The purpose of grabbing cat toys is twofold: we want our cats to play with the toys we get them so they can give their hunting drive some use and we want our cats to get some daily exercise while playing with their toys. When our cats don’t engage with the toys we get them, however, neither of these benefits can be had.
And that really sucks! Because, obviously, them engaging with the toy was the point of us buying the toy to begin with! Sadly, while you can do a lot to encourage your cat to play, some days and for some toys, it just won’t take with certain cats. And while there are plenty of good cat toys out there, I don’t think there’s one that’s always engaging.
Interpet Pet Love Kat Tikkler Feather Wand Cat Toy – Amazon / eBay
What I’d consider to be the perfect cat toy: one that every single cat will play with by him or her self for up to hours on end without the need of human interaction. Sounds like a dream, right? Unfortunately, I don’t think this cat toy exists (at least not yet!). Otherwise, let’s be honest, we cat-owned humans would all have it in our homes by now.
While we’re waiting for the perfect cat toy to be created, we sort of have to make do with what’s already out there. There are definitely enough toys in existence to find something your cat will love; even for those really lazy cats (ehhem – my Avery).
For picky, lazy cats like mine, the goal becomes to find enough “good enough” exercise toys that your cat is okay with. Once you have a few, you can leave out an assortment of toys your cat may engage with by him or herself throughout the day, for him or her to use as a “home gym” of sorts while you’re out or away at work. You can then also rotate in and out the toys that require human intervention to be engaging, depending on what happens to pique your cat’s interest on the day. The end-goal being: your cat will not get bored of his or her toys and thus will continue to exercise well daily. How to get there is a matter of trial and error.
The following are my idea of the best exercise-encouraging cat toys on the market. Some require human intervention, others should keep your cat entertained without you being around (again – ideal for if you’re out or happen to be working long hours!). Will your cat take to them? Only one way to find out in my opinion – and that’s by giving them a go.
Spot Ethical Pet Colourful Plastic Cat Spring Toys – Amazon / eBay
Cat Exercise Toys: Helping You Create a Fun Feline Fitness Home Gym!
1. Ethical Pet Cat Spring ToysI’m going to start with the cheapest and easiest way to get your cat to play on his or her own, if of course your cat takes to them: cat springs! Avery used to love these and would sometimes bat them across the room and chase them by himself. Sadly, he’s no longer much of a fan of these, which I wrote about in my review of the product, but as I also stated there: if I could get him to love any cat toy again, it would 100% be these springs. They really were the perfect toy while he liked them! |
2. Rhode Island Novelty Hi Bounce Ball MixTied for the #1 spot on cheapest and easiest way to get your cat to play by him or her self if your cat happens to like the toy: bouncy balls. Avery has never in his life played with a bouncy ball, but my mother’s cat Walker is obsessed with them, even going so far as to dig out balls from his cat toy basket, soccer kick them down halls and chase them by himself. Yes, they’re basic, and you might think your cat will hate them, but you’ll never know until you try! Cat really like these? Try crinkle balls or some of these other variants on toy balls for cats. Your cat might love ’em, too! Want as much assortment in the rolling toy department as you can get in one go? This 20 toy combo looks like a great option. |
3. CMBB Cat Catch The Interactive LED Light PointerYes, I know you already know about laser toys, but they needed to make it onto this list for those who may not have given them a shot with their cat yet. If your cat loves lasers, there’s little else that will do the trick in getting your cat to exercise quite so well. And you can always grab a laser toy that works on its own, like the Frolicat Bolt I’ve reviewed here. Of course nothing will be as entertaining for a cat as a human behind the laser, so to speak, but for times when your cat’s happy to engage with an automated version, why on earth not pull one out? |
4. Hexbug Nano Robotic Cat ToyI spoke about these briefly in my article about remote control cat toys. I have no idea if they’d be any good for Avery by they look highly engaging, and the fact that they’ve got a furry bit at the end of them to grab a cat’s eye means I’m far more likely to grab one of these than the typical plastic remote control mouse. Oh, and these require no human intervention besides turning them on (and getting them from under the couch possibly if they get stuck!). Close to perfect if your cat happens to like them, in my opinion. |
5. PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Toy and Food DispenserFeed kibble? Looking for something pretty much guaranteed to make any food-loving cat exercise? Try one of these. I bought three of them and gave one to my mom and one to my brother so they could use them with their cats. The trick to making them a little more difficult to use is to tape up all but one hole. At that point, they can keep your kitty walking around after the feeder ball for quite a long time. Super useful if your cat eats too quickly as well! |
6. Cat Dancer 101 Interactive Cat ToyI’m kicking myself for always forgetting to add this one to cart when I check out. It’s had so many good reviews and I’ve seen it recommended so many times over the years that it drives me mad to have never given it a shot with Avery. Surely one that a really large majority of cats seem to thoroughly enjoy engaging with, and that’s the most important step in getting your cat to exercise! |
