How Often Should You Replace Your Cat’s Toys?

Cats are playful, cute little creatures and their toys play a huge part in their daily activities. Pouncing on mice toys, chasing feather wands, jumping up, down, and through chairs and objects, and fumbling over rolling balls are just some of the many plaything that keep our furry little friends active and entertained.

However, just like any other item in our household, cat toys can wear out over time. Thus the common question pops up – how often should you replace your cat’s toys?

The short answer is, very often, while the long answer is, it depends on the toy. Let’s see which toys should be frequently replaced and why it is important to do so.

Inspecting Cat Toys

First, we’ll start with inspection, as regularly inspecting your cat’s toys is vital to ensure they remain safe for playing and also remain enjoyable. Worn out or damaged toys can pose risks, such as hazards, choking, or ingestion of small parts.

Therefore, regular inspection is key, and here are some steps you can take to check the status of your cat’s playthings:

1. Check for Loose Parts

This is the first and most important aspect of inspecting your cat’s toys. Always make sure to check if there are any loose parts that may scratch your kitty and hurt it. Detachable parts like bells, buttons, or eyes can also be easily and unintentionally ingested, causing trouble in your kitty’s belly.

2. Look for Tears & Holes

Cats like to chew and claw on things, and soft toys, like fabric balls or plush animals, can easily develop tears and holes. These openings then expose the stuffing or other small internal parts, which can be pretty dangerous, especially if ingested.

3. Inspect Strings & Ribbons

Toys that have strings, feathers, or ribbons attached can unravel easily. These can easily get caught in your cat’s claws or entangle them and cause harm. Our Kiki likes to play with a feather wand, but oftentimes she entangles herself onto it, so we always pay extra attention to the condition of the string.

4. Evaluate Rubber & Plastic Toys

Rubber and plastic toys can crack over time, so regularly inspecting these for sharp edges or cracks is important. These sharp edges may hurt your cat’s mouth, so you should always pay attention to this type of toy and discard it immediately when you find faults.

5. Check for Cleanliness

Cats are outdoor creatures by nature, so it’s normal for them to get dirty and play with dirty things outside. Indoor cats, though, are a different breed altogether. But even with outdoor cats that are playing inside with various toys, it is still important to check if the toys have collected some dirt, saliva, or dust, as these can harbor germs and bacteria.

6. Observe Your Cat’s Interest

We often see this happen with our furry little babies, as they play with a toy so much only to lose interest after a while. Take note of this and pay attention to your cat’s behavior. If they no longer get excited about a certain toy, it is time to replace it and reintroduce it after a while.

🐾 Regularly inspecting your cat’s toys is imperative to having your purry kitty play often, without worrying about health issues or if they hurt themselves.

Worn Out Toys – Common Hazards & Issues

Now that you’ve learned what you need to look out for in your cat’s toys, let’s see the potential dangers of worn out toys:

1. Choking Hazards

Choking is one of the biggest hazards for cats, especially from small, detachable parts of toys. Eyes, buttons, bells, and similar parts may become loose and they pose a serious risk to your kitty.

2. Ingestion of Harmful Materials

Toys with foam, stuffing, and small plastic parts can be rather dangerous when being exposed after prolonged playtime. When ingested, these materials can cause toxic reactions, blockages, or issues in the digestive system of your little furry friend.

3. Sharp Edges & Points

Cracked toys can develop sharp edges and points that may injure your cat’s paws, mouth, or other parts of their body. Our Kiki had this issue as she got stung by one plastic part of an artificial flower we have in our home and had just a tiny smudge between her whiskers. So always be wary of this as these injuries can lead to pain and even infection that would require medical attention.

4. Entanglement Risks

Strings and ribbons from damaged toys may also pose a serious risk of entanglement. It’s all fun and games when you play with a feather wand, but when it breaks, gets loose or damaged, it is time to change it. The materials may get wrapped around your kitty’s legs, paws, or even their neck, and potentially cause panic, and even cuts.

5. Toxic Materials

Older and heavily used toys will start to degrade over time, which in turn release harmful materials and chemicals. When buying such toys, always make sure to go for high quality and non-toxic toys for your cat, and always make sure to replace them when they show signs of damage.

6. Bacterial & Mold Growth

Dirty and damaged toys can become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. These can cause respiratory issues or various infections if your cat comes in contact with them. Therefore, always make sure to regularly clean your toys or replace them altogether when you notice they’re dirty.

