8 Best Toys for Cats Home Alone (Updated 2018) | Pawsome Kitty

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Best Toys for Cats Home Alone

Although I bet you wish you could spend every waking hour of the day with your kitty, the harsh reality is that you can’t be at home all the time. Somebody’s got to go to work and pay the bills, bring home the groceries and do all the other fun stuff which adult life entails… and your cat sure ain’t going to do any of that!

When you have a kitty or two sitting at home whilst you are out of the house, your cats do more than just nap and that is why you need to invest in the best toys for cats home alone so that they do not get up to anything bad while you are out!

Even if you do not spend much time away from home, cats are hard work and it is great if they have a few toys that they can keep themselves entertained with instead of it being your job all the time! Cats are fickle creatures and need to remain occupied.

Contents

  • Toys for Cats Home Alone Comparison Table
    • PDX Pet Design SHRU the Intelligent Cat Companion
    • PetSafe Bolt Interactive Laser Cat Toy
    • Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy
    • Catit Design Senses Play Circuit
    • Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree
    • Prosper Pet Cat Tunnel
    • The Ripple Rug
    • Petlinks Electronic Motion Cat Toy
  • How to Tell When Your Cat is Bored
    • Why Do I Need Cat Toys?
    • All Cat Toys Are Different
    • How Many Toys Does My Cat Need?
      • The Round Up

Toys for Cats Home Alone Comparison Table

Product Name Easy to clean Materials made from Pricing
PDX Pet Design SHRU the Intelligent Cat Companion Yes Hard plastic body, feather Click Here
PetSafe Bolt Interactive Laser Cat Toy Yes Class IIIa laser product Click Here
Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy Yes Textured scratch pad, ball Click Here
Catit Design Senses Play Circuit Yes Tracks, ball Click Here
Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree Yes Plastic base and body Click Here
Prosper Pet Cat Tunnel Yes Ultra strong, tear-resistant polyester, wires, elastic band Click Here
The Ripple Rug Yes Durable, non-slip polyester carpets Click Here
Petlinks Electronic Motion Cat Toy Yes Recycled Plastic Click Here

PDX Pet Design SHRU the Intelligent Cat Companion

If a simple cat toy does not satisfy your kitty’s curiosity, then SHRU – the Intelligent Cat Companion may just be the ticket. SHRU is an interactive cat toy shaped like an egg, with a feathery tail and a mind of its own.

Created on the advice and in collaboration with feline behaviourists, SHRU is actually designed to wake up your kitty’s inner hunter by mimicking struggle and even playing dead. This smart and modern toy is chargeable by USB and is the perfect high-tech gadget to keep your kitty occupied whilst you’re out of the house.

There are even three different play modes: frisky; sneaky; and scaredy. These are all definitely going to keep your kitty amused when they have the house to themselves.

>> Click here for price on Amazon

PetSafe Bolt Interactive Laser Cat Toy

If you have a cat or a kitten, which has a ton of extra energy, then this interactive laser toy is definitely the right product for you. The laser pointer built into this toy moves around erratically, keeping your cat entertained through running it around the house making it chase the laser for hours.

This is one of the best-selling toys on the market right now. If you have an overly energetic kitty who makes it hard for you to sleep at night, then this toy will work wonders and encourage your cat to expend all this extra energy whilst you are not around.

Plus, it keeps your cat exercised which is just what you want if you have an indoor cat who is beginning to look a bit thick around the thighs.

>> Click here for price on Amazon

Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy

This is a brilliant two-in-one toy which features a durable pet scratcher. This is a great toy if you want to keep your cat entertained for hours on end and prevent your favourite furniture from being scratched up at the same time.

This toy offers a fun ball which spins around the inside of the toy when it is pawed by the cat. This alone keeps them entertained for ages. Then, additionally, on top there is a durable scratcher which lets your cat safely fulfil its scratching needs without going ham on your favourite chair or pieces of furniture.

Cats are curious in nature and will instantly take to playing with this toy like a duck to water.

