The 22 Best Cat Toys of 2025 That Your Cat Will Love

Best Overall

Frisco Bird with Feathers Teaser Wand Cat Toy with Catnip

$5 at Chewy

We tested this wand lure toy in a household with a three-year-old, 15-year-old, and 13-year-old. Much to our tester’s delight, the Frisco Bird with Feathers Teaser Wand Toy had their two senior cats acting like spry kittens again, and they would constantly vie to be the one to be able to play with the toy. The three-year-old also loved the toy, but only got access to it while the two senior cats were taking a break. This has also been my cat, Bo’s, favorite toy for years, and I have had to replace it five times because he likes to rip into stuffed toys until their fluffy insides are exposed. 

The plastic-coated flexible wand holds up to some serious hanging and pulling, and the stretchy cord gives the right amount of tug resistance when your cat has captured it and is holding on with a strong bite. The outer material of the bird has soft shaggy fur with stitched eyes and mouth, so there’s no concern over glued plastic pieces popping off during play. It’s a colorful toy available in purple and light blue colors that easily grab your cat’s attention, and the synthetic feathered arms and dangly satin ribbons seal the deal. Inside the toy is stuffed with catnip and has a slight crinkling noise when you squeeze it (but it’s not refillable). This is an interactive toy that you can make dance through the air, drag across the floor, or dangle in front of hiding spaces. The bird is the perfect size for chomping after a successful hunt and can be bunny-kicked. 

Normally, we try to stay away from toys that have thin satin ribbons, but over the years, the dangling ribbons on this toy haven’t raised any red flags. Fair warning, though, the feathers are dainty and start to shorten from breakage over time. Overall, this bird toy can easily become a favorite in the rotation, so we’re happy to see that it doesn’t cost much to replace, if necessary.

_{Instinct: Hunting, chasing, attacking | Dimensions: 2 x 9 x 22 inches} 

Best for Snack

Doc & Phoebe’s Cat Co. Cat Feeder Kit

$18 $15 at Amazon $17 at Chewy

Combining your cat’s playtime with a little bit of treat training is a double-win. Bo is an extremely food-driven cat, and I personally liked that these plastic, cloth-covered mice made him work for his food and treats a little bit. The Spruce Pets tested this toy at home with an eight-year-old kitty who shares her household with two dogs that often commandeer her toys as their own.

This toy works by filling the hollow plastic mice up with treats or kibble and adjusting the opening slot to your desired width (out of five options). Snacks are dispensed through the opening as your cat bats the mice around.

During testing, our tester filled the mice with Temptations treats, which instantly attracted their cat and kept her batting the mice until they were emptied. I found this was also a good way to “hide” extra snacks around the house, particularly overnight, that Bo could “hunt” out and get a reward. Both our tester and I found the mice a tad challenging to fill without spilling treats everywhere, and our tester observed that although the cloth cover can be washed and the mice can be rinsed out, there’s no way to easily dry the insides, giving us hygiene concerns over time. 

_{Type: Hunting | Dimensions: 7.75 x 2 x 9 inches} 

Best Tunnel Toy

KONG Rave Cave Cat Tunnel

$35 $28 at Amazon $21 at Chewy $30 at Walmart

We tested this cat tunnel toy in a lively household with six foster kittens from 8-13 weeks old and a pair of older cats, including a Maine Coon. Our tester liked how easy it was to set up (just unlatch the toggles and the tunnel springs into shape), and really appreciated it came with the necessary batteries needed for the light and sound features to work.

The group of kittens were initially trepidatious toward the new object, but quickly took to the tunnel and began hiding, chasing, and playing. They didn’t seem to care one way or another about the motion-activated sound and light features (whose timing was a bit off), and our tester felt they were more for humans.

They also mentioned that the 90’s techno sound went off for about 20 seconds every time the kittens played with the tunnel—including throughout the night (there’s an on/off switch). The older cats weren’t very impressed with the tunnel, including their Maine Coon who normally likes tunnel toys, but our tester guessed that was because the tunnel was a tad too small. 

_{Instinct: Stalking, hiding | Dimensions: 3.25 x 11.75 x 11.75 inches}

Bet for Solo Play

KONG Window Teaser Cat Toy

$14 at Amazon View on Chewy $10 at Petco

The KONG Window Teaser Cat Toy is a durable wand toy that can be suctioned to any flat surface, not just a window. Our tester stuck it to their front door, but you could also use it on an oven, secure mirror, sliding glass door, and other surfaces where your cat can safely play.

