Indoor cats have it pretty good: a warm home, regular meals, and a person to follow from room to room. But a home can get predictable. Enrichment is simply about giving your cat new things to explore, chase, bat and figure out, so every day has a little variety.
The good news is that you don't need a big budget or a lot of space. Here are eight easy ideas, from free household tricks to toys that keep your cat playing even when you're busy.
1. Turn dinner into a game
In the wild, a cat's food doesn't arrive in a bowl. Cats are built to search, swat and pounce. A treat ball or puzzle feeder brings some of that back to mealtime.
The Tumbler Treat Ball Cat Puzzle Feeder wobbles when your cat bats it and drops a little kibble each time, so snack time becomes play time. If your cat enjoys working things out with their paws, the Puzzle Feeder for Cats and Dogs adds a different kind of challenge.
How to start: put a few pieces in at first so your cat gets an easy reward, then add more as they get the idea. Use part of their normal daily food rather than extra treats.
2. Add a toy for solo play
Most of us can't play with our cats all day. Toys that keep moving, or that catch the light, give your cat something to investigate while you're working or cooking.
- The Glowing Windmill Cat Spinner Toy sticks to the floor or a wall and spins when your cat swats it. It needs no batteries and glows in low light, which makes evening play more interesting.
- The Automatic Lifting Ball Cat Toy pops a feather ball up and down at random. Because your cat can't predict the next move, it keeps their attention. It runs on 2 AAA batteries, which are included.
Tip: give solo-play toys a "home" in a different room from the food bowl, so your cat has a reason to wander.
3. Give them something to wrestle
Have you seen your cat grab a toy with their front paws and kick at it with their back legs? That's the bunny kick, and many cats love it. A long, plush kicker toy is made for exactly this.
Our Catnip and Silvervine Cat Kicker Toy is about 9 inches long, with catnip and silvervine inside. Some cats respond more to silvervine than catnip, so having both is a nice bonus. Not every cat reacts to either, and that's normal.
4. Rotate toys every few days
A toy that's been on the floor for two weeks becomes furniture. A toy that's been in a drawer for a week feels brand new.
Try this simple rotation:
- Split your cat's toys into three small groups.
- Leave one group out and put the other two away.
- Every three or four days, swap them.
It costs nothing, and it's one of the easiest ways to keep play interesting.
5. Schedule two short play sessions a day
Interactive play with you is still the gold standard. Ten minutes with a wand toy, a crumpled paper ball, or a kicker toy you drag across the floor goes a long way.
A rhythm that works for many cats: play first, then a meal or a treat puzzle, then a nap. Morning and evening sessions are easy to remember and fit around a work day.
6. Make a free "dig box"
Grab a shallow cardboard box and fill it with crumpled packing paper or tissue paper. Hide a few treats or a favorite toy inside. Your cat gets to dig, pounce and rummage, and you get a use for the delivery box.
Swap the paper out when it gets flat, and always remove any plastic, string or tape first.
7. Try a lick mat for treat time
Lick mats aren't just for dogs. Spread a thin layer of wet cat food or a lickable cat treat across the textured surface, and your cat has a slow, tasty job to work on.
Our Dual-Texture Lick Mat is 15 x 15 cm (about 6 x 6 in), sized for cats and small dogs, with suction cups to keep it in place. Rinse it in warm, soapy water after each use.
8. Create cozy lookout spots
Enrichment isn't only about play. Cats also love having places of their own: somewhere soft, slightly raised, and with a view.
- Put a bed near a window so your cat can watch birds and passing cars. The Cozy Donut Pet Bed (Small) has raised edges that many cats love to curl into. It's about 16 inches across and sized for cats and toy breeds under about 5.5 lb.
- Drape a Soft Coral Fleece Pet Blanket over a chair, a shelf or the end of the couch to mark a spot as theirs. It's about 39 x 47 inches and easy to toss in the wash.
Putting it together: a simple daily plan
- Morning: 10 minutes of play, then breakfast in a treat ball.
- Daytime: solo-play toys out (windmill or lifting ball), lookout bed by the window.
- Evening: another short play session, a lick mat treat, then a nap on the blanket.
- Every few days: rotate the toys.
If you'd like a head start, the Cat Play Bundle pairs the treat tumbler with the glowing windmill for $24.99, which is less than buying them separately.
Safety tips for any cat toy
- Supervise new toys at first, and put away anything that gets chewed or starts to come apart.
- Store toys with strings, feathers or small parts out of reach when you're not around.
- Replace toys when they're worn.
Frequently asked questions
How many toys does an indoor cat need?
There's no magic number. A handful of different types (a treat puzzle, a solo-play toy, a kicker, and a wand for play with you) rotated every few days usually beats a big pile left out all the time.
What if my cat ignores a new toy?
Give it time. Move it to a new spot, play with it yourself for a minute, or rub it with a little catnip. Some cats take a few days to warm up.
How long does shipping take?
Every US order ships free and arrives in 7-14 business days, with tracking emailed when it ships.
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