Environmental Enrichment for Pets With Limited Mobility

Laurie Anne Walden, DVM

Photo by Madalyn Cox on Unsplash

Environmental enrichment means modifying an animal’s living space to encourage physical activity and allow the animal to engage in behaviors that are natural for its species. For indoor pets especially, environmental enrichment improves physical and mental health and can reduce behavior problems.
 
Dogs and cats with mobility problems need environmental modification for accessibility and mental stimulation. Pets have mobility limitations for a variety of reasons:

• Arthritis or other medical conditions that cause joint, bone, or muscle pain
• Frailty from advanced age
• Neurologic conditions that affect balance and coordination
• Decreased vision
• Recovery from surgery
• Activity restriction as part of medical treatment

For these pets, thoughtful environmental enrichment can reduce stress and increase quality of life.
 
Household Modifications and Physical Activity
Cover hard floors with nonslip mats or rugs. Consider using lots of small washable mats instead of large rugs for easier cleaning if your pet urinates or defecates on the floor (common in animals with medical problems, mobility limitations, or cognitive decline). Be sure to have a nonslip surface in front of your pet’s food and water bowls.
 
Use steps and ramps. Think of all the places your pet likes to be that are not the floor—bed, sofa, cat tree (climbing structure), window seat, and so forth—and make sure your pet can get up and down without jumping. You might need to train your pet to use steps and ramps by leading them with treats.
 
Cats need to scratch for claw health and their mental health (it’s normal species behavior). Reaching and stretching can be difficult for cats with arthritis, so offer your cat horizontal as well as vertical scratching surfaces.
 
Ask your veterinarian about exercise that’s appropriate for your pet. Depending on the medical condition, your pet might benefit from controlled gentle exercise. Some veterinary facilities have physical rehabilitation equipment like underwater treadmills.
 
Toileting
Difficulty reaching the toileting area causes anxiety for animals. For cats, put low-sided litter boxes on every floor of the house in quiet, accessible areas. Cats tend to be most comfortable toileting in big open boxes (at least 1.5 times the length of the cat, not including the tail). A large plastic storage bin makes a great litter box; cut an opening on one side so your cat can walk in and out easily.
 
Dogs with new mobility problems or cognitive decline might not give you their usual cues that they need to go out. If your dog or cat starts having toileting accidents indoors, make a veterinary appointment to check for a medical reason. If no medical cause is found, your pet might be having trouble getting outside or to the litter box.
 
Mental Stimulation
Engage your pet’s senses: use toys with different odors, textures, and sounds. Puzzle feeders and treat-dispensing toys engage the brain and encourage physical activity. Teach your old dog or cat new tricks. Use positive reinforcement to train new behaviors that don’t require a lot of movement (like touching their nose to your hand).
 
For dogs with mobility problems, walks aren’t really about walking. Just seeing and smelling the outdoors is valuable mental enrichment for dogs. Take your dog out on a harness and forget about actually getting anywhere; be patient and let him sniff and wander at his own pace. If your dog can’t walk easily, carry him or use a wagon.
 
Give your cat a soft seat by a window if possible. Your cat might also enjoy cat-friendly videos.
 
For More Ideas
Home modifications. International Cat Care. 2024. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://icatcare.org/app/uploads/2024/03/Changes-to-the-home-environment_ISFM-caregiver-guide_FINAL.pdf
 
Sueda K, Cho J. Environmental enrichment for senior dogs and cats. Clinician’s Brief. December 2017. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/article/environmental-enrichment-senior-dogs-cats
 
Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/black-cat-on-white-cat-tree-X7OokuRyvCI

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