The dangling lure attracts your cat much like a wand toy, but since it’s stationary at the base, the cat can play on their own without a human. Their five-year-old cat was immediately interested in this toy right from the get-go, and played with it for a solid 15 minutes after setting it up.

Since it’s ready to go right out the package, there was no delayed gratification for the kitty. However, after a handful of days of use, our tester noticed their cat would then take long breaks between playing with the toy, up to a few days each. At the two-week period, our tester reported the toy never lost suction and the little plush bird toy at the end of the lure seemed to be intact, including its feathers, despite being played with, tugged, and bitten by their cat. This toy is filled with a little bit of catnip, but we wish it was refillable to entice play even more. 

_{Instinct: Attacking, capturing | Dimensions: 13.75 x 3.75 x 1.75 inches}

Best Wand

Pet Fit for Life Cat Wand Teaser and Exerciser with 2 Feathers

$10 at Amazon $10 at Chewy View on Petfitforlife.com

The Pet Fit for Life Cat Wand Toy Ultimate Feather Teaser has an extra-long wand and string that gives your kitty loads of room to pounce, leap, and jump. Read: Don’t be surprised if this wand toy entices your cat to unleash its inner acrobat. This wand toy comes with two colorful, fluffy, and fuzzy feather lures that attach to the wand via a no-hassle lobster claw clasp.

There’s a good chance the wand will outlast the lures, so we like that you can replace the lure with any lure on a loop, giving this wand toy extended life and value. We also like the padded grip, making it comfortable to hold onto for extended play sessions. However, the lengthy 33-inch pole and 33-inch string make this cat toy best in large, open spaces; play in tight or heavily-decorated spaces may feel precarious and lack full range of motion for the toy or your cat. 

_{Instinct: Chasing, stalking, attacking | Dimensions: 66 inches (length in total)}

Best for Enrichment

Lambwolf Collective Nounou Cat Toy

View on Lambwolf.co

We tested the Lambwolf Collective NOUNOU Tinkly + Nylon Knit toy with a group of feisty foster kittens. This is a smaller version of the company’s NOUNOU toy for dogs, and is especially designed for small dogs, puppies, and cats.

Our tester raved about how high-quality the toy seemed to be, noting its nylon-threaded fabric covering and contemporary look. This toy is basically a cushioned tube that you can bend and knot into different shapes that appeal to your cat’s particular play style.

The toy is fairly large for kittens, so we recommend it for adult-age cats and think it would work best with cats that love to kick. Two bells are stitched into the fabric to help grab your cat’s attention, but you could also sprinkle it with catnip or hide treats in the folds of a knot. 

_{Instinct: Kicking, foraging | Dimensions: 48 x 1.15 inches when fully extended}

Best Rechargeable

MayMaw KiTiFISH Smart Interactive Cat Toy

$30 at Amazon View on Maymaw.com

This interactive cat toy was tested with a four-year-old cat who loves chasing her toys around the house. There’s an included USB charging cord and it takes about 40 minutes to reach a full charge. Although our tester cat was cautious at first, after sussing out the toy, she played with it, rolling around on the ground and chasing it, until it ran out of batteries or got stuck somewhere.

This toy moves around on two wheels with a trailing set of eco-friendly feathers and bells behind it. It is automated, which is great for keeping your cat enriched and entertained when you’re unable to participate. The toy will move forward, backward, flop over, spin, and avoid obstacles all on its own, mimicking movement of a living object and checking off several of your cat’s natural instincts. Our tester said they found the toy durable, but noted their cat only really swatted at it during play. The size of the toy also made it occasionally difficult to find if it ran under something, got stuck, or ran out of batteries.

_{Instinct: Swatting, hunting, chasing, stalking | Dimensions: 7 x 3.5 x 1.1 inches}

Best Mat

SnugglyCat Ripple Rug Cat Activity Play Mat

$46 at Chewy $48 at Walmart

This interactive play mat is unlike practically any other cat product on the market. Our tester said they wouldn’t have naturally purchased this product for their two cats, but after seeing how many different uses it has and how much their cats use it, it has measurable value.

