What Kind of Toys Do Cats Like? A Play Style Guide

The toy basket is full. There's a feather wand, three mice and a ball with a bell inside. Your cat walks past all of it and bats a crumpled receipt across the kitchen floor.

So what kind of toys do cats like? Toys that act like prey. They move, hide, squeak or flutter, and she can catch them in the end. But each cat has her own idea of prey. The Indoor Pet Initiative at Ohio State University says most cats prefer to hunt certain creatures. Some like mice. Others go for birds or bugs.

So start with your cat, not the toy aisle. Below: a quick test of her play style, the toys that fit each style, and which toys to play with together. Then come the toys that can stay out, and how to keep old toys feeling new.

A Five-Minute Play Style Test

Watch how she plays now, and she'll show you what to buy. Ohio State's Indoor Pet Initiative (OSU) suggests a simple test. Try three kinds of "prey," one kind at a time. Make each toy move, and see which ones she follows.

• Bird toys: feathers, toys that fly through the air, toys that chirp.
• Mouse toys: fur, stuffed animals, furry mice and balls.
• Bug toys: a string with a knot on the end, or bits of dry food tossed across the floor.

Then switch between bird toys and mouse toys about every 20 seconds. Does she wait for the feathers to come back? Does she chase both kinds? Some cats like a mix.

Watch her body, too. International Cat Care (iCatCare) lists signs of a playful mood. Her eyes lock onto an object. She crouches, head low, in a stalking pose. Then come sudden bursts of energy.

Each cat has her own likes, iCatCare says. They depend on texture, size, noise, movement and even the time of day. Many cats are most active around dawn and dusk, so try your test then.

Toys for Stalking and Chasing

Wand toys are the classic pick for a cat who stalks first and runs second. A wand is a rod with a string and a small toy on the end. OSU says to let the toy dangle in front of her, then slowly drag it away. iCatCare suggests jerky, random moves. It also says the toy should be close to real prey in size and feel, like a couple of feathers or a little mouse.

Let her win, at least now and then. The Feline Veterinary Medical Association (FelineVMA) says cats need to catch the "prey" at least some of the time. Without a catch, play can turn into frustration.

A laser pointer is the tricky one. iCatCare notes that it lets a cat stalk, chase and pounce, but never catch. If you use one, switch to a wand toy at the end. That way the game ends with a real catch.

When the game is over, put the wand away. iCatCare says to keep it out of reach whenever you aren't playing together.

Toys for Pouncing

A cat who loves to pounce usually wants something small and furry on the floor. OSU suggests a furry mouse that makes noise and moves. Roll it past her on the floor. She'll let you know if it looks like lunch.

Give her a reason to wait before she leaps. Pull the toy behind a box, or along the edge of a rug, and then hold it still. For kittens, iCatCare suggests pulling a toy through or around boxes and tunnels. The pause is part of the hunt.

Small fur toys wear out fast, though, at least in her eyes. iCatCare says that once one is "killed," it soon loses its appeal. Keep two or three on hand, and give her one at a time.

Toys for Batting

Balls suit a cat who loves to swat. OSU says cats are very good at swatting balls, and balls let them "chase and capture." iCatCare points to plain ping pong balls. They are light enough not to damage things around the house, and the right size for a paw.

A ball-track toy is another way to bat alone. Vets at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (UW) describe it simply. Your cat can swat the ball, but the ball can't get out.

Soft balls work too. LitterBond's Quiet Pom-Pom Play Balls are yarn pom-poms with no catnip, and no bells, rattles or crinkle. They come as 3 or 6 boxes, and the store picks the color mix. Some cats shred yarn, so supervise play and gather the balls afterwards. Throw away any ball that frays or sheds yarn, since cats may swallow loose fibers.

Toys for Grabbing and Kicking

Some cats grab a toy with their front paws and kick it hard with their back legs. For that cat, size matters. iCatCare describes a kick toy as one large enough to hold in the front legs and kick with the back legs. Some kittens, the group adds, enjoy larger soft toys they can rake and kick.

Give her a toy for this, never your hand. iCatCare warns against using hands or feet to play with a kitten. She learns that fingers and toes are toys, and growing teeth and claws can hurt. FelineVMA says to start play with toys early, so cats learn not to go after hands and feet.

Long plush toys suit a big kick. LitterBond's Catnip Snake Kickers are 17.7-inch plush snakes filled with catnip powder. They come in assorted 3- or 6-packs, and the store picks the patterns. The red felt tongue is a small part. Check it often, and retire any snake with a loose tongue, a split seam or stuffing showing.

Toys for Carrying

Some cats don't just catch a toy. They carry it off. OSU says cats like toys they can catch, pick up and toss in the air, then catch again. It calls these toys excellent for passing the time while you're away. That holds for toys with nothing to pull off, as the section on stay-out toys explains.

For a carrier, small and light works best. Think of a crumpled paper ball or a small toy that fits in her mouth. OSU lists homemade ideas too, like crumpled paper balls and the cardboard roll from a roll of toilet paper.

Watch where her toys end up. A cat who sleeps next to one toy has picked a favorite. OSU says that's her way of asking to keep it. Leave that one out of your rotation.

