Best toys for kittens. Our top 9 toys for kittens!
Kittens have so much energy and they love to play! This can be a combination of play time with you, and time when they entertain themselves. It is important that kittens are provided with a stimulating and safe environment, to be entertained and to have their natural instincts satisfied. Spending a little time every day playing games with your kitten will boost your relationship and is a great way to get to know and understand each other better. Other benefits of play time with your kitten includes:
- Exercise for your kitten, helping their bones and muscles to develop and grow strong and healthy
- It can be a great tool for helping kittens to get along and become friends, and to settle in with older cats
- Build the trust between you and your cat
- Playtime relieves stress, anxiety and behavioural problems. Playtime for your kitten is just as important as feeding and keeping them safe and warm.
Here are our top 9 toys for kitten fun time!
1. A tunnel
This has to be our ultimate favourite toy for a kitten – a play tunnel. Kittens are so inquisitive and love to explore. A tunnel satisfies the need for investigation and adventure especially if it has peep holes and dangling toys too! Join in the fun with your kitten by lightly scratching the top of the tunnel or play peek a boo with a toy on a stick peeping at the edge or through the hidey holes on the top. We can guarantee this will keep a playful kitten amused for a very long time. Young adult cats, and even older cats will also enjoy some tunnel play time too. Most tunnels can be easily folded up for storage. The choice on the market is vast.
One of our favourites is this Tempore Cat Tunnel which ticks all the boxes. It has a peep hole, a dangling toy and is easily foldable. The tunnel is made from a strong polyester which is tear resistant – essential for young kittens.
2. Wand toys
A wand toy may seem like one of the most basic kitten toy but very often it’s the simplest toys that can provide the greatest amount of fun. This toy will need your interaction – by itself it will provide no entertainment! Chasing prey is an instinct even in the youngest of kittens. seeing something move will catch their eye and trigger their curiosity. When using a wand toy to play with your kitten try to mimic real life movements of a prey. Stop and start the toy at the end of the wand, make it move fast then slow. It may be handy to have a couple of these in hand, these toys can have a pretty hard time from an energetic kitten!
This set from SillyPet is just one of many easily available online, and with spare wands and various attachments if should provides plenty of fun for quite a while.
3. A cat play mat / activity centre
Just like the activity play mats that are available for babies, there are play mats especially designed for cats. They are based on the same concept as baby play mats – hanging toys above a comfortable cushioned mat. As we love to recycle in our house, we used our old baby mat, which our children had outgrown, for our kittens to enjoy. This is still a much loved item by our two cats, not so much now for the hanging toys, but more of a comfortable place to relax and have a nap. Check out our article ’10 ways to become a green, environmentally, eco-friendly cat owner’ on other tops tips for recycling, upcycling and becoming more environmentally friendly.
This cat play mat by Petmaker is both stylish and practical and will please both you and your kitten.
4. Catit Super Roller Circuit
Catit products are a huge hit in our kitty household. The products are well made, sturdy and have been made with the cats best interests at heart. This was one of the first toys we bought our kittens and it’s still played by them today as adult cats. This Super Roller Circuit has alternating high and low sections so that the motion-activated illuminated ball moves around the circuit at different speeds. There are large openings along the circuit to entice the cats to reach in safely and swipe the ball along. Other circuits and toys in the range can be added to this set up.
5. Plenty of play balls
You can never have too many balls for your kitten to play with. They will forever be swiped under the sofa, under the furniture and some will disappear to the unknown hidden world of kitten toy land! A simple toy can very often the the most played with. Balls with bells, with feathers, some laced with catnip, some which light up! This kind of play will encourage your kitten to swipe, roll, chase and pounce. This is something that a kitten can keep herself amused with or enjoy a game with you. The play balls with bells are the go to choice in our household. This pack of 48 multi coloured balls from Chiwava should keep your kitten busy for a while.
6. A ripple rug
This is a product that we’ve only just come across and we’ve yet to try it out but The Ripple Rug certainly seems to tick all the boxes when looking for the ideal toy for a kitten. Kittens love to hide, scratch, play, pounce and sleep. This product can be changed into different shapes and designs to fit the differing needs of a kitten. It is made in the US from recycled material and is tough enough to withstand those sharp claws. We love it!
7. A squeaking, chirping toy
The Gigwi range of toys come highly recommended. We find them to be durable, well made and provide fun and entertainments for our kittens and cats. The motion sensor, melodic range of toys comes in a choice of creatures for your kitten to play with – a mouse, bird, cricket, hedgehog or parrot. The toy makes a realistic noise when it’s touched by the kitten. A must have toy for your kitten for sure.
8. Chew toys
Just like our human babies, kittens go through a teething stage. These milk teeth appear in the first 3 to 4 weeks of a kitten’s life. The first milk tooth is usually lost at about 3-4 months and by the time the kitten is around 9 months old adult teeth should have come through. Kitten teething toys will help kittens through the teething stages which can sometime be painful and a little sore. But providing them with suitable toys to chew, this will be safer for the kittens, and protect furniture, shoes or whatever else they may fancy chewing!
The Petstages range of dental chew toys are excellent, and are a firm favourite with many pet owners. These toys are designed to massage the sore gums which will relieve some of the teething pain. The chew toys are also beneficial to adult cats to maintain good dental health. These Petsatges Catnip Chew Mice are just one of a wide choice in their fabulous range.
9. Play tower / cat tree
If you are welcoming a kitten to your household for the first time, you are about to discover how much they love to climb, scratch, play, hide and sleep! A good sturdy cat tree can tick all of these boxes. For a more detailed look at how beneficial cat trees can be, please read our article ‘Does my cat need a cat tree? A complete cat tree guide!‘ There is a specific section in this article on what to look for when buying a cat tree for your kitten. This one from rabbitgoo has a hammock, a scratch post, a place to hide and looks very stylish in grey too!
Safety tips for kitten toys and play times
At the end of a play session with your kitten ALWAYS put away any toys that are deemed unsafe to be left unsupervised. It’s a very similar criteria to safety with a young child. Anything with string, wool or cord could get caught around a kitten’s neck. Kittens chew and eat many things that they shouldn’t so ensure wool, string and other such tempting chewable items are out of sight and reach of your kitten.
Check toys regularly so ensure nothing has become loose or worn or have any sharp edges. If the filling is starting to come out of soft toys then it’s time to throw them away and get some new ones.
Inspect any new toys too to ensure they are safe. Buy toys from reputable manufacturers. Ensure they are suitable for kittens.
Never leave plastic bags around, they are sure to be curious with the rustling noise and start investigating.
Ensure there are no small items such as small plastic pieces, elastic bands, old balloons etc around.
If you make a home-made toy, ensure all materials used are safe and nontoxic. Avoid adding any small decorative pieces which could come off when played with, your cat may swallow them.
Last but not least -have fun! Enjoy your new bundles of joy!
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Other articles you may find of interest:
18 games to play with your cat
Why do cats need a scratching post?
Does my cat need a cat tree? A complete cat tree guide!
Where should my cat sleep? Where do cats sleep outside?
