The list in brief ↴
1. Best overall: Pawaboo Cat Tunnel Tube Toy
2. Best runner-up: SmartyKat Bouncy Mouse
3. Best on a budget: Frisco Mice with Catnip
4. Best for independent play: Pawaboo Cat toy with Running Mouse
5. Best smart toy: Cheerble Ball for Cats
6. Best for encouraging exercise: Go Cat Da Purr Peller Cat Toy
How to choose
How we tested
A busy cat is a happy cat so it is essential to stock up on the best interactive cat toys to have around the house. These toys will give your kitty both the mental and physical stimulation they need to continue thriving.
Some of the best cat toys can help prevent destructive behaviors by giving them something positive to do instead of tearing up your furniture, for example. Vet, Dr. Joanna Woodnutt says, “Interactive cat toys provide a really good way to keep your cat entertained…In the wild, cats would spend a lot of their time hunting. Domesticated cats don’t need to hunt so they spend much of their time sleeping, but this can lead to boredom, behavioral problems, and weight gain.”
There are endless options to choose from when it comes to interactive cat toys. There are balls, toys that are also scratchers, and puzzles. With so many great picks, it can feel overwhelming trying to decide on the best toy for your furry friend. We get it. To help you out, we’ve rounded up the most popular products for you to choose from. While you’re going through this list it is worth checking out the best automated cat toys and best laser toys for cats as well.
But for now, let’s get into our top picks of the best interactive cat toys.
The quick list
The best interactive cat toy overall
A super fun and engaging toy that will bring out your cat's natural hunting instincts, the Pawaboo Cat Tunnel Tube Toy will encourage your feline friend to hide, hunt, stalk and pounce.
The best runner-up
An adorable bouncing mouse that slips over your finger and is fun to chase, this teaser toy will help fulfil your cat's need to run, jump and pounce while helping to strengthen the bond the two of you share.
The best interactive cat toy on a budget
A soft and colorful toy, this mouse comes filled with catnip to entice your kitty to play. It's perfect for biting, kicking, batting and carrying around the house.
Best for independent play
Mimicking the unpredictable hide-and-seek movements of a mouse, this toy features two speed settings to grab and hold your cat's attention.
Best smart toy
This self-rolling ball features three interaction modes and is designed to move and react to your cat's actions, helping to keep them engaged and entertained.
Best interactive cat toy for encouraging exercise
This fun and engaging toy is a great way to bring out your cat's natural hunting instincts. Featuring a propeller of feathers that swing when spun through the air, it's fantastic for capturing a cat's attention.
The best interactive cat toys we recommend in 2024
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The best interactive cat toy overall
✅ You’re looking to provide a wide range of enrichment: This tunnel is brilliant for tapping into all of your cat’s natural hunting instincts, including crouching, stalking and pouncing.
❌ You want a toy your cat can play with independently: Because of the risk of suffocation and choking, cats need to be supervised at all times when using a tunnel.
🔎 Pawaboo Cat Tunnel Tube Toy If you have an active kitty that loves to hide, stalk and pounce, this tunnel is going to be hard to pass up. It features three entrance points, a peep hole and two toys, offering plenty of enrichment for playful and curious breeds.
My super inquisitive and playful Burmese cat, Roxy, couldn’t get into this three-way tunnel quick enough when I placed it on the floor — and it’s been a huge hit ever since! Ideal for active breeds who love to hunt, the tunnel features a peephole in the middle and two toys (a bell and a ball).
Roxy isn’t so interested in the toys that come with the tunnel, preferring a teaser wand to be waved about in the various entrance points. Still, she adores the tunnel itself and loves hiding inside and jumping out to capture her ‘prey’. She can be super fussy about what toys she’ll engage with, so the fact that she spends so much time in this tunnel speaks volumes.
As a pet parent, I love how easy the tunnel is to assemble (the tubes pop out in seconds) and it comes with an elastic band that you can use to secure it for storage - although I must admit I found it difficult to fold back up again! It’s also compact and light, so if Roxy is traveling with us, I can pop the tunnel in the car without it taking up space.