Toys for Sound and Texture

Some cats play with their ears first. OSU says toys that squeak, chirp, jitter, swing or vibrate remind cats of moving meals. The UW vets say most cats prefer toys that do one of those things.

The sound doesn't need to be loud. iCatCare says a gentle noise may encourage cats to play, like a tinkling bell firmly sealed inside a ball. Texture counts too. Toys in different fabrics invite cats to rake their claws or rub their face, the group notes.

Crinkle paper is another way to add sound. LitterBond's Crinkle Chip Bag Kickers are small plush "chip bags" with crinkle paper and catnip inside. They are plush toys, with no real food inside. They come in assorted 3- or 6-packs, and the store picks the designs. Heavy chewers can open a seam sooner. Look each bag over after play, and retire it once it tears.

Together Toys vs. Stay-Out Toys

Some toys are only for playtime with you. Others can stay out when you're busy or away. The difference is mostly about what can come off.

Play-together toys have parts a cat could chew off and swallow. The Cornell Feline Health Center says to avoid toys with small pieces. The same goes for strand-like parts, such as feathers and string, that may come loose, especially when chewed. The UW vets add that cats who chew hard will swallow feathers, strings or sparkles.

Every LitterBond toy named in this guide is a play-together toy. Each product page says to supervise play and to store the toy out of reach afterwards.

Stay-out toys are simple. Cornell says paper bags, cardboard boxes and ping pong balls can be tremendously entertaining for cats. The UW vets rank paper bags and boxes among the lowest-risk cat toys around. They also suggest cutting off any loops or tags, so cut the handles off paper bags first.

Even stay-out toys need a look now and then. Throw away anything that is torn or has loose parts.

Live with more than one cat? Play with each cat on her own. FelineVMA says to play with cats one at a time. iCatCare notes that one cat may want to play more than the others.

A Few Toys at a Time

A toy she sees every day turns into furniture. OSU says cats like a batch of toys rotated a few at a time. Rotating in a new order makes old toys seem new and exciting. Cornell, the UW vets and FelineVMA all suggest rotating toys so she doesn't get bored.

Here's a simple routine:

1. 1

   Pick three or four toys

   One for each play style she showed in the test.

2. 2

   Put the rest away

   A sealed bag or bin, out of sight and out of reach.

3. 3

   Swap every few days

   Bring out a "new" set, and bag the old one.

4. 4

   Check as you swap

   Throw away anything torn, frayed or missing a part.

5. 5

   Leave her favorite out

   The toy she sleeps next to stays put. It never goes into the bag, unless it's a catnip toy or has parts she could pull off.

Keep catnip toys sealed between sessions. Cat behavior consultant Pam Johnson-Bennett says not to leave catnip toys lying around the house all the time. She suggests tightly sealed containers when they're not in use.

Keep sessions short, too. iCatCare says cats are sprinters rather than marathon runners. One minute of frenzied play is a good result.

A cat who loses interest in play and food at the same time needs a vet check.

Catnip, Silvervine and Kittens

Catnip can help a toy, but your cat doesn't need it to play. Not every cat reacts to catnip, and some cats that ignore it respond to silvervine. Here's why some cats don't react to catnip, and what to try next.

Age matters too. Small Door Veterinary says most cats don't develop a sensitivity to catnip until four to six months. So a young kitten may ignore a catnip toy. Offer it again in a few months.

Without catnip, toys still work. Many cats play for the chase, the sound or the texture. That's what the rest of this guide is for.

Kittens need a little extra care. iCatCare says to avoid toys made of ribbon or string, and balls of wool, for kittens. If eaten, they can bunch up a kitten's gut and lead to emergency surgery.

Senior cats still play. iCatCare suggests gentle games. Even a cat who lies down to play still gains from one-on-one playtime with you.

That toy basket doesn't need more toys. Tonight, run the five-minute test. Pick three toys that match what she chased, and bag the rest. Swap them next week. The mouse she ignored for months may look like lunch again.

Questions this guide did not cover

How many toys does a cat need?

There's no set number. The Indoor Pet Initiative at Ohio State says cats need variety, so they don't get bored with their toys. Without it, the page warns, cats may just sleep twenty-three hours a day.

Are battery-powered cat toys a good idea?

They can help when you're busy. The UW vets list interactive toys that switch on with a motion sensor or a timer as a solo play option. The Cornell Feline Health Center warns against anything with an electrical cord your cat can chew on.

Do food puzzles count as toys?

Yes, and they add a hunt to mealtime. FelineVMA says food puzzles or food balls can mimic hunting for prey. iCatCare suggests a small handful of dry food inside a paper bag or a cardboard egg box.

Where is the best place to play?

Somewhere clear. Cornell says to check that no heavy objects could fall on your cat during play. It also says to make sure there's no high spot she could fall from while she's busy with a new toy.

Will silvervine work if my cat ignores catnip?

It's worth a try. In a 2017 study in BMC Veterinary Research, one out of every three cats did not respond to catnip. Of those cats, almost three in four did respond to silver vine. The rest did not.

Related reading

• Why Doesn't My Cat React to Catnip? 7 Reasons and What to Try Next