17 Best Cat Toys for Bored Cats (Entertainment Guaranteed)

A bored cat is a force of nature. When not adequately entertained, they claw your furniture, tussle with the rug, and wreak havoc on your house.

With that in mind, what are the best cat toys for bored cats?

Jump to:

• 17 Best Cat Toys for Bored Cats
• 1. Flopping Fish
• 2. Cattraction with Silvervine
• 3. Petstages Puzzle Toy
• 4. Catit Sense Circuit Toy
• 5. SmartyKat Concealed Motion
• 6. Petlibro Electronic Mouse
• 7. Running Wheel
• 8. Cat Toy Roller
• 9. Automatic Laser Toy
• 10. Interactive Treat Maze
• 11. Trixie Mad Scientist Toy
• 12. Yeowww! Catnip Banana
• 13. Cat Tree
• 14. PetSafe Cheese Toy
• 15. Scratch-and-Roll Toy
• 16. Catnip Mouse
• 17. Flutter Bug
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

17 Best Cat Toys for Bored Cats

Not all cat toys are created equally. Here are the 17 best cat toys for bored cats. With luck, they keep your cat entertained and your furniture intact.

1. Flopping Fish

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The fish is motion-triggered and responds to poking and prodding from your cat with robotic flopping. It’s an excellent way to stimulate a cat’s prey drive. And since the fish never does the same thing twice, the unpredictability keeps your cat interested.

Pros:

• Fish speed changes to keep the cat guessing
• Activated by touch from cat
• Designed for kicking/wrestling

Cons:

• Can be noisy
• Not suitable for nervous/easily-frightened cats

2. Cattraction with Silvervine

Catnip is notorious for its effect on cats. Less well-known is silvervine, a catnip alternative that’s even more potent.

The feathers on this toy make an ideal lure for cats with honed hunting instincts, while the elongated shape is perfect for wrestling.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Appeals to hunting instincts
• Embroidered eyes make for safer play and fewer choking hazards

Cons:

• Feathers could be a choking hazard
• Nose falls off easily 

3. Petstages Puzzle Toy

Puzzle toys take a bit of planning because you must remember to stock them with treats before you leave for work. But they are an excellent way to keep a food-motivated cat entertained while you are out of the house.

One of the advantages of the Bugging Out puzzle toy is that it has different levels of challenge.

Pros:

• Two puzzle levels for a variety of challenges
• Good for food-motivated cats
• Affordable

Cons:

• Clever cats can solve quickly
• Must remember to top up before leaving for work

4. Catit Sense Circuit Toy

Wondering, ‘How do I keep my cat entertained while I’m at work?’ Catit Senses is an excellent answer. The toy features a track and a ball that rolls through it.

Leave sections of the tunnel uncovered while your cat learns how to engage with the Catit circuit, and soon they’ll spend hours chasing something besides their tail.

Pros:

• Variety of set-ups
• Uncovering the track offers easier play
• Works with Catit Fireball with flashing lights for extra stimulation

Cons:

• Ball doesn’t roll independently
• Takes up significant floor space

5. SmartyKat Concealed Motion

Lure toys like fishing poles are ideal for when you are home to play with your cat. But what are the best cat toys for bored cats?

SmartyKat offers a potential answer with their Concealed Motion Toy. Press the center button, and a lure moves independently around the sheet.

Pros:

• Several play speeds
• Provides exercise for indoor cats
• Stimulates hunting instincts

Cons:

• Battery-operated
• Must press the button to initiate the toy

6. Petlibro Electronic Mouse

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The Petlibro Electronic Mouse is another of the best cat toys for bored cats. Its LED display is safer than a laser pointer and gets your cat’s attention. It moves like a mouse navigates obstacles independently. 

Pros:

• LED is safer than a laser and catches a cat’s attention
• Moves unpredictably
• Autonomously starts and stops, initiating play with the cat

Cons:

• Can get stuck under/in front of objects
• Requires charging

7. Running Wheel

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The Cat Running Wheel is another of the best toys for bored cats. Indoor cats, especially, are more prone to obesity than their outdoor contemporaries.

A cat running wheel combats that problem. Provided you leave the break off while at work, your cat can get hours of exercise and entertainment from it.

It’s noise-free and easy to clean between uses. However, it can take up a considerable amount of space. It’s also more expensive than any other toy on this list.

Pros:

• Noise-free
• Easy to clean
• Provides exercise for indoor cats

Cons:

• Takes up space
• Expensive 

8. Cat Toy Roller

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The UPSKY cat toy roller is another of the best toys for bored cats.

The wonderful thing about this ball-based toy is that all your cat needs to do to initiate play is give one of the balls a swat.

