The 12 best cat toys to keep your kitty entertained |

Cats are active, social creatures that need plenty of mental and physical stimulation to lead a happy life. Regular play — whether solo, with other cats, or with you — can mean the difference between a bored, destructive kitty and one that is confident and content.

Cat toys run the gamut from small, lightweight objects that can be thrown, swatted, and pounced on to scratchers for energetic clawing. For this guide to the best cat toys, we tested those and everything in between, including electronic and laser toys, plush toys, play tunnels, teasers, and food puzzles. Along the way, we consulted cat behaviorists and a veterinarian to learn how cats play and the toys best suited to their instincts.

The best cat toys in 2023

Best catnip toy: Kong Refillables Beaver Catnip Toy - See at Chewy

Best cat puzzle toy: Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree - See at Chewy

Best mouse cat toy: Hartz Just for Cats Kitty Frenzy - See at Amazon

Best moving cat toy: Hexbug Nano Robotic Cat Toy - See at Chewy

Best cat teaser toy: Frisco Wire Teaser Cat Toy - See at Chewy

Best cat toy with scratcher: Bergan Star Turbochaser - See at PetCareRx

Best cat play tunnel: Catit Vesper Cat Tunnel - See at Catit

Best cat chew toy: Petstages Mice Cat Chew Toy - See at Amazon

Best cat ball toy: Ethical Pet Sponge Soccer Balls - See at Chewy

Best cat kicker toy: Hartz Cattatraction Unicorn Kicker - See at Chewy

Best cat spring toy: Kong Active Curlz Cat Toy - See at Chewy

Best roller cat toy: Petstages Mice Cat Chew Toy - See at Petco

Best catnip toy

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The Kong Refillables Beaver Catnip Toy can be refreshed to grab your cat's interest and reignite their play drive.

Catnip adds an extra layer of excitement to plush cat toys that are made for chasing and pouncing. Still, a cat's interest is bound to wane sooner or later. When your cat loses interest in their catnip toys, Ingrid Johnson, a certified cat behavior consultant at Fundamentally Feline, recommends rotating them out of play. "This makes old toys new again," she said. Just clean off fur and debris, then marinate them again in catnip, silvervine, or valerian.

With Kong's Refillables Beaver Catnip Toy and others in their refillable cat toy line, you can make these old toys even more enticing: A compartment in the belly can be emptied and refilled with fresh catnip. The toy even comes with its own vial of North American nip. The soft, plush beaver is 8 inches long and 3 inches wide and can be machine washed after removing any catnip inside.

Best cat puzzle toy

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The unique Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree engages your cat's brain as they forage, problem-solve, and chow down.

"Cats who do not have enough mental or physical stimulation [will create] their own stimulation by getting into trouble," said Andrew Moffatt, founder and CEO of VetnCare Animal Hospitals. In addition to playing with your cat regularly, feeding them from a puzzle toy engages their senses and provides an outlet for behaviors like foraging and hunting. "Interactive activity toys and puzzle feeders are great options as they allow cats to overcome a challenge by involving problem-solving behaviors," explained Rachel Geller, a cat behaviorist with Wellness Natural Pet Food.

We've tested a number of good food puzzle toys for cats, but we really like the unique Catit's Senses 2.0 Food Tree. The tree-like design includes three levels, each with horizontal slots so cats can paw and bat at food scattered inside. Kibble or treats poured into the top fall through small holes at each level until it eventually lands in the plastic dish at the base. The tree comes apart for handwashing.

Best mouse cat toy

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Hartz Just for Cats Kitty Frenzy mice are the right size, weight, and softness for chasing and pouncing.

According to Johnson, there are three types of cat play: social, solo, and interactive. Small objects like mice fall into the category of solo play. Johnson recommends scattering toy mice around the home so that cats can discover and bat them around at will.

We've tested a variety of small mouse toys and Hartz Just for Cats Kitty Frenzy mice are my cats' favorite. Although they are lightweight, the fuzzy, ribbon-tailed mice have enough heft that they can be thrown or slid long distances across a room, upping the thrill of the chase. The multicolored rodents contain catnip and come in a pack of 12.

