5 Toys Every Cat Needs

These toys double as a fun way to exercise and a way to keep the nails nice and sharp! We all know how much cats love to scratch things. This is a cheap and simple way to keep your cat from clawing up the furniture and keep them busy when you don’t have time to play with them. They come in different styles, colors, and the cardboard center is replaceable.

You don’t need an expensive one, but the rougher your cat plays, the more you will need to spend! A popular one by cat parents everywhere is “Da Bird” but I find that with my rough playing cat, it is a better choice to just get a standard wand with feathers and bells at the end. All pet shops carry them and they range from $3 to $10. This depends on the number of feathers and how long they will last. 

Some cats like bell balls, others like fluffy mice. I have never met a cat that didn’t enjoy these! These small colorful mice are inexpensive, sturdy, and cats simply love them. They are very inexpensive which is a bonus for all cat lovers. Each one also has catnip in them so there is no need to buy any, just get new mice every few months for a new fix! Keep some in a zip-lock baggy to keep the catnip fresher. 

No, this is not a joke! A simple medium-sized cardboard box is enough to keep even the laziest playing cat happy. My one cat sleeps more than anything and when I give him a new cardboard box, he is like a kitten again! Mind you, he is considered a senior. I throw some nip in it with a few toys and he has a ball for a good 20 minutes then falls asleep inside it. You don’t need expensive beds. A box will do just fine! Not a fan of leaving boxes lying around the house? Cat cubes are a great alternative that most cats enjoy!

This is the most expensive thing you will likely ever buy your cat. You want to spend more so it lasts you years. Every cat should have one, be it a short one or one that hits the ceiling. A great place to put it is close to a window. This way it will double as a window perch for your cat, which is especially important for indoor-only cats. Buy the shape according to your cat’s activity level. Less active cats won’t use full-scale trees, nor will older cats. Kittens and highly active cats should have a tree that is at least 5 feet tall. Again, keeping it by a window will be much appreciated by your kitty and they will be more likely to use it on a daily basis.