9 Simple Ways to Enrich Your Cat’s Environment

#1 Get wild!

Fulfill your cat’s need for vertical space and bring out your cat’s wild side with a very cool, beautifully designed Indiana Jones-style roped cat bridge from Catastrophic Creations. (From $195, catastrophicreations.com)

#2 A room with a view.

Open the curtains! A window perch with a view of the birds and critters outside will entertain your cat for hours. The Oster Sunny Seat Cat Window Bed installs in seconds via industrial strength suction cups to support up to 50 pounds of kitties. ($25, osteranimalcare.com)

*Note: If your cat is urine spray-marking in the house, a cat he sees outside may be stressing him out, making him feel his territory is under threat. For more on this, read our article on How To Stop Your Cat From Urine Spray-Marking. 

#3 Eat your greens.

Give your cat access to fresh greens to nibble on instead of houseplants! Cereal grasses like wheat grass contain tons of chlorophyll and are packed with antioxidant vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for optimal health. Plus, they promote good digestion, helping to control hairballs. Grow your own organic, GMO-free cat greens with a self-grow kit from Bell Rock Growers. Just add water and in about a week you’ll have an edible garden for your cat to enjoy! 

#4 Introduce the thrill of discovery.

Every month, hide a new toy somewhere in the house for your cat to discover. A monthly toy delivery service like Rescue Box makes it easy! Each monthly box is packed with goodies for your cat and supports rescue, helping to vaccinate shelter cats and provide food. ($23, rescuebox.com)

#5 Keep it fresh.

Rotate which toys you provide for your cat to play with, putting some away and bringing out others, to keep things interesting. You can also refresh old toys with new catnip. Try the Vault Marinater from Petmate. It works on most materials, infusing your cat’s favourite toys with the stimulating scent of catnip! ($10, Petmate.com)

#6 Add ice cubes to your cat’s water.

Bonus points: make those ice cubes out of tuna water!

#7 Make time for playtime (and make sure you’re doing it right!).

Schedule multiple play sessions daily—and be sure to always let your cat complete “the kill” or he’ll be unsatisfied. For more on how to play with your cat correctly, read The All Important Play Sequence. If your cat won’t play, you might be doing it wrong! Toy to try: our cats love the Dezi & Roo Wiggly Wand, designed to drive your cat wild by realistically mimicking live prey. Entice your cat to hunt, chase, and pounce! ($12—plus free shipping in the US!—from deziroo.com)

#8 Get your cat a fountain.

Cat’s love running water. And by encouraging your cat
to drink more, urine is more dilute, reducing the risk of kidney stones. Try Pioneer Pet’s Big Max ceramic drinking fountain. ($80, pioneerpet.com)

#9 Promote exercise with an indoor playground for your cat.

Hicat’s simple, one piece, floor-to-ceiling cat climber is perfectly beautiful in its minimalism. And your cat will love it even more than you do. It’s designed to bring out the natural agility in cats to promote exercise, well-being, and interactive play. (From $250, hicat.us)