Up high on the list of my favourite feelings is the one that I get when I order a cat toy and Avery’s actually more interested in the toy than the wrapping paper or the box the cat toy came in.
It’s a rarity for me, and I could probably count the number of times it’s happened in my lifetime on one hand.
Picture from post “Nesting” in the Packaging
To be completely fair to my cat, he’s not used to seeing a bunch of new toys (maybe if we got a subscription box or something, this would be different).
By contrast, he’s totally used to the appeal cardboard boxes, plastic packaging, and paper – & the newer the better. To expect him to become obsessed over a new toy when he doesn’t realize what appeal it could possibly hold is just asking too much, especially for my barely-curious (for a cat!) kitty.
But I know there are good cat toys out there. Issue is – with all that’s on the market, it’s hard for me to know which to try and which to avoid because there are so many that are likely to be duds. Living back in Canada, I wouldn’t bother to hesitate when buying a new cat toy because I knew if Avery didn’t like something, I could just give the toy he liked to either my mother’s cat Walker or my brother’s cat Beau. They all have such varying taste in cat toys (and if I’m completely honest, Walker will obsess over pretty much anything you hand him), that I had no fear any toy I grabbed wouldn’t get good use. It certainly would – either from my cat or from a relative’s.
These days, I’m a lot more picky since I’m doing my best to nail a cat toy my lazy ol’ Avery will for sure enjoy. So far he’s been the most picky fella in the world over cat toys, liking very few and what toys he does like, getting fed up with seeing in a matter of weeks or months. No fun, but I’ve learned to compensate by being inventive with games and with how I engage him in play time.
But enough is enough! I’d like some recommendations now so I don’t have to bother digging through what’s most popular, what’s good, what’s bad, etc.
Spot Ethical Pet Colourful Plastic Cat Spring Toys – Amazon / Chewy
Sometimes going through the Amazon reviews is helpful, sometimes it’s not. There are so many reviews that it can be overwhelming trying to find out which toys actually stick. So I’m asking you basically this:
What Are Your Cats’ Favourite Cat Toys?
What are each of your cats’ favourite cat toys?
Do they play with store bought ones, or do they prefer homemade ones?
Do they play with any toys by themselves, or do you have to play with them like I have to play with Avery?
Have any toys actually held your cats’ attention over many months or even years? Have their tastes changed over time?
Basically, are there any cat toys you would recommend?
Please let me know about your experiences with cat toys in the comments down below! You’d really be helping me out!
Also in love with the springs. Also love sponge balls!!
Thanks for letting me know about the sponge balls, Johnny! Didn’t know Beau took a big liking to them!
We do like those little spring things but we’re all big fans of the Nip Banana!
Ah that magical nip banana – Avery’s unfortunately a bit indifferent to catnip, but all the other cats I know go bananas for that banana! Thanks for letting me know!
Oh, we love those springy things! We have not one, not two, but three baskets full of toys that our Mom has bought us over the years. Every once in a while, we dig through the baskets and find an old toy that we’ve forgotten for so long, it becomes new again! We are very fond of milk jug ring-type toys, Boinks (sold on Amazon), and at least one of us is enamored over her IKEA rats, but that might just be her. There’s no telling which toys will appeal to whom. Our Mom has always liked the idea that if a toy isn’t loved here, she donates it (sometimes with others) to a local no-kill shelter for the kitties there to play with.
Boinks! Need to look into those ;). And I didn’t even realize IKEA made stuffed animals like that.
I love that idea actually, of donating unloved toys to a shelter – that’s an absolutely brilliant idea! Go Mommy ;).
Avery, by the way, says thank you for the advice!