The only drawback is that the tunnel arrived with a rip at the seams (which may well be down to the courier). I did question how this would affect its long term durability (Roxy is not a fan of gentle play!) but even with frequent use and a lot of claws being sunk into it, the tunnel is holding up beautifully two months after receiving it.
Best interactive cat toy runner-up
✅ You have an indoor cat who would benefit from some extra movement: This is a brilliant toy for older, overweight or more sedentary cats who require a bit more exercise added into their day.
❌ You want something with a high degree of bounce: The toy has a very short and stiff cord attached to it which limits the range of motion it’s able to achieve. If you want a toy with a lot of bounce, we recommend seeking out an alternative.
🔎 SmartyKat Bouncy Mouse Offering that soft and plush texture cats love, your feline friend will love jumping up and batting this toy. Plus, it can be used independently for solo play or together with you, which is great for strengthening your bond.
Our tester tried out the SmartyKat Bouncy Mouse with her cat and quickly found it to be a huge hit. “I hung it from the top platform of my cat tree, and my cat loves whacking it and batting at it while he's lounging in the hammock just below,” says Julie Johnson.
And we can’t say we’re surprised. Our tester found that the toy has a really realistic furry texture, just like a real mouse, and while the bouncing motion is somewhat restricted by the short cord, it still offers enough movement to bring out the hunter in your cat.
Another thing we feel is really worth pointing out with this toy is that you can use it with your cat or set it up so that they can play independently. If you choose the former, simply slip the ring over your finger and let the mouse bob up and down at the end of the bungee cord. This is a great way to spend some quality time with your cat and strengthen your relationship.
Our tester found this toy to be very durable and states that it’s holding up well. While it may show signs of wear and tear sooner rather than later with very active breeds who like to engage in lots of rough play, on the whole, the SmartyKat Bouncy Mouse offers excellent value for money.
Best budget interactive cat toy
✅ You’re looking for a toy that mimics real prey: The soft texture and string tails of these mice toys give them a realistic look and feel which will encourage your cat to tap into their natural hunting instincts and keep them occupied and active.
❌ You want a toy your cat can play with independently: The tails on these mice detach easily, which does present a hazard if your cat decides to swallow them. We recommend supervision at all times.
🔎 Frisco Mice with Catnip Filled with the green stuff so many cats go crazy for, these catnip mice will draw out all of your cat's hunting instincts, providing them with that all-important daily enrichment.
If you have an indoor cat and are looking for a toy that mimics the prey they’d find in the great outdoors, these catnip-filled mice from Frisco are a real winner. Our pet parent tester, Julie Johnson, tried out this toy with her feline friends and found it got their enthusiastic paws up.
“It's the same size and shape as a real mouse, and my cats love anything that's got catnip in it. They are entirely indoors, so they could use a little exercise, and they love zipping across the floor, batting and chasing this toy.”
Packing triple the fun into one little package (a fuzzy texture to grab and bite, string tails to chase, and an infusion of catnip to go wild over), these mice are a super affordable way to provide your cat with the enrichment and stimulation they need each day to thrive.
Just be mindful that the tails on these mice do come loose easily, so we recommend supervising your cat when they’re playing to avoid them being swallowed. Also, as Julie discovered, they’re quite small, so be prepared to be fishing them out from under furniture on a frequent basis if your cat loves them as much as Julie’s do!
Best interactive cat toy for independent play
✅ You want a toy your cat can play with independently: This is a great way of keeping your kitty amused during peak times of the day when you're too busy to play with them.
❌ Your cat gets bored easily: Even though the movements of this toy do vary, it does get repetitive and depending on the breed of your cat, you may find it doesn’t hold their attention for long.
🔎 Pawaboo Cat Toy with Running Mouse A super fun electronic cat toy with an unpredictable mouse, this hide-and-seek type game will tap into all of your cat's natural hunting instincts. It has two different speed settings as well, making it suitable for cats of all ages and stages.
This toy is a real game changer if you’re looking for a few moments of peace and quiet! Roxy isn’t really a fan of independent play, which can be challenging when I’m trying to get work done, but I’ve found popping this on the floor on a slow setting keeps her engaged for 10 minutes, helping to release excess energy.
