Enrichment is an animal husbandry principle that can help improve the quality of life of a captive animal. Enrichment may help increase stimuli of the animal to improve its psychological and physiological well being. Enrichment helps improve the animals’ well-being. Enrichment can be provided through environmental or behavioral opportunities.
Environmental Enrichment
This type of enrichment is a process which alters or creates an enclosure that creates wellness of the inhabitants. Increased behavioral responses because of environmental enrichment are referred to as behavioral enrichment. Our goals for using enrichment are to increase behavioral diversity and stimulation, increase natural species-specific behaviors, increase the ability to cope with challenges, increase positive use of their environment, and to reduce the frequencies of abnormal behavior.
Did you know that there are all types of items that you can donate for enrichment for our animals? Enrichment includes a wide variety of items that enrich our animals’ lives. It keeps them from being bored and will keep their senses active and entertained. Different types of enrichment include:
Scent Enrichment
- Fresh or dried herbs and spices (no sodium/no garlic) Many of the favored spices include:
- Cinnamon, basil, oregano, sage, cumin, paprika and catnip
- Perfumes and colognes— the stinkier the better. One of their favorite perfumes is “Obsession” by Calvin Klein. If any of you have any perfume at home that you just don’t care for anymore please bring or send to us. The cats will love it!
- Artificial urine (deer, fox, etc.)
Temporary Enrichment
- Cardboard boxes (please remove all tape before donating) Large appliance boxes also welcome.
- Paper lunch bags and paper grocery bags
- Newspaper
- Burlap Bags: Some coffee shops order their coffee in large quantities which come in burlap bags and/or feed stores often get feed/corn in burlap bags. Nut huts may sell and receive nuts in burlap bags.
- Cardboard tubes, including toilet paper and paper towel rolls, All sizes welcomed.
- Egg cartons
- Wrapping paper (Anything but cellophane paper)
- Mirrors
- Non toxic bubbles
- Non toxic paints
Seasonal Enrichment
- Christmas trees
- Whole melons
- Pumpkins
- Whole Turkeys
- Any type meat frozen or fresh as long as not expired.
Permanent Enrichment
- Logs
- Bench Platforms
- Boomer Balls (Boomerball.com)
- Food Grade hard, plastic barrels
- PVC structures and feeders
- Lake Flotation devices/ Large plastic dock floats
- Fire hose
- Rope
- Plastic swimming pools
Food
- Honey
- Peanut Butter
- Sugar free cereal
- Dog Biscuits
- Produce
- Unsweetened (no sugar added) fruit flavoring
There are many other types of enrichment that you can donate. For more information, or if you have questions about anything you’d like to donate, please contact the education department at TCWR.org.