The mat is made from a durable anti-fray material that is similar to felted wool and consists of a base flat mat layer with a non-slip rubber bottom and a top mat full of various size holes that you velcro into custom 3D positions creating a versatile playground for your cats.

Our tester’s cats loved to scratch the floor, pop their heads in and out of the holes, pounce into the structure, lounge and nap on the top, or hunt for hidden treats inside. This is also one of the top cat toys used by our expert source, Janelle Leeson. The large size of the base mat makes this less ideal for smaller spaces, though our tester said it folds up easily for storing when needed. They were also able to easily spot clean and vacuum the rug, though a full-on cleaning requires a hose down and hand dry. 

_{Instinct: Hunting, stalking, hiding, scratching | Dimensions: 47 x 35 x 7 inches}

Best Teaser

Cat Dancer Products Interactive Cat Toy

$14 $12 at Amazon View on Petco View on Catdancer.com

Sometimes simple is best, and this Cat Dancer Cat Toy is proof. Made of a simple spring steel wire with four pieces of twisted cardboard stacked on the end, cats go crazy for this toy.

After our initial testing period, our tester reported that their two cats had still not lost interest in this toy and still begged to play with it every night. This is a must for cats who love wand teasers because the buoyant wire keeps the toy bouncing with such minimal effort—much more than a string wand toy that needs constant large movements to stay in the air. Depending on how heavily your cat attacks this toy, you may need to replace it fairly frequently, but luckily it's an affordable toy option. 

_{Instinct: Attacking | Dimensions: 35 inches (wire length)}

Best Scratcher

Catify by Best Pet Supplies Cardboard Scratcher

$26 at Amazon

The Catify Cat-Shaped Cardboard Scratcher is made from 100% recyclable corrugated wood paper cardboard and features reusable plastic track balls with bells inside. Our tester said they had to show their two cats how to use it when they first unboxed it, but once they understood, they used it frequently.

Sometimes they would use it concurrently with one cat lounging on the top and gently scratching and the other playing with the trackballs on the side. There’s also a trackball channel on the top of the scratcher. Although it’s made of cardboard, our tester said their nearly-20-pound kitty was supported when lounging, though it was somewhat common for the cats to tip the unit over. Since that seemed to startle them, our tester said they’d like to see a way for it to be anchored in place. Over time, as your cat scratches the cardboard, small pieces will tear off, creating cardboard confetti around the unit. 

_{Instinct: Scratching, hunting| Dimensions: 19.45 x 9.45 x 7.6 inches}

Best Catnip Toy for Kittens

Catstages Straw-Babies Catnip Toy

$5 at Amazon $5 at Chewy

This trio pack of strawberry-themed catnip toys are ideal for kittens because they have a soft fabric that’s kind to sensitive kitty paws and an underlying mesh material that helps to scrape teeth clean with each bite.

Our tester particularly liked how cute the design was, noting that it was designed to appeal to cats and humans alike.

This is your traditional batting toy that helps teach young kittens how to hunt and burns off energy through exercise. The one big drawback is the feather tops of the toy can be bitten off easily, so you’ll need to make sure to supervise play to avoid accidental ingestion.

_{Instinct: Hunting, chasing, batting | Dimensions: 5 x 1.37 x 1 inches}

Best Circuit

Petstages Tower of Tracks Cat Toy

$14 at Amazon $14 at Chewy

The Catstages Tower of Tracks is a classic version of the cat trackball tower. This three-tiered toy features colorful spinning balls contained on each level. When your cat bats at the balls, they spin and roll around the track, but don’t leave the designated track.

This satisfies your cat’s swatting instinct without the need to follow it up with a chase—and you won’t have to worry about finding small abandoned toys scattered around the house. We tested this product in a house with four cats and all four cats took to the tower immediately, even playing together. This was also one of Bo’s first toys, and he was obsessed (and particularly loved playing with it upside down). It’s a great self-play option, though it can be rather loud as the balls knock around on the track. 

_{Instinct: Swatting | Dimensions: 5.25 x 10 inches} 

Best Mice

Ethical Spot Rainbow Mice Toy with Catnip

$10 at Amazon $11 at Chewy

This pack of furry rattling mice were tested in a house with both an older cat and younger cat. Our tester revealed that the younger cat was enthralled with the mice immediately and began batting them around, carrying them around in their mouth, and dropping them in the water bowl. They quickly became this cat’s favorite toy. The older cat was markedly less interested, only giving the mice an occasion bat here and there.

