These Are the 17 Very Best Cat Toys of 2024, Tested by Our Picky Cats

Best Teaser Toy

Cat Dancer Products Interactive Cat Toy

$8 at Amazon View on PETCO View on Catdancer.com

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  4.5/5
• Value
  5/5

Sometimes, the simplest things are the best. Why do cats seem to be instantly obsessed over this basic toy? We can’t say for sure — all we know is that every cat that we’ve presented with the Cat Dancer toy has preferred it over any other fancy toy we’ve given them. Whenever we break out this toy, our cats jump for joy (literally) and start to do a little cat dance that’s just as cute as you'd imagine. 

At its core, the Cat Dancer toy is just a piece of wire with a few paper tubes strung on the end. But, when you pick the toy up and dangle it in front of your feline friend, the toy moves in an enticing way that seems to captivate our cats’ attention more than other wand toys. The design is basic, and after a month or two, the paper tubes begin to rip off the wire. But you get two of the toys for just $10, so we don’t mind having to replace the toy more often — especially considering how crazy our cats go for it. 

Type: Wand | Materials: Wire, paper tubes | Cleaning Instructions: None listed 

Best for Kittens

Cat Dancer Cat Charmer

$9 at Amazon $14 at Target $13 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

Wand toys are a favorite amongst cats of all ages, and our tester kittens especially loved the Cat Dancer Rainbow Cat Charmer. The colorful ribbon that dangles off the handheld stick is less intimidating than some other wire wand toys, making it a great choice for cats and kittens who may be more nervous around prey-like lures. 

The wand toy’s handle is rated to hold up to 30 pounds, so it can stand up to rough play without snapping. It feels more durable than most other wand toys we’ve tried, thanks to a thick, stretchy fleece ribbon that allows our cats to claw into it without ripping. The rainbow ribbon might not be as long-term engaging as a wand toy with prey-like feather lures on the end, but if you’re looking for a sturdy wand toy that works for cats of all ages, we recommend the Cat Dancer Rainbow Cat Charmer.

Type: Wand | Materials: Polycarbonate, fleece | Cleaning Instructions: Not listed 

Best Scratcher Toy

Catify by Best Pet Supplies Cardboard Scratcher

$26 at Amazon

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  4.5/5

Cat scratcher toys can help minimize furniture scratching, and of all the cat scratching toys we’ve tried, this one from Best Pet Supplies Stores is our (and our kitty’s) favorite. It offers more than the basic scratching board, with an inner compartment that holds whiffle balls that your cat can bat around and a ledge on top that our tester kitties liked to perch on. In our two-cat testing household, we found that both cats liked to play with the toy together, thanks to the multiple play options.

The toy was strong enough to hold our 20-pound cat when he sat on top of it, though he did once tip it over during one of his perching sessions. This scratcher toy is smaller and lighter in weight than most of the standard scratching posts we’ve tried, which makes it a great option for smaller spaces or for anyone who wants to move the toy from room to room.

Type: Scratcher | Materials: Cardboard | Cleaning Instructions: None listed

Best for Multiple Cats

Catit Super Roller Circuit Toy

$40 at Amazon $33 at Chewy $32 at PetSmart

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

For any cat that likes to bat objects off of countertops, this circuit roller toy gives them the same sensation (without strewing your things on the ground). The toy is easy to set up, and the pieces click together similarly to a toy train’s tracks. Once assembled, the tracks are locked in and sturdy enough for us to move the toy from room to room in one piece. 

After we showed the cats how the toy worked by pushing the light-up ball around the track ourselves, both cats were intrigued and began to play with it both together and by themselves. In fact, it seemed like the cats only grew to like the toy more throughout the testing period, and we’d often find them playing with it by themselves without any prompting. We’d recommend this toy for anyone trying to introduce their cats to independent play. And, if your cat loves it as much as ours did, you can order more track pieces to create a custom track. 

Type: Circuit | Materials: Plastic | Cleaning Instructions: Wash with soap and water

Best Circuit Toy

Catit Play Massager Circuit Ball Cat Toy

$22 at Amazon $22 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

The Catit Play Massager is more than just a circuit toy — it’s also a massager, batting toy, and catnip toy all in one. The setup process took us less than 30 seconds, and our cat immediately began to bat the ball around the circuit, rub up against the massaging nubs, and chew on the spring-mounted bee (and he didn’t stop playing with the toy for two hours straight!). 

One of our kitties figured out how to remove the ball from the circuit track, but we were able to locate the ball easily on our apartment floor. The Catit Play Massager has immediately become our cat’s favorite toy, and we can hear him rolling the ball around the track during all hours of the day and night — though, if you’re looking for a silent toy, this one isn’t it. But we found that we enjoyed hearing the sound of the ball whirling around its track because we knew that our cat was playing and happy. 

Type: Circuit | Materials: Plastic | Cleaning Instructions: Wash with soap and water

Best Dental Toy

Catstages Straw-Babies Catnip Toy

$5 at Amazon $5 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

Engage your kitty in play while polishing their teeth with the Catstages Straw-Babies dental toy. The toy comes with three adorable catnip-filled strawberry plushies with feathery tops to attract your pet’s attention. The strawberries also make crinkle noises when chewed on, which makes our test cats go crazy with excitement.

