Cat Toys

Shopping for interactive cat toys is a pleasing experience for you and your cat or kitten. Cat enrichment products are available in various materials and textures for teasing, chasing, playing, thinking, and just plain old fun. While every toy is excellent for your cat, it’s simply a matter of function or skill you’re looking to enhance, such as building awareness, boosting speed, playful comfort, and engaging in something your pet will enjoy doing for constant entertainment. Cats like non-stop entertainment more than anything until they’re tired and in need of a nap.

Let’s go down the list and talk about the best cat interactive toys.

Plush and Mice Toys:

Cats love to gnaw on Plush Toys as they find it satisfying and comforting. Plush Toys are usually made of specially engineered fabrics that are tougher and won’t scratch or tear through so easily; for example, toys made of durable cotton denim or nylon materials. Some of these fun cat toys are made with sisal fabrics, making them great for sharpening your cat’s paws and teeth during play. Others consist of a catnip inside to help entice play activity. 

Unlike dog toys, interactive cat toys are typically smaller in size, so your pets can carry it around in their mouths similar to their ancestors and cousins like tigers do with their cubs. It’s often cute to watch cats carry their little kittens the same way to safeguard their children.  

Ideally, try purchasing mice toys with tails, legs, and arms. These toys look more realistic, allowing your cats to take out their killing aggression on these healthily and harmlessly. Remember that even domesticated animals can be aggressive at times. Buying cat toys that move will take out any frustrations they might have and even calm them down further when catnip is embedded inside. Besides, these interactive cat toys seem to engage your cat better than other cat enrichment products. 

It’s always a great idea to shop for toys with higher levels of polyfill as the plusher the toys, the better. In addition, toys with reinforced stitching tend to last longer, so finding well-made and engineered toys is the key.

Cat Balls 

Ahem, not their furballs! Cats love to chase and play with tiny round balls, making cat balls the most commercially purchased cat toys. Unlike dogs, cats like balls with catnip inside or tennis balls made of felt. Cats like to sniff, swipe at them and chase around the house or out in the yard.  

Cat balls that rattle and squeak are among the safest toys around, making all types of noises. They’re similar to Cat Chasers, and some even glow in the dark and light up or sparkle. 

Cat Scratchers 

Cat Scratchers are available in a wide plethora of options, including cardboard cat scratchers made of premium-grade cardboard. These interactive cat toys include a higher cardboard content, ideal for filing your feline’s nails during play.  

Premium Cat Scratchers are available in all shapes and sizes. Some collapse and open, making them perfect for travel, while others are sturdier and thicker with tons of hiding and lounging areas. Moreover, these cat scratchers are large enough for multiple cats and kittens and come with a designer look and feel to compliment your home or workspace. Many today come with catnip that pet owners can sprinkle around the cardboard to help promote and entice healthy scratching. 

When purchasing cat scratchers, it's vital to ensure they’re constructed with non-toxic glue and materials. Ideally, it’s best to buy scratchers made from all-natural corn starch.   

You can check out our selection of Carpet Cat Scratchers that are space savers, making them a great option on the go. These scratchers are made of all-natural materials, such as sisal and jute, ensuring they last forever. Most carpet cat scratchers are twice in size as a cat lounger and can be hung on doorknobs or laid flat, offering a comfortable cat bed for napping. 

If you want a larger and durable option, we recommend buying Cat Scratching Posts. These interactive cat toys are bulkier and free-standing, with many peak and lounging areas. Besides, cat scratching posts look like miniature treehouses; hence, they are called Cat Trees.  

These cat toys also operate as living quarters, allowing cats to hide and sleep in their home. Some are so large that they’re great for multiple cats and kittens, thus increasing interaction. 

Last, hybrid cat scratchers have built-in toys, making them an entertaining and engaging option. These cat toys entertain your cat while providing them something to claw on constantly during play.  

Many cat owners find it difficult to trim their pet’s nails, so having the proper scratcher can eliminate or reduce visits to the vet. PetLife provides only the best cat interactive toys that are popular and vetted by our team of cat lovers. 

Cat Chasers and Teasers 

Cats love to chase objects more than anything in the world, so cat chasers are an ideal way to help build a special bond between you and your cat or kitten. These interactive cat toys are often electronically controlled and are similar to puzzles. Many chasers for cats are designed with balls inside tracts, allowing cats to swipe at and chase from side to side. While some chasers have electronically-controlled feathers that constantly move, others come with built-in motion sensors that only move during play to preserve battery life.  

There are numerous cat teasers available currently; the most popular teasers are feather teasers or cat wands. The latter ones are manually waved around, almost like on an orchestra. Cats, for some reason, love feathery objects, and they keep trying to chase those feathers as you sway the wand around in circles or side to side. These cat toys are essential as they help promote awareness of the surroundings while building their twitch muscles.  

Chasing and pleasantly teasing your cat is a great way to strengthen the bond with your feline. Cats also love to chase around tails, such as Fox Tails or something that resembles a cat. High-quality cat tails glitter and sparkle during play; some even have bells and felt pads at the end of their tips. Cat Tails with many gadgets are better as they help entice movements that all cats crave. 

Interactive Cat Toys

Also known as Cat Puzzles, these toys are usually the best option to build your feline's cognitive and learning behavioral skills. Countless puzzles are available for cat owners looking to sharpen their pet’s coping and thinking skills. These puzzles are more interactive than plush animal toys as they allow your cats to think continuously, meaning they won’t get bored. These interactive cat toys are a great alternative to human interaction, making them attractive for owners with busier schedules.  

Some puzzles rotate on wheels, while others are peek-a-boo puzzles, offering a pleasant surprise. There are various behavioral skills that cats can learn from each puzzle you provide them. It’s always a great option to own a couple of puzzles and watch how they engage. 

Helpful Tips When Buying 

Always inspect your cat toys before buying as most toys include components, including twigs, needles, beads, rubber bands, and strings. Cats, particularly kittens and babies, can quickly ingest these specific components, harming them.  

All products on our site are free from such materials; however, it’s always great to perform a quick inspection before purchasing them for your feline friend.  

In addition, ensure to rotate the cat toys from time to time as cats can get bored very quickly. Remember that toys are a way to keep your cat entertained, so you’ll need variety. It’s recommended that pet owners purchase an average of seven toys every couple of months. Besides, continuously cycle out used toys after a couple of months as your cat gets older. Cat toys are generally smaller than other pet toys, so they’re less expensive, always an added benefit.  

Ensure that the cat toys you buy should properly state “not used for children under a certain age.”

People Often Ask:

Why does my feline need cat toys?