7. The Cat’s Meow Interactive Cat Exercise ToyI used to have one of these back in Canada, but Avery stopped using it, so we “donated” it to my mum’s cat, Walker, since he plays with nearly everything! Avery loved this when we first got it, but after a few months, gave up on it completely and wouldn’t go near it. Walker still plays with it years later, nowhere near as regularly as when he first got it, but it’s great for when you’re in a pinch and need something to distract a playful kitty while you work. Worth a shot for sure on the off chance your cat loves it. |
8. Pet Fit For Life Multi Feather Teaser and Exerciser For CatNot much will ever beat the all-too-popular feather teaser toy when it comes to getting a cat to engage. Does it take a bit of work on your part to play with your cat daily with one of these? Certainly yes, but it’s worth it, as the exercise a cat gets chasing after a feather teaser wand or equivalent is much more intensive than using something like a cat feeder ball for your cat to walk around after. Combine feather toy wands with cat trees and you’ve got an incredibly winning combination – your cat should be running up and down and climbing and jumping in no time. Ten minutes a day of this vigorous activity and your cat’s set in terms of a workout. |
9. SmartyKat Electronic Motion Cat Exercise ToyOf course, if your cat loves feathers, there are always automated versions of feather toys you can try. Again, nothing will be more entertaining than a human behind the toy, but if you’re looking for interactive cat toys that will entertain your cat with no human interaction (besides pressing an “on” button) needed, these are certainly ones to try. Which reminds me, I need to get my hands on one of these to review! |
10. JW Pet Company Spring String Cat ToyYank-on-a-string cat toy, pretty much! Ideal for encouraging cats to jump and honestly should do the trick for a lot of cats. They are prone to breaking, however, so be aware of this, especially if your cat is a little rough with toys. Worth a shot, in my opinion, because they are great if your cat will play with them – no human engagement whatsoever, not even an on button, needed! Perfect for kitty to entertain him or herself while you’re at work. |
11. Petstages Tower of Tracks Interactive Cat ToyI have personally never seen Avery even touch a ball track toy in his adulthood, so this toy would likely not work out for me, but the reviews on this particular track toy are so positive that I did have to mention it in case your cat is one who is a fan of them. Three levels and lovely bright colours, I can see why this toy might be exceptionally engaging to some cats. Once I get a second kitty I might grab one to try for him or her, but I definitely have a feeling my Avery wouldn’t even take a second glance at something like this. |
12. Cat Dancer Cat Charmer Wand Teaser ToyCat doesn’t care about feathers particularly but loves jumping and grabbing the equivalent of a feather wand? One of these should be perfect, and a lot more durable than feather toys that honestly never hold up over time (how could they, though? Stand no chance against kitty claws!). |
Petlinks Jeepers Creepers Catnip Rat Toy – Amazon / eBay
Looking for More Ways to Get Your Cat To Exercise?
Cat toys aren’t the only way to get your kitty moving!
There are plenty of cat “furniture” pieces that will encourage your cat to play, even while you’re not around. Obviously, the first thing that would come to mind when thinking of cat exercise furniture is the cat wheel, but while these look amazing to us humans, they’re pretty expensive on the whole, and there is a chance your cat might not like using them.
The alternative, and probably the best cat exercise furniture you could grab: a crazy cat tree like this one. The bigger the better, which is why, if you have extra space, having a massive cat jungle gym is probably the quickest and easiest way to get one or more cats to exercise way more frequently on their own.
Don’t have the space for a giant cat jungle gym? No worries – even if you’re in a small apartment or flat, chances are high you’ll be able to find some space for cat furniture that will get kitties moving. Cat shelves and cat climbers are particularly good for this purpose, and believe me, you get that vertical space going on, your cat won’t even notice the fact the apartment is a bit tight. Adding vertical space is like adding a loft bed or a bunk bed to a room – you get way more space to stay in and use, even though the room itself isn’t any bigger.
Still worried your cat isn’t getting enough exercise? You always have the option of working this simple cat workout into your cat’s daily routine – my advice is to use this workout right before feeding meals!
Need even more help in this department? Find it’s particularly hard to get your cat moving? Check out my comprehensive article on getting cats to exercise.
Picture from post Sock Fish Cat Toy DIY
What Are Your Cat’s Favourite Exercise Toys?
Have any of the toys listed above? Have some others that really encourage your cat to play? Do let me know which cat exercise toys strike your cat’s fancy! Would love to know so I can prioritize grabbing those over ones that are less likely to be engaging.
Any advice you could give would not only help me out with finding more engaging toys for Avery, but would also help other pet owners in similar cat-needs-more-exercise types of situations out, so please don’t hold back!
We have the cat dancer and the cat dancer charmer, and we love both. Purrs
Thank you so much for recommending them! Will need to grab them to review. I need to stop forgetting to add to cart!