The Best Cat Toys for Your Furry Friend (2025) Leave a comment

Cats are stunning, attention-grabbing, bizarre creatures. They’re additionally very choosy. Discovering toys that they’re going to truly play with is hard—particularly with the sheer oversaturation of the pet market right now. Cats require a specific environment to play, scratch, and chill out. Based mostly on years of testing with our cats, these are our favourite WIRED-approved, tech-y cat toys and scratchers. Even when our cats rejected a selected product, we nonetheless examined total building, design, and worth to find out whether or not it could be helpful for different kitties.

I am a helicopter cat mother specializing in pet tech, and all of those cat toys are authorized by each my and different staffers’ (very spoiled) WIRED cats. Try our associated guides like The Finest Automated Cat Litter Containers, The Finest Automated Cat Feeders, The Finest Cat Water Fountains, and Our Favourite Fancy Cat Furnishings. Extra of a canine particular person? We have you lined! See our Finest Equipment and Tech Necessities for Your Canine information.

Up to date April 2025: We have overhauled this information for the present yr and added the Omlet Freestyle Indoor Cat Tree, Mau Kona Finish Desk Scratcher, Kong Kickeroo, Sofolor Interactive Cat Toy, Catstages Interactive Cat Deal with Puzzle, Silvervine Chew Sticks, Da Chicken, Feather Mice, Tkenpro 2K Pet Digicam Deal with Dispenser, and Enabot Rola PetPal Robotic Pet Companion. We have up to date costs all through.

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Discovering cat toys that your cat will truly love could be very hit-or-miss. We love interactive toys—every little thing on this checklist are the toys that our cats truly performed with. All the toys even have a component to assist interact their pure instincts to hunt prey, like a enjoyable kicker toy or a puzzle toy so your cat has to make use of their pecan-sized mind to get rewarded with scrumptious, smelly treats.

Cats like to leap and climb no matter they will, so a cat tree ought to assist hold them occupied and off your mantel or breakable glassware. Our favourite cat timber are constituted of supplies that may be scratched up, and our favourite window perch lets cats responsibly work together with the skin world. We even have a information to the fanciest cat furnishings we have tried in case you really need the complete scoop, however listed below are another notable favorites with regards to cat furnishings and toys:

A lick mat is an effective way so as to add enrichment and stimulation—plus, it helps them promote gradual consuming (and fewer throwing up). I even have this set of two cute fish-shaped lick mats for every of my kitties, and it is a enjoyable method to give them a deal with whereas selling gradual feeding and stimulation. I put Churu purée with some added water to assist sneakily add extra hydration to their snacks.

While you stay in a small residence, every little thing you adorn with issues as a result of it is all on show—nothing will get hidden whenever you solely have one to 3 rooms. A few of us need our cat’s furnishings to match too. Mau’s Cat Tree is one among former reviewer Madea Giordano’s favorites. In the event you can afford it, your cats will thanks.

Greater than only a cat tree, Freestyle permits you to customise your individual indoor or outside cat jungle fitness center from a sequence of bamboo platforms, beds, ramps, hammocks, and scratchers. The platforms are sturdy sufficient to assist cats of any measurement or exercise degree, and the poles can accommodate ceilings as much as 14 toes. The system is just not cheap or particularly simple to place collectively, however my cats Circe and Scylla spend each single day on theirs, making it well worth the funding. —Kat Merck

Mau is thought for its high-end and tasteful cat furnishings (together with the Cento cat tree, above), and its new Kona aspect desk matches proper into the lineup with a midcentury mod vibe and scratching pad discreetly tucked into the again. The solid-wood desk could be very heavy and nicely made, with choices for an oak or walnut end. It didn’t dissuade my cats from scratching the chair it’s subsequent to, however it does include a bag of catnip to assist with encouragement. This desk is common and infrequently offered out, however you possibly can enroll on Mau’s web site to be notified of the subsequent restock. —Kat Merck

Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano cherished these window seats as a result of they’re an effective way for cats to bask within the solar and hold a watchful eye on the neighborhood whereas safely indoors. They’re simple to put in too, with sticky strips that connect to your window sill that may maintain as much as 40 kilos. You may also nail the bottom into the window body, and there are even heated seats for super-spoiled kitties. The covers are detachable and will be machine-washed. Heads up, you will want a window sill no less than 2 inches deep to correctly assist it.

If you cannot determine which form of toy your cats will like, otherwise you simply need them to be refreshed on occasion, Meowbox is a good subscription. You may select to get deliveries each one or two months, they usually embrace each treats and extremely cute toys with an equally cute theme. Plus, for each field offered, the corporate provides meals to a shelter. You may see exactly where on its web site.

Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano’s cats additionally went nuts for this Ripple Rug. The underside piece stays in place whereas the highest will be configured into completely different shapes for taking part in (or searching), and you’ll reshape it as usually as you would like. The fabric appears like felt however is constituted of 24 post-consumer plastic bottles and may stand up to sharp claws.

