Olfactory Enrichment

There’s a decent amount of literature published on scent enrichment for animals, from cats to dogs to larger species. We discuss which scents have been tested, on which species, and what their outcomes look like. Perhaps most importantly, we discuss where the literature is lacking in rigor, and what we think can be taken away when balancing the results versus the weaknesses. Does scent impact behavior? Definitely. Have we proven which scents do what? Sort of. Maybe. Can we have some vanilla cookies? All this thinking is stressful.

References:

Review Paper: Sensory stimulation as environmental enrichment for captive animals: A review (2009).

The influence of olfactory stimulation on the behaviour of dogs housed in a rescue shelter (2005).

The influence of olfactory stimulation on the behaviour of cats housed in a rescue shelter (2010).

Social interaction, food, scent or toys? A formal assessment of domestic pet and shelter cat (Felis silvestris catus) preferences (2017).

A preliminary study of the effects of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of captive African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) (2010).

Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria) (2017).