Picking the Right Cat Toys
There are tons of cat toys on the market, but do you know your cat’s preference? Is your cat a birder, a mouser, or a bugger? Does your cat prefer toys that mimic birds, mice, or catching bugs? There are many types of toys made for cats and each cat has their own preference as to what stimulates them to interact.
Favored toys help cats mimic predatory acts they would perform if they were to hunt for their own food. Although your cat may not need to “hunt,” they still enjoy the action and movement involved with the process. Cats love to chase, pounce, capture, carry, bite, and roll around with a great toy.
Let’s consider the types of toys and figure out what your cat likes best.
Types of Cat Toys
Toys that Simulate the Hunt
Some cats prefer toys that either mimic the sounds, textures, or movements of prey. Cat toys on the market may be designed to move, vibrate, twitter, squeak, or swing, simulating “prey” to induce a cat to react and play.
Product Spotlight: Potaroma Chirping Cat Toys
Bring the thrill of the hunt indoors with Potaroma’s Chirping Birds—an interactive duo designed to captivate your cat’s instincts. These lifelike plush toys chirp with realistic bird sounds and come infused with catnip and SilverVine to keep your feline engaged and active.
Highlights & Benefits
- Realistic Chirping Sounds: Activated by touch, the toys mimic bird calls to spark your cat’s curiosity and playfulness.
- Durable & Safe Materials: Made from plush and natural feathers, each toy withstands rough play and includes long-lasting built-in batteries.
- Catnip SilverVine Pouch: Boosts stimulation and excitement with a refillable blend that cats adore.
Toys that Fascinate Curious Cats
Natural substrates, such as leather, fur, or feathers, are popular with cats, however, some cats prefer fabric or items that crinkle like plastic or foil.
Product Spotlight: PET SHOW Colorful Cat Foil Balls
Add a burst of color and excitement to your cat’s playtime with PET SHOW’s vibrant foil balls. Lightweight and crinkly, these toys are designed to stimulate your cat’s senses and encourage active, healthy play.
Highlights & Benefits
- Bright & Engaging Colors: Eye-catching metallic hues keep cats visually stimulated and entertained.
- Lightweight for Easy Batting: Perfect size and weight for chasing, swatting, and pouncing—ideal for solo play.
- Multi-Pack Value: Comes with a generous set of foil balls, ensuring hours of fun and easy replacements.
Toys that Inspire Exercise
Other cats like playthings that move quickly across surfaces (like a small ball), pieces of kibble that slide across the floor, or a laser light on a wall for them to “chase.”
Product Spotlight: Cat Laser Pointer Toy with Mouse Design
Turn your living room into a feline playground with this sleek Cat Laser Pointer Toy, cleverly shaped like a mouse for added charm. Designed to stimulate your cat’s natural hunting instincts, it offers endless fun and exercise with the push of a button.
Highlights & Benefits
- Interactive Laser Play: Emits a bright red dot that moves unpredictably, keeping cats engaged and active.
- Ergonomic Mouse Design: Easy to hold and fun to use, with a playful shape that adds whimsy to playtime.
- Portable & Battery-Powered: Lightweight and compact, perfect for spontaneous play sessions anywhere in the house.
Toys with an Added Kick
Many cats love toys that can be tossed up with their paws, swatted, and bit. Some cat toys are even enriched with catnip to entice play.
Product Spotlight: Organic Catnip Chew Toys for Kittens
Treat your teething kitten to a safe and satisfying playtime with these Organic Catnip Chew Toys. Crafted with natural materials and infused with irresistible catnip, they’re designed to soothe gums while keeping your feline entertained.
Highlights & Benefits
- Organic & Safe Materials: Made from natural silvervine sticks and raffia, perfect for teething kittens and eco-conscious pet parents.
- Interactive Chewing Fun: Helps reduce destructive chewing by offering a healthy outlet for teething instincts.
- Catnip-Infused for Extra Appeal: Encourages play and relaxation with the calming effects of organic catnip.
Figure Out Your Cat’s Preferences
Buy several cat toys and roll them or toss them to your cat to determine their preference. Watch to see which type of toy is most interesting to your cat. For example, you may see a trend of your cat preferring toys that simulate birds such as bird-shaped toys, toys that chirp, toys made of a bird-like feathers, or toys that create bird-like movements (fluttering toys). Other cats will prefer toys that mimic “catching small rodents,” such as toys shaped like mice, toys that squeak, toys made of fur, or toys that encourage jerking movements. They may also enjoy tossing, biting, or carrying their “prey” around in their mouths.
Movements that simulate bug catching are also a favorite toy for many cats. You can test this by giving your cat a bit of food to chase, using a laser light on the floor or wall, or by playing with a string with a knot on the end and moving it quickly.
When trying out new cat toys, introduce them one at a time. Use different sizes, shapes, and textures. Try fur, feathers, fabric, and leather. Roll them, toss them, slide them, and move them in different ways and at different speeds. When using dangling toys, such as wands or sticks that have a dangling object, play with your cat by dangling the toy in front of them and slowly moving it away. Try the feathery options that fly and mimic bird feather movement. These work really well and will often provoke a “pounce” in cats. You might find that your cat likes a crinkle ball that rolls or bounces and makes noise when they “attack,” simulating the movement and sounds of prey.
Once you figure out what your cat prefers, you can vary the sizes and types of cat toys within that category.
Features to Consider in Cat Toys
- Style
- Shape
- Ability to move/flutter/fly
- Ability to make sounds
- Safety (no parts that can be swallowed)
- Durability
- Compatibility with your cat’s interests
Ideal Choice for Your Pet
The ideal choice of cat toys will depend on your cat’s preference. Offer a variety and rotate toys often. If you don’t yet know your cat’s preference, some initial options are a feathery flyer, some round crinkle balls, a laser pointer, and something stuffed with catnip.
Shopping Tips for Buying Cat Toys
- Don’t buy too many toys at first. Just get enough to distract your cat. Buy more cat toys as you know what types of toys your cat prefers.
- When choosing a cat toy, consider safety. Make sure that no parts of the toy can be swallowed or eaten. If you are unsure how your pet will react to a toy, supervise playtime and hide toys when you are not able to observe their behavior.
- Try catnip. It’s a huge hit with many cats, already added to many toys, and easy to grow at home.
- Offer your cat a variety of toys and rotate them out periodically to keep things fresh and exciting. A reasonable rotation is to hide your current playthings every 2 – 3 days and replace them with new items. You can find 4 unique, irresistible, and enriching cat toys in 24Petwatch’s Cat PawPack, along with healthy cat treats, a ByteTag QR Code pet tag, and cozy fleece pawprint blanket.
- Consider homemade cat toy options. Try using empty paper bags, rolled up paper balls, milk bottle “rings,” or empty toilet paper rolls. You can also stuff a light weight sock or make small catnip toys from spare fabric. Some owners will even hide treats around the house, so that their cat will be occupied when they aren’t home.
- Make time to play with your cat every day, at least 8 – 12 minutes per day per cat. Try using interactive cat toys, like laser lights and dangling “flyers,” or playing games to keep them engaged.