Soft fabric toys help remove plaque from cats' teeth while they chew, which is good for their oral health. Chewing toys can also help to promote positive chewing behavior in cats because they encourage them to gnaw down on toys rather than household objects. We were shocked at how inexpensive a pack of three runs compared to other similar toys. We did notice that the feathers began to fall out after a few play sessions, but since it comes in a pack of three for less than $5, a few shedding feathers didn’t change our high opinion of the toy. 

Type: Plushy | Materials: Mesh, synthetic fabric, catnip | Cleaning instructions: Not listed 

Best Toy for Self-Play

Petstages Tower of Tracks Cat Toy

$12 at Amazon $11 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

We can’t always be around to engage with our feline friends, so toys that encourage alone-time play, like the Catstages Tower of Tracks, are game changers for keeping your kitty from getting bored. This engaging toy has three levels with six brightly-hued balls that they can bat around the tracks for hours on end. The toy is ready to use right out of the package with no assembly acquired, and we found that every cat that we presented with the Tower of Tracks toy was instantly interested in it. 

After weeks of play, the toy showed no signs of wear. None of the balls came out of the sturdy structure, and our cats seemed to enjoy the toy throughout our whole testing process. There wasn’t much that we didn’t love about the Tower of Tracks toy, but if we had to get nit-picky, we’d say that the neon orange exterior isn’t the most appealing to the human eye. But hey, if our cats love it, then so do we. 

Type: Circuit | Materials: Plastic, polypropylene | Cleaning Instructions: Not listed 

Best Mouse Toy

Ethical Spot Rainbow Mice Toy with Catnip

$10 at Amazon $11 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

We all know the classic trope: cats love to chase mice. That’s why we love these catnip-packed toy rodents that engage their animal instincts without hurting any other living animals in the process. The brightly colored mouse toys make a rattling noise and come with 12 in a pack, which feels like a great deal for how well each mouse toy held up during our testing. We also love that nine of the included toys are brightly colored, which means we won’t mistake them for real creatures.

Our tester kitten was instantly enamored with the catnip-filled toy and enjoyed carrying it around, playing catch with it, and dunking it in her water bowl. Even through all that rough-housing, the mouse toy looked as good as new at the end of the testing period. And, though we suspect the outer fabric will eventually wear down after extended play, we still think the quality and price make it a great deal. 

Type: Plushy | Materials: Polyester, plastic, catnip | Cleaning Instructions: Not listed

Best Wand Toy

Frisco Bird with Feathers Teaser Wand Cat Toy with Catnip

$5 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

The Frisco Bird wand toy was a hit with our tester cats of all ages, from a three-year-old cat to a 15-year-old senior. Our cats loved this toy so much that they’d drag it around the house and meow for us to play with them — and, even through all the hours of dragging and playing by multiple cats, the toy proved durable. At the end of our testing period, this wand toy looked as good as new. The plush bird at the end of the string is stuffed with cat nip and crinkly material to entice your furry friend. 

We loved how sturdy this wand toy felt and were impressed that no piece fell off the end of the toy after hours of rough play, which is what we’ve often experienced with other wand toys. It’s also less expensive than most other wand toys we’ve seen.

Type: Wand | Materials: Polyester, plastic, catnip | Cleaning Instructions: Not listed

Best Catnip Toy

Frisco Squirrel Plush Cat Toy with Catnip

$6 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

If your cat goes crazy over catnip, then a toy filled with the natural cat stimulant is the ultimate treat. This plushy squirrel toy can be filled and refilled with catnip to keep your feline entertained. It’s easy to set up and comes with instructions on how to put the catnip inside the toy. The exterior is soft and furry, and our tester kitty loved to cuddle up to the toy whenever we brought it out. Because our cat cuddled and licked at the catnip toy, the fuzzy exterior did feel a little crusty by the time our testing period was complete, but none of the toy’s fur appeared to come off in the process. 

Type: Plushy | Materials: Polyester, catnip | Cleaning Instructions: Remove catnip and machine wash

Best Bird Toy

Leo’s Paw Bird Simulation Cat Toy Set

$35 at Amazon

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

This bird toy is a more innovative take on the classic wand toy. It comes with a self-holding base that suctions onto floors and windows and five realistic bird lures that attach to the end of a flexible pole and bounce around enticingly when swatted at. We tested the toy on both our windows and the floor and found it to be sturdy and well-liked by our cats when mounted on any surface.

After our testing, the Bird Simulation Cat Toy still looked as good as it did right out of the package. And, though this set is a little more expensive than some most of the other toys on our list, it also comes with five different bird toy options and multiple replacement stickies for the suction cups, which we think makes it feel like a good value for the price. 

