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Enrichment refers to a process for improving the environment and behavioral care of confined animals within the context of their behavioral needs. The purpose of enrichment is to reduce stress and improve wellbeing by providing physical and mental stimulation, encouraging species‐typical behaviors, and allowing animals more control over their environment. Successful enrichment programs prevent the development and display of abnormal behavior and provide for the psychological wellbeing of the animals.

The ASV Guidelines state that “enrichment should be given the same significance as other components of animal care and should not be considered optional.” It is not a task that can be neglected on busy days; instead, it bears repeating that it is a fundamentally important, core component of daily routine animal care that should be a part of every shelter's wellness protocol. Enrichment can be therapeutic and should be tailored to meet the needs of individual animals and improve behavioral health and emotional wellbeing. Enrichment opportunities for animals being treated for infectious disease are just as important as for healthy animals but must be tailored to meet their individual conditions and utilize appropriate biosecurity measures to minimize the risk of disease transmission. Ultimately, enrichment reduces stress and promotes positive emotional states.

Perhaps the most effective enrichment in a shelter is a trained animal care staff that enjoy working with animals and that are willing and able to spend ample quality time interacting with them daily to ensure social contact and tractability. Cats and dogs become accustomed to daily routines and generally respond strongly to their human caregivers. Whenever possible, caregivers should be assigned to care for the same animals on a regular basis and preferably at the same time each day so that they become aware of the habits and personality of each animal. This familiarity is necessary for better detection of physical or behavioral problems and enables staff to make better adoption matches. Caregivers should schedule time each day to interact with “their” animals in addition to the activities of feeding and cleaning. Some cats and dogs may prefer to be petted and handled while others will prefer to interact via a toy (e.g. cats chasing dangling feathers or dogs fetching a ball). Regular aerobic exercise is essential for dogs; the intensity and duration are defined by the individual's needs. Many dogs benefit greatly from participation in play‐groups. Health, age, gender and reproductive status, personality and play‐style should be used to guide the selection of groups. Play should be monitored to ensure that participants are comfortable with the types of play that are taking place and that they take natural breaks in their play.

Other forms of stimulation that engage the mind, body, and senses are important to enrich the environment and promote healthy mental and physical activities – dogs and cats need a variety of pleasant things to look at and listen to, good things to smell, and satisfying things to scratch or chew and taste as well as activities that provide exercise and social contact. They should be provided with sanitizable or disposable toys to stimulate normal behaviors and activities. Providing treats and novel sources of food is an important source of stimulation for both cats and dogs, and importantly provides dogs with opportunities for healthy chewing. It is easily accomplished by hiding food in commercially available food puzzle toys or cardboard tubes or boxes, empty plastic bottles, sections of PVC pipe, or similar items. The provision of scratching boards is especially important for cats. Empty cardboard boxes and paper bags are inexpensive and disposable, and they stimulate exploration and play behavior in addition to scratching.

Positive training (including clicker training) with food or play rewards can provide additional stimulation, activity and social contact for both dogs and cats. In addition to providing mental stimulation, teaching animals to engage with people and display good manners makes them more appealing to adopters and sets another example of good pet care. Commercially available synthetic cat pheromones (cheek gland‐ F3, and appeasing‐ F4) or a dog‐appeasing pheromone may be beneficial to cats and dogs, respectively, as these products have been shown to help reduce anxiety in some animals. For singly housed animals and long‐term residents, appropriate levels of additional enrichment should be provided daily. Cats and dogs need variety, control and choice, and individuals possess different preferences for environmental conditions, levels of activity, and social interactions with other animals and humans. The best enrichment program will provide for all these choices.