Cat Stocking Stuffers: Small Gifts Your Cat Will Actually Use
LitterBond Team
By the LitterBond Team · Researched against iCatCare, Cornell Feline Health Center and ASPCA guidance · Last updated: October 18, 2026
Last year's toy mouse is still under the couch. Your cat sniffed it once, then played with the gift wrap instead. This year, you'd like her stocking to hold something she'll still use in January.
The best cat stocking stuffers match how your cat plays. A batter wants something to swat. A kicker wants something to hug. And some of the best gifts are free, like a box or a seat by the window.
Below: 12 ideas, grouped by the kind of cat you live with. Then a short list of what stays out of the stocking.
Your Cat's Play Style
Watch how your cat plays for a week. Your list will write itself. International Cat Care (iCatCare) says play follows a cat's hunting sequence. She searches, stalks, chases and pounces. Then she catches her "prey" and handles it. Most cats have a favorite part.
The Feline Veterinary Medical Association (FelineVMA) notes that cats find toys that move like prey very exciting. For more on each style, see this guide to the kinds of toys cats like.
Which kind of cat do you have?
The batterIdeas 1 and 2
The kickerIdea 3
The chaserIdeas 4 and 5
The catnip fanIdea 6
The catnip skepticIdeas 7 and 8
The napperIdeas 9 and 10
The hiderIdeas 11 and 12
For the Batter
A batter likes small things she can swat across the floor. Give her something light that moves when she hits it.
1. A Palm-Size Rattle Toy
A rattle rewards a good swat with a sound. LitterBond's Christmas catnip rattle toys are palm-size plush shapes. A catnip pouch and a rattle are sewn inside. Each one has a twisted cord with a pompom and a yarn tassel.
They come in a 3-Pack or a 6-Pack. The store picks the styles, so you can't choose a design. The cord and tassel are for play while you watch. Yarn strands and cord can be swallowed, so put the toy away after each session.
2. A Ping Pong Ball
The Cornell Feline Health Center says ping pong balls, paper bags and boxes can be "tremendously entertaining" for cats. Drop one into a dry, empty bathtub. The curved sides keep it rolling back to her.
For the Kicker
A kicker grabs a toy with her front paws and bunny-kicks it with her back legs.
3. A Plush Toy She Can Hug
iCatCare describes a kick toy as one big enough to hold with the front legs and kick with the back legs. LitterBond's refillable catnip plush buddies are flat animals made to hug, kick and carry. The catnip sits in a pouch behind a hook-and-loop pocket. Each toy comes with two refill pouches. They come in packs of 3 or 6, with the animals picked by the store.
A determined cat might open the pocket, so play together, press it firmly shut after every refill and replace a torn pouch.
For the Chaser
A chaser wants something that runs away from her. Ideally, something at the end of your hand.
4. A Wand Toy and Your Time
A wand toy is a stick with a string and a small toy at the end. It only moves like prey when you move it. FelineVMA suggests pulling the toy across the floor or waving a feather wand through the air. iCatCare says cats are sprinters, not marathon runners, so short bursts are plenty.
Wrap the wand, and give your time, too. Afterward, put the wand out of reach, as iCatCare advises.
5. A Paper Bag With the Handles Cut Off
Cornell lists paper bags among the simple things cats enjoy. Cut the handles off first. That way, she can't get her head caught in a loop. Use paper, never plastic.
iCatCare suggests a simple hunt. Hide a small handful of food in a paper bag or an egg carton. The ASPCA advises closely watching your cat whenever homemade toys are out.
For the Catnip Fan
A catnip fan rolls and rubs on anything that smells of it. For her, fresh catnip matters more than the toy around it.
6. A Pinch of Fresh Catnip
iCatCare calls catnip a dried herb that excites many, but not all, cats. It suggests a pinch now and then. It also suggests storing favorite toys in a bag with some catnip inside.
Do the Christmas rattle toys go in her stocking? Keep them sealed in their bag until the big morning. The listing suggests this, so the catnip stays fresh.
Christmas catnip toys
A small rattle toy for her stocking
Palm-size plush with a sewn-in catnip pouch and a rattle, plus a twisted cord with a pompom and a yarn tassel. 3-Pack or 6-Pack, with styles picked by the store. The cord and tassel are for play while you watch, so store the toys after each session.
See the Christmas catnip toys →For the Cat Who Ignores Catnip
If your cat shrugs at catnip, nothing is wrong with her. Plenty of cats never react to it. Young kittens often don't react until around six months old. Here's more on why some cats don't react to catnip. Many cats still play for the chase, the sound or the feel of a toy.
7. Something With Silvervine
Silvervine is a different plant, and some cats react to it. In a 2017 study in BMC Veterinary Research, researchers offered 100 cats catnip, silvervine and two other plants. Many of the cats that ignored catnip did react to silvervine. The study tested the plants themselves.
LitterBond's catnip and silvervine spray is a small mist bottle with extracts of both plants. Mist a toy or a scratcher, never your cat, and keep it away from her eyes. Results vary from cat to cat. Some cats react at once, and others warm up over a few sessions.
