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Tony Buffington, veterinary sciences

Posted on | March 17, 2010 | 2,262 views | Comments Off

What is environmental enrichment for pets?
Environmental enrichment creates an environment that permits our pets to engage in normal, species-typical behaviors and activities to meet their physical and welfare needs. Enriched environments minimize anything that the animal might perceive as a threat and promotes overall health by increasing an animal’s perception of control over their environment. Enriched environments also provide tasks and activities that occupy the pet’s time. Enrichment strategies generally fall into five categories:

Food-based enrichment — using food puzzles and feeding toys instead of bowls, for example; sensory enrichment (sight, smell, touch, hear, taste); novel objects — providing interesting objects for exploration; social enrichment — healthy interactions with owners and other animals; and positive training — for both dogs and cats, based on the principle that pets respond to praise with increased effort just like we do and need not be made fearful to learn. In fact, positive praise actually increases pets’ desire to utilize an object or engage in desirable activities to please their owners since they depend so much on the owner for their survival.

Who needs environmental enrichment?
Another name for environmental enrichment used to be animal husbandry, which meant caring for animals so they will care for you. All animals under our care need to be provided with enriched environments. Animals at risk for or suffering from chronic physical or behavioral problems are in special need of enrichment.

How does one provide this enrichment?
Think about what your pet would normally do. For example, cats naturally stalk, hunt and catch small prey items punctuated by climbing, running, hiding from predators and resting during a normal day. Look for activities that encourage or mimic these behaviors. For example:

• Food based enrichment — Hide a small ball filled with food so she can hunt and find it and that can zip around the house like a mouse when batted and pushed to encourage chasing, catching and consuming behaviors.
• Sensory enrichment — Place a fleece-covered perch near a window so that your cat can climb up and observe birds and squirrels at a strategically placed feeder.
• Novel objects — Offer your cat empty cardboard boxes or paper bags to climb on, around, into and through to explore.
• Social enrichment — Households with multiple pets, where the animals are in stable, healthy relationships, offer valuable opportunities to be social with their own species. Cross-species socialization between you and your cat is important, too. This works best when you let the cat interact on her terms. Avoiding punishment and creating predictable interactions with your pet are critical for success here.
• Positive training — Everyone likes to learn something new when it is fun. Be sure sessions are not frustrating, and never use techniques that make your pet fearful. See clickertaining.com.

The OSU Veterinary Medical Center’s Community Practice (vet.ohio-state.edu/CommunityPractice.htm) excels at behavioral health and wellness and care of animals with environmentally related disorders. It also can help you choose what is best for your situation from among the many environmental enrichment items on the market, or it can help you get creative on your own.  Cat owners can also visit indoorcat.org for more information.

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