If you want your feline to live a long and healthy life, keeping them indoors is essential. However, indoor cats need plenty of toys to ensure they are properly mentally and physically stimulated. A bored, hyperactive cat can quickly become destructive.
Luckily, there are hundreds of indoor toys that can keep your cat entertained. There isn’t necessarily a “best” toy for every cat because felines will have their preferences, but some indoor toys are “better” than others! We should know—our indoor cats are experts in the toy department.
In this article, we’ll have a look at some of the best toys for indoor cats on the market. These range in form and function – but they all help your cat stay entertained and worn out.
A Quick Comparison of Our 2024 Favorites
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Best Overall
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Hepper Catnip Stick Toy |
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Budget Buy
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Frisco Colorful Springs Cat Toy |
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SmartyKat Electronic Motion Cat Toy |
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Frisco Tracks Butterfly Cat Toy |
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Hepper Fish Bone Cat Toy |
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The 12 Best Cat Toys for Indoor Cats
1. Hepper Catnip Stick Toy – Best Overall
| Type: | Catnip |
Some cat toys may not be exciting enough to make indoor cats enthusiastic about exercising, but the Hepper Catnip Stick Toy will do the trick. Stuffed with 100% pure organic catnip, this stick toy encourages your cat to become active and engaged as they revel in this herbal delight. It is made in the USA, and durably designed to stick around a little longer than your average catnip pouch. The double layer protects it from vicious attacks from your cat since they won’t be able to rip the contents open and sprinkle them all over the floor.
You can choose between a gray, turquoise, and white outer layer to match your living space and style. While the Hepper Catnip Stick seems like the perfect toy for cats who love catnip, our only drawback is that it cannot be refilled.
Despite this, we feel this is the best cat toy for indoor cats on the market today!
At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
2. Frisco Colorful Springs Cat Toy – Budget Buy
| Type: | Batting toy |
If your cat likes to bat stuff around the house, this Frisco Colorful Springs Cat Toy might be a good option. While this toy looks pretty straightforward, many cats love it. The cat hits them, and the spring goes bouncing. It’s a simple design, but it fits with the way most cats play.
This toy is also extremely inexpensive. It is much cheaper than other options on the market, but it is well-loved by most cats. The bounce is quite dramatic, which encourages your cat’s play.
The springs are vibrant colors. Truthfully, your cat doesn’t care much about this. However, it does make it easier to find these springs when they inevitably end up under the couch.
You can’t exactly play with your cat with these springs, though. Instead, they’re distinctly designed for independent play, which can be great when you’re gone during the day.
3. SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Cat Toy
| Type: | Electronic toy |
For those who want the ultimate cat toy, you may want to look at the SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Electronic Concealed Motion Cat Toy. This toy is electronic and moves by itself. This simple fact makes it much more enticing for your feline.
We particularly liked this toy for active cats. You can’t play with your cat constantly, and more active felines may need extra exercise. This electronic toy is straightforward to set up while you’re at work during the day – allowing your cat to exercise while you aren’t there.
This toy has a small toy attached to the end of a concealed wand. The wand moves around unpredictably as your cat chases the toy around. It’s basically as if you were playing with a wand toy – but it’s completely electronic, so you aren’t needed.
This toy was tested to child-safety standards, so you can rest assured that it is safe for your feline.
4. Frisco Cat Tracks Butterfly Cat Toy
| Type: | Track toy |
Some cats love these track toys. Others? Not so much. The Frisco Cat Tracks Butterfly Cat Toy is one of the better track toys on the market. It includes three levels with a ball on each level, as well as a butterfly toy on the top for your cats to bat around.
Some cats get extremely excited and spend hours playing with these toys. However, others don’t see the appeal of balls spinning around in a circle.
A replacement butterfly is included for when your cat inevitably tears it up. While this is an excellent addition, only one replacement is available. There is no way to buy more. You can’t purchase replacement balls either, but you really shouldn’t need to.
A non-skid pad keeps your cat from sliding the whole system around.
Multiple cats can play with this toy at a time – or it can be played with independently. It isn’t suitable for interactive play.
5. Hepper Cat Fish Bone Cat Toy
| Type: | Plush |
The Hepper Fish Bone Cat Toy is another perfect for indoor cats that need playtime. It’s made of linen, cotton, and polyester, and it carries a catnip scent to entice your feline to play. The material is tough and durable, and it will hold up during the toughest playtime.
The fun design is attractive for cats (as well as aesthetically pleasing for humans), and many consumers state their cat sleeps with it or even walks around the house with the toy in their mouth. The natural materials are strong enough to withstand scratching, biting, and anything else your cat throws at it.
While it’s durable and handmade with natural materials, washing is not recommended due to the catnip scent. However, if you must wash it, you can hand wash it with gentle soap, but avoid putting it in the dryer. After it’s airdried, you can put the toy into the bag of USDA organic catnip to regain the catnip scent.
