The Coolest Toys For Cats

As anyone who has ever had the great, good fortune to be adopted by one knows, cats are playful. They will play your socks, your feet (especially when they’re in your socks), your curtains, your mobile phone charger, your lamp cords, your belts, your scarves, your ties, your neighbour’s prize petunias – and that’s the short list. Your cat, of course, doesn’t know she is playing: she thinks she’s hunting. The best way to divert her from household accessories and clothes is to provide her with some toys for cats of her own.

Ah, but which toys for cats? There are so many out there.

We assembled a panel of feline experts to rate some of the best. Reuben is a six -year-old, indoor/outdoor Cream British Shorthair from Manchester, England. Mogwai is a four-year-old Talamanca tubby huntress from Manchester, England. Saffi is an Apricot Oriental who always wants to play. She too is also, surprise surprise from Manchester, England Let’s see what they have to say about the latest toys.

• Cat Laser Toys

Ultra-bright laser beams can keep your cat amused for hours! Laser cat toys come in two basic types. There’s the portable beam, which looks like a torch and often comes as a keychain attachment, that allows you to play interactively with your cat. Then there’s the hands-free unit which provides kitty distraction while you’re off doing other things (like apologizing to your neighbour about the ruined flowerbed.) Two popular models of the latter type are FroliCat BOLT Interactive Laser Pet Toy (a finalist in the 2009 Chicago Innovation Awards) and the Multipet Ba-Da-Beam Rotating Laser Cat Toy.

Mogwai: I like the hands-free unit! After a few minutes I knew exactly where to pounce, thus minimizing effort.

Saffi: I like to play with my owner so I preferred the torch. At first I was afraid she might shine it in my eyes by mistake which is very dangerous! But she knows what she’s doing. For that reason, though, I’m not sure this is a kitty toy I would let a human child use with a cat.

Reuben: I just found the laser cat toy frustrating. I chased it and chased it – and I never caught anything! Give me a toy I can sink my teeth in – or I’ll be tempted to sink them into you.

• Cat Dancer Toy

Granted piano wire and paper cylinders may not look like much to you but your cat is going to go wild when he sees it. Attach one to your wall and watch your cat show off his acrobatic skills.

Saffi: I liked this one a lot. You know, I’ve always wanted to fly and with the Cat Dancer Toy, I’m coming close.

Mogwai: A lot of work for not very much pay-off. I think this toy works best for younger cats.

Reuben: Loved it! But it only took 45 minutes for me to demolish it completely. It’s such an inexpensive toy – why didn’t my human buy three?

• Feather Cat Toy

The prototype is Da Bird Cat Toy – braided nylon string attached to a fiberglass rod with a number of exchangeable feather lures that mimic the aerodynamics of a bird in flight.

Mogwai: Totally my favourite of the bunch. I can play with this for hours – in fact my humans had to take it down and hide it from me to get me to stop.

Reuben: Almost as much fun as a real live mouse!

Saffi: I liked this one too. The different feathers move in different ways so there’s a lot of variety packed in one simple toy.

These results are in and seem conclusive. When it comes down to it, even in this mad world simple is still often the best. The coolest cat toys are not expensive to own and are quite charming.