A simple scented cloth: the cheapest enrichment trick according to a landmark study
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
Enriching an indoor cat's daily life doesn't always require a new purchase. A study published in 2010 by Ellis and Wells in Applied Animal Behaviour Science measured the effect of simple scented cloths on the behaviour of shelter-housed cats (see the study). Our other guidance on enriching an indoor cat's life is gathered in the toys and enrichment section.
Contents · 5 sections
The protocol: one cloth, four possible scents
150 shelter cats were split into five groups of 30: one group received an odourless cloth, the others a cloth scented with rabbit, catnip, or lavender. Each cat had access to its cloth for three hours a day over five consecutive days, with behaviour filmed and coded on days 1, 3 and 5 to track how the reaction changed over time.
Measurably more active cats, regardless of the scent tested
All three tested scents increased active behaviours compared with the no-cloth group: time spent moving rose by an average of 8.3%, grooming by 5.9%, exploring the cloth by 10.9%, and exploring the rest of the enclosure by 9.2%. Notably, lavender and rabbit scent — which have nothing to do with catnip — also produced a measurable effect: olfactory enrichment is therefore not limited to catnip or silvervine, already covered in our article on silvervine as a catnip alternative.
What this means at home
The takeaway isn't to buy yet another scented toy, but to vary the sources of novel scent for a cat already equipped with regular toys: a fabric that spent time with a different four-legged friend, laundry fresh from outside, or a rotation of kitchen spices known to be safe (checked case by case) can all create fresh olfactory stimulation. This logic of renewal is exactly what our article on the toy rotation method covers: it's not the object that matters most, but the novelty it brings.
The study's limits
The cats tested lived in individual shelter cages, a far more understimulating context than an indoor cat already surrounded by toys and visual access to the outdoors. The size of the effect on an already well-enriched cat was not measured by this study, and nothing suggests it would be identical.
Frequently asked questions
Does olfactory stimulation require catnip?
No: the study shows a measurable effect with lavender and rabbit scent, two stimuli unrelated to catnip or silvervine.
Does a scented cloth replace regular toys?
No, it complements them: it's an extra, low-cost source of novelty to fold into a broader rotation. Find all our guides on the cat hub.
See it in the Planète Pets shop: Automatic tail ball for cats (€17.90) · the whole shop
For the gear, at Le Félin (same family, zero commission): Arbre à chat cache-litière (from €201.99)
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Cats universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.