>> Click here for price on Amazon

Catit Design Senses Play Circuit

This is by far one of the best and most engaging interactive toys for cats which enables their inbuilt hunter mode! This play circuit covers all basis when it comes to keeping your cat entertained, and excites all the senses – touch, smell, sound and sight!

The overall design of this product is smart and has clearly being done with cats in mind. There is a ‘peek-a-boo’ track which lures in curious cats, a partly-obscured ball which can only be accessed through certain openings and a hanging ball which your cat will love to bat at for hours. This toy will entice your kitty and keep them entertained for hours.

What is unique about this toy is that the layout of the track itself can be changed to one of many hundred different variations; your cat will never be able to learn all of these and will never get bored of it as a result.

>> Click here for price on Amazon

Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree

Cats are super curious and love to be challenged; figuring out how stuff works is all part of their nature. The Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree stimulates the hunting instincts of your cat and makes them fight the toy for their food; it will provide long-lasting entertainment and reward them in the form of treats.

The toy has lots of openings around its sides, which will keep your cat occupied as he or she tries to keep the foot which lays inside. Even the laziest of felines won’t be able to resist the lure of food – you can put kibble, pellets, larger treats or even toys inside the Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree.

>> Click here for price on Amazon

Prosper Pet Cat Tunnel

This is a 3-way cat tunnel which is collapsible and features lots of fun activities which will provide your cat with hours of endless unsupervised fun. With three spacious tunnels, your cat has ample room to hide, explore, play and even sleep. There are various obstacles and toys which your cat can attack, bat at and navigate. This is a great toy if you have multiple cats, as they will love playing in it together.

It is made from a strong and durable 190T polyester material; even the sharpest of claws will struggle to penetrate it. There is also a steel frame which helps the tunnel maintain its shape, preventing it from fraying and warping over time.

It is not just toys, which your cats will love about this cat tunnel; the materials make a crackling noise when it is walked over and this alone will ignite your cat’s curiosity and provide entertainment.

>> Click here for price on Amazon

The Ripple Rug

The Snugglycat Ripple Rug is a brown-coloured rug which has lots of holes in it. Although this is not the most exciting description for a toy, your cat will love it because of the endless opportunities for fun it provides. Why? Because the ripples can be arranged and changed into a varying number of different combinations – much like the play circuit – so your cat will always see it as something interesting and new.

The Snugglycat Ripple Rug is made from two polyester carpets which are safe, durable, non-slip and super easy to clean; just throw it in the laundry along with everything else! The rug is also insulated, which means your cat may favour it over his or her own bed; it is super snuggly and will become your cat’s second home.

>> Click here for price on Amazon

Petlinks’ Electronic Motion Cat Toy is one of the very best electronic cat toys you can get on the market right now. Although it is an electronic toy, it is completely safe and super simple. It has a feather tail which moves around erratically and rapidly, causing your cat to go into a frenzy of excitement as its hunting nature is triggered and it tries frantically to attack and bat it.

Because the tail is cleverly concealed beneath the toy, your kitty will only be able to see its tail; your cat will think that there is live prey right before its eyes and it will try as hard as it can to catch it. Because of this, your cat will stay entertained for hours with this thing and will not easily get bored.

You may think that your cat might try to tip the toy over to get at the ‘prey’, but fear not – it is a super durable toy which has a weighted bottom to prevent this from happening.

>> Click here for price on Amazon

How to Tell When Your Cat is Bored

This is a pretty important thing you need to know, because a bored cat means there is a higher chance of your favourite sofa being clawed up… and that’s just the lower end of the boredom trouble spectrum!

According to cat experts (you are probably not one, despite what you may think!) there are certain signs to help owners see when their cats are bored. These include –

  • Too much grooming.
  • Lots of extended naps.
  • Fighting with other pets.
  • Eating to cure boredom.
  • Damaging household items and furniture.

Of course, you may not see all of these because your cat is more likely to be bored when you are not around. If you have a bored kitty, the best thing you can do is invest in the best toys for cats home alone.

There are lots of things you can have around the house to keep your kitty entertained. Why not invest in the Best Cat Scratching Post or build a DIY Cat Tree?

Why Do I Need Cat Toys?