Over the testing period the mice held up well against constant battering from the younger cat, though the tester noted from previous long-term experience with similar products that the faux fur will wear off. Still, they agree the price is right for the overall durability. We would rather the product be made from more organic materials, but recognize that would jack up the price. 

_{Instinct: Hunting, batting, chasing | Dimensions: 2.25 x 4.5 x 8.5 inches}

Best Refillable Catnip Toy

Frisco Squirrel Plush Cat Toy with Catnip

$6 at Chewy

We like a good catnip toy and love when it’s refillable. Our tester said their cat became obsessed with this Frisco Squirrel Plush Cat Toy with Refillable Catnip, and was visibly excited whenever they brought it out for playtime. Since their cat can’t handle a lot of catnip, they were supervised during play.

This is one of the products that has received a perfect score in all categories with our tester stating they loved that it came with a tube of catnip to get you started, was easy to load up, and seemed to be the perfect size for cats. They also mentioned that the toy held up well throughout the testing period, but noticed there were slightly grubby parts from where their cat had licked the toy and it got saturated with saliva repeatedly. 

_{Instinct: Hunting, chasing | Dimensions: 6.25 x 3 inches}

Best Puzzle Toy

Nina Ottosson Buggin' Out Puzzle & Play Cat Puzzle Game

$19 at Amazon $15 at Kohls.com

The Nina Ottosson Buggin’ Out Puzzle & Play Cat Toy is a top-notch puzzle toy that requires your cat to slide a peg and swivel a leaf out of the way in order to get their treat reward. The two-step process makes this medium-easy puzzle a touch more challenging than other puzzle toys

Our tester liked that it took their cats a little bit of time to solve since it translated to them being challenged and stimulated longer. After a few days, the cats began to tap on the puzzle to ask for our tester to refill it so they could go at it again. We love that it’s BPA free and made of food safe materials—a wood and plastic composite—with no removable parts to lose. It's durable and you can dunk the whole thing in soapy water for cleaning. Plus, it's large enough that you could use it to deliver entire meals. Although the ladybug design is cute, our tester pointed out that cats see green and red on a grayscale. 

_{Instinct: Hunting | Dimensions: 13 x 9.5 x 1.26 inches}

Best Peekaboo Toy

SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Electronic Concealed Motion Cat Toy

$23 $14 at Amazon $16 at Chewy View on Smartykat.com

This motorized toy operates off of three AAA batteries. A somewhat translucent circular mat acts as a cover for a wand that makes circles. The tip has different attachment toys that peek out from the edges of the mat as it goes round and round, piquing your cat’s interest. Our tester said being able to partially see its prey and having the rest hidden really helped get their cat interested.

This toy got a near-perfect score during initial testing, only falling short in the durability category. Our tester noticed the circling wand often came loose after making several rounds or after being jostled too much during play. They also said it can sometimes get caught up in the mat which leads to a clicking sound and renders the toy unplayable. 

_{Instinct: Hunting, pouncing | Dimensions: 22.51 x 22.51 x 2.99 inches}

Best Multipack

SmartyKat Skitter Slices Plush Cat Toy with Catnip

$9 at Amazon $5 at Chewy $1 at Walmart

SmartyKat Skitter Critters are inexpensive at a dollar a mouse. These life-size mouse-shaped toys are loaded with catnip and the perfect size for your cat to carry around in its mouth after a successful hunt or chase.

Our tester cats loved batting these mice around the house and one even got a little protective over their “kill”. Plus, these mice are brightly colored, each with a different fruit-themed design, like slices of a watermelon and lime. The bright colors also help when looking to locate these small mice that can easily find their way under furniture or into corners. They come filled with catnip, but aren’t refillable, sadly. 

