How To Choose The Best Catnip Toy For Your Cat – CatTime
All cats benefit from exercise. Giving them a chance to stretch their legs, tails, and paws will keep them alert, entertained, and healthy. One way to engage them is to use catnip toys. Catnip is safe if ingested, and cats seem to adore it. By playing with toys, your cat builds muscle, has improved circulation, relieves boredom, and can help with behavioral problems. They love the smell so much you can even use catnip toys to train your pet. Take a look at our list of the top 5 catnip toys available. Your cat will thank you for it!
Best Choice
Perfect Pairing of Catnip and Crinkle
Pros:
There are three flop fish per pack in different colors. The colors are bright and attractive. The heads and tails are filled with catnip. The bodies include recycled crinkle material. The size is excellent for engaging the cat. They are easy to bat around or be carried in the mouth. The catnip is grown without the use of chemicals and pesticides. The toys are durable and can withstand rough handling. These are a great size to attach to a wand or to throw for your cat to retrieve. The Flop Fish are part of a broad range of toys.
Cons:
The fish bodies are not filled with stuffing, only the crinkle material. You are not able to refill the toys with catnip when their potency is reduced.
Best Aromatic Catnip Toy
100% Catnip Filled Bags of Fun
Pros:
There are seven attractive designs in the Cosmic Catnip range. All toys are 100% full of catnip. The catnip is grown in the USA. The catnip has been raised to achieve a full aroma that reactivates as the cat played with it. The designs are created to stimulate your cat’s instincts. It encourages batting, pushing, pouncing, and is light enough to be carried by the cat. The material is sturdy and well made. Some designs are trimmed with another material to stimulate more play. The aroma from the catnip is released by pinching the toy. The toys encourage play and relieve boredom. The catnip can aid in your cat’s digestion. The toys appeal to cats of all ages.
Cons:
These are larger sized toys with the average size being 4-inches. The larger size may not be suitable for kittens.
Best Value Pack
Quality and Quantity Catnip Toys
Pros:
The Smartykat Value pack is a multi-pack of 10 toys. There are two choices of the pack, one with ten mouse skitter critters or assorted toys. The ears and tails are brightly colored and attractive. All the material is soft and durable. The toys encourage active play, building up muscle, and helps keep their instincts keen. The pack is economical for multi-cat households. Each toy contains pure catnip with a strong aroma. The catnip is made without the use of pesticides and chemicals. The fiberfill is made from 100% recycled material. Each mouse is 4-inches long. All SmartyKat toys are easy for a cat to carry or bat around.
Cons:
The assorted pack does not have all catnip toys. If you have a particularly active cat be sure to check the toys regularly for parts that may come loose and cause a choking hazard.
For All Cat Sizes
Refillable Catnip Toys In Assorted Sizes
Pros:
This pack contains five realistic-looking plush fish and two furry mice. The fishes have zipper pouches that contain the catnip so you can refill them. The material is of high quality, and the zippers are sturdy. The toys are 100% filled with catnip. The generous size of the toys ranges between 7.5 and 8.6 inches. The aroma and design of the toys encourage your cat to play. There is a great variety of catnip toys. The pack represents excellent value.
Cons:
Only five of the seven toys are refillable.
Best For teeth Cleaning
Catnip Toy That Works Like Dental Floss
Pros:
This toy is lightweight and medium-sized for batting, punching, and carrying. The catnip aroma is strong. The material has different textures that help clean your cat’s teeth while they play. The design, smell, and crinkle sound engages your cat and encourages appropriate instinct play. This toy comes in three styles – avocado, kale, and toast. They are an appropriate weight for being carried around in the cats mouth by smaller cats.
Cons:
The toys are not refillable with catnip. The size of the mesh may catch on kitten teeth if the play is not supervised.
What Really Matters
Construction
Cat toys are designed to be played with. The problem with that is that cats play hard. Their instincts are to pounce, chew, and claw. They make sure they take no prisoners! Add to that a few shakes of catnip, and you have the cat equivalent to Rambo. Because of this natural desire, you need to be sure that the catnip toys you buy are made from top quality materials and have sturdy construction. It is suitable for a cat to be stimulated in a way that encourages his natural reactions and keeps his instincts sharp, and catnip toys are a great way to make that happen. Take the time to consider the stitching, material, and extra features such as feathers. Cats love feathers, but they can detach easily and become a hazard. Consider any small parts that may come loose, like tails and ears on a cat toy.
Catnip
The point of getting a catnip toy instead of a regular toy – is the catnip! Cats love the aroma as it makes them excited then follows with a mellow period, usually causing them to rest. The Interest your cat has in toys is increased when they include catnip so that they will get played with more frequently. This can eventually lead to wear and tear, and the catnip may leak out through small punctures. There are different types and qualities of catnip, so make sure you purchase toys that have catnip that is high quality and free of pesticides. You can get an organically grown catnip that will not harm your pet if it is ingested. Look for the organic symbol, or check the packaging to see that it is pesticide-free. In general, the price is about the same, but the benefits to your pet will be immeasurable.
