options.
Introduce new experiences gradually
For example, if a visitor is coming to stay, start with short visits to introduce them to your cat
Provide enrichment activities
Provide enrichment like food-puzzles, to encourage independence and provide a source of mental stimulation
Provide plenty of quality play, appropriate social interaction and exercise
Give your cat control over the duration and intensity.
Play sound recordings
These help desensitise your cat in advance of any change, such as baby noises. Gradually increase the volume and reward them each time the sound intensifies, ensuring they remain calm throughout. This will help create a positive association to sounds a baby may make.
Consider synthetic pheromones
Supplements or therapeutic diets to help your cat cope with change. Consult your veterinarian to ensure you use an evidence-based, safe product
Have visitors or new family members offer treats
Rewards can help build a positive relationship with your cat. Ask visitors to respect your cat’s safe spaces and boundaries
Supporting your cat’s internal environment
Your cat’s environment isn’t just their external physical surroundings, it’s also what’s happening inside their bodies. For example, hunger, thirst, temperature, pain, health and reproductive status are all examples of physiological states that can affect your cat’s internal environment, which in turn, can affect how they feel and their overall quality of life.
Supporting your cat’s internal environment
Minimise disease and discomfort
Most physical health conditions will affect a cat’s internal environment and if not managed appropriately, will have a serious impact on their emotional wellbeing and quality of life. Often this is through the direct impact of feeling unwell or being in physical pain.
However, these can have knock-on effects which impact a cat’s emotional wellbeing too. By providing optimal preventative healthcare including regular veterinary checks, parasite prevention, vaccinations, and maintaining a healthy body weight, you can help support your cat’s internal environment and ensure any problems are detected and treated early (see Health and Nutrition).
Enable your cat to regulate their internal physiological state
Changes to your cat’s internal physiological state such as hunger, thirst, and fluctuations in body temperature, significantly influence their emotional wellbeing and behaviour. These changes can engage survival behaviours designed to restore balance within the body.
For example, dehydration resulting in as little as a 1% disturbance to blood osmolality is enough for a cat to abandon all other activities and solely concentrate on finding drinking water21. Your cat should never feel anxious about access to essential resources such as water, food, and shelter.
Encourage a healthy mental state
Problems that affect mental health also disrupt the internal environment and lead to a deterioration in emotional wellbeing. Many cats are sensitive to change and experience stress and fear when exposed to new situations. This can lead to behavioural problems like inappropriate toileting and aggression. Failure to successfully address and manage behavioural problems can cause serious strain on the cat-owner relationship and even lead to neglect or rehoming. Early positively exposure to a wide variety of experiences as a kitten can also help reduce anxiety and stress-related problems in adult cats (for more information see Socialisation).
Key Points
01
Creating an optimal environment that focuses on your cat’s emotional wellbeing must involve tailoring their external (physical surroundings) and internal (inside their body) environments to their individual and changing needs
02
A safe, secure and happy home environment and trying to reduce the stress of the unfamiliar, are just as crucial for your cat’s mental state and emotional wellbeing as their physical health and safety
03
Environmental enrichment encourages cats to freely express their natural behaviours and provides essential mental and physical stimulation. This is vital for all cats, although requirements will differ depending on the cat’s individual needs, preferences and how they are kept
04
Predictability and consistency in routine and social interactions can help cats feel safe, secure, and happy. Introduction to new or changing environments should be performed gradually with positive reinforcement. Some cats are better at coping with changes than others, but in general, cats are sensitive to sudden change.
05
Providing opportunities for agency in your cat’s external environment encourages them to overcome challenges, develop problem-solving skills, and enhances positive interaction with their surroundings. It also provides opportunities to express their individuality and control their own internal environment. This will positively influence your cat’s emotional wellbeing in the short- and long-term.
References
- Stella et al., 2013, Appl Anim Behav Sci, 143 157-163
- Biology Online, 2021, Environment Definition, Available at: https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/environment, Accessed 02 January 2022
- Mendenhall, A, Driscoll, M, & Brent R, 2015, Using measures of single-cell physiology and physiological state to understand organismic aging, Aging Cell, doi.org/10.1111/acel.12424, Accessed 02 January 2022
- Ohio State University, What is environmental enrichment?, Available at: https://indoorpet.osu.edu/dogs/environmental_enrichment_dogs, Accessed 31 December 2021
- UFAW, Environmental enrichment, Available at: https://www.ufaw.org.uk/why-ufaws-work-is-important/environmental-enrichment-3, Accessed 31 December 2021
- Mellor, DJ, 2016, Updating Animal Welfare Thinking: Moving beyond the “Five Freedoms” towards “A Life Worth Living”, Animals, Vol 6(3), 21
- McFarland, SE, Defining Animal Agency with Sarah E. McFarland, Available at: https://www.animalsandsociety.org/resources/resources-for-scholars/defining-human-animal-studies-an-asi-video-project/defining-animal-agency-with-sarah-mcfarland/, Accessed: 03 February 2022
- Appleby, MC, Mench, JA. Olsson, IAS & Hughes, BO, 2011, Animal Welfare, 2nd Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 27-37
- Herron, ME, Horowitz, DF, & Siracusa, C, 2020, Decoding Your Cat: The ultimate experts explain common cat behaviors and reveal how to prevent or change unwanted ones, 1st Edition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: New York
- Sandøe, P., Nørspang, A., Forkman, B., Bjørnvad, C., Kondrup, S., & Lund, T. (2017). The burden of domestication: A representative study of welfare in privately owned cats in Denmark. Animal Welfare, 26(1), 1–10
- Sandøe, P., Nørspang, A. P., Kondrup, S. V., Bjørnvad, C. R., Forkman, B., & Lund, T. B. (2018). Roaming Companion Cats as Potential Causes of Conflict and Controversy: A Representative Questionnaire Study of the Danish Public. Anthrozoös, 31(4), 459–473
- International Cat Care, Indoor-only or outdoor access?, Available at: https://icatcare.org/indoor-only-or-outdoor-access/, Accessed 13 January 2022
- Ellis, SLH, 2009, Environmental enrichment: practical strategies for improving feline welfare. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, Vol 11(11), pp. 901-912
- Serpell, J, & McCune, S, 2018 , WALTHAM™ pocket book of responsible pet ownership, 1st Edition, Sleek Creative Ltd: Leicestershire, Available at: https://www.waltham.com/sites/g/files/jydpyr1046/files/2020-05/responsible_pet_ownership_book_waltham.pdf, Accessed 04 January 2022
- Wall, M, Cave, NJ, & Vallee, E, 2019, Owner and Cat-Related Risk Factors for Feline Overweight or Obesity, Front. Vet. Sci., doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00266, Accessed 12 January 2022
- Crowley, SL, Cecchetti, M, & McDonald, R, 2019, Hunting behaviour in domestic cats: An exploratory study of risk and responsibility among cat owners, People And Nature, DOI: 10.1002/pan3.6, Accessed 07 February 2022
- AVMA, 2022, Household Hazards, Available at: https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/household-hazards, Accessed 02 January 2022
- Delgado, M, & Dantas, LMS, 2020, Feeding Cats For Optimal Mental and Behavioral Well-Being, The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice, Vol 50(5), pp. 939-953
- Mariti, C, Guerrini, F, Vallini, V, et al., 2017, The perception of cat stress by Italian owners, Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Vol 20, pp. 74-81
- Ohio State University, 2011, Even healthy cats act sick when their routine is disrupted, Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110103110357.htm, Accessed 13 January 2022
- Leib, DE, Zimmerman CA, and Zachary AK, 2016, Thirst, Curr Biol. Vol 26(24), pp. 1260-1265