It’s also ideal for multi-cat households. Several cats can use the toy simultaneously without complications. That can foster bonding between cats and encourage wrestling and socialization.

Pros:

• Can be used by several cats
• Balls can’t fall off track or get lost
• Affordable

Cons:

• Bells inside ball
• Requires some assembly

9. Automatic Laser Toy

Cats love laser toys. It used to be the case that you needed to point and click a laser to make your cat chase it, but the Automatic Laser changes that.

Now all you need to do is switch it on. The laser rotates on its own, with none of the potential dangers of shining the light in your cat’s eyes.

Pros:

• Automated play
• Opportunities for exercise
• Hones hunting instincts

Cons:

• Battery powered
• Cats may get frustrated that they can’t catch the laser

10. Interactive Treat Maze

The Interactive Treat Maze is another variation of the puzzle toy. You can fill it with toys, treats, or catnip and keep your cat entertained for hours.

The openings are big enough for a cat to stick their paws in but small enough to offer some challenge. It’s an excellent way to provide environmental enrichment for bored cats.

Pros:

• Alleviates boredom
• Affordable
• Can be used by multiple cats at once

Cons:

•  May not survive aggressive chewing
• Inquisitive cats may try to climb into the box and become trapped

11. Trixie Mad Scientist Toy

Trixie does some excellent puzzle toys. This one, shaped like a test-tube set, doubles as a slow feeder.

It offers several levels of challenge for cats of all abilities. It also reduces boredom and weight gain by forcing your cat to gobble its treats slowly.

Pros:

• Slow feeder as well as toy
• Various levels of puzzle
• Can be used by several cats

Cons:

• Somewhat complicated assembly
• Certain puzzle levels may be too difficult for a cat without training

12. Yeowww! Catnip Banana

Sometimes the best cat toys for bored cats don’t have to be complicated. Yeowww! Catnip Banana kicker is a fantastic example.

It’s packed with high-quality, potent catnip that should appeal to the most indifferent cat. When the catnip lessens, spray it with your favorite catnip spray, and your cat will resume playing.

Pros:

• Affordable
• No choking hazards
• Durable

Cons:

• Not refillable
• Difficult to wash

13. Cat Tree

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Cat climbing trees are another way to entertain your cat and add vertical space to its environment.

This cat climber offers various vantage points to surveil territory. There’s also:

• A cube for cave-loving cats
• Hammock for sleeping
• Dangling lures for independent play

Pros:

• Enriches cat’s environment
• Provides several sleeping/lounging spaces
• Includes toys for independent play

Cons:

• Takes up space
• Assembly required

14. PetSafe Cheese Toy

This whimsical cat toy features a mouse that autonomously pokes out from a cheese-shaped block.

The mouse operates on a timer to keep your cat guessing and nurture their hunting instincts.

It’s also available in several other models, including a robotic rat and a peek-a-boo-style bird.

Pros:

• Several styles to choose from
• Automated timer makes play unpredictable
• Works without human interaction

Cons:

• Batteries necessary but not included
• Mouse replacements are hard to find 

15. Scratch-and-Roll Toy

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One of the reasons Scratch-and-Roll makes one of the best toys for bored cats is that it’s multipurpose.

It features a central cardboard scratching post and an exterior ring with a ball. The ball can be batted to stimulate prey instincts, while the scratching post encourages scratching something besides your furniture.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Multipurpose
• Ball doesn’t rattle/jingle

Cons:

• Requires some assembly
• Ball hard to replace

16. Catnip Mouse

Catnip mice are a staple of the cat entertainment roster. SmartyKat’s mice are free of choking hazards.

They are full of potent catnip designed to encourage your cat to play and wrestle with colorful mice.

Pros:

• No choking hazards
• Affordable
• Multi-sensory appeal

Cons:

• Not all cats respond to catnip
• Catnip degrades with time and needs spraying to keep your cat continually interested 

17. Flutter Bug

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There are two versions of the Flutter Bug cat toy, and both are among the best cat toys for bored cats.

One uses a charger and integrates a ball tower for more play options. The other is battery-powered and only features the automated butterfly.

Both rotate the butterfly at various speeds, providing your cat with an opportunity to exercise and indulge their hunting instincts.

Pros:

• Several models available
• Butterfly turns at several speeds
• Affordable

Cons:

• Butterfly too fast for some cats
• Batteries not included

Frequently Asked Questions

Still looking for the best cat toy for bored cats? Here are other questions people ask about finding the right toy for their favorite feline.

Conclusion

Most cat owners choose between having cats or good-looking furniture. The best cat toys for bored cats strive to give you both. They offer hours of entertainment and divert your cat from clawing the furniture, wrestling the rug, or knocking stuff off of high shelves.

And because they range from automated toys to catnip mice, there’s something out there to entertain every cat's tastes.