Best moving cat toy

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The Hexbug Nano Robotic Cat Toy scurries around like a real bug to engage your cat's hunting instincts.

Some electronic toys scare and intimidate cats because they are noisy, fast, or erratic, Johnson told us. While testing electronic toys, I found this to be true for both of my cats. Once the switches of the electronic toys were flipped, my cats wanted nothing to do with them. All except for one, the Hexbug Nano Robotic Cat Toy.

Both of my cats absolutely loved this toy and Johnson recommends it, too. The Hexbug is small, quiet, and skitters across the floor like a real bug with a fluffy tail, navigating around objects and uprighting itself if it flips over. It comes with batteries included.

Best cat teaser toy

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The super-simple Frisco Wire Teaser Cat Toy tempts a cat into play with its springy wire and rolled cardboard accents.

Geller's favorite teaser toys aren't the fishing-pole style but the type made from wire with sliding rolled cardboard bobbles for batting and grasping. "They have a fun motion that cats love and find very enticing," she explains. "Wire is easy to curl up and stow away and the low price can keep your collection growing."

We tested Chewy's version of this popular toy, the Frisco Wire Teaser Cat Toy, and it was a hit. The 3-foot-long naturally curved steel wire is pliable and springy with little rolls of cardboard that slide around as it moves. The cardboard rolls are just the right size for gripping between the paws, pouncing, and biting.

Best cat toy with scratcher

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Bergan's Turbo Star Chaser combines the fun of chasing lights with a sturdy scratcher pad.

Scratchers are part toy, part instinctual necessity. Clawing at a scratcher can help a cat release pent-up energy while conditioning their claws, stretching their muscles, and spreading their communication pheromones.

The genius of Bergan's Turbo Star Chaser is that it combines a sturdy scratcher with the excitement of moving LED lights. Each time your cat bats the ball, it flickers and flashes red as it rolls in its circular track. Kitties will bat at it again or unleash their excitement on the surface of the interior scratchpad. After more than a year of use, this toy remains a favorite for my two cats and the scratcher pad has held up. Replacement scratcher pads are sold separately.

Best cat play tunnel

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The Catit Vesper Cat Tunnel has a semi-circular design for optimal hiding, seeking, and snoozing.

Play tunnels are a great place for hide-and-seek and for engaging in other small toy play. Weaving in and out of the openings can add an extra layer of excitement to everyday games. Johnson also likes tunnels for shy cats because they give them a place to hide if they're feeling overwhelmed and a place to snooze when the fun is over.

The Vesper Cat Tunnel was the one my cats' favorites out of the six tunnels we tested. It's made of a high-quality polyester curved into a semicircle with a faux fur-lined window and dangling plush ball at the center. A detachable plush cushion fastens to the tunnel on the concave side. The whole thing folds up like an accordion when it's time to be put away. While the Vesper was the most expensive tunnel we tested, it was also among the most durable options.

Best cat chew toy

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The colorful, mesh-covered Petstages Mice Cat Chew Toy will hold up to cats who like to sink their teeth into soft material.

Cats don't require toys for chewing the way that dogs do, but some enjoy sinking their teeth into plush prey. For these kitties, a cat chew toy can be stimulating. Moffatt recommends preventing chew toy boredom by moving them around and hiding them from time to time.

Although my cats are not big chewers, we liked the small size and bright colors of Petstages Mice Cat Chew Toy, which were the best of the three we tested. Covered with durable mesh, the stuffed polyester mice are sturdy enough to withstand regular chewing. There are two 6.5-by-3.5-inch mice in every package and each contains catnip for a little extra stimulation.

Best cat ball toy

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Lightweight Ethical Pet Sponge Soccer Balls are extra bouncy to entice cats to jump and chase.

Balls are fun for cats to push, chase, and bat. Some cats will even play fetch! They may do these things on their own, but they'll get even more out of their balls if you play, too. "Human involvement initiates your cat's natural prey drive, so you should always finish the game with a successful capture," explains Geller.

