Top Toys for Cats

Da Bird is da toy with da most! It is by far the most mentioned commercial toy among About Cats Forum members and their cats, and is enthusiastically endorsed by my quartet of cat toy testers. The twirling feather action is so realistic, cats will go ballistic over Da Bird. You'll find that it's a good idea to put Da Bird away after play, or your cats will seek it out.

For supervised cat play, Panic Mouse is the closest match to the real thing, and our GuideCats who tested it went crazy over it. It uses computer generation for erratic movement of the wand and lure, and the wand is detachable for interactive play. Note: larger, stronger cats may break the string attaching the lure, and there is now a spring wand attachment that is sturdier.

The most interesting aspect of this toy is that the cats' natural hunting and stalking instincts come into play. Their interest is not particularly in the "prey" (toys hidden inside the box), but in the thrill of the hunt. The floor soon became littered with toys flipped out of the box by one cat or another, and I was hard-pressed to keep retrieving them so the hunt could continue. This is a toy that cats will not grow tired of.

An interesting aside is that one day Jaspurr and Joey found a live mouse in our pantry and chased it out into our great room where the poor thing took refuge in their Peek-a-Prize toy box. This certainly added a whole new dimension to this toy: live prey. My readers will be happy to know that the mouse was rescued!

Unimaginative humans might pass right by this toy, but rare is the cat that won't be entranced by it. A thirty-inch piece of very flexible piano wire with tightly rolled cylinders of paper on the "play end." Your kitties will go nuts over this one, and will give it very rough play. Because they're priced so low, I'd suggest buying more than one, with multiple cats.

Catnip Cigars are in high demand in our house. We almost always have three or four of them lying around in various stages of wear, and the cats the youngster compete over the ones fresh from the store. The scent lasts amazingly long, and I've found a few spins in a warm dryer refreshes them for a whole new round of play.

The Laser Pet Toy is irresistible to cats of all ages. Be careful not to shine the beam directly into your kitty's eyes. Also, keep in mind that your cat needs to eventually "catch" his prey, so alternate this toy with more tangible lures, to save him from frustration.

This toy has received mixed reviews. Some cats are crazy about it, and others soon become bored. Made of tough, durable plastic, Crazy Circle has openings through which your cat can attempt to catch the ball inside. It's 17" in diameter and bright blue.