Best Enrichment Products for Cats

Last Updated on January 4, 2026 by Holly Anne Dustin

Enrichment provides opportunities for cats to be cats, to indulge their inner tiger, and behave in a way that is normal for cats. This helps prevent behavior problems and associated health concerns. Lack of enrichment leads to stress, boredom, anxiety, destructive scratching, aggression, urinary tract disease, and obesity. This enrichment products for cats buyers’ guide details some of the products that help us cat guardians enrich our cats’ lives.

Related Post: Environmental Enrichment for Cats

This post may contain affiliate links. Life and Cats is a Chewy affiliate and a member of the Amazon Associates program and as such we earn a small commission when you shop through our our links and banners. It doesn’t change the amount you pay. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Physical Enrichment Products for Cats

Cat trees and climbers

Cats need vertical spaces. In nature, cats like to be up high to protect their themselves, from any potential dangers around them. In our homes, they still like to be up high. They can survey their kingdom – and stay away from dogs and toddlers. It’s also just fun. Providing climbers, cat trees, and wall furniture will please your kitty and give her confidence. The exercise will help keep her healthy too.

Scratchers

Scratching is a natural activity for cats. Cats need to scratch. It is instinctual. You can’t train them out of scratching, but we can train them out of scratching where we don’t want them to scratch. We can teach them to scratch on the items we purchase for her to scratch up.

Include a variety of scratchers in your physical enrichment plan for your cats. Every cat needs a strong sturdy post big enough that Kitty can stretch as far as far as she can. Add horizontal scratchers too. Cardboard scratchers come in fun novelty shapes and styles as well as simple flat boards. You can try jute mats, carpet remnants for other texture choices.

Litter boxes and accessories

Having an appropriate litter box set up and maintenance routine is a big part of making life good for cats. You want to have a litter box per cat plus one. And spread them out throughout your house, don’t line them all up side-by-side in the basement. The boxes should be 1.5 times the size of your cat. For those of us with large breed cats, that means we need really big litter boxes.

Fill the boxes with a substrate litter that pleases your cats. Some cats are pickier than others. I would recommend that you not use scented litter or litter additives. Clean the boxes at least once a day, twice is better. Remember, the litter box is for the cats. You want to set it up so they like it, whether it is ideal for you or not.

Fountains

When we provide our cats with a water fountain we are meeting their needs well beyond hydration. The benefits of fountains for cats also include sensory enrichment. The sound of the running water uses Kitty’s well-developed sense of hearing. It makes Kitty’s water taste better. And Kitty can play in it, like my Midnight always did. You might find a cat toy floating in it.

Cognitive Enrichment Products for Cats

Cognitive enrichment lets your furbabies use their mind. They have to think things through to figure out a task or appreciate new experiences. A cat will soon find their own problems to solve if their environment is not providing them with appropriate challenges. And it might not be something we are happy about. We can meet this need in part through the use of food puzzles and interactive toys.

Food puzzles

Food puzzles are a great source of enrichment for Kitty. Let Kitty hunt for her dinner and exercise her inner tiger. I highly recommend food puzzles. My favorite brands are Nina Ottosson, Petstages, Trixie, and Catit, but there are others on the market that make great puzzles. Don’t be afraid to look at dog puzzles, cats are smart enough to figure them out as long as the pieces aren’t too big for them to physically move.

Toys

Toys may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about enrichment. Choose a wide variety of types of toys for your cats and kittens. Be sure that your toy selection includes interactive toys, wand toys, self play toys with variety of textures, shapes and styles. Electronic toys are appealing to some cats and not to others. It is definitely worth trying some of them to see what your kitties think.

Outdoor Enrichment Products for Cats

For the cat with the confidence and personality for it, adventuring is the ultimate in outdoor enrichment for indoor cats. Taking your kitty out on her leash and harness is fun for both of you.  It is a great way to bond with your kitty. Experiencing new adventures together builds trust and relationship between the two of you.  It helps prevent obesity, stress, and boredom in your kitty.

If Kitty isn’t a candidate for a harness and leash adventure, you could try her in a stroller or backpack. If you’d rather just keep her at home but still allow her controlled outdoor access consider a catio.

Harness and Leashes

Do keep in mind that you may have to try more than one harness style to find one that you and Kitty are comfortable with. Mynwood, Sturdiproducts.com and Sleepypod.com all make great harnesses. We love our Mynwood.

Buy a leash that coordinates with your harness. I don’t like retractable leashes with my cats but many people use them. My new favorite leash is the Kylo leash from KittyCatGo.

Strollers and Backpacks

A cat stroller can make life much easier when traveling with cats or taking multiple cats out on an adventure. I can take my three urban adventure cats out together in our stroller and take turns with each one walking. We have a Pet Gear similar to the one above and recommend the brand. But any brand is good if you get a stroller big enough for your cats and sturdy enough for the type of adventures you plan to do. The one we have doesn’t do off-roading or jogging, but the cats don’t either so it works out fine.

Be prepared to buy and return a few. Like harnesses, when it comes to backpacks fit is everything. It needs to be comfortable for Kitty to hang out in, and it has to be comfortable for you to wear. Weather and types of adventuring you are doing matters too. Don’t get a hard side, bubble style backpack if you live in a hot climate. Don’t get one of the luggage style backpacks on wheels if you plan to wear if for any length of time. Make sure the pack you choose is big enough for the biggest cat you plan to carry, with adequate ventilation.

Catios/Outdoor enclosures

Want a chart to help design your cats enrichment plan? Click here to download

Summary

I hope this guide was helpful. There is so much to choose from when it comes to enrichment products for cats. As people learn more about their feline friends, the amount of quality merchandise being made for cats is exploding. Some things, like scratchers, food puzzles, and toys, are going to be available at your local pet retailer. Take Kitty along to help pick out her favorites. Others, like backpacks, strollers, and catios, are going to be easier to find online. Don’t buy anything you can’t return. Adding enrichment to Kitty’s life with some of these items will keep her happier and healthier.