Here are a couple of my own environmental enrichment projects. Above are photos of an installation I did at my vet’s office (Dreamy Draw Cat Hospital in Phoenix – hi, Dr. Oyan!) I used FLOR carpet tiles to cover the front of the check-in desk, creating a vertical scratching surface. Office cat Blackie is modeling.
I used the same striped carpet tiles to cover a shelf over the litter area on my catio. There’s also a sisal wrapped climbing pole that goes all the way to the ceiling. Ando is demonstrating. See more of my catio over on Catio Showcase.
TIPS
On both projects I cut the carpet tiles in half to create a better looking pattern, since both areas required one full tile plus another half. Another big lesson: FLOR carpet tiles DO NOT stick to carpet tape! I tried to install the tiles on the wall using the stickiest carpet tape I could find, and they all fell down that night. The carpet tiles have a plastic backing that won’t stick to the tape. I went to buy adhesive glue and found that almost all of the super-strength adhesives that work on plastic or rubber are EXTREMELY toxic and have warnings about eye and respiratory irritation — not good for use around cats! I kept searching and found a non-toxic adhesive that worked really well. It is an all-purpose adhesive from Ace Hardware
I converted my garage into a catroom. Added a window, heating and air conditioning, vinyl flooring and lots of snuggly places to sun and sleep. Since this is the only storage area I have it is lined and all sides with plastid stoarage totes stacked to varying heights to give my kitites easy access to comfy places to nap and sun themselves. Several totes have openings on one side and soft blankets to allow for privacy or snuggling with a friend. All my furry friends love the soft piillows and fluffy blankets placed on all the perches. Even the senior citizens of my cat clan have great spots to relax and oversee their kingdon without having to climb or jump much at all. Everyone has his or her favorite spot and sometimes several of them will snuggle together to catch a few sunbeams. This is my “on a budget” way of creating enviromental enrichment for my kitties.