_{Instinct: Hunting, chasing, batting | Dimensions: 2 x 1 x 1 inches}

Best for Treats

Trixie 5-in-1 Activity Center

$23 at Amazon $23 at Chewy $25 at PetSmart

If you’ve got a particularly food-motivated cat or just want to offer your cat a little mental stimulation with tasty rewards, the Trixie 5-in-1 Activity Center is a great, durable option. This mat-like toy can easily be set down on the ground and sprinkled with kibble or hard treats in various raised and recessed puzzle-like areas. We tested this in a multi-cat household and one of the biggest boons for our tester was that all three of their cats could use it at the same time, unlike most slot-and-slide puzzle toys.

It’s also made of BPA-free plastic and is refreshingly quiet during use. There are five different types of obstacle puzzles and you can swap around treat placement to keep interest over time. This toy is ready to go straight out of the package, but we recommend giving it a quick soapy water wash before loading it up. 

_{Instinct: Hunting | Dimensions: 11.8 x 15.75 x 3 inches} 

Best Laser Toy

Valonii Motion Activated Laser Toy

$25 $20 at Amazon

Our tester gave this motion-activated laser cat toy a perfect score. It impressed them right out of the box with its unpack-and-go setup. It was tested with a cat that is partial to low-tech toys like crinkle balls and wand toys, but does have a mechanical fish toy.

The cat was immediately curious about the toy and began leaping around the room after the laser. The randomized trajectory and various speed modes helped the cat stay interested, though our tester said he lost interest, either from being tired or frustrated at not being able to physically catch his prey (common with lasers), after about 10 minutes of play. Still, they called this durable plastic laser toy a steal at roughly $25. Just be sure to set it up in a room with enough space for projection so your cat doesn’t crash into anything. 

_{Instinct: Hunting, pouncing, chasing | Dimensions: 3.43 x 3.43 x 6.3 inches}

Best Silvervine

WoLover Silvervine Sticks for Cats

$7 at Amazon

Silvervine is a powerful cat attractant that cats seem to prefer even over catnip. Unlike catnip which is an herbal flowering plant, silvervine comes in a dried stick form. This WoLover Silvervine Sticks for Cats pack includes 12 sticks of silvervine approximately 4-5 inches long with the width of a pencil.

Our tester said their cat didn’t necessarily play with this stick, but rather rolled around drooling and chewing on the stick. In order to “activate” the stick’s scent, you’ll need to shave off the outer layer of bark. You can also reshave the sticks after the scent wears off to reactivate a potent smell. Our tester said their cat would be intensely into the sticks, lose interest, and then come back later. 

_{Instinct: Chewing | Dimensions: 4.72 x 0.47 x 0.47 inches}  

Best Catnip

Yeowww Catnip Banana

$10 at Amazon $10 at Chewy $10 at Walmart

The Yeowww! Catnip Banana Cat Toy is a long-loved favorite in the cat community, and our tester was impressed enough to give it a practically perfect score during testing.

This soft, bright yellow banana plush toy is packed with potent catnip. It’s made with a durable and strong canvas-like cotton twill material that stands up well to abuses like kicking and biting. Our tester said they did notice some teeth punctures and claw marks by the end of the testing period, which docked the toy’s score by mere tenths of a point. This banana is the perfect size for kicking, but is still petite and light enough for your cat to push around or for you to throw.

_{Instinct: Hunting, kicking, attacking | Dimensions: 7 x 1 x 3 inches}

Best Maze

Cat Amazing Interactive Treat Maze & Puzzle Cat Toy

$16 at Chewy $28 at Walmart

The alluring Cat Amazing Interactive Treat Maze & Puzzle Toy will have your cat dipping its paw’s into the 1.5-to-2-inch holes to retrieve their prizes in no time. This may look like a simple toy—akin to a gift box with several holes cut out of it—but trust us when we say that it will get the gears in your cat’s head turning. This puzzle toy has an easy set up and is virtually ready for play right after unboxing. To get started, all your need are a few of your your cat’s favorite treats tossed inside to let the games begin.

Three levels of difficulty will keep your cat’s attention and make sure they’re using their noggin while sharpening their hunting and scheming skills. We’ve heard tales of cats tipping over the box, licking their paws to make them stickier, and double-teaming this treat maze. We love that it is made with 30-percent recycled cardboard and the entire thing is recyclable itself. The only watch out we have is that it may be too difficult for declawed cats to use since they don’t have the extra leverage of their claws to help scoop out the treats. 

_{Instinct: Hunting, stalking | Dimensions: 14 x 9 x 3.5 inches}