All three of our cats love the Kong Kickeroo, and it has been one of the vital long-lived cat toys we’ve ever purchased. Bodhi is our eldest cat and barely performs with toys anymore, however even he can’t resist the Kickeroo. It’s the proper form to seize and claw at together with his again paws, and it has a tail, combined textures, and crinkly materials inside with a contact of catnip. We additionally tried the smaller mannequin, however it was rapidly chewed by means of, whereas the bigger one has lasted for years. —Simon Hill

My extraordinarily spoiled cats by no means work together with a toy for greater than 5 minutes, however they play with this interactive cat toy for hours on finish. It has three modes so cats by no means get bored: regular, lively, and interactive, and it shuts off robotically after a time frame not getting used. It has a easy USB charger and a button that controls every little thing, plus it comes with a substitute wand in case your cats are as rough-and-tumble as mine. Though this is a little more than I prefer to spend on cat toys, it was the perfect buy I’ve made this yr.

Considered one of my cats is a particularly clever, high-energy cat who’s additionally very meals motivated, so it’s a continuous problem to seek out issues to maintain him entertained—to not point out, I even have to verify he would not inhale his meals. With this toy, you possibly can cowl up the treats with the leaves or put them solely within the cups for an additional problem—I like that this puzzle toy is completely customizable based mostly in your cat’s intelligence degree. I’ve each the Melon Insanity and Buggin’ Out fashions, and even years later, my cats are nonetheless entertained by them. I name {that a} good funding.

My overactive cat Basil is one among roughly 40 p.c of cats that do not react to catnip, which is a bummer as a result of he will get FOMO watching his sister go wild. Fortunately, each of my cats go loopy for these easy sticks. It helps them interact with pure kicking instincts and redirects aggressive chewing from my iPhone twine.

I’ve had seven cats over the previous 20 years, and each single one among them has been obsessive about this interactive toy. And never simply any wand toy, this one particularly and its unique feather attachment, which makes use of the identical swivel mechanism as a fishing lure to create motion by means of the air that registers as 100% genuine to cats. There are different attachments obtainable, like fur “mice,” however nothing hits fairly like the unique feather cluster. Be sure to top off on refills, in case your cat finds the wand in the course of the night time and has its manner with it. (Talking from expertise.) —Kat Merck

Do you know there are “chicken” cats and “mouse” cats? Most cats truly prefer to hunt specific types prey, and I’ve seen this play out in my very own home. Although they’re litter mates, one among my indoor cats clearly prefers to leap at flying issues (birds) and the opposite likes to cover and leap out at issues down low (mice). They each get pleasure from these toys—they’re fuzzy like mice however feathered like birds, with some catnip for added curiosity. I like to recommend placing them away when playtime is completed to maintain curiosity recent, and to take away the bell in case you don’t need to hear jingling in the course of the night time. —Kat Merck

This treat-dispensing pet cam has PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) capabilities and crystal clear stay videofeed, and you’ll take images and file video from it. Via the app, you possibly can pan the digital camera almost 360 levels, pay attention to the goings-on whilst you’re away, and speak to your pet by means of the microphone. If simply being a safety digital camera wasn’t sufficient, you can too schedule common feedings by means of the app or toss them a kibble snack everytime you really feel prefer it. Can we want to mix safety cameras and deal with dispensers? Why not?

Is it a toy? Is it a safety digital camera? Is it a deal with dispenser? There isn’t any have to determine! Whereas my cats have been extra inquisitive about it than excited to play with this li’l robotic, it did hold their consideration, which is a win in my guide. The app could be a bit glitchy, and the robotic is under no circumstances sensible, however it’s a digital camera you possibly can transfer about your own home whilst you’re away, and it will roll, slam into objects, and shoot treats out at your confused cats.

Different Necessities We Hold Going Again To:

• The Chom Chom Roller Pet Hair Remover ($25) is universally beloved amongst all pet-owning WIRED reviewers. This nifty gadget makes it simple to de-fur just about any floor. We use them each single day. It is environment friendly, would not refill too rapidly, and emptying it takes simply seconds.
• Basepaws’ Breed + Health Cat DNA Test ($160) check tells you in case your cat is obvious, a provider, in danger, or at excessive danger of quite a few metabolic, cardiovascular, eye, blood, endocrine, renal, autoimmune, pores and skin, musculoskeletal, and connective tissue issues, in addition to blood sort, transfusion danger, and different traits. Any cat can develop a illness or dental issues, however having a baseline can alleviate anxieties and empower you to work along with your vet to make the perfect life decisions to your cat. —Louryn Strampe
• We love this fundamental however dependable chrome steel Owala Pet Bowl ($30). Chrome steel is way more hygienic than plastic, which may simply harbor dangerous micro organism and trigger issues like cat pimples.
• The Yeowww! Banana Catnip Toy ($9) has been the one most cherished toy by all of former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano’s cats.