The 3 BEST Cheap Cat Toys
Cats need play time. These tiny hunters tend to get bored, wild, destructive, and even depressed without it. Play is as essential to a cat as going on walks is for a dog! The market for cat products is super saturated, and not everyone has an unlimited budget for entertaining their cat, or is interested in DIY. Here’s the compromise: the ready-to-buy products that I find most cats love, AND are extremely wallet-friendly.
NOTE: Nobody is paying me to recommend these products! I truly, simply want you to save your money and spend it on only the most effective toys. Many cat guardians don’t realize the affordable options available to them, and the cost of supplies should not be a factor inhibiting the quality of life for our cats. I have no agenda or incentive for you to buy from a specific brand or retailer whatsoever.
The Cat Dancer
priced $1.67 to $3.49
Arguably “the most classic cat toy ever”, the original Cat Dancer is as simple as it gets in manufactured toys. Three feet of wiggly wire, with twists of cardboard. It’s cheap, it’s durable, and the majority of cats absolutely adore it. The movements that the wire makes paired with the simple silhouette create a great simulation of prey to get cats enticed to play. The cardboard bits can be sprayed with catnip extract to really get things going. As an added bonus, it’s much safer than many other traditional fishing pole/wand style toys, as cats don’t get tangled in the wire as easily as they get tangled in string and ribbon.
Don’t be fooled by the simple appearance - it may look boring to you, but your cat doesn’t care about bright colors and licensed characters. The practicality and cat-appeal in this design is hard to match!
Cat Dancers are common at most online and brick-and-mortar pet shops; Chewy.com’s in-house Frisco brand has a dupe for just over $2 (note: I find the wire on this dupe more stiff and hard to manage than the original Cat Dancer), but the most affordable as of writing this is the original Cat Dancer at Petco for $1.69.
KONG Active Treat Ball for Cats
priced $2.82 to $4.99
There are lots of options when it comes to treat or kibble-dispensing toys, but this one makes the list due to its affordability, durability, and how easy it is to clean. You simply unscrew the two halves of the ball, pop some kibble or hard treats into the inner chamber, twist it back together, and your cat rolls the ball around to get the snacks inside. The slight egg shape and lumps mean it rolls in unexpected ways that cats enjoy.
As with any puzzle feeder, it may take some easing in sessions for your cat to “get it”. Some cats take to puzzles easier than others. I find even cats who get a bit frustrated with other puzzles take to this simple one pretty easily, perhaps because it feels more like familiar playtime, batting a ball around.
I found them available at Chewy for $3.41, and at Pet Mountain for $2.82. KONG is a popular and well-stocked brand pretty much everywhere, so take a look in your local pet store to see if they have this available (psst— many family-owned pet stores will special order things like this for you if you ask nicely!).
Go Cat’s “Da Bird” Rod Toy
priced $8.90 to $10.99
This one has more up front cost than the other entries on this list, but the value is why it deserves a spot here.
Go Cat’s Da Bird comes with a very long, sturdy, thin wand and string, finished with a classic feather bunch attachment. The wand is the best I’ve ever used in a cat toy. It’s durable. It’s thin and black, a profile that isn’t distracting to the cat while they hunt the toy attachment. The length means you can sit in one spot and lure your cat all over the room without moving an inch, which is especially helpful when playing with scared or undersocialized cats who would like to keep a comfortable distance from you (or when you’re feeling lazy).
Here’s the kicker - the attachment is replaceable. A clasp at the end of the string makes it easy to replace the attachment at any time. Cats get bored of toys. It’s best to rotate them out every week or two (or when you notice they get disinterested) to keep things fresh and exciting. The attachments don’t need to be Go Cat brand, although they have many appealing options for around the $5 apiece mark. You can easily buy a cheaper bulk pack of attachments to swap out on a single wand, like this one on Chewy. As long as the toy has some kind of loop for the clasp to attach to, you’re good to go.
Many Petco stores now carry the wand with feather attachment to start, but you can also buy them at Amazon and OnlyNaturalPet.com
