Best Cat Toy Reviews 2018

Cats have natural predatory instincts, and whether there is real prey or not, they’ll get their claws on something (probably your sofa). Badly behaved cats just need a little stimulation from engaging and tiring play. Whatever the personality and energy level of the cat, there’s a toy that will help burn off the steam. Indoor cats in particular need some form of physical exercise since they aren’t roaming the great outdoors. To help you get started, we’ve reviewed five of the best cat toy brands. Take a look!

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Type

Toy Design

Material

Size

Color

Our Top Choice

Catit Senses 2.0 Play Circuit

Catit develops unique products to satisfy your feline’s unique needs, from housing to scratchers, toys, or litter accessories.

10 inches longer than the initial play circuit. Easy to assemble and clean. Backwards compatibility. Multiple layout possibilities. Durable plastic.

Tunnel pieces likely to come off.

Play circuit

Peek-a-boo track design

Plastic

9.6 x 9.6 x 3.1’’/ 1.4 pounds

Green

Best Value

Cat Dancer Cat Charmer Toy

Cat Dancer toys are used in thousands of homes across the world to provide healthy play and exercise to housebound cats, and are recommended by veterinarians for their safe design.

Transparent polycarbonate wand and a colorful fabric. Provide excellent aerobic exercises. Made in the USA.

Cannot be left unattended with the cat.

Wand

Colorful

Polycarbonate

3 x 2 x 6’’/ 0.02 pounds

Multicolor or rainbow

Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy

Bergan aims to be the quality leader when it comes to designing and delivering high quality and trusted products for pets worldwide.

16-inch diameter base, one scratch pad, and a ball. Comes with catnip. Replaceable scratch pad. Helps reduce furniture scratching. Provides hours of entertainment.

Does not stay put on sticky surfaces.

Scratcher

Channel, textured scratch pad

Plastic

10.25 x 10.5x 7.5’’/1.2 pounds

Varying colors

PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Cat Toy

The core values of PetSafe shine through every product they bring to the market, as well as through their employees. No matter how many ideas that have to be tested before they get that brilliant gem, PetSafe true champions of inspired creativity.

Holds up to 2/3 cup of most dry cat foods. Adjustable openings. Easy to place food or treats inside. Improves cat’s digestion. Dishwasher safe.

Difficult to set the correct dispensing setting.

Food dispenser

Ball-shaped

Plastic

5.8 x 3.2 x 7’’/0.06 pounds

Green, blue, pink, and orange.

Ethical Pet Colorful Springs Cat Toy

Ethical Pet products have won prestigious awards for new products at the Global Pet Exposition show for several years, and Pet Age magazine recognized their brand as the leader in the pet toy industry.

10-inch wide, multicolored spiral spring. Rolls beautifully to the ground

Might pose potential danger to the cat.

Springs

Colorful, spiral

Plastic

2.4 x 0.4 x 1.6’’/ 0.2 pounds

Multicolored

(Updated November 11, 2017)

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Watch Our Cat Toy Review

How Do I Choose the Best Cat Toy?

Just like humans, cats can get bored when left alone for several hours. Some cats seem to look for trouble when bored, and your couch can fall victim to that boredom. Whilst a cat deterrent might keep them off the couch, it may be easier and more beneficial for everyone to make sure your furry friends are content with the number of toys they have. Our furry friends need regular exercise, stimulation, and interactive play to keep healthy. You’ll find a wide range of cat toys to alleviate boredom while also encouraging physical activity.

Just like cat trees, cat toys come in many different categories including interactive, catnip, plush, and more, so it’s a good idea to purchase several different options. Cats are a lot like kids, and playing with a single toy day in and day out can begin to bore them. Cats love to scratch too, so find a good scratching post to help out.

Unlike dogs, cats don't necessarily play when and how we want them to. It’s in their nature to defy and confound their owners (part of their charm).
Some cat toys are designed to engage your furry friend’s mental facilities to help enhance special relations and hunter instincts. Some models recreate the chase, allowing your cat to go after a fake mouse or other elusive, tasty creatures.

