Let’s face it: we all get bored doing the same thing every day–and that includes our cats! Adding variety and challenge to their daily lives can be simple (and inexpensive). World Animal Enrichment Day shines a light on the many opportunities cat lovers–as well as everyone from shelter managers to zookeepers–have to improve the lives of animals with mental and physical stimulation that allows them to express their natural behaviors.
When is World Animal Enrichment Day?
World Animal Enrichment Day is celebrated every year on November 12. The pet holiday was founded in 2020 by UK-based Animal Behaviorist Sarah-Jane White. The hashtag for this pet holiday is #worldanimalenrichmentday.
What is meant by animal enrichment?
According to Sarah-Jane White, owner of Ruffle Snuffle® and the founder of World Animal Enrichment Day, “Animal enrichment is the process of providing animals with mental and physical stimulation to enhance their well-being and quality of life by allowing them to express their natural behaviors.
“Enrichment is defined by the American Psychological Association as activities that ‘enhance well-being by providing pleasant and meaningful experiences that have intrinsic value to them.'”
The first recorded use of the term “animal enrichment” was in 1981 at the Laboratory Animal Breeders’ Association Annual Conference.
What is the purpose of animal enrichment?
Enrichment helps animals feel more at home by acting out their natural behaviors, whether that’s hunting, climbing or stretching.
White notes, “Enrichment helps all animals stay happy and healthy whether they are pets or in captivity in zoos and rescue centers. Enrichment helps reduce the risks of health problems that often occur in captive animals. It also makes the animal more comfortable and less stressed, which makes it easy for them to be cared for and handled.”
What types of animal enrichment are there?
Animal enrichment can take many forms, depending on the type of animal.
While enrichment for a chimp might mean ropes and swings to enjoy or mirrors for a tiger to watch himself, enrichment for your house cat is completely different.
For your cat, enrichment might take the form of:
- New toys or objects to explore
- Enclosures to explore (such as a catio)
- Different structures to climb–anything from an elaborate cat tower to boxes you’ve stacked to give your cat a different vantage point
- Different scents or smells. Bring in a small log from outdoors, or a large stone for your cat to sniff! Spray an old toy with catnip for an all-new experience!
- Enrichment to challenge your cat to “work” for her food, fishing the food out through holes cut in a shoebox with food inside or moving pieces of a puzzle feeder to reveal cat treats beneath
White explains that animal enrichment appeals to all of a pet or animal’s senses and needs:
- Physical: Exercise, games, sports
- Social: New faces and new places
- Cognitive: Puzzles, Brain Games
- Environment: Homes, cages, aviaries, enclosures (for your cat, this might include a catio, cat tunnel, covered cat bed)
- Sensory: Taste, smell, hearing, touch, seeing
Enrichment can include providing natural things like leaves and branches, constructing natural shelters, adding hiding places and logs, and playing recordings of natural sounds (e.g., bird songs).
Ruffle Snuffle
Which forms of enrichment do we provide our cats?
The best enrichment we provide our cats is our catio. It’s especially popular during summer and spring when our cats go outside to enjoy the weather. We added to the enrichment value by hanging a bird feeder about 10 feet away.
They love keeping an eye on the birds (and sometimes squirrels…or us filling the feeder!)
We also added a portion of a tree trunk for climbing and perching in the catio and some wall-mounted shelves for climbing.
In the house, we have several cat scratchers for the cats to climb and scratch on; we also have shelving that allows them access up onto the top of the entertainment center.
How to take part in World Animal Enrichment Day
White offers several ideas for how you can take part in World Animal Enrichment Day:
- Share your ideas: We’d like people to be creative and share their favorite enrichment ideas for their animals such as toys, games, DIY, environment.
- Post a photo or video on social media: Share a photo or a ‘how-to’ on social media and use the hashtag #worldanimalenrichmentday.
- Provide enrichment for others: Why not take some enrichment games to your local animal rescue center, or volunteer at your local zoo?
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