Type: Wand | Materials: Not listed | Cleaning Instructions: Not listed

Best Puzzle Toy

Nina Ottosson Buggin' Out Puzzle & Play Cat Puzzle Game

$18 at Amazon $18 at PETCO $16 at Kohls.com

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

Puzzle toys are a great way to engage your cat’s mind while you feed them, and the Petstages Buggin’ Out toy is our favorite puzzle toy that we’ve tried. We introduced the toy to two cats who didn’t have prior experience with puzzles and were surprised at how quickly they became obsessed with it. Once they got the hang of it, our cats would bat at the toy throughout the day for us to fill it with treats for them to discover. It took about 10 minutes for our cats to get all of the treats out, which also helped to slow down their eating time and create sustained play sessions. 

The Petstages Buggin’ Out puzzle toy is made from food-safe materials, so we washed it by hand weekly and found that it stayed in perfect condition through multiple play sessions and washings. Because our tester cats caught on to how the toy worked pretty quickly, we think we’ll soon need to provide them with a more advanced puzzle to keep them entertained. But, especially for cats who aren’t used to puzzle toys, we think this is a great starter option. 

Type: Puzzle | Materials: Wood | Cleaning Instructions: Wash by hand with warm water and mild soap

Best Electronic Toy

SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Electronic Concealed Motion Cat Toy

$16 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Value
  5/5

The SmartyKat Hot Pursuit toy allows your cat to engage in healthy play without the need for you to it wave around. The electronic toy does the work for you, with an internal motor that spins a wand around in circles to activate the feline hunting instinct. It offers two different speeds that can be controlled by the button on the base and an auto shut-off at 12 minutes, so you can walk away from the toy without worrying about running the battery out. 

We found the setup to be easy: just screw on the wand, put three AA batteries in the base, and drape the round blue mat over top. Our cat loved pouncing on the spinning feather lure so much that he began standing over the toy and meowing for us to turn it on when he was in the mood to play. Our only qualm was that the wand came unscrewed a few times during testing, probably due to the toy’s spinning motion combined with our cat’s pouncing, but it was simple enough to screw the wand back in and continue play. 

Type: Electronic | Materials: Plastic | Cleaning Instructions: Not listed 

Best Value

SmartyKat Skitter Slices Plush Cat Toy with Catnip

$5 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

These cute little catnip toys are a great value, coming out to about $1 per mouse, especially considering how much enjoyment our tester cats got from them. Our cats loved to roll around with the Skitter Slices plus toys, and even picked them up in their mouths and carried the mice around with them. The toys seem to be pretty durable, maintaining their shape after hours of play, although the fabric’s colors did fade a little due to our cats’ excessive licking. Overall, the Skitter Slices mice are a simple and well-priced pack of toys that are great for alone play. 

Type: Plushy | Materials: Polyester, catnip | Cleaning Instructions: Spot clean with warm water

Best Activity Center

Trixie 5-in-1 Activity Center

$19 at Amazon $19 at Chewy $25 at PetSmart

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

We didn’t expect our three tester cats to enjoy the Trixie 5-in-1 Activity Center as much as they did — these cats generally prefer wrestling with each other over playing with a toy — but they all went gaga over this puzzle toy. This puzzle-style toy is excellent for food-motivated cats and forces cats to slow down and think as they eat, which can be good for felines who usually eat too quickly. 

The activity center is large enough for all three of our cats to play with at the same time and is made from a sturdy plastic that looked as good as new after two weeks of testing and some heavy play. The only thing we’d change about the board is the color — we’d love some more options than the basic grey, but that’s not as important to us as our cats’ enjoyment, so we’ll overlook it. 

Type: Puzzle | Materials: BPA-free plastic | Cleaning Instructions: Dishwasher-safe

Best Laser Toy

Valonii Motion Activated Laser Toy

$25 at Amazon

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

Our tester cats went wild for this laser toy. It was ready to use right out of the package, much to our cat’s delight, and instantly engaged our feline bestie’s predatory instincts as he pounced after the laser for ten minutes straight. He did seem to tire of the game after about 10 minutes, and it’s possible that he felt frustrated that he could never actually “catch” the laser as he could a physical wand toy, though this toy did inspire much more movement and exercise than a wand toy would. 

The Valonii toy also seems very sturdy — we knocked it off the table a few times to test its durability, and it didn’t scratch or dent at all. We also love that the toy is rechargeable and comes with a USB charging cord. It also has a variety of modes that move the laser at varying speeds and has a motion-activated sensor to engage your pet in play even when you’re not around to turn it on for them. 

Type: Laser | Materials: Plastic | Cleaning Instructions: Not listed

Best Kicker Toy

Yeowww Catnip Banana

$8 at Amazon $12 at Walmart $8 at Chewy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Engagement
  5/5
• Durability
  4.8/5
• Value
  5/5

Does your cat ever get into kickboxing mode? If your feline friend has a habit of grabbing your feet and speed-kicking at them like they’re trying to take down an opponent, gently nudging them towards this catnip toy can be a big pain relief.

Our cat instantly fawned over the Yeowww banana toy and began bunny-kicking away at it to his heart’s content. He also enjoyed through the toy in the air and catching it, which did leave a few bite marks in the canvas, but otherwise, it seemed to be pretty sturdy with no rips or tears at the end of our two-week testing period. 

Type: Plushy | Materials: Cotton, catnip | Cleaning Instructions: Not listed