Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: June 22, 2023 by Crystal Uys
Regular exercise is just as important for our cats as it is for us. Exercise not only helps keep your cat physically healthy and prevents her from becoming overweight or obese, it also keeps her mentally stimulated. Helping your cat get more exercise can also be a wonderful way to increase and strengthen the bond between you and your cat.
Admittedly, it can be challenging to get some cats to exercise for any length of time, but as with so many other things, having the right tools can make all the difference. The following toys can help get even the most reluctant kitty off the couch.
Catit Senses Design Circuit
I don’t know many cats who can resist a Catit circuit. This 8-piece circuit consists of alternating high and low sections, a motion-activated illuminated ball and a high-low circuit design that propels balls at high speeds. Catit Sense Design Circuit is available from Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.
DaBird
A perennial favorite, the DaBird mimics the look and sound of a real bird in flight. As with all fishing pole type toys, this toy should only be used when you can play with your cat – after all, that’s the entire idea of these interactive toys. DaBird is available from Amazon with free shipping for Prime members. Pictured above is the value pack, which includes two feather refills.
Mylar Balls
Allegra goes nuts for crinkle balls. She pulls them out of our toy basket and then shakes them before batting them around. Mylar Balls are available from Amazon in packs ranging from 7 to 46 balls with free shipping for Prime members.
Rattling Hypno Mice
I’ve found that with mouse toys, the smaller the mouse, the bigger the fun – at least, that’s true for Allegra and Ruby. These Rattling Hypno Mice have proven to be pretty durable. These cute little mice contain a small rattle for added interest. Bonus: because of the bright colors, they’re easy to see when you have to go on a mouse retrieval mission to get them out from under furniture. