Has anyone discovered a really good cat toy?

[MemorableLlama]

We’ve got a 7 month old boy who’s driving us all crackers! 🤣

He just seems so full of energy he wants to burst!

He has toys already but he seems bored of them so I was wondering whether you have recommendations for a really good toy which will keep him occupied.

Obviously we play with him but we haven’t got time to play with him for hours on end so what I’m looking for is something to amuse him when I can’t.

Thanks

Obligatory pic attached 😻

We have 4 cats and a basket full of expensive toys but what they like are ping pong balls, rolled up foil, a small, very tatty mouse (I bought a new one to replace it but they’re not interested!) and dog socks!! The kids bought some years ago for our dog (who never wore them) and one of the cats loves playing with them and hunting them, there’s usually a pile at the end of our bed in the morning. We noticed a lot are missing (one of the others likes to stash things so has probably hidden them) and we’re going away, with a pet sitter looking after them, so I bought her a new pack to keep her happy while we’re gone

Old sock stuffed with other old socks and tied in a knot has always been loved by cats in our family.

I was at a cat rescue at the weekend to help my sister choose a cat. They had some wee plastic spring things that they said the cats loved. About the size of a large battery and a bit more rigid than a slinky.

Two of the tunnels from home bargains tied together to make a big long one with little toys in it, my two go nuts for it and spend ages diving into it through the holes at top

Another kitten! Outdoors also makes life more interesting for them.

We had a mouse that hung on the door and one of mine went wild for that (but not the other one!) and I know a cat who loves his interactive play mat, with holes to pounce in. Another fun thing for a while was a plastic track thing with a light up ball they pushed around.

But they played with many things - one used to steal my child's cuddly toys and bring them downstairs in his mouth, and more dangerously, balloons from parties!

Mine only play with lasers (go up and down the stairs to wear them out!)

A tunnel.
Also rotate the toys so they don’t get bored.

If you have hard floors ping pong balls are perfect. Your kitty can bat them for hours! He’s lovely BTW

Mine likes cat springs:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pcs-Colourful-Cats-Springs-Toys/dp/B0FQ3C7SB1/ref=asc_df_B0FQ3C7SB1?mcid=df78a18b7ae034bda0a29f9cc8362d5c&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=751608845476&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4808318573282928231&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9191350&hvtargid=pla-2443186574795&psc=1&hvocijid=4808318573282928231-B0FQ3C7SB1-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

A new friend 🥰. My kittens are 6 months and they just play with each other.

Plastic springs, mine love them

Ping pong balls, little elastic hair ties, baby’s old sock with a bit of home grown catnip in it and tie the end.
Also the ribbon you’re attempting to attach to a Christmas present; or any yarn that you are attempting to knit or crochet with.. all good!

My crazy 2 y/o loves Hexbugs (or knockoff Hexbugs), pingpong balls, and anything moving under a blanket.

None of these things are as good as the outside but she doesn't like rain.
I rescued her when she was 6 months (and was given the impression she was older) and between 6 and 18 months she was absolutely mental. She's just starting to calm down a bit now. She's still extremely active but has periods of calm in between.

Our boys are the same age - one of them is obsessed with those plastic mini slinky springs you get in kids party bags. He will play with one until its a complete tangle.

He also loves a hair band (!)

The other prefers live "toys" and is currently stalking the mouse He dropped in our lounge 😵

Other toys they like include;
My toddler's unicorn slippers
Tiny pom poms from craft kit
Anything dangly- string on a stick sort of things- keys in the front door work!
Catnip mice are ok
Tinsel is amazing apparently 🤣
Anything with feathers - or just a feather. My peacock feather was decimated!

Toys with past cats I've had that were popular include a bird which tweets when moved, a teddy thing on elastic and a laser pen.

Pic of the playful one tired out!

Mine love this https://amzn.eu/d/33KRUbo and any of the American Catnip toys. It’s much stronger and lasts longer. Put one of those in a big cardboard box and mine are ecstatic!

This is the American catnip brand: https://amzn.eu/d/bjAio9B

When ours were little they loved these small spongey balls I got from Amazon, they bounce and they chased them.

Our male doesn’t play much as he goes out so much but our female is still v playful. She loves chasing a hair bobble across the kitchen floor. Other than that we have a wand toy with a dangling feather bird on it that she likes to jump for and attack.

As others have said - cat springs. Cat stared at them for day of so but then absolutely loved them. A year later they still are the favorite toy.

Ours loves sweet/ chocolate wrappers. Will happily ignore all toys and chase those around the floor for hours!

I clicked on this thread because the title displayed as

Has anyone discovered a really good cat...

I'm here to tell you that they are all really good cats. Every. single. one.

edited for formatting gremlins

One of these!

https://ebay.us/m/RSjgkE

• tissue paper e.g. from inside new shoes, hiding/rolling toys under it while playing so they can attack the tissue paper, dropping bits from a height so it floats down and they can catch in the air, ripping it up etc.

• get an old tennis ball, cut a small hole (may take some trial and error for treat size and ease of use). Put treats or food in. My cat enjoys this everyday and has the tenacity to stick at it for 20 mins at a time! Before we had a toy like this from pets at home but the holes couldn't be quite adjusted for maximum puzzle fun.

• my cat plays 'football' around the house with her balls of foil and little balls on her own a lot

• I also find it helpful to rotate her toys so they seem fun again when they come back out

Do these spring things people are recommending work on carpet?