The best cat toys, tried and tested by the Bombadillo Kittens! How many times have you invested in a cat toy for your little fluffball...only yo find your cat looks at it, paws at it once or twice, then walks away?! We have bought and tested so many cat toys we have lost count. Having stud boys means that environmental enrichment is very important, so we really know our cat toys.

OK...so we said Top 5, but we had to sneak another one in, so now this Top 6!

Here we review the very best cat toys we have ever tried...only the cat toys that were liked by at around 90-100% of our cats...so you can save your money and get straight onto the good ones.  And even better news, all of the very best cat toys we have tried are the least expensive ones!

In ascending order, here are our best cat toys...

6. Mixed toy pack from Zooplus

This one is really for kittens more than adult cats. This pack of toys has some real winners in it. The small mice and the fabric covered balls are the most popular, and are loved by all of our kittens. Less entertaining for adult cats, but great variety and exceptional variety if you have a kitten. Change the toys around every couple of days to keep your cat stimulated. Be careful of the mice with feather tails - these get chewed off quite quickly so we tend to avoid them, or take them away as soon as they look like they are about to be eaten. 

5. Laser pen

All of our cats, except for one or two, absolutely love chasing laser pens. There are two things to note here: firstly, you need to get a good quality laser pen. The poor quality ones are too weak for your cat to see the laser properly. Secondly, you need to be careful when using a laser pen as a cat toy: it is not good for dogs or cats to be chasing a red dot all day that they can’t actually catch. Limit laser pen cat toy play to short doses, and make sure you end the play session by putting the laser on a toy or some food that your cat can actually physically ‘catch’ with his claws.

4. Cat Dancer Toy

This wand toy really doesn’t look like much, and we weren’t expecting anything great from it. But we were so wrong! For some reason, cats go crazy for this! It does move very like a wild insect, buzzing around all over the room. We also love the fact that it is very durable and hard wearing. Most wand toys are broken in our house within a few days, but this one has really stood the test of time. Definitely one of the best cat toys we've tested. 

Buy the cat dancer toy from Amazon here. 

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3.Trixie Turning Feather Cat Toy

This toy is a real hit! Even better, it is battery operated so is great for those days when you are far too tired to keep your cat entertained! We were very dubious about this toy and when we set it up we just weren't sure that the feather was large enough to attract attention...but it totally does! The other great thing about this toy is that it is very quiet. When we have tried other electric cat toys they are very noisy and it can scare cats away. This one hardly makes any noise at all. When you push the button, the feather whizzes round, randomly changing speed and direction for 15 minutes, then it turns off again. This toy could actually be number one for many cats.  Particularly good if you have a more hyper cat or kitten.

Get the trixie turning feather toy on Amazon  

2. Trixie Plush Bird for Door Frames

A firm favourite with all of our cats, this duck toy was serious competition for the top spot! This toy easily hooks over any door frame or wooden beam, and has an elasticated rope with a plush duck attached to the end. The height of the rope can be adjusted to make your cat work harder for his prize! The duck moves around a lot, and every time your cat even paws at it the added movement encourages them to play more. A great toy to keep your cat entertained.  Get it from online pet stores for around £6. Definitely one of the best cat toys out there. 

Get the Trixie Plush Bird for Door Frames on Amazon here.

1.The Valerian Pillow: the best cat toy ever!

Coming in at number one, and absolutely the best cat toy ever! This is a small fabric pillow that is stuffed with valerian. Valerian is safe for cats, and there is actually some evidence that has health benefits. Every single one of our cats goes crazy for these valerian pillows. They are super-stimulating, great for environmental enrichment, and don’t need to be constantly moved around by a human to hold your cat’s attention!  Plus, every cat ever goes super-duper cute with these pillows, which makes for great human entertainment too! If you are feeling crafty you could make your own valerian toys. Valerian absolutely knocks the socks off catnip...but remember that it probably won't work on kittens as their brains are not yet developed enough to respond to it. Save it for when your kitten is around a year old. Also, give it to your cat in short bursts and then take it away so they don't become 'immune' to its wonderful effects!

Get Valerian Pillows on Amazon here.

Or, try a valerian spray! (we haven't tried this, so let us know how you get on with it if you do!)

(affiliate links)

Learn more about herbs for cats.

Learn more about environmental enrichment. 

Find out if we have any kittens available. We are expert breeders of British Shorthair kittens, based near Chester and Wrexham, around an hour from Liverpool and Manchester. These cat toys have all been tried and tested by the Bombadillo kittens, so you can buy only the very best cat toys!