You can also increase the speed at which the mouse moves too fast, which may appeal to some cats, but I found this setting tended to frustrate Roxy so I’ve stuck to the slower option. She seems to love how the mouse hides and then pops out of the different openings and the way the toy reverses offers a nice dose of unpredictability.
I’m a huge fan of how well this toy works on any surface (we have a mix of hardwood flooring and carpets and many interactive toys don’t do so well on the latter) and it’s very safe to use. I was worried Roxy might get her paws stuck while trying to capture the mouse, but it’s paw-friendly, which means I don’t have to watch her the whole time.
The one downside to this toy is that the repetitive movements didn’t keep Roxy engaged for as long as I had hoped. Because she likes to play with people rather than on her own, this toy didn’t offer enough to hold her attention for very long. However, I do feel that more independent breeds with lower energy levels would really take to this toy.
Best smart interactive cat toy
✅ You’re after an engaging smart toy: This ball offers endless feline fun thanks to its self-rolling and self-rotating design that reacts to your cat’s actions to keep them entertained.
❌ You have carpeted surfaces: While Cheerble do state that the ball can be used on low pile carpet, testing of this product found that it did not work well on these surfaces.
🔎 Cheerble Ball for Cats An unpredictable toy that's designed to move and react to your cat's actions, the Cheerble features three different interaction modes to cater to both timid and active cats, and it's made from soft synthetic fiber that's gentle on paws.
When I opened the box, I was surprised to discover just how tiny this smart ball actually is — but then again, most of our feline friends have petite paws and the small design has clearly taken that into account, making it easy for them to touch and bat about.
The Cheerble has three interactive modes — passive, normal, and gentle — which allow for lots of unpredictable fun. You can set it to bounce on contact, have it roll and bounce, or select a slower roll with no bouncing or shaking. This is a great feature that ensures the ball caters to the needs of all cats, regardless of their age or stage.
Soft yet durable, the ball works beautifully on wooden floors but I found it to be ineffective on carpeted surfaces. While the automatic obstacle avoidance feature does work well, you want to use this ball on a fairly uncluttered piece of flooring to save you having to fish it out from tight spaces on a frequent basis.
I love that this ball can be charged via a USB cable and even better, that a full charge can be reached in just an hour. Roxy wasn’t a huge fan of the Cheerble ball but I don’t attribute that to the toy not being engaging — she’s simply very picky with what she’ll play with and smart balls don’t make her limited list. But if you have a cat that loves ball toys that offer unpredictable movements (and you have wooden floors), the Cheerble could well be a hit in your home.
Best interactive cat toy for encouraging exercise
✅ You’re looking to activate your cat’s natural hunting instincts: This toy looks just like a bird when it’s being propelled through the air, making it a great choice for cats that like to stalk, hunt and capture their ‘prey’.
❌ Your cat is prone to eating feathers: The feathers on this wand may be ripped off with rough play and if your cat has a tendency to eat them, this can pose a choking hazard.
🔎 Go Cat Da Purr Peller Cat Toy will bring out the tiger in your kitty thanks to the all natural pheasant feathers and the way it spins as it glides through the air — perfect for tapping into those hunting instincts! An engaging toy that's great for promoting exercise, it's interchangeable with other Go Cat poles and the feathers can be replaced.
Bring out the tiger in your cat with this fun toy that features a propeller of feathers that spin when flung through the air. Great for capturing and holding a cat's interest, our pet parent tester, Alisa Partlan, described the Go Cat Da Purr Peller as being one of her favorite interactive cat toys — something her feline friend strongly agrees with!
“With a flick of the wrist, the Da Purr Peller flies like a bird and fascinates my cat. With most wand toys, I have to drag it slowly across the floor or do some elaborate tricks to get her playing, but this one made it easy and fun to play with my cat,” she said.
And if your cat tends to really go for it, you'll be relieved to learn that if the feathers start to look worn and tired, you can swap them out with a brand spanking new attachment. “The toy can detach from the wand, so I was easily able to replace it with another attachment without buying a whole new wand.”