The primary focus when shopping for a cat toy is size. If you’re living in a big house and bring a tiny toy, it will probably disappear within the first hour. On the flip side, in an apartment, a multi-tiered cat run may take more space than your couch and bed combined. Get an appropriate toy that suits your living space.

It’s time to jump straight to our individual reviews.

Price

Cat toys are relatively affordable accessories. Although super expensive models are available on the market, good quality cat toys can cost anything from $4 and $10. While it can be tempting to walk into a dollar store and grab a cheap cat toy, they are generally poorly made and fall apart at the slightest provocation. This can be dangerous for cats by creating choking hazards from long strings, ribbons, or foil parts. The price of cat toys depends on their functionality, size, as well as the materials.

Features

There are numerous features to look for to ensure that your cat has safe, entertaining, and fun toys. High-quality toys ensure they won’t fall apart when grabbed with some real force. You need to understand the behaviors of your cat to get a good idea what type of toy will be accepted. A good toy should stimulate development, fascination, and curiosity of the pet.

Here are the main features to look for:

Type – Cat toys can be interactive, food, catnip, or plush. We’ll discuss these further in the next section.
Material – Most cat toys are made of plastic but you can still find fabric, rubber, plush, and wooden toys.
Brand – Some companies have a reputation for producing high-quality pet toys and they’re more trustworthy than lesser known brands.
Prey Resemblance – Cats are fascinated by toys that closely mimic their prey. Their natural predatory instincts just can’t resist.

Construction and Design

Cat toys come in tons of varieties, which can be overwhelming for cat owners. However, if you understand the personality of your furry friend, you’ll have a good idea which toy will fascinate your cat. There are different categories of cat toys including:

Plush Toys – Plush cat toys come in a variety of forms and sizes. They can be small stuffed animals, soft balls, and more. They are soft, making it easy for the cat to pick up and carry around. Plush toys encourage stalking play – a natural instinct in every cat. They’re also great for cuddling during nap time.
Catnip Toys – Catnips are adored by many cats and come with catnip stuffed inside. They come in the form of scratching toys, plush, balls, or other shapes that appeal to your cat.
Interactive Cat Toys – These toys allow you to join your cat in the fun. They encourage exercise and create a tighter bond between you and your furry friend. They come in the form of wands with feathers, food toys, and more.
Food Related Toys – Some cat toys serve as food dispensers while others release treats at preset rates. They encourage cats to exercise their hunting, digging, and tracking skills while at the same time making feeding fun.

Performance and Ease of Use

Most cat toys are pretty straightforward to use, but not all toys that cats choose to play with are safe. Watching your cat run and play with a traditional yarn ball can be fun, but the truth is yarn balls can be dangerous. The yarn can easily wrap around their neck and cause strangulation.

Watch out for small or loose pieces on the cat toy, because such pieces can choke your cat. If your cat loves playing with balls, make sure they’re the right size with no chance of swallowing.

Finally, make sure to purchase toys that can be easily cleaned. Machine washable options that are environmentally friendly are the best option. Softer cat toys are safer than hard plastics that can break and injure your cat’s paws or mouth. Wooden toys should be made from solid woods that won’t split. Avoid toys that can easily be torn into small pieces.

What is the Best Cat Toy?

As the saying goes: "The devil finds work for idle hands." That’s true for idle paws as well. Get something safer and more fun for your cat to claw around than the sofa. There’s a wide range of inventive cat toys to consider, and our selection contains both high-tech and low-tech options to keep your cat entertained. There are even interactive models too, so you can join in the fun. Go ahead and pick a model that suits your style and budget.