Play Value
Cats are natural-born hunters. It may be hard to look at your house cat and see him swinging from tree to tree with a dagger between his teeth, but all cats have the instinct. Sometimes feline boredom comes because they are not being stimulated to bat, carry or pounce. Often they will turn to another source of fun to chew on – like curtains, furniture, or each other. Catnip toys are a great way to increase the play value of your pet toys as the aroma of catnip is attractive to a cat and makes them want to interact with it. As they do, their hunting skills will be increased; it entertains them and makes your cat more content. High-quality play is a great way to build muscle, relieve boredom, improve circulation, sharpen instinct, and can help in behavioral problems. When your cat associates the toys with a pleasant experience, you can use them to train your cat into positive behaviors that will improve the quality of life.
What’s In Right Now
The value of high-quality cat play is becoming more of consideration for more owners in 2020. Taking time to bond with your cat by giving them a good experience is a priority and more toys being available to make the most of that time. Catnip toys are adding more features, such as feathers, crinkle sounds, and dual-purpose materials. As more is known about cat health, more dual-purpose toys are being designed. Toys that engage and clean their teeth or administer medicine will be mainstream. Mixed toy designs like catnip wands toys or catnip balls will heighten the effectiveness of playtime.
More thought and time will be devoted to designing toys that are refillable or made of recycled material for the sustainably conscious. These also offer cost-saving benefits in 2020. Toys will become a great way to bond with your cats so you can both enjoy the quality time together.
Price
Expensive
$12-$20 is the price range that will get you a high-quality catnip toy that is durable and contains good quality catnip. The style and design in this range vary from refillable single plush designs, plastic dental chewables, to USB activated animals that imitate real life. Be extra attentive to the multipacks at this cost as they can be a large number of low-quality toys.
Mid-Range
$5-$12 will buy you a good range of fun toys in different shapes, sizes, and materials. It’s easy to go wild as the range is so vast! It may be easier to think about your cat and what they need. Do they need strength? Entertainment? Or clean teeth? You can get them all at this price.
Cheap
$2-$5 is a low price for a catnip toy. The construction quality varies, and whether they will survive for a long time depends on your cat. Many have parts that are easy to detach or include catnip of unknown quality.
FAQs
Will catnip hurt my cat?
No. Catnip is a member of the mint plant family (Nepeta Cataria) and is all-natural. The oil it contains in its buds and leaves is attractive to cats by genetic preprogramming. The catnip is dried and sewn inside toys and is harmless if ingested. One of the advantages of catnip is that it aids in digestion and helps with hairballs. The only thing that could cause a problem is if the catnip is of lower quality and the stalks may be left in large shafts. Your cat may free them and try and chew it wildly to get every last lick of flavor. Loose stalks do present a choking hazard. Make sure you buy good quality catnip or cut up the stalks to avoid this.
Is catnip addictive for my cat?
No. Forget all the cartoons you have seen where catnip has hallucinogenic effects like an illegal drug. It’s about as realistic as an anvil dropping on a villans head, and they still survive. Cats do love it like it’s illegal or fattening, but they will not get addicted to it. You will not wake up at 3 am with your cat frantically rifling through the cupboards and trashing its room as it’s in catnip withdrawal. It’s a cat. You may wake up and find it doing those things, but it won’t be because of the catnip.
Do all cats love catnip?
Great question! No, not all cats love catnip. The adoration of catnip is a genetic response, and roughly 20% of cats do not possess the gene. The 80% that do love catnip can be broken down into three groups:
- Players. These cats kick and chase catnip toys around and never seem to tire.
- Lovers. These toys tend to be well soaked most of the time! The cat will lick, rub and suck it, then roll all over it. They can even be seen sleeping with it cuddled between their paws.
- Player Lovers. These cats spend equal time being a player and a lover. It all depends on its mood at that minute.
Is it safe for my cat’s dog brother?
Catnip is perfectly safe for dogs. They can often be caught playing with catnip toys as they seem to enjoy it too.
How long do catnip toys last?
That depends on the cat. Most catnip toys last a long time, but the catnip aroma will lessen as it gets older. How long it takes for your cat to turn its pretty pink nose up and refuse to play with it depends on the cat. Some cats get ‘immune’ after a couple of weeks, some play with it until it falls apart – then they lick up the catnip too. Catnip toys are great for training your cat to use a scratching post or hone it’s hunting instincts. They may continue to carry on using a scratch post etc. because that is the routine they have gotten into, not because of the catnip. The catnip can also vary in how long it remains flavorful, depending on the quality. If you are worried, buy a refillable catnip toy or place older toys in a plastic sealed container with fresh catnip overnight, and the toy will take on a refreshing aroma.
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