By Izzie Dew, Behaviour Team Manager
You bought the toys. You set up the scratching post. You created a beautiful window perch. You even brought out the cardboard box, usually the strongest card in the deck. And your cat? They’re sitting at the door. Again.
If you’re starting to think, “Nothing I offer is good enough. They just want to roam,” don’t give up.
If your cat has had years of outdoor access, the neighbourhood is familiar, exciting and full of rewards. Years of smells to investigate, fences to climb, birds to watch and important cat business happening around every corner.
Each individual cat has their own preferences, so it may just be that you haven't found their favourite enrichment activity yet. Try out some different ones - think of species-specific behaviours such as scratching, hiding and climbing, and how you might get the different senses of sight, smell and sound involved.
Take note of the activities they engage with and ensure you rotate them frequently to maintain novelty.
Forget what enrichment is “supposed” to look like
One of the easiest mistakes is buying something labelled cat enrichment and assuming your cat will automatically be thrilled.
Unfortunately, cats have not read the packaging. Some cats love toys. Some love food. Some love climbing. Some could stare at the same bush outside and consider it an excellent afternoon.
Instead, ask: What was my cat getting from roaming?
Were they hunting, climbing, exploring, watching birds, investigating smells, or just basking in the sun? When you know what they enjoyed outside, it’s easier to recreate that experience safely at home.
“They completely ignore their toys”
Before buying another toy, try changing how you use the ones you already have. Cats are hunters, so make the toy act like prey. Drag it slowly behind furniture. Let it disappear around a corner. Pause,dart away, let them stalk it. And most importantly: Let them catch it.
Sometimes we buy toys and expect our cats to independently use them.
But playing together is a great opportunity to meet some of their species-specific needs and build a strong relationship between you and your cat. It also helps to rotate toys instead of leaving everything out permanently.
A toy that has been ignored for three weeks can suddenly become extremely exciting once it returns from its mysterious sabbatical in the toy box.
“They just sit at the window”
Perfect. Window watching counts. Your cat doesn’t need to be sprinting around the house to be entertained. Birds, insects, people, leaves moving in the breeze and general neighbourhood goings on all give them something to watch and process.
Add a comfortable bed, shelf or cat tree and you’ve basically created premium cat TV. No subscription required.
“They used to hunt outside”
Give them something appropriate to hunt at home. Interactive toys are great, but food works too. Try puzzle feeders, hiding treats around the house, scattering part of their meal or putting biscuits inside cardboard tubes and boxes.
Instead of dinner arriving in exactly the same bowl at exactly the same time every night, occasionally make them search for it or change the time.
A little effort turns dinner from room service into an activity.
“They want to explore”
You don’t need a giant home or a weekly delivery of new cat toys to give your cat enrichment. Sometimes enrichment is simply something changing. Move a box. Make a tunnel. Create a new hiding spot.
Open a safe room they don’t normally visit. Move a piece of furniture. Moving a cardboard box from one side of the room to the other can qualify as a major renovation in cat terms.
“Nothing inside is as exciting as outside”
At first, your cat might agree. Remember, roaming may have been part of their routine for years. Your new enrichment setup has been around for… a few days. Give it time. It can also help to get ahead of the habit. If your cat normally starts meowing to go outside at 6pm, don’t wait until 6pm when they’re already stationed at the door.
At 5:45pm, bring out a favourite toy. Then offer dinner or a puzzle feeder. Then give them somewhere comfortable to settle.
Safe outdoor time still counts
Keeping your cat home doesn’t necessarily mean shutting the door on outdoor experiences forever. A secure catio, enclosed courtyard, cat-proof yard or balcony can still give them fresh air, sunshine, smells and things to watch. Some cats may also enjoy supervised outdoor time or harness training.
The difference is simple: They still get the experience. You get more control over the risk.
There is no need to appoint yourself as your cat’s full-time entertainment director. Cats sleep. A lot. They also like resting, grooming, watching things and occasionally doing absolutely nothing in the exact spot you need to walk through. A happy cat doesn’t need constant entertainment.
They need choice. Somewhere to climb. Somewhere to hide. Something to scratch. Things to investigate. Opportunities to play. Comfortable places to rest. Then they can decide what they’re in the mood for.
Don’t give up because the front door beat the feather toy
Your cat asking to go outside doesn’t mean you’ve failed. They’re comparing a brand-new routine with one they might have had for years.
Keep experimenting. Watch what interests them. Follow their preferences. The goal isn’t to make your cat forget the outdoors exists. It’s to help them discover that there are plenty of enjoyable things happening at home too.
Still figuring out what works for your cat?
Our From Roam to Home Guide walks you through the transition step by step, including how to prepare your home, build a new routine and know when your cat is ready to progress.
