Should You Spend Money on Cat Toys? Benefits & Budget Tips

We’ve all been there standing in the middle of a pet store and staring at a ton of cat toys, wondering if they’re really worth it.

There are so many options and every single one looks like an amazing toy for our furry babies to play with.

The question remains – should you spend money on cat toys?

The short answer is, yes, you should definitely spend money on cat toys. That said, let’s dive a bit deeper into this topic and learn the whys and hows on doing so.

4 Important Values of Cat Toys

Buying cat toys for your feline friend is all about mimicking a real-life outdoor scenario where your cat hunts and hones their natural instincts.

With that in mind, there is great value in buying cat toys and these include:

• Physical Health
• Mental Stimulation
• Overall Happiness
• Long-Term Health Benefits

1. Physical Health

Toys that encourage active play help keep your cat fit and healthy. Regular exercise through play can prevent obesity and keep their muscles and joints in good shape.

Engaging in physical activity also supports cardiovascular health and overall vitality, making playtime an essential part of your cat’s well-being.

2. Mental Stimulation

Engaging toys challenge your cat’s mind and prevent boredom. For these reasons, puzzle toys and interactive games can keep your feline friend mentally sharp and satisfied.

This mental engagement helps reduce stress and anxiety, ensuring your cat remains balanced and content throughout the day.

3. Overall Happiness

A happy cat is an active and well-adjusted cat. Toys provide an outlet for natural behaviors like hunting and pouncing, contributing to a more content and well-rounded cat.

When cats fulfill their instinctual needs through play, toys can help strengthen the bond between you and your cat. This is very wholesome in creating a more harmonious and joyful home environment. We’re a testament to that as my husband just loooves to play with both Kiki and Lily throughout the day in various ways and with different toys.

Bonus Point: Long-Term Health Benefits

This is the biggest benefit of buying your cat toys from a store. When you invest in quality toys, it can have a huge benefit in your cat’s long-term health and well-being.

You can see the following results:

• Behavioral Prevention – engaging toys can help prevent destructive behaviors that often pop up from boredom or lack of stimulation. Interactive toys keep your cat occupied and reduce the likelihood of unwanted behaviors.
• Obesity Prevention – regular play helps maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity-related health issues. Active toys encourage exercise and keep your cat moving.

What to Consider Before Buying Cat Toys

Now that we’ve learned why it is important to buy new toys for your cats, it’s time to think about what to consider before buying them.

With that in mind, before you go into a pet store and splurge money on fancy new toys, keep in mind the following, as we’d want you to get the best value for your money:

1. Preferences

The first thing you need to do is check what types of cat toys your furry baby enjoys the most:

• Do they prefer to chase balls?
• Do they prefer to pounce on feather wands in an interactive playtime with you?
• Do they play with crinkly materials?

The answers to these questions will reveal your cat’s preference so you can match their interest to a new toy and keep them engaged.

• If your cat prefers to chase balls – get them a plain old ball in various colors or a self-moving mechanical ball
• If your cat prefers to pounce on feather wands – get them wands that have a ton of feathers that they can easily catch and carry
• Lastly, if your cat prefers crinkly materials – make sure to get them puffy-type paper balls or just get an aluminum foil and turn it into a ball

2. Safety

We can’t stress enough just how important a safe toy is for our furry babies, so always prioritize this aspect. Make sure the toy you buy doesn’t wear off easily and doesn’t contain any sharp edges or materials.

Here’s what to look for:

• Small parts that can easily fall off and be swallowed
• Material that can easily be chewed off and ingested
• Strings that can easily loosen up and potentially choke/squeeze your cat around the neck

3. Durability

Lastly, a toy needs to be durable so that your cat can play with it for a longer time. Our Lily, for example, has a few toys that she absolutely adores, always plays with, carries them around, and sometimes talks to them in her cute little kitty murmurry voice.

To get the most durable toys out there, make sure:

• Quality of design and material is consistent
• Toy is well-made and/or crafted
• No hazardous materials on it (same as previous section)

A toy that can last longer and hold up to a lot of vigorous play is quite sustainable and will provide long-term enjoyment.

Homemade DIY & Budget-Friendly Options

Keeping your cat active and entertained does not have to come with a hefty price tag. A little creativity and a few parts can help you craft a highly engaging toy that will be fun for both you and your furry baby.

Here are a few ideas to help ease your wallet and have fun with your kitty:

a) Homemade Toys

Homemade toys, like crumpled paper or aluminum balls, catnip socks, or a cave made from two chairs and a blanket can go a long way.

• Crumpled Paper
• Aluminum Balls
• Cave from Chairs and Blanket
• Socks with Catnip

Crinkly and noisy textures attract cats and create unpredictable movements upon capture that will engage your cat for hours. Aluminium foil turned into a ball is very similar as it attracts cats like nothing else.

Another alternative would be to get an old sock and fill it with catnip, wrap it up, and just throw it in a random corner. Within minutes, the scent will attract your cat and they’ll have the time of their lives rubbing themselves on the sock and playing with it.

Our favorite is either two chairs and a blanket or a couple of pillows and a blanket. My husband would create a cave with two entrances and when we construct this, both our cats fight playfully for a place inside it. They even chase each other around before they get tired and lay inside the cave.

b) Recycled Toys

Recycled items offer a lot of possibilities for inventive cat toys, such as an old toilet paper roll, paper bags, or cardboard boxes. Besides, cats may not need new toys so long as you engage in playtime activities together as well and the existing ones are durable, clean, and safe.

• Toilet Paper Rolls
• Paper Bags
• Cardboard Boxes

An old toilet paper roll can be transformed into a fun and interactive plaything for your furry baby. Just cut a paper roll into rings or create a maze by folding it into different shapes, and watch your cat bat and chase it.

Paper bags are another excellent recycled option as the crinkly sound they make can be irresistible to many cats. Just be sure the bag is free of handles or small parts that could pose a strangling hazard. Cats are clumsy creatures and often get entangled in those, which is exactly what happened with both of our cats.

Cardboard boxes are the easiest trap for a cat, just open it up and lay it in the middle of the room. Within seconds, your furry baby will jump right into it. Then, all you have to do is just wave a stick or a feather wand outside and you’ll see the joy in your cat’s eyes.

Conclusion

Toys play a key role in your cat’s physical and mental health and well-being. It is important to select the right toys depending on your cat’s preferences, and of course, your budget.

In the end, spending money is an investment in your furry baby’s health and happiness, so make sure to balance between store-bought toys and your very own DIY options.

More often than not, cats just enjoy our presence and interaction, so a simple paper box or a feather wand can mean the world to them so long as we are actively engaging in playtime activities.