Made from all-natural pheasant feathers, this realistic toy is great for bringing out your cat’s natural hunting instincts, although just bear in mind that the feathers can come off, which our tester felt may pose a choking hazard. She also felt it may not hold up for long periods of time with certain cats. “If your cat is weirdly into attacking the wand itself, which mine is, this style of wand is not the sturdiest. It can break.”
Those small issues aside, our tester (and her kitty!) felt that this toy was fun, fascinating and definitely a huge hit in her home.
How to choose the best interactive cat toy
When selecting the best interactive cat toy, there is one key consideration: your cat. It's important to select a product that will suit your kitty's personality and this means quickly assessing how your cat currently behaves and reacts to toys.
For example, curious and active felines will want toys that will keep them on the go while catnapping kitties will prefer something they can paw at every now and then with minimal effort. You should therefore consider whether or not a toy is fast-moving and eye-catching or slow and quiet while bearing a cat's age in mind – the older a cat is, the less active they are going to be.
Consider a cat's natural instinct, too. Cats like to hunt, climb, scratch, groom, hide, mark their territory and play so opt for interactive toys that tap into one or more of these. Toys which look like a cat's prey will often prove attractive which is why many mimic real-life animals or contain feathers. Sound is important, too. Kitties will usually wander over to anything making a noise.
Of course, you will also want a toy to last. Those made of hard, durable plastic or wood are more likely to withstand a cat's claws and teeth than anything soft. Just make sure there are no small parts which could become loose and potentially be swallowed. A good rule of thumb is to opt for toys from big brands with a track record of delivering high-quality products such as Catit, PetSafe and Petstages.
How much interactive play do cats need?
Cats love to have fun so it's vital that you know how to play with a cat. You should also understand why your cat wants to play all the time – often it's because they are bored, lonely and craving attention. To that end, you're likely wondering how much play is sufficient, particularly if you're looking at how to entertain indoor cats who will naturally rely on your help for mental and physical stimulation to a greater degree than those who are able to roam outside.
According to vet Dr. Joanna Woodnutt, it may take less time than you think. “It’s a good idea to try to encourage your cat to be physically active in several short bursts each day,” she affirms. “For most adult cats, 10 to 15 minutes of play three to four times a day is perfect. Interactive cat toys can help with encouraging this physical activity even when you’re out of the house or busy.”
Of course, much depends on how active, old and healthy your cat is. If your kitty is struggling to play for 10 to 15 minutes, simply seek to reduce the recommended length of time but increase the number of sessions each day.
How long can you leave a cat with an interactive toy?
It's advisable to stick to the 10 to 15 minute rule. If you allow a cat to play with an interactive toy for much longer than that, then it's likely your pet will become bored or frustrated with it. Not only does that defeat the purpose of having the toy, you will be wasting money. The idea is to encourage your cat to engage in an activity without becoming overstimulated and you should not see an interactive toy as a permanent substitute for some human-cat playtime.
How we tested
We shopped around for the best interactive cat toys and then gave them to our team of testers to make sure these would be products that a cat would genuinely enjoy playing with. Here's what we took into consideration when we shortlisted these products:
- Durability/safety: Buying toys that are going to be durable enough to be played with multiple times is really important. We looked for products that could hold up to lots of biting and scratching and also assessed whether they were safe enough to be played with independently, or whether a cat would require supervision.
- Budget: Wherever possible, we've made sure that the toys included in this guide fall in the low to medium price category, offering options to suit all cat owners.
- Variety: It's good to mix things up with your cat and offer them a range of different types of playthings to keep them interested and entertained. With that in mind, we made sure to test out a variety of different options.
Dr Joanna Woodnutt qualified as a veterinarian from the University of Nottingham where she then went on to practice companion animal medicine in the Midlands. She really took to the consulting side of things and helping clients with medical problems such as dermatology, behavior, and nutrition - anything that involved helping clients understand their pets better.
A member of the PetsRadar family since it launched in 2020, Kathryn has a wealth of experience when it comes to researching and writing about all things cat-related. She has a particular knack for cutting through the noise and finding the products and accessories that will genuinely improve the health and wellbeing of our fur friends, and make the lives of pet parents a whole lot easier in the process. Plus, she's got her own sassy little kitty, Roxy, so knows a thing or two about what us cat owners really want.
