Cat And Dog Enrichment For Every Context
A Companion Animal Care Article from All-Creatures.org

This Companion Animal Care article is being presented to help people seeking reliable resources, tips, and information for companion animals.

FROM

Faunalytics
April 2016

 Animal advocates know that living with companion animals can be complicated. We may balk at characterizing our companions as "captives," a term most closely associated with zoos and labs. But as this paper notes, "it is important to remember that our companion animal species also deserve to live in environments that enhance their quality of life and ensure good welfare."

Abstract

Taking care of a cat or a dog is about more than just providing them food, shelter, and occasional play time or walks. Even if you provide these essentials, there are important ways that companion animals' living environments can be enriched.

Recognizing that cats and dogs who live in our homes are in a sense "captive" - even though this captivity may not be remotely the same as in a kennel, zoo, or laboratory - means recognizing that these animals have limits on their opportunities. Enrichment tries to bring back some of these opportunities to help our companions live healthy, happy, and full lives, and is best done "in accordance with their natural behavioral needs so as to increase behavioral choices and encourage species-appropriate behavior."

This article takes a thorough look at how to enrich canine and feline living environments, with the goal of making their lives more "rewarding and meaningful."

Specifically, the purpose of enrichment is both to safeguard welfare and provide a "complex environment" that meets companion animals' physical and psychological needs. To accomplish this, the researchers note that humans are the ones that need to adapt their own living situations to make their companions more comfortable, and many people find themselves "at a loss to know what is important in terms of environmental enrichment." In this sense, enrichment boils down to understanding the species-specific needs of both cats and dogs. The researchers note that this species-specific knowledge is "of particular importance to cat owners, who have very little in common with their new pet in terms of social behavior and behavioral requirements." At the same time, people who live with dogs need better education "regarding social interactions with dogs and their requirements in terms of play, exercise, and training."

The researchers outline a range of different ways that both feline and canine environments can be improved. For cats, they say the essential principals include enrichment both inside and on the immediate outside of the home. They note that "cats have a fundamental requirement for a safe core zone within their environment to eat, sleep, and play." Within that "core zone" they also need access to "3D space," meaning multiple levels of space that permit "elevation and hiding."

Cats also need "safe points of entry and exit from the territory," as well as more nuanced things like privacy (including privacy from other cats) and the ability to express natural behaviors such as hunting and scratching. The authors note that "there is a misperception among many cat owners that their cat needs a feline companion to ensure good welfare," but that co-habitation should be done with care because "inappropriate introductions of unfamiliar cats can cause significant stress, particularly if individuals lack appropriate intraspecific socialization."

The authors note that the enrichment process is "very different" for dogs and, specifically, "the structure and layout of the physical environment is relatively less significant than the social environment." They suggest that physical and mental stimulation be delivered in ways that show an "understanding of dog communication and body language, so that they can accurately interpret signs of stress, relaxation, and pleasure in their dogs."

patial requirements vary based on the size, breed, and age of the dog, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Still, dogs should be given "as large an area as possible" and all enrichment should be done with an eye towards providing them with choices. "Dogs that are appropriately socialized to humans, other dogs, and other species should be given ample daily opportunities to interact," they say. "Social enrichment is a necessity, not a luxury." Again, this can vary from dog to dog based on a number of factors, but the basic building blocks are mental stimulation via play, freedom from fear, and proper food and feeding opportunities (which can include allowing them to explore for food, as well as "eating at the same time as the family ... provided that there are no coexisting issues over food resource guarding").

Animal advocates know that living with companion animals can be complicated. We may balk at characterizing our companions as "captives," a term most closely associated with zoos and labs. But as this paper notes, "it is important to remember that our companion animal species also deserve to live in environments that enhance their quality of life and ensure good welfare." Such a conclusion is a simple one, but it's worth a refresher course. For advocates who are intrigued by the various practical bits of advice in the article, it goes much deeper into specifics and also talks about the types of enrichment that are best for kennel and laboratory environments. In any context, though, the principles of enrichment are the same: "ensuring that animals have freedom from fear and distress and freedom to express their natural behavior." The article is full of good advice for people living with cats and dogs in their homes.

Access entire article here - Canine and Feline Enrichment in the Home and Kennel: A Guide for Practitioners

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