Kittens are a ton of fun, but they can also get into a world of trouble. Enrichment activities encourage kittens to be kittens in safe ways that stimulate them mentally and physically.
“One of my cats, Dori, loves to watch golf—she chases the ball across the TV screen,” says Pamela Perry, DVM, PhD, a behavior resident and lecturer at the Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “When she and three of my cats were young, I added shelves, stairs, and a scratching wall to my screened-in porch to keep them from shredding the screens. They still love to use them for play and resting.”
Enrichment Is Here to Stay
Enrichment has become a mainstay of care for animals in zoos, rehabilitation facilities, and research facilities. Caretakers improve the animals’ happiness by giving them ways to do things that they naturally want to do, providing variety in their lives.
To provide enrichment for your kitten, think about what activities kittens naturally want to engage in, such as:
- Stalking prey
- Play fighting
- Climbing
- Scratching
“Hunting” Enrichment
Cats are natural hunters, and your kitten has thousands of years of instincts telling him he needs to hone his hunting skills. Left to his own devices, he will find his own prey, which might be you as you shuffle across the kitchen in your slippers.
Instead of scolding your kitten, give him appropriate things to hunt. Toys are a perfect substitute, and you can try a variety of different toys to see what your kitten likes best.
Split his food into several different puzzle toys and scatter them throughout the house so he must search for them to “earn” his meals.
Roll balls across the floor for him to pounce on.
Drag and dangle wand toys (this is perfect for the hallway hunter, as you can drag a wand toy to give your kitten an alternative to attack instead of your legs).
Wind-up toys can be very exciting for kittens.
Set up a bird feeder outside a window for your kitten to watch and “stalk” the birds. This should be combined with some toys nearby so he can successfully “catch” his prey once in a while.
Play Enrichment
Kittens wrestle and playfight to hone their fighting skills. While your housecat is not going to need to fight for access to food and shelter, rough play is still a natural part of being a young cat.
Tip: Do not wrestle with your kitten with your hands. While it might be cute right now, as your kitten gets bigger those tiny kitten nips and scratches are going to become serious bites. This is not a habit you want to promote.
Instead, think of safer ways to let your kitten playfight. A large stuffed toy on a rope can be fun to play with, similar to smaller feather wand toys. You might also be able to arrange playdates with another kitten about the same age (just make sure both kittens are healthy and up to date on vaccines first, and arrange a couple of short, supervised introductions before letting them go crazy).
Suspending a toy so that it hangs in the air often encourages your kitten to jump and bat at it, and “kicker” catnip toys are perfect for cats who like rolling around and biting.
Climbing Enrichment
Encourage your kitten’s climbing instincts by providing safe, appropriate climbing opportunities. This will spare your curtains (hopefully).
Cat trees are a classic choice, and you can either buy a premade tree or build your own. Choose one with some hidey-holes on different levels for extra fun for your kitten as he climbs and plays.
Creative cat owners also build elaborate shelves and walkways for their cats to navigate along the walls and ceilings of their homes. Your cat’s climbing wall could be as simple as a series of shelves, or as extensive as a system of walkways and bridges dangling from the ceiling throughout your home.
To steer your cat toward appropriate climbing items and away from others, such as bookcases or the kitchen counter, place treats, toys, and catnip on the items that you want your kitten to climb on. These things will attract him to explore the areas you want him to check out and leave other, less appropriate areas alone.
Scratching Enrichment
Scratching is part of being a cat. Experiment with different scratching surface textures and orientations to see what your kitten likes to scratch. Examples are:
- Flat cardboard scratching boxes
- Scratching posts
- Natural wood with bark
- Sisal mats (either hanging or draped over furniture)
- Carpet squares
Attract your kitten to the approved scratching spots with treats, catnip, and pheromone products such as Feliway. If you catch your kitten scratching something else, such as furniture, gently pick him up and move him to an appropriate scratching item.
Proper enrichment techniques allow your kitten to be a cat in mutually acceptable ways. And the more you enrich her feline life, the happier you will both be.