Our Top Choice

The Catit Senses 2.0 Play Circuit is 10 inches longer than the initial play circuit, meaning more playability for your feline friend. Want to provide a safe place for your cat to scratch and exercise? Get the Catit Play 'n Scratch Cat Toy that comes with a tracking ball, spring-mounted pom-pom and a cardboard scratch pad.

Catit Design Senses 2.0 Play Circuit - Available in 3 Sizes

Catit Cat Toy 50730A1-Original

Features

Cats are known for being finicky, but Catit aims to provide practical, convenient, and easy-to-use products that cater to these fussy felines. Whether it’s transportation, scratchers, litter accessories, dishware, housing, or toys, Catit has a unique product for your cat.

The Catit Senses 2.0 Play Circuit comes 10 inches longer than its predecessor- the Super Roller Circuit and allows over 100 different layouts. Just like the original play circuit, this piece comes with interlocking segments and tunnels, slotted together in a myriad of shapes including snake shapes and figures of eight. A colorful ball is then put in the track so that your feline friend can hit it and toss it around the track. The design of the circuits makes the ball run faster to give your cat hours of fun.

You will like the fact that the Senses 2.0 can be snapped together in a variety of shapes so your cat never gets bored. Additional tracks can also be bought individually to create even larger set-ups.

Other features included with this cat toy:

Peep holes to allow your cat see, poke and chase the ball
Backwards compatibility
Easy to set up and clean
Swirl patterned ball to catch and attract your cat’s attention
Ability to mix and match with other senses products

Not what you want for your feline friend? Catit has other interesting cat toys you can check out today.

Best Value

The Cat Dancer Cat Charmer Toy comes with a transparent polycarbonate wand and a colorful fabric designed to charm your cat. Want something that your cat can play with even while you are away? Try the Cat Dancer Complete Action Cat Toy-an interactive Soft paw-shaped wall-mount cat toy.

Cat Dancer Cat Charmer Wand Teaser Toy - Available in 3 Pack Sizes and 3 Colors

Cat Dancer Cat Toy 301B – 1 Pack, Multicolor

Features

Since its inception in 1983, Cat Dancer has been making the best handheld toys for cats. Their toys have been individually tested and certified to be safe, and they have passed all the necessary tests for cats’ toys both in the USA and the EU. Cats don’t just love the Cat Dancer toys: they’re practically possessed by the desire to play with them.

If you intend to buy just one toy for your feline friend, then make it the Cat Dancer Cat Charmer Toy. Just don’t be surprised if this simple little thing became your pet’s favorite! This interactive cat toy is designed to charm and not to harm. It comes with a transparent polycarbonate wand and a glaring fabric to provide excellent aerobic exercises for your cat. It’s safe for all cats, kittens, and even kids.

Your cat will enjoy hunting the moving string of the Cat Charmer; its 48-inch length makes it extremely easy to use and manipulate. He will be happier and more energetic! The best part is that even with all the biting, grabbing, and being rough, this cat toy stays intact with very minimal damage. It’s well-made, sturdy, strong, and well thought out! The Cat Charmer is available in 3 sizes (1pack, 2 pack, and 3 pack), and 3 colors (multicolor, rainbow, and one with two varied colors).

Not impressed by this particular toy? Check out alternative cat toys from Cat Dancer for the perfect fit.

The Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy comes with a 16-inch diameter base, one scratch pad, and a ball, providing fun and entertainment while protecting your upholstery. Not interested in the scratching part? Get the Bergan Catnip Cyclone Cat Toy that comes with catnip and a small ball, purrfect to help your kitty have some fun and avoid boredom.

Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy - Available in 3 Pack Sizes

Bergan Cat Toy 70128 – Turbo Cat Scratcher

Features

Bergan’s mission is to provide quality active lifestyle solutions for your pets. Their product range includes everything from cat scratching pads, dog food storage, catnip toys, dog soft-sided carriers, and small animal carriers.