Ethical Pet's lightweight Sponge Soccer Balls bounce high and roll smoothly. They're made of soft foam material, so if your kitty happens to get in the way of a toss, they'll feel no pain. A set comes with four brightly colored balls, which are each a little less than 2 inches in diameter — large enough to rumble with but not so small that they pose a choking hazard.

Best cat kicker toy

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The durable Hartz Cattatraction Unicorn Kicker is a super cute stuffed toy for wrestling, snuggling, and rabbit kicking.

Plush toys aren't just fun for cats to chase and pounce on, they're fun to wrestle into submission, too. "Kick pillows," plush toys that a cat can easily grip with the front paws while pummeling with their back feet, are just the right size.

After testing three catnip kickers for this guide, we settled on the 14-inch-long Hartz Cattatraction Unicorn Toy as our top pick. The adorable unicorn has a feather tail, crinkle lining, and a belly full of catnip and silvervine. Its body and shimmering spiral horn are made of durable canvas.

Best cat spring toy

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Kong's Active Curlz Cat Toy has a novel shape and makes unexpected movements to stimulate your cat's senses.

Novelty is one of the keys to unlocking a cat's play instincts. If all you have at home are cat balls, you're just scratching the surface. Unusual shapes like springs move differently and may be more effective at piquing your cat's interest. It all comes down to what motivates them, explained Johnson. Shoelaces, crinkled paper, wine cork, and milk jug rings also make great affordable toys.

Active Curlz Cat Toys are springy plastic spirals that have been sprinkled with catnip and wrapped in brightly printed fabric. Because of their corkscrew shape and light weight, the 4-inch-long toys move unpredictably, enticing your cat to play. Active Curlz come in a pack of two.

Best roller cat toy

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The four-tiered Petstages Chase Meowtain entices kittens and lower-energy cats to play.

Petstages Chase Meowtain rollerball toy will attract both playful kittens and lower-energy older cats. Because rollerball toys — toys with one or more balls that roll around a circular track — are predictable, higher-energy adults may quickly become bored with them, according to Quagliozzi.

Both of my cats, one a low-energy adult and one a high-energy senior, were ideal candidates for rollerball toys, and the Chase Meowtain was their favorite among multilevel toys. Each of the four circular tiers contains a lightweight plastic ball. As cats bat the balls around, they circle the pyramid for more engagement. This is a sturdy toy, but it does slide around a bit on hard surfaces.

Other cat toys we tested

Most of the dozens of toys we tested were good fun and it was a close call across a few categories. Below, we included three toys that didn't quite make the cut but were nonetheless among our favorites. There are also a few toys we don't recommend due to their safety, durability, or price.

Other cat toys we recommend and why:

Catit Senses 2.0 Digger Toy: With no rolling or moving parts, this slow-feeder puzzle toy is great for both confident and shy cats. Read more in our review of the Catit Senses 2.0 collection.
Kong Kickeroo Cuddler: Like the Hartz Unicorn, Kong's multi-textured Kickeroo Cuddler is the ideal size for rabbit-kicking, wrestling, and snuggling.
Frisco 35-in Foldable Crinkle Play Tunnel: Frisco's play tunnel is made of soft, sueded polyester, lined with satisfying crinkle material and folds up for storage in seconds.

Other cat toys we don't recommend and why:

Flippity Fish Cat Toy: This robotic toy's writhing and wriggling is way too intense, loud, and long-lasting for most cats. Mine steered clear when its flipping was triggered.
Petstages Fold Away Cat Tunnel: This "tunnel" was too small for even the smaller of my two cats (9 pounds) to comfortably fit inside, though its corrugated cardboard scratch exterior is nice.
Catit Senses 2.0 Scratcher: Not one of the three cats I tested this stacked cardboard scratching post with showed any interest in it at all.

Cat toys FAQs

What toy do cats like the most?

Toys that look like prey, something a cat would hunt in the wild, typically interest pets the most. "Look for small bugs, small mice, and feather attachments that have a nice natural fluid movement," said Johnson. She cautions that many toys are designed to appeal to humans rather than a cat's prey instincts. "Avoid giant objects, loud toys, and honestly, bells scare a lot of cats," she added.

What is a good toy for a bored cat?

