Enrichment, Not Just for Lions, Tigers and Bears:

  When most people think of the term “enrichment” they don’t think about animals. When you ask any normal person on the street what an enrichment calendar is, they might give you a confused look. To most animal people, especially those in the keeping industry, enrichment can be a scheduled program of toys, training, scents, visuals, etc. that enter the animal’s life – often through enclosure interaction.  The process of creating enrichment and knowing how to schedule it can often seem like a daunting task. What you’re looking to do is allow the animal to perform natural behaviors, in an appropriate, non-destructive way, while giving them mental, emotional, social and physical stimulation. Sometimes enrichment hits all 4 types of stimulation, or only one. Often these are through their environment – adding a new smell, playing some music, drawing some chalk art within an enclosure. However, the addition of toys, of new food sources, treats and even training that can go along with these things can be really crucial to the welfare of the animal. It’s important to note that when we discuss enrichment and welfare it does not mean that the basic needs of animal are being met through enrichment. Often these are in addition to their basic needs. In the case of food items, they may be instead of a normal food source, but are often meant to mimic natural eating habits, or will match in nutritional needs, but are obtained from different sources temporarily.  What we often forget as pet parents is that we are the keepers of our own zoo. While your feline companion may not be getting 50lb bones, boomer balls, and camel hair as enrichment items, it doesn’t mean that your little house cat may not benefit from enrichment overall. Training can be a great enrichment tool that bonds you, toys, places to climb, hide, jump and scratch are often great tools to take your “cat enclosure” – also known as your home – to a next level space. However, the temporary addition of a tunnel that has a crinkle sound to it can be fun and enjoyable. Adding catnip, or various spices to perches, ledges and even bedding can also be a fun way for your cat to get some more mental stimulation while they’re interacting with their, often stagnant, environment.  You can always scale that up a bit too, while spices like basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and catmint can make great alternatives for catnip in an enrichment regimen (fresh or dried), you can also create toys specifically designed for specific behaviors. I have personally found Easter eggs to be a wonderful tool for this. They’re too big to swallow, can be easily opened and cleaned, and have holes predrilled to allow for smelling. My cats have loved batting them around, or just interacting with them. My girls have even fallen in love with some of the smaller dog toys – think chihuahua sized hollee rollers, treat dispensers and even fetch toys! Egg cartons (especially paper-based ones) make excellent tools for feeding, giving away treats and creating puzzles for your cat to solve, or just giving them another object to interact with. Paper towel and toilet paper rolls when cut and reassembled into a ball can hold treats, kibble, and spices to help encourage a playful attitude in your feline!

Bells can be great auditory alternatives to spices in any of the above scenarios! Does your neighbor have a dog, or other animal your pets may not be used to? See if you can get some hair the next time they’re groomed and put that in an Easter egg! Get creative! The important thing to remember is that your cat is still related – albeit distantly – to those cats you see at the zoo! Scratching, rubbing, climbing, playing, pouncing, and even “hunting” are all behaviors they naturally want to perform and can with a little help from you! Enrichment is a great way to bond with your cat or learn a little more about their personality and has been a great way for me to let my girls live a bit happier among each other. As long as each piece of enrichment is not left out for extended periods of time (my cats get a new item each week), it won’t get boring. A week seemed to be enough time for my girls to investigate, learn about, and find enjoyment in an item before it became furniture and not as interesting. However, that doesn’t mean I left a bucket of snow, turned water, in my house for a week, enrichment can be out for only a few minutes or hours, to weeks depending on the size and style of the item! When it’s returned several weeks later, they love it all over again!  While my cats love to keep things small – especially with our pups around – enrichment can also be big structures. Catios and outdoor enclosures are great for cats to get a better sense of their outside world without the risk of escape, or a risk to local wildlife and gardens. Don’t have space for a catio? Snag a harness and leash and take that kitty out for some outdoor time with you! Thinking bigger than a toy, but smaller than the great outdoors, kiddie pools with some snow, balls, toilet paper rolls, newspaper crumples, or any combination of those can be used to create a fun, temporary playpen inside your home for your cat to play with.  As always, adding new toys, food and puzzles to any animals’ life should create a conversation with your pet’s veterinarian. You should always consult with a veterinarian about new enrichment items you intend to add for your pet to ensure their safety. It may be that your vet has a few good ideas as well and you can brainstorm together! Each pet is different and may react in different ways to each scenario. Enrichment is fun, and a great way to get creative with and for your pet, but ultimately the safety of your pet is our number 1 concern.

 Introducing:

Caitlyn Deeter has always had a passion for animals. Starting out wanting to be a veterinarian, as most do, she soon realized that wasn’t going to be the right path for her. Caitlyn worked for various Pet retailers, finding that she didn’t just love the animals she was working with, but educating the customers that walked through the door. Her goal wasn’t just to give every animal the best life, but also to bring in a more sustainable set of animals to the stores. Soon her love of educating guests became teaching them how to communicate with their own pups in the training ring! As she continued her passion in University, she did internships and work for local Zoos and museums in their animal care and animal ambassador programs. It’s there that she fell in love with learning and teaching about all animals big and small. Eventually, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (focusing on Animal Sciences and Industries and a minor in Non-formal education). While her current passions lie in studying skeletons and preserved specimens (and the processes it takes to get to those states), ultimately, she would like to study and teach about human-animal conflict in urban environments. Whether that’s the impacts of urban livestock farming, deer and coyote populations in inner cities, or just how we interact with our companions at home – finned, furred, scaled or scary! You’ll find Caitlyn loves to discuss all animals and talk about her own home experiments when it comes to animal care, enrichment, and engagement!

 Audrey is one of her lovely four-legged companions. She is mostly, but not completely blind; having had one eye surgically removed while the other was severely damaged by an eye infection. She can still see light, shadows and movement, and yet that doesn’t keep her from enjoying her life.