This toy is suitable for all cats.
At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
6. Pet Fit For Life 5 Piece Squiggly Worm Wand Cat Toy
| Type: | Feather Wand |
Very few cats can resist the temptation to play with feather wands. Plus, they’re also one of the few toy types that allow humans to get in on the action as well – without getting our hands all scratched up. There are many feather wands on the market, primarily due to their raving popularity.
We like the Pet Fit For Life 5 Piece Squiggly Worm Wand Cat Toy. This toy comes with replaceable, fuzzy worm endings. Once your cat tears one up (which they will), you can easily replace it with another one.
It may be a bit more expensive than other wand toys, but the replacement factor will save you tons of money in the long run. The company also makes various other endings for you to add on, giving your cat’s play more variety.
The pool is made with fiberglass and is extremely strong. It’s also longer than most, allowing you to play from the comfort of your couch!
7. Yeowww! Catnip Yellow Banana Cat Toy
| Type: | Stuffed toy |
Stuffed toys are a hit and a miss for many felines. This Yeowww! Catnip Yellow Banana Cat Toy is stuffed and full of catnip. This toy is an excellent option if your cat likes to grab and bat at toys with its feet. However, it doesn’t exactly promote the kind of active play that other toys do. It doesn’t move very much and doesn’t respond much to batting.
The toy is full of catnip. If your cat likes catnip, they may be particularly drawn to this toy. The catnip included is organic and completely free from pesticides. The toy is completely stuffed with the leaves and flower tops of catnip.
This toy is even hand-sewn and 100% made in the USA.
The only downside is that it won’t wear your cats out like other toys. If you have a very active cat, this probably isn’t the best option for you.
8. Frisco Refillable Catnip Cat Toy
| Type: | Catnip |
The Frisco Refillable Catnip Cat Toy has a lot going for it. Firstly, it’s full of premium catnip. If your feline likes catnip, they’ll probably like this toy. Secondly, you can refill the catnip after it has lost its potency. A small vial of replacement catnip is included. However, you can also refill it with another catnip.
You can also altogether remove the catnip if your feline doesn’t like it.
The toy is small and plushy, making it perfect for felines that like smaller toys. However, it doesn’t promote active play like some other toys. It isn’t made to move much or do anything when batted, and it isn’t suitable for humans to play alongside their cats.
For the most part, the toy just sits there! Which is fine if that’s what your cat likes. Most active felines may not get a massive kick out of this toy, though.
9. Frisco Step-In Cat Scratcher Toy with Catnip
| Type: | Scratcher |
The Frisco Step-In Cat Scratcher Toy with Catnip is a different kind of cat toy. It is a scratcher – first and foremost. While most pet parents don’t consider scratching to be a form of play, it is. Scratching is a natural behavior and a need.
We love this scratching for a few different reasons. It has a scratching pad at the bottom and is box-shaped. It’s hard to find a cat that doesn’t love boxes, so this is an easy sell for most felines. The bottom can be replaced after your cat has scratched it up, so the box can be continuously replenished.
The bottom pad has catnip infused into it. It will smell like catnip and prompt your feline to use it. However, you can replenish the catnip smell by replacing the bottom line.
Of course, this isn’t a toy in the traditional sense. It doesn’t promote active play and may not wear your cat out like other toys. It does provide a lot of mental stimulation, though.
| Type: | Wand |
The Frisco Wire Teaser Cat Toy is like a wand toy – but it is incredibly low-quality. It is also very inexpensive. If you aren’t sure whether or not your cat will like a wand toy, you can try this one out first. (Wand toys are very widely liked by cats, so this isn’t a requirement in the least, though.)
This toy has a straightforward design. It is a spring of steel with some rolled-up cardboard attached. This simple design is essentially why it is so inexpensive. There isn’t a lot to it!
It is designed for human-cat play. However, it isn’t exactly very comfortable to hold. There are much better cat toys on the market, though you’re going to pay more for them.
In the end, this toy works for interactive play – but it probably isn’t the most enjoyable option for you or your cat.
11. Frisco Peek-a-Boo Cat Chute Cat Toy
| Type: | Tunnel |
The Frisco Peek-a-Boo Cat Chute Cat Toy is often a hit or a miss for most cats. Some cats love to hide and then jump out and get stuff. Others don’t like enclosed spaces and will probably never go inside this toy. You can’t know what category your cat falls into until you try!
For the right cat, this tunnel makes the perfect toy. It promotes interactive play, especially if you have a wand or similar toy. It does work best when paired with other toys. Your cat needs something to jump out and get, after all.
However, this toy does take up quite a bit of room. You’ll need to lay it somewhere appropriate on the floor where all the tunnels are available for use. In other words, you can’t lay it against the wall – it needs to go in the middle of a room. For many people, this isn’t very practical.