Your cat can easily be entertained but, also, your cat can also easily become disinterested. So, why would you even bother buying cat toys if your cat is not going to appreciate them? Well, there are a few reasons why:

Exercise: If you have a kitty who lives life indoors, you need to keep them active because house cats are very sedentary. Cats need exercise… imagine how rubbish you would feel if you were sat around all day and did not move. Your kitty needs exercise, and cat toys are a great way to give them this.

Anxiety relief: You probably have ways which you use to relieve stress; your kitty needs that too. Toys give your kitty chance to get in the exercise they need to relieve stress and anxiety; if a cat cannot relieve stress they can develop health problems and be difficult to live with.

Boredom relief: Humans have lots of ways to relieve boredom, however, cats do not! Why shouldn’t your cat have a way to relieve some boredom? Playing with toys helps your cat relieve some of the boredom which builds up when they spend their days sitting around the house… they can’t sleep all the time, after all! You should always have some toys on hand for your cat to play with, especially when you’re out of the house.

Better health: Feeding your kitty a healthy diet isn’t the only thing you should be doing to improve overall health. In fact, cat toys are one of the best ways you can improve your kitty’s health… the trick is to find one which will keep your cat active and moving around for hours on end.

They’re fun: Let’s face it, your cat can’t blow off steam in the same ways you do. It is important that your cat has lots of different ways to keep entertained and have some fun. Just like humans, cats enjoy playing games because they are fun and help them feel good. Imagine your life without fun and games… it’s not nice, is it?

All Cat Toys Are Different

Different cat toys have different things to offer. You may already have an idea of what toys your cat seems to enjoy. If you do, great! If not, it’s not a huge deal because your kitty will probably play with anything. When picking a toy, there are some things you should consider.

Safety: You should pick a toy which is totally safe and has no small sharp detachable parts, or parts which can break off and be choked on.

Durability: Your cat is probably not going to try and take care of his or her toy, so it needs to be something which can withstand being bitten, scratched, thrown around etcetera.

Sound: Take note of the sound toys make and whether it has any sort of electronic noise too. You want to invest in a toy which isn’t going to drive you crazy, after all!

Even if you know what your cat likes, it can be very difficult tackling the issue of which toy to buy. If you headed out to the pet store right now, chances are you will feel overwhelmed by the huge range which is on offer.

Big toys, small toys, square toys, round toys, tall and small toys, noisy toys, silent toys and toys which are designed for older cats… there seems to be no end to the diversity in the cat toy market. This is where we come in; we have put together a list of the best toys for cats home alone which you can use to guide you in the right direction and even perhaps make a purchase right here right now.

Not everything has to be a toy, though. I’ll bet your cat could stay entertained for hours with the Best Cat Tower Condo or even the Best Automatic Cat Feeder.

How Many Toys Does My Cat Need?

Cat behaviour experts – again – have some advice to offer with this. In general, cats should have at least one or two toys designed for solo-play when he or she is alone in the house. Then another one or two for interactive playtime when you are home, plus an additional toy which has a treat-based goal or compartment.

So, around five toys in total. Though, in reality, any doting kitty owner will likely have so much more than this and they accumulate quickly over the years… believe me!

It’s not hard to go wrong with cat toys at all. But, be careful; you don’t want a toy which is so huge your cat cannot use it or feels intimidated by it. You should also avoid spending a lot of money on a toy until you know what your cat’s preferences are. Introduce one toy at a time and be creative with how you introduce them.

The Round Up

Having a wide variety of cat toys is really important to maintain a high quality of life for your kitty and keep their health in check. Although your kitty can make entertainment out of just about anything, it really is important that you invest in some high quality toys to keep your kitty entertained when they need them, so that your cat does not get stressed, bored or begin damaging your furnishings.

Our guide of the best toys on the market right now has pretty much everything your kitty will ever need to stay entertained; we hope you found it useful!

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About me – Rebecca Welters

Yes, I am that weird cat lady with 200 cats and live in the darkest corner of the city where no one dares to go! Joking! But I am a cat lover and have 2 Taby cats called Toby, he’s 8 years old and Dory, she’s 3 years old.

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