Since you’re here, there’s a good chance you already know why playing with your cat is so important.
Yet like most things in life, understanding why we should be doing some thing is very different from actually doing it.
E.g. I know I should be eating more vegetables. But when push comes to shove, that pepperoni pizza just has far more appeal (extra onions, anyone? That counts as a serving of veggies, right?!).
Similarly, we all want to do what’s best for our feline friends. Which, in this case, means playing with them every day. But the cost of toys can quickly add up, especially if your cat gets bored or destroys them faster than most.
That’s why we put together this guide to help you find the best cat toy for any budget.
Best Cat Toy Under $5
Wouldn’t it be nice if all cat toys cost less than five bucks? Once upon a time, this was the case.
Unfortunately, thanks to inflation, there are very few truly budget options that remain. In fact, we were only able to find two products worth recommending:
Catstages Nighttime Catnip Rolls (3-Pack)
Expectations were low when we first stumbled upon these online. After reading a few reviews however, we had to give them a try. Spoiler alert: they did NOT disappoint!
Granted, this is not an interactive cat toy, so it wouldn’t be our first choice if you’re just getting started with building out your arsenal.
But for solo play, it’s hard to go wrong with these amazingly fun little guys.
This product was recommended to us a long time ago by a friend. They claimed it was “the best $5 (actually slightly less as of today) you’ll ever spend on your kitty”.
After getting our paws on one, we tend to agree. Super simple design – it’s basically a few pieces of cardboard on a thick metal wire:
Although The Cat Dancer isn’t built to last like some of the higher priced options, it provides an excellent bang for your buck. At < $5, it’s one of the most affordable cat toys we’ve tested.
Best Cat Toy Under $15
Admittedly, spending more than ten dollars on a cat toy isn’t cheap.
But this is where we generally find some solid options that perform well without breaking the bank. Here are our two top picks:
One reason we really like the Petsie Feather Teaser Wand is because it is an affordable, all-in-one “kit”.
If you are new to playing with your cat and are trying to figure out what kind of toys they prefer, this would be a great place to start.
It comes with two rods and 11 attachments to make swapping toys much more convenient.
The Petsie Feather Teaser Wand would also be a good choice for kittens, since they tend to be less discerning with regards to what they’ll play with.
Don’t expect it to last forever, but for the price, it’s hard to beat.
Best Cat Toy Under $25
Spending close to twenty dollars on a cat toy can seem pricey. However, this is where we have found the majority of our favorite picks.
Also, toys at this price point tend to last much longer than their cheaper counterparts, making them better for the environment (and also your wallet in the long run).
RompiCatz (Critter Collector Series)
As far as interactive cat toys go, these are the gold standard (one of the few things both of our in-house experts can agree on).
We have tried and tested nearly every toy in the Critter Collector Series and have not found a single one we didn’t like. That said, our two favorites are the BugzBird and the Cattipeed.
Admittedly, these are the opposite of cheap, but the craftsmanship and handmade quality make them a perfect example of the saying, “you get what you pay for.”
The amount of playtime we have gotten from one single attachment makes it worth more than a garbage bag full of cheaper, lower quality lures.
In fact, we have not managed to destroy a single one yet, and BugzBird has been in near-daily rotation for more than eight months strong! Truly an impressive feat, if you ask us.
At first, we weren’t sure what to make of this one. Is it a toy? A playmat? A toy enhancer?!
Turns out it’s all of these things – and more! We have been impressed with just how versatile and unique this product is.
It also comes with a few strips of Velcro and a wiffle ball attachment which is super fun for starters. Fawn was a big fan (see video above). But really the possibilities here are limited only by your imagination.
Perhaps the best thing about Sheer Fun for Cats is its unique ability to breath new life into old toys. Lay it on top of a turbo scratcher, toy mouse, or really anything that has lost its luster with your finicky felines, and like magic, old toys suddenly seem new again.
Conclusion
One thing to keep in mind when shopping for cat toys is that the pricier toys generally tend to last much longer. Instead of viewing price in isolation, try to see things through the lens of value instead.
For example, a $5 toy sounds “cheaper” than a $10 one. Yet if the former only lasts a week while the latter provides three months of daily use, spending twice as much will actually save you money in the long run.
That said, we have found that keeping a stash of toys from various price points and rotating them every few days is the best way to make them last as long as possible.
Happy Hunting!
P.S. Do you have tips or product recommendations you’d like to share with us? Are there any toys you would like to see reviewed in future posts?
Leave us a comment below, we’d love to hear from you!