Life
These Stimulating Toys Will Keep Your Overactive Cat Busy When You Can’t
Got a cat that's a real ball of energy? While some get more docile with age, others never lose that buzzy, energetic streak they first had as kittens, which is something that the best cat toys for active cats are designed to directly cater to and nurture.
What makes certain toys a better fit for sprightly cats than others? It's simple: you need to find toys that are more interactive. From laser pointers that can be controlled even when you're not at home to peek-a-boo picks that'll keep frisky kittens on their paws, the toys that make the most impact on high-spirited felines are the ones that fill playtime with fun surprises. This is important because when cats get bored (especially highly active ones), they're more likely to unleash all that bottled-up energy in destructive ways, like on your stuff.
If your little buddy is always bouncing off the walls, clawing up your furniture, and getting into serious mischief, cat toys like the ones featured below are going to feel like a total life-saver. Unlike other ones, like cat toys for older pets, these automatic options really help make playtime more memorable because your cat's energy is funneled into healthier and more productive avenues. They're also super-cute, too.
1A Peek-A-Boo Toy That Curious Kitties Will Love
This cheesy toy offers cats an exciting way to play peek-a-boo, whether you're around or not to see them do it. Two mice pop out of each side of this Swiss cheese-shaped block, so it can easily accommodate play in multi-cat households. It comes with several modes, including a Play While You Are Away mode, which means this battery-operated toy will shut itself off and re-power up throughout the day, even while you're gone, so your cats never get bored.
2A Self-Rotating Ball To Keep Cats Guessing All Day Long
Your cats will definitely have a ball with this toy, which will give them something to chase all day long if you choose. Designed to rotate all on its own, this ball moves around continuously while producing a red light, which is sure to attract your pet's attention. Since it balances on its own and is shaped like a sphere, it's nimble as it moves and automatically changes direction when it collides into a wall, chair, door, or anything else, so you don't need to adjust anything once you get it going. Indoor cats won't have time to sit around and feel restless while this is moving around, because the whole purpose of this toy is to get kitties up and moving, and find a creative outlet for all that pent-up energy.
3A Track Toy That Appeals To Your Cat's Natural Hunting Instincts
Get your energetic cat on the right track with this toy from Catit, which scores high marks with cat parents for its durability, versatility, and appeal. With more than 3,000 rave reviews on Amazon, this track toy comes with a motion-activated ball that flashes up as it rolls around within the partially covered track that's provided. The openness allows cats to swat and chase the ball as it moves while simultaneously complimenting your cat's hunting instincts. Reviewers say this toy works especially well with high-energy kittens, and that one of the great advantages is that you can add additional tracks to it, so cats can have an even more immersive experience.
4An Automatic Laser Pointer Toy That'll Literally Have Your Cat Bouncing Off The Walls
Catnip is liable to turn even the sassiest, meanest feline into a goofy, utterly hilarious mess. The same is pretty true for laser pointers, although for completely different reasons. Most cats get excited over laser pointers because they're so vibrant, they dart around so quickly, and they can turn any surface in your home into a fun playground. For active cats that are always chasing things down as it is, this is basically a win-win. What makes this laser pointer toy an exception above the rest is that it's actually automatic, meaning you cat set this toy up to run when you're not home and can even operate it remotely from your own devices. As it goes, it'll send out a funny LED dot that circles, spins, and moves at varying speeds in ways that's great for sensory stimulation. Interactive and perfect for promoting healthy exercise, this is one toy you definitely don't want to pass up.
5An Interactive Teaser Toy For When Your Cat's At Its Most Spastic
Teaser toys are generally great if you're looking for a way to bond with your pet during playtime and not, you know, get scratched up in the process. This electric teaser toy is different, though, because unlike the manual ones you're probably used to, this toy can operate all on its own and keep your cat stimulated forever. It's equipped with two flashing butterflies, which are sure to catch your feline's eye; plus it has a sturdy, skid-proof base so it can spin around at random. As it does, this battery-operated device gives the butterflies the effect of fluttering, and that continues even once they're in your cat's clutches. Pretty neat, right?
6A Cat Tree For Frisky Felines That Love To Climb
You might experience second-hand vertigo the first time you get this ginormous cat tree set up, especially when you see how this one looks compared to other ones that are big, bulky, and designed with comfort in mind, not just activity. Because that's the thing: with this cat tree — which is lined with ultra-soft faux fur and made with natural sisal posts for durability — you're not giving your cats a palace to perch from. You're giving highly active cats a way to claw, climb, and scratch until their savage (but adorable) little hearts are content. While it does come with two hammocks, this 116-inch tree is really a better fit for athletic felines that will use this as a way to spazz even more than they already do. "Awesome space saver for a cat who loves to climb," wrote one reviewer. Another raved: "[My cats] are indoor cats and I think they are happier now that they have something to climb on and to claw. That's another terrific thing about the cat tree: they haven't clawed any of my books, furniture, etc since I bought the tree!"
7A Mysterious Toy That's Designed To Mimic The Thrill Of The Hunt
Cats are curious by nature, and you'll be hard-pressed to find one that can resist the mystery of something that keeps moving around at rapid speed underneath fabric. This kind of game-playing really sparks a cat's imagination, and with the Mystery Motion cat toy from PetLinks, you can give your pet something completely unexpected and oh-so-satisfying, all at once. Designed to mimic the thrill of the hunt, this will get your pet to run, leap, pounce, and chase, since the toy in the center (some models include a mouse; the one pictured here has a feather) goes around in circles under the fabric in dashing, darting ways. Since your cat's brain is kind of hardwired to hone in on these kinds of movements, they're sure to go nuts over this, but in a really fun way.
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