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Cats are beautiful, interesting, weird creatures. They're also very picky. Finding toys that they'll actually play with is tough—especially with the sheer oversaturation of the pet market today. Cats require a specific environment to play, scratch, and relax. Based on years of testing with our cats, these are our favorite WIRED-approved, tech-y cat toys and scratchers. Even if our cats rejected a particular product, we still examined overall construction, design, and value to determine whether it may be useful for other kitties.
I'm a helicopter cat mom specializing in pet tech, and all of these cat toys are approved by both my and other staffers' (very spoiled) WIRED cats. Check out our related guides like The Best Automatic Cat Litter Boxes, The Best Automatic Cat Feeders, The Best Cat Water Fountains, and Our Favorite Fancy Cat Furniture. More of a dog person? We've got you covered! See our Best Accessories and Tech Essentials for Your Dog guide.
Updated April 2025: We've overhauled this guide for the current year and added the Omlet Freestyle Indoor Cat Tree, Mau Kona End Table Scratcher, Kong Kickeroo, Sofolor Interactive Cat Toy, Catstages Interactive Cat Treat Puzzle, Silvervine Chew Sticks, Da Bird, Feather Mice, Tkenpro 2K Pet Camera Treat Dispenser, and Enabot Rola PetPal Robot Pet Companion. We've updated prices throughout.
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Basic Cat Rules and Tips
Don't listen to the cat haters: Cats do form a connection with their human owners. While they may be more low-maintenance than dogs, they still require thoughtful care. Here are some basic dos and don'ts when owning a cat.
Do: Separate food and water. Use multiple litter boxes for multiple cats. Give them ways to hunt their food. Ensure they get exercise and playtime. Give them places to hide and feel safe. Regularly trim their nails. Give them love and affection!
Don't: Declaw them. Leave them unattended around these toxic plants. Accidentally harm them with common essential oils like eucalyptus. Feed them a vegan diet, milk (yes, really), or these other toxic foods.
Finding cat toys that your cat will actually love is very hit-or-miss. We love interactive toys—everything on this list are the toys that our cats actually played with. All of the toys also have an element to help engage their natural instincts to hunt prey, like a fun kicker toy or a puzzle toy so your cat has to use their pecan-sized brain to get rewarded with delicious, smelly treats.
Cats like to jump and climb whatever they can, so a cat tree should help keep them occupied and off your mantel or breakable glassware. Our favorite cat trees are made from materials that can be scratched up, and our favorite window perch lets cats responsibly interact with the outside world. We also have a guide to the fanciest cat furniture we've tried if you really want the full scoop, but here are some other notable favorites when it comes to cat furniture and toys:
A lick mat is a great way to add enrichment and stimulation—plus, it helps them promote slow eating (and less throwing up). I also have this set of two cute fish-shaped lick mats for each of my kitties, and it's a fun way to give them a treat while promoting slow feeding and stimulation. I put Churu purée with some added water to help sneakily add more hydration to their snacks.
When you live in a small apartment, everything you decorate with matters because it's all on display—nothing gets hidden when you only have one to three rooms. Some of us want our cat's furniture to match too. Mau's Cat Tree is one of former reviewer Madea Giordano's favorites. If you can afford it, your cats will thank you.
More than just a cat tree, Freestyle lets you customize your own indoor or outdoor cat jungle gym from a series of bamboo platforms, beds, ramps, hammocks, and scratchers. The platforms are sturdy enough to support cats of any size or activity level, and the poles can accommodate ceilings up to 14 feet. The system is not inexpensive or especially easy to put together, but my cats Circe and Scylla spend every single day on theirs, making it worth the investment. —Kat Merck
Mau is known for its high-end and tasteful cat furniture (including the Cento cat tree, above), and its new Kona side table fits right into the lineup with a midcentury mod vibe and scratching pad discreetly tucked into the back. The solid-wood table is very heavy and well made, with options for an oak or walnut finish. It didn’t dissuade my cats from scratching the chair it’s next to, but it does come with a bag of catnip to help with encouragement. This table is popular and often sold out, but you can sign up on Mau’s website to be notified of the next restock. —Kat Merck
Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano loved these window seats because they are a great way for cats to bask in the sun and keep a watchful eye on the neighborhood while safely indoors. They're easy to install too, with sticky strips that attach to your window sill that can hold up to 40 pounds. You can also nail the base into the window frame, and there are even heated seats for super-spoiled kitties. The covers are removable and can be machine-washed. Heads up, you'll need a window sill at least 2 inches deep to properly support it.
If you can't figure out which kind of toy your cats will like, or you just want them to be refreshed every so often, Meowbox is a great subscription. You can choose to get deliveries every one or two months, and they include both treats and incredibly cute toys with an equally cute theme. Plus, for every box sold, the company gives food to a shelter. You can see exactly where on its website.
Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano's cats also went nuts for this Ripple Rug. The bottom piece stays in place while the top can be configured into different shapes for playing (or hunting), and you can reshape it as often as you wish. The material feels like felt but is made from 24 post-consumer plastic bottles and can withstand sharp claws.
All three of our cats love the Kong Kickeroo, and it has been one of the most long-lived cat toys we have ever bought. Bodhi is our eldest cat and rarely plays with toys anymore, but even he can’t resist the Kickeroo. It’s the perfect shape to grab and claw at with his back paws, and it has a tail, mixed textures, and crinkly material inside with a touch of catnip. We also tried the smaller model, but it was quickly chewed through, while the larger one has lasted for years. —Simon Hill
My extremely spoiled cats never interact with a toy for more than five minutes, but they play with this interactive cat toy for hours on end. It has three modes so cats never get bored: normal, active, and interactive, and it shuts off automatically after a period of time not being used. It has a simple USB charger and a button that controls everything, plus it comes with a replacement wand in case your cats are as rough-and-tumble as mine. Although this is a bit more than I like to spend on cat toys, it was the best purchase I've made this year.
One of my cats is an extremely intelligent, high-energy cat who's also very food motivated, so it is a continual challenge to find things to keep him entertained—not to mention, I also have to make sure he doesn't inhale his food. With this toy, you can cover up the treats with the leaves or put them only in the cups for an extra challenge—I love that this puzzle toy is totally customizable based on your cat’s intelligence level. I have both the Melon Madness and Buggin’ Out models, and even years later, my cats are still entertained by them. I call that a good investment.
My overactive cat Basil is one of roughly 40 percent of cats that don't react to catnip, which is a bummer because he gets FOMO watching his sister go wild. Luckily, both of my cats go crazy for these simple sticks. It helps them engage with natural kicking instincts and redirects aggressive chewing from my iPhone cord.
I’ve had seven cats over the past 20 years, and every single one of them has been obsessed with this interactive toy. And not just any wand toy, this one specifically and its original feather attachment, which uses the same swivel mechanism as a fishing lure to create movement through the air that registers as 100 percent authentic to cats. There are other attachments available, like fur “mice,” but nothing hits quite like the original feather cluster. Make sure you stock up on refills, in case your cat finds the wand in the middle of the night and has its way with it. (Speaking from experience.) —Kat Merck
Did you know there are “bird” cats and “mouse” cats? Most cats actually prefer to hunt specific types prey, and I’ve seen this play out in my own house. Even though they’re litter mates, one of my indoor cats clearly prefers to leap at flying things (birds) and the other likes to hide and leap out at things down low (mice). They both enjoy these toys—they’re fuzzy like mice but feathered like birds, with some catnip for added interest. I recommend putting them away when playtime is finished to keep interest fresh, and to remove the bell if you don’t want to hear jingling in the middle of the night. —Kat Merck
This treat-dispensing pet cam has PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) capabilities and crystal clear live videofeed, and you can take photos and record video from it. Through the app, you can pan the camera nearly 360 degrees, listen in on the goings-on while you're away, and talk to your pet through the microphone. If just being a security camera wasn't enough, you can also schedule regular feedings through the app or toss them a kibble snack whenever you feel like it. Do we need to combine security cameras and treat dispensers? Why not?
Is it a toy? Is it a security camera? Is it a treat dispenser? There's no need to decide! While my cats were more curious about it than excited to play with this li'l robot, it did keep their attention, which is a win in my book. The app can be a bit glitchy, and the robot is by no means smart, but it is a camera you can move about your house while you're away, and it'll roll, slam into objects, and shoot treats out at your confused cats.
Other Essentials We Keep Going Back To:
- The Chom Chom Roller Pet Hair Remover ($25) is universally beloved among all pet-owning WIRED reviewers. This nifty gadget makes it easy to de-fur virtually any surface. We use them every single day. It's efficient, doesn't fill up too quickly, and emptying it takes just seconds.
- Basepaws' Breed + Health Cat DNA Test ($160) test tells you if your cat is clear, a carrier, at risk, or at high risk of numerous metabolic, cardiovascular, eye, blood, endocrine, renal, autoimmune, skin, musculoskeletal, and connective tissue disorders, as well as blood type, transfusion risk, and other traits. Any cat can develop a sickness or dental problems, but having a baseline can alleviate anxieties and empower you to work with your vet to make the best life choices for your cat. —Louryn Strampe
- We love this basic but reliable stainless steel Owala Pet Bowl ($30). Stainless steel is much more hygienic than plastic, which can easily harbor harmful bacteria and cause problems like cat acne.
- The Yeowww! Banana Catnip Toy ($9) has been the single most loved toy by all of former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano's cats.
