The Best Cat Toys for Your Furry Friend (2025)

Cats are beautiful, interesting, weird creatures. They’re also very picky. Finding cat 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 furniture). 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.

We love interactive cat toys—everything on this list we’ve tested over the years and our cats actually play with. All of these toys also have an element to help engage their natural instincts, like an interactive mat that mimics prey’s movements, or a puzzle toy so your cat has to use their pecan-sized brain to get rewarded with delicious treats.

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 June 2025: We’ve added Wisdom Panel Cat DNA test, 5Strands Intolerances & Imbalances Test, Uproot Clean Pro, VIWIK Interactive Cat Toy Mat, Knead Therapeutic Bed, Desk Nest Cat Bed, Valonii Motion Activated Cat Laser Toy, Petcube Play 2, and Cat Dancer Interactive Cat Toy. We’ve updated prices and links throughout.

Photograph: Mau

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. (We also have a guide to the fanciest cat furniture we’ve tried if you really want the full scoop.) 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 WIRED reviewer Madea Giordano’s favorites. If you can afford it, your cats will thank you.

Photograph: Kat Merck

Omlet

Freestyle Indoor Cat Tree

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

Photograph: Kat Merck

Mau

Kona End Table Scratcher

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

Photograph: Medea Giordano

K&H Pet Products

Kitty Sill Cat Window Perch

Our favorite window perch lets cats responsibly interact with the outside world. 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.

Courtesy of Knead

This cat bed has memory foam sculpted contour mattress base with a super cozy (removable and washable) nano heating and volcanic particle-infused cover. It has a button on the side with different heat settings, including timed heatings. It has optional self-heating natural herb pad attachments for further pain relief and to help reduce arthritic inflammation, which is especially ideal for senior cats. The sculpted bed is specially contoured to provide orthopedic support for the cat’s joints. Pro tip: Put the bed on a higher surface or somewhere the cats already lounge. Cats love to be off the ground, and once I moved this on top of my side desk, both of my cats lay in it constantly.

Photograph: Molly Higgins

I’ve been getting Instagram ads for this stylish bed that attaches to your desk for so long, I had to cave and see if it was worth the hype. Especially since I have a very needy cat who loves to lounge on my laptop while I’m WFH. This bed is easy to assemble, with an arm that screws into the wooden base and a screwed vice to keep the bed in place on the desk. It has adjustable vertical height and the base also rotates. Just make sure you measure the surface you want to attach it to before you buy. My desk was too thick, and my side table was too thin—luckily they sent additional planks to add into the screwed vice to make it sturdier, but I haven’t found the purrfect spot for it yet.

Photograph: Meowbox

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.

Photograph: SnugglyCat

Snuggly Cat

The Ripple Rug

Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano’s cats 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

Photograph: Molly Higgins

Sofolor

Interactive Cat Toy

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.

Photograph: Molly Higgins

Viwik

Interactive Cat Toy Mat

My cats go bonkers for interactive play mats, and although this one didn’t keep their attention as much as the play mat above, it’s still a solid choice and provides them with options when it comes to human-free play. The rechargeable rolling ball lights up and moves erratically inside of the mat, which held my cats’ attention for probably half an hour. I put this one away for a day or two and then bring it back out to keep interest. You can even use the rolling ball as a toy outside the mat, but beware that it easily rolls under furniture and in hard-to-reach corners. My biggest gripe is that the rechargeable ball has a short battery life, and needs to be charged after each play session.

Photograph: Molly Higgins

Valonii

Motion Activated Cat Laser Toy

There’s some controversy in the cat-owning community about whether lasers are too frustrating for cats, who may feel like they can never “catch” the “prey” (aka pouncing on the laser dot without actually being able to get it). My cats are both obsessed with laser toys, and it’s a great way for them to get exercise and keep themselves entertained; I just always give them treats after to reward them for a job well done. It has three interactive modes and motion sensor activation to further keep cats’ attention, and it lasts about two days before needing to be recharged.

Photograph: Molly Higgins

Catstages

Interactive Cat Treat Puzzle

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.

Photograph: Amazon

Bawan

Silvervine Chew Sticks

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.

Photograph: Amazon

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

Photograph: Molly Higgins

This pet camera has the ability to control a laser via app, so you can engage in play with your cat even when away, and it aims to auto-engage when motion is detected (but very often it didn’t). Although I wish the motion sensors were a bit more sensitive to engage in play more often while I’m not home, it consistently kept my cats entertained, plus it was fun to be able to play with them through the app from afar.

Photograph: Molly Higgins

Enabot

Rola PetPal Robot Pet Companion

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 than excited to play with this li’l robot, it did keep their attention, which is a win in my book. My cat Basil was obsessed with the toy attachment and loved finding different ways to pull it off. 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. At the end of the day, the robot was great at keeping their attention, which is all we really want in the end.

Other Essentials We Keep Going Back To:

Chom Chom Roller Pet Hair Remover for $25: This tool 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.

Uproot Cleaner Pro for $20: This simple tool is so satisfying to use. It’s small, lightweight, and easily pulls up hair from a variety of carpets and fabrics. I use it religiously on my cat trees and sometimes on my carpets, and it always pulls up fur that’s blind to the naked eye.

Basepaws’ Breed + Health Cat DNA Test for $159: This at home DNA 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.