Cats love to play!
If your cat is indoor only, like mine, you already know that they get bored easily and need their own distractions (not just your undivided attention whenever they want it!)
By providing them with choices of toys to play with you are helping to improve their quality of life. Playing keeps them healthy by providing exercise and fulfilling their natural instincts to hunt. And by nature cats are drawn to things that weren’t specifically purchased for them, such as boxes, paper bags, ribbons, shoelaces, and much more.
Having a variety of toys may also help save your furniture from bored kitties looking to sharpen their claws on anything nearby! Playtime is essential to cats’ overall health, especially indoor cats. But with so many cat specific toy options available it’s hard to know which ones your cat will enjoy.
The following 5 toys are popular in our house:
Toy #1: The Cat Dancer Original Toy
At first glance this toy seems almost too simplistic to be of interest – 30 inches of spring steel ‘piano’ wire with bits of rolled cardboard on each end. I admit I was a bit skeptical at first. Why was this toy consistently a bestseller? I had to try it to believe it!
Hold on to one end and dangle it in front of your kitty and see what happens!
The Cat Dancer toy was designed to be used by a cat and their owner together. This original interactive cat toy is the brainchild of Cat Dancer Products, a manufacturer located in Neenah, Wisconsin. Their slogan: ‘Cats don’t just love our toys, they become obsessed with them, they fall in love with them and are possessed by their need to play with them’.
Toy #2: Bergan Turbo Scratcher
The Bergan Turbo Scratcher is a favorite at our house! This popular toy is a circular track that contains a ball and has a replaceable, durable cardboard scratcher in the center. (It’s also available with cat grass in the center in place of the cardboard.)
A great choice for bored kitties, this toy keeps them engaged and not scratching the furniture! My Lola loves to snuggle up in a nearby paper bag or box, reach her long arm out and hit the ball around and around.
Toy #3: Catnip Cat Toys
Cats love catnip toys! Give them one and they will roll, run around, be silly and then konk out and go to sleep!
For the most part, catnip makes kitties feel good! That’s because it contains a substance that produces happy receptors in their brain. This substance, called nepetalactone, causes felines to become silly, energetic, and excited.
Catnip has also been proven to help reduce stress, anxiety and even depression in felines.
Once exposed to catnip your cat may roll around, rub their head, and quite possibly lick the catnip toy. It’s also possible that they may become aggressive or over-stimulated so it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on your cat when introducing them to a new toy.
It’s also entirely possible that your cat may have little to no interest in catnip. It’s estimated that on average 50% of cats have no reaction. That’s surprising to me, I’ve yet to meet a cat who didn’t get absolutely giddy from a new catnip toy!
And that’s why I believe you can’t go wrong with having a few catnip toys; and especially considering the variety of choices available:
mice, fish, catnip squares, even banana and carrot shaped. Some of our faves are available from Petstages, SmartyKat, and Hartz.
Toy #4: Cat Tunnels
What cat doesn’t like to hide inside a small enclosure? Paper bags, boxes, and tightly packed closets come to mind… Great places to hide and take in their surroundings.
Add to this list the long (and short) crinkley, slinky, circles of fun! Cat tunnels come in many styles: some have multiple openings, many have openings on top as well as each end, cats have fun jumping into and out of the top opening (surprise!)
Other cats (in your household) become interested once they hear that distinctive crinkly sound! Someone’s playing in the cat tunnel!
Cat tunnels come in all shapes and sizes, colors and patterns with anywhere from 2 openings to multiple openings offering more creative play and stimulating their curiosity (great for multi cat homes). Purchase several Cat Tunnels and connect them together for even more fun.
Of course you could always make your own cat tunnel, with a large cardboard box or two… but I find it’s much more fun to choose a brightly colored one or one with multiple openings. After all there are a variety of tunnels available for sale pretty much everywhere that pet products are sold.
Cat Tunnels are a fun and easy way to encourage your cat to become more active. This safe play environment helps mimic their natural hunting instincts as well as stimulating their curiosity and playfulness.
Toy #5: Petstages Tower of Tracks Cat Toy
This popular toy, the Petstages Tower of Tracks, features 3 separate circular tracks stacked on top of one another, each track with its own brightly colored ball enclosed within. The toy’s non-skid base helps keep it securely in place while your kitty bats at each of the balls.
This fun interactive toy provides physical and mental stimulation and enough space for more than one cat to enjoy at a time. And this toy is quiet enough to be played with during the night without waking you up!
Playtime is important for our feline companions.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to provide them with a variety of toys and activities. By stimulating their curiosity and natural hunting instincts we can help ensure that they are happy and healthy. Playtime, either solitary or with their pet parents is crucial to a feline’s overall health, both physical and mental.
There are many toys currently on the market of which the above 5 are just a small sampling. While this list highlights a few of the current bestsellers, keep in mind that not every cat has the same interests. My Lola adores her jingly balls, especially in the middle of the night. They make a lovely echoing sound as they’re kicked – soccer ball style – across the kitchen floor and bang off of the walls!