8. A Puzzle Feeder
Some cats care more about food than toys. FelineVMA suggests offering dry food in food puzzles, since this kind of feeding mimics hunting. Start with an easy puzzle, so she wins fast. Use part of her normal daily food, not extra.
For the Senior Who'd Rather Nap
An older cat may sleep more and play less. She still enjoys a good gift. iCatCare notes that older cats sleep longer and are less active. It adds that older cats still like to play. Larger kick toys are a good choice.
9. A Window Seat for Bird-Watching
The ASPCA calls this "Bird TV": a comfortable spot by the window. FelineVMA lists windows for watching the outdoors among the things that enrich a cat's day. Clear a sunny sill with a view of birds or the street, and add a folded blanket.
10. A Gentle Brushing Session
As cats age, they get less flexible. iCatCare says many then struggle to keep up their grooming. The ASPCA says regular brushing is especially helpful as a cat ages and can't groom as well on her own. Keep sessions short, and stop before she's had enough.
A cat who loses interest in play and food at the same time needs a vet check.
For the Hider
A hider wants a quiet place to watch from.
11. A Sturdy Cardboard Box
iCatCare says cardboard boxes "were undoubtedly invented for cats," and a new box is a joy for most. FelineVMA lists boxes and tall-sided beds as good places to retreat. Pull out the tape, staples and loose packing first. Then cut a door in one side.
12. A Quiet Room for Guest Days
The AVMA says all pets should have a comfortable, quiet place indoors to retreat to. For parties, Cornell suggests a separate room with food, water and a litter box. Set it up before the doorbell rings. Let her choose when to come out. For a full plan, see how to help a cat who hides from guests.
What to Keep Out of the Stocking
Some holiday things look like toys to a cat but can badly hurt her. Keep these out of the stocking and off the floor:
- Tinsel. The ASPCA warns that swallowed tinsel can cause severe vomiting and a blocked gut. It can even need surgery.
- Loose ribbon, string and yarn from gift wrap and crafts. VCA Animal Hospitals explains that swallowed ribbon and string can get tangled in the intestines.
- Small loose parts. Cornell advises against toys with small pieces that may come off and be swallowed.
- Chocolate and people food. The AVMA says chocolate is toxic to cats. Cornell adds that onions and garlic are toxic to cats, too.
- Lilies and other holiday plants. The ASPCA warns that many lilies in holiday bouquets are highly toxic to cats. They can cause kidney failure. Poinsettia, mistletoe and holly can make her sick, too.
If you see ribbon or string coming out of her rear end, don't pull it. VCA warns that pulling can be dangerous. If you think she swallowed string, call your vet right away. For a possible poisoning, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is at (888) 426-4435.
New toys with cords, tassels or feathers are for play while you watch. FelineVMA says to put away toys with loose pieces or string-like parts after playtime. Cornell advises avoiding toys with strand-like parts, such as feathers and string, which may come off and be swallowed, especially when chewed. The rattle toys in idea 1 have a cord and a yarn tassel, so bring them out for play together and put them away after, never left in the stocking or on the floor. If your cat chews her toys apart, skip them and anything with strings; a ping pong ball or a box is a better gift.
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1
Hang it high
Keep the stocking out of her reach until the morning.
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2
Unwrap it for her
Pull off tags, plastic, ties and any ribbon before she sees the gift.
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3
Give one thing at a time
Save the rest for later in the week, so each one feels new.
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4
Check it first
Look each toy over for loose threads or parts before she plays.
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5
Tidy up
Put cord toys away, and pick up stray wrapping from the floor.
After the Stocking Is Empty
A toy stays new longer if she doesn't see it every day. Cornell says rotating toys can help keep a cat from getting bored. iCatCare suggests keeping two or three toys out and swapping them often. Seal the rest in a bag, and swap them every few days.
Check each toy when you swap it. Throw away any toy that is torn, fraying or losing parts.
By the middle of January, the stocking will be back in its box. But the paper bag may still sit by the couch. The window seat will still have its blanket. That's how you know the gift worked. It fit the way she plays, and you gave it a few minutes at a time.
Questions this guide did not cover
How do I cat-proof the Christmas tree?
Start with the lowest branches. The Cornell Feline Health Center suggests hanging only unbreakable ornaments down low, made of cloth, straw or wood, and tying them on with cloth loops instead of hooks. The ASPCA says to keep wires, batteries and glass or plastic ornaments out of paws' reach.
Can my cat have a bite of the holiday turkey?
A tiny piece of plain, boneless meat at most. The ASPCA says fatty, sweet and spicy foods, and turkey or chicken bones, can all be dangerous to pets. VCA Animal Hospitals adds that a sudden rich meal is likely to upset a cat's stomach.
Related reading
- What Kind of Toys Do Cats Like? A Play Style Guide
- Why Does My Cat Hide From Guests? A Calm Holiday Plan
About this article
Researched and written by the LitterBond Team. Sources include International Cat Care, the Cornell Feline Health Center, the ASPCA, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and VCA Animal Hospitals. Reviewed and updated October 18, 2026. LitterBond does not employ veterinarians; for medical decisions about your individual cat, always consult your veterinarian.
