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Best Interactive Cat Toys

Updated August 2023
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Friends Forever Interactive Cat Laser Toy
Friends Forever
Interactive Cat Laser Toy
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High-tech Option
Bottom Line

Laser-loving cats and pet parents who’ve tried them agree: this automatic laser toy can’t be beat. Highly entertaining option.

Pros

Rotating head moves in a full circle, giving cats a good workout. Three adjustable settings (fast, slow, and random) cater to different levels of agility and help keep things interesting. Relatively quiet. Automatically switches off after 15 minutes.

Cons

The tiny screws on the battery compartment can be difficult to open.

Best Bang for the Buck
Petstages Tower of Tracks
Petstages
Tower of Tracks
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Bargain Pick
Bottom Line

This low-cost toy is bound to keep even a group of cats occupied.

Pros

It has 3 levels and 2 balls on each level, so there’s potential for up to 6 cats to have something to bat at. It has a non-slip base to keep your cats from knocking it over.

Cons

Some had issues with a few balls not rolling smoothly.

PetFusion Ambush Interactive Cat Toy
PetFusion
Ambush Interactive Cat Toy
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Unique Design
Bottom Line

Unique pop-out gameplay resonates with natural feline curiosity; well worth a try for fussy cats.

Pros

Six openings and a single unpredictable rotating feather keep kitties guessing. Solid construction with anti-slip feet holds up well to pouncing and enthusiastic attacks. Feather is easy to replace. Auto-off timer preserves battery life. Comes with batteries and 1 replacement feather.

Cons

Nervous cats might be put off by the mechanical operating sound.

Potaroma Hide and Seek, Automatic Interactive Toy
Potaroma
Hide and Seek, Automatic Interactive Toy
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Most Versatile
Bottom Line

This flexible toy can keep a cat quick-to-bore more engaged by changing up what they play with.

Pros

The main toy is 2 fluttering butterflies on a rotating sphere for your cat to chase. There’s also a rotating feather on the bottom. Finally, a playmat can cover the feather so your cat can stalk it.

Cons

It does require battery power to operate fully, though the battery is rechargeable.

Potaroma Flapping Bird
Potaroma
Flapping Bird
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Feature-packed
Bottom Line

This toy is tailor-made for cats that love to stalk and catch prey.

Pros

It can flap and chirp so you don’t need to interact with it and your cat to get playtime rolling. It has 3 flap modes and is bite-resistant. There are 2 designs, and you can also buy them as a set.

Cons

Battery life can be as short as 1 hour.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

30
Models
Considered
60
Consumers
Consulted
8
Hours
Researched
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Cats love to challenge themselves and learn new things while playing. An interactive cat toy allows them to earn their treats. Entertain your cat for hours by automating the laser-pointer trick, or with a circuit that rolls around a ball, helping them practice their instincts to hunt. These are perfect for anyone who wants their cat to feel engaged but aren’t able physically to play with them anymore. You can burn off their energy with toys that appeal to their curiosity, whether they want to stalk and ambush a toy that taunts them with a feather, or a furry contraption that is meant to imitate prey.