You are! "Although we think of cats as relatively solitary creatures, they are actually very social," said Moffatt. "Toys are great, but they don't fulfill that social need. Owners need to play with their cats." When you can't take the time to engage with them, Geller recommends using puzzle feeders and interactive cat toys to provide extra stimulation.

How many cat toys should I have?

Cats can make just about any small, lightweight object into a toy so it's not necessary to go out and spend a lot of money on them. However, trying a variety of options can help you find the best matches for a cat's play style and energy level. Regularly rotating toys in and out of sight and refreshing them with catnip can help keep them enticing to your cat, according to both Johnson and Geller.

Should my cats have access to toys at all times?

Yes and no. Johnson likes to litter her floor with a variety of regularly rotating "solo play" objects like mice, balls, springs, and kickers for her cats to play with when they are feeling frisky. But she recommends putting away toys that only come to life when you are part of the game between sessions. "You do not want your cat to desensitize to their toys," she said. "What is the motivation to chase something that has been laying there dead and boring for days or weeks?"

How do you play with a cat?

Be the bug! That's what Johnson recommends. "Evoke prey drive, move the toy away from them, hide it behind something, wiggle and squirm as if the toy has lost a limb," she explained. "Birds do not fly at cats' faces. Prey runs!"

What cat toys should you avoid?

Moffatt's biggest concern with cat toys are small parts or decorations like tinsel that a cat may ingest, causing bowel obstruction. Geller is also concerned with laser toys. She recommends avoiding them unless you integrate other toys into the game that your cat can attack when the light lands on top. Otherwise, laser pointers and automatic laser toys can create frustration, anxiety, and confusion. "Cats expect to 'catch and kill,' so a cat who is teased with a laser pointer may try to attack, bite, or scratch a companion cat or humans," Geller explains.

Our cat toys experts

Rachel Geller, certified cat behaviorist with Wellness Natural Pet Food, Newton, Massachusetts
Geller earned a certification in cat behavior through the Humane Society and certification as a Humane Education Specialist through the Academy of Prosocial Learning. Geller is also a certified Pet Chaplain with the Association of Veterinary Pastoral Education and is certified as a fear-free shelter specialist. Geller is a behavior consultant for The Cat Connection, Here Today Adopted Tomorrow Animal Sanctuary, and Baypath Humane Society. We interviewed Geller by email on November 3, 2021.
Ingrid Johnson, owner and certified cat behavior consultant, Fundamentally Feline, Marietta, Georgia
Johnson is a certified cat behavior consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She was co-chair of the IAABC's cat division and is the co-director of the Paw Project's Georgia chapter, which works toward ending the practice of cat declawing. Johnson is also a hospital manager, behaviorist, vet tech, and groomer at Paws, Whiskers, and Claws veterinary hospital in Marietta, Georgia. We interviewed Johnson by email on October 28, 2021.
Dr. Andrew Moffatt, veterinarian, founder, and CEO of VetnCare Animal Hospitals, San Francisco Bay Area, California
Andrew Moffatt earned his veterinary degree from Massey University in New Zealand in 2006. He began his veterinary career in East Sussex and London, England, before moving to California and founding VetnCare veterinary hospitals, where he currently serves as the CEO. In 2017, Moffatt was awarded the California Veterinary Medical Association's RVT's Outstanding DVM of the Year Award. He has also served as vice president and board member of the Alameda County Veterinary Medical Association. We consulted Moffatt via email on November 4, 2021.

Check out our other cat guides

Shoshi Parks Contributor Shoshi Parks is a contributor for Insider Reviews, where she tests and writes about products for dogs and cats. She is a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA) and certified separation anxiety trainer (CSAT) with a decade of experience. She is the owner of Modern Hound Dog Training in California's Bay Area and a former instructor at the San Francisco SPCA. Shoshi also holds a doctorate in anthropology and writes about travel, history, and food for a variety of publications. Her work on pets and other topics has appeared at Rover, NPR, Smithsonian, Atlas Obscura, Afar, K9 of Mine, and elsewhere. Read more Read less

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The 12 best cat toys to keep your kitty entertained