With its simple design, the Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy will provide hours of entertainment for your furry friend, while sparing expensive couch from damage due to constant scratching. This is an all-in-one toy that fulfills the role of both a scratch pad and an interactive toy. It comes with a non-skid base, a small ball, and a round plastic channel through which your cat can poke the ball with its nose or push it with its paw. The textured scratch pad at the center activates the cat’s instincts for scratching! The best part is that the scratch pad is not only durable but replaceable, and its double-sided design means twice as much play before it needs replacing.

The Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy will not only provide lots of fun and entertainment for your cat but also provides exercise. You can sprinkle the scratch pad with the included in the package to encourage cats to use it, saving your upholstery.

Looking for a different cat toy? Check out the options available at Bergan and see which one will interest your kitty.

With the ability to hold up to 2/3 cup of most dry cat foods, the PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Cat Toy combines feeding with exercise, enabling your cat to improve digestion and maintain optimum weight. Looking for a beginner food dispensing toy instead? Check out the PetSafe Fishbowl Food Dispensing Cat Toy that also combines feeding with exercise to control your kitty’s weight.

PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Food Dispensing Cat Toy

PetSafe Cat Toy TOY00001

Features

PetSafe is the biggest US-based manufacturer of electronic pet training products. Stories and testimonials from over 52 countries all demonstrate how their pet products make critters happier and safer. Whether you want to pamper your pet or you need some help training, PetSafe products helps you to have the best moments with your furry friend.

Around half of the pet population shows some sign of being overweight. To minimize obesity in your cat, it’s important to ration food and introduce some form of exercise. The PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Cat Toy is an interactive feeding ball designed to increase activity, minimize excessive eating, and eliminate bad behaviors like excessive meowing, aggression, or scratching.

It comes with a slow dispenser to distribute a preset amount of food as your cat plays. Since you can feed in small frequent portions, it can significantly improve your cat’s digestion. It’s a fun way of feeding and playing at the same time. The ball is made of BPA-free plastic and is dishwasher-friendly. This toy can be used by all cats (including overweight cats), and it comes in exciting colors including green, blue, pink, and orange.

Not exactly what you’re looking for? Check out other alternative toys offered by PetSafe for an ideal match.

The Ethical Pet Colorful Springs Cat Toy comes as a 10-inch wide, multicolored spiral spring sure to drive your cat crazy. Looking for a wand instead? Go for the Ethical Pets Spot Telescoping Kitty Teaser Cat Toy that includes a replaceable lure.

Ethical Pet Colorful Springs Cat Toy, 10 Count per Pack, Available in 2 Sizes

Ethical Pet Cat Toy EP2515

Features

Ethical Products, Inc. was established in 1952 and markets its products through the SPOT brand, and features dog and cat toys, waste management products, dishes, and other pet accessories. Their Fashion Pet division specializes in a complete line of dog apparel.

The Ethical Pet Colorful Springs come as a 3-Pack cat toy with each pack containing 10 springs. Your cat can spring into action with these colorful, bouncy plastic springs. As your cat enjoys chasing the springs, they erratically bounce to entice play by driving your furry friend crazy. They come in vibrant assorted colors, and they encourage physical activity to improve the overall health of your pet.

As with any other toy, you should supervise the cat's play time and inspect each spring for any excessive wear or damage. These are simple toys that provide endless fun for both the pet and owner.

Not thrilled with this model? Ethical Pet has other fabulous cat toys to sample as well.

Get the Best Cat Toy of 2018!

Cats are some of the most interesting creatures around, and even though they don’t express their affection as much as dogs might, cats show devotion in their own special way. That said, cats do love to play a lot and will pounce on anything that grabs their attention. There are plenty of cat toys to keep your feline friend happy and active, and hopefully you managed to find the best from our list. If you didn’t, you can still browse through other alternatives by these same brands for a perfect match.

Our Top Choice

Catit Senses 2.0 Play Circuit

Best Value

Cat Dancer Cat Charmer Toy

Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy

PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Cat Toy

Ethical Pet Colorful Springs Cat Toy