12. Frisco Paw & Play Crinkle Ball Cat Toy
| Type: | Batting |
The Frisco Paw & Play Crinkle Ball Cat Toys have a very straightforward design. They’re balls made up of a crinkly material. Cats love the sound this material makes as they hit them around, promoting active, independent play.
The overall design of these toys is straightforward. The pack comes with four different balls as well, so you’ll have a few extras for your feline to play with.
However, due to their small size, these toys are straightforward to lose. Your cat will likely misplace them under furniture and in corners within a few days. They aren’t easy to find, so you’ll likely end up purchasing more very quickly. It isn’t that these toys aren’t durable. They’re just so easy to lose!
They also don’t promote interactive play. You can’t play with them alongside your cat without getting your hands scratched up.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Cat Toys for Your Indoor Cat
There are tons of different indoor cat toys on the market. What toy your cat loves will largely depend on their personal preference—different cats like different toys. We attempted to include many different types of toys in our reviews above so that you can find something for every cat.
However, not all toys are made equal. Your cat may love wands, but that doesn’t mean any wand on the market will do! We recommend that you provide your feline with only the best toys available. Otherwise, you may find yourself repurchasing toys more than you’d like!
Below, we’ve gone over some of the essential features to look at when choosing a cat toy.
Durability
This feature is probably the most important. You don’t want any cat toy you purchase only to withstand a few play sessions. Instead, you want it to last for months – if not longer. No one wants to continuously repurchase cat toys, especially if your feline particularly likes one type of cat toy.
More expensive cat toys are usually also the most durable. They’re more expensive because of the higher-quality materials used, which are more likely to withstand a cat’s teeth and claws.
However, the overall design matters too. Some toys are poorly made or more likely to break. For instance, electronic toys have more parts, so they’re more likely to break than other toys. Stuffed toys can also be destroyed by cats easily if the outside is not durable.
Type of Play
Different toys are designed for different types of play. Wands are made for very active play, for instance. Most electronic toys are also designed for very active play. For active cats, these toys are often best. They promote lots of movement, which helps wear your cat out.
On the other hand, stuffed toys and scratchers promote movement, but not at the same intensity. Your cat isn’t going to be moving quite as much.
Take your cat’s active needs into account when choosing a toy. If they are older and generally don’t need to move much, consider a calmer toy.
Interactivity
Some toys require a human’s involvement – like wands. Others can’t be used by a human if they tried, like a scratcher.
It is often best to have toys that you can use with your cat and also toys that promote completely independent play. You’ll want to play with your cat sometimes. However, you likely won’t be available every time your cat wants to play.
Batting toys, scratchers, and electronic toys often promote the most independent play. Stuffed and batting toys can be thrown, but that doesn’t necessarily prompt all cats to chase them. That just isn’t how felines work!
Having a mix helps ensure that there is an appropriate toy available no matter the situation.
Cost
All cat toys are typically pretty inexpensive. Even the electronic options are well-priced. Of course, you can find costly options out there, but these are the exception rather than the rule!
However, that doesn’t mean that cost doesn’t matter. For instance, some toys cost a fraction of what other toys cost. If you can purchase five toys for the price of one, you need to consider whether that toy is worth it or not!
Most of the toys we reviewed are pretty inexpensive. But some of them do cost a little bit extra. For instance, you can’t find an electric toy worth much for truly low prices.
Enjoyability
Some toys are more widely loved than others. For instance, few cats don’t like wand toys. However, some cats don’t see the appeal of batting toys. Electronic toys are often a winner since their movement entices cats. Some are scared by the electronic sounds, though, especially if the toy is louder.
Very active cats may enjoy batting toys and stuffed animals. These toys require some sort of input from the cat. If your feline is more energetic, they will probably provide this input for no problem. However, lazier cats might not! Senior, less-active felines may never bat around a batting toy.
Your cat’s personal preferences matter a lot, though. If you already know what your cat likes, then you’ve already won half the battle. Of course, don’t be afraid to branch out and try new toys, too.
In general, we recommend trying a variety of different toys if you don’t know what your feline likes – or even if you do.
Conclusion
Purchasing a cat toy can be a bit overwhelming. There are simply so many different toys on the market. It can be hard to figure out what to choose.
If you already know what your cat likes, the decision can be a bit easier. However, if you don’t know what your cat enjoys, it can be much more complicated!
For most felines, we recommend the Hepper Catnip Stick Toy. The material is durable to last the fiercest of kitties and the shape is excellent for kicking!
We recommend the Frisco Colorful Springs Cat Toy if you have a more active cat. This toy is designed for batting, so your feline will need to put in some work. However, for active cats, these springs can be fascinating.
Hopefully, our reviews helped you find a fun new toy for your feline! Often, it is best to purchase a wide variety of toys until you figure out what your feline likes. Luckily, most toys are incredibly inexpensive, so purchasing more than one won’t break the bank.
Featured Image Credit: Hepper.com