How Often Should You Replace Cat Toys – Basic Guidelines

When the time comes to replace your cat’s toys, it is important to pay attention to a handful of specific guidelines. These aren’t written in stone, though, and are generally advisable to consider the next time your cat’s toys come up for replacement.

That said, once you’ve checked and inspected your cat’s toys, you need to take note of the type of toy you use and how often you play with your cat. Some toys require interaction, such as wands or laser pointers, others are battery operated, and then there’s always the feather toys that may attract bacteria.

Each toy has its own lifespan, and of course, a cat’s interest in it, as we know cats can easily get bored of repetitive stuff.

Here’s a general rule of thumb of when to replace different types of cat toys:

Type of Toy	Replacement Cycle
Interactive Toys	3 to 6 months
Soft Toys	3 to 6 months
Chew Toys	2 to 4 months
Feather Toys	2 to 3 months
Catnip Toys	3 to 6 months
Electronic Toys	Only when not operating safely
Scratching Posts & Pads	6 to 12 months

DIY Toy Maintenance Tips

Before even thinking about replacing the old ones with new shiny ones, make sure your cat has stopped playing with them. After all, cats have their favorite toys too, so if you decide to throw one out and replace it with a new one, you have to keep in mind how your cat will react.

With that in mind, let’s talk about how to properly take care of your cat’s toys so they don’t end up dirty or damaged and you won’t have to replace them all too often.

Regular Cleaning

This goes without saying, always ensure to remove dirt and clean your cat’s toys to remove any excess saliva or bacteria. To do this, use pet-safe cleaning products or a plain cloth and water to wipe down plastic and rubber toys.

Damage Repair

Check your cat’s toys frequently to see any signs of damage, wear, or tear. When you notice some parts may be coming off, either remove them entirely or glue them back up again.

Stitching & Patching

When your cat plays with fabric toys, they get torn up pretty easily. Check for wear and tear, and then remove those parts or thread them back together.

Battery Replacement

For electric toys or battery-operated ones, check and replace the batteries regularly to have them function properly and to avoid any leakage that could harm your little furry friend.

Toy Rotation

This one is our favorite! We constantly keep Kiki engaged and interested when we rotate her favorite toys. This prevents boredom and keeps her toys in good condition for prolonged periods.

Storage

Always aim to store your cat’s toys in a clean and dry place, especially if you’re out of the home. This way, the toys stay intact, are safe from bacteria, and your kitty won’t be left unattended to play with them in case they get clumsy and hurt themselves (as they often know to do so).

🐾 Following these simple maintenance tips can help you to prolong the life of your cat’s toys and also make sure your cat is safe from harm and enjoys her favorite playthings.

Alternatives to Traditional Toys
There are many toys in the cat world and we as purr-ents have the duty to find the best ones and bring them to our little kitties so they can enjoy their playtime!

That said, if you want to switch from traditional toys every now and then, you’re in luck, as there are quite a lot of choices out there.

Here are just a handful of alternatives you should consider for your purry little friend:

• Interactive Puzzle Feeders
• Catnip-Filled Toys
• Durable Chew Toys
• Interactive Laser Pointers
• Electronic Ball Toys
• DIY Play Stations
• Cat Trees

Our favorites are the durable chew toys (usually made of rubber), electronic ball and car toys that Kiki chases quite often and quite a lot, and DIY play stations. For this last toy, we have combined a few tunnels and Kiki looooves running through them and hiding from time to time to jump scare us.

For the rest of you out there, it is important to find what suits best for your little kitty and then acquire it so you can enjoy your playtime all day long!

How Often Should You Replace Your Cat’s Toys Final Thoughts

It is no secret that cats love to play, and toys are key to helping them stay active and happy. However, we have to keep in mind that damaged or worn-out toys can actually harm our little furry babies.

Therefore, it is imperative that you regularly check and inspect your cat’s toys, and look for dirty, damaged, or loose parts. What is also important is to implement some basic maintenance steps, so you don’t end up spending too much and too often on toys.

It is advisable to replace toys based on their category and to rotate them so your cat ends up enjoying them all for a longer period of time.

We hope you find our info and tips useful in helping keep your cat active, happy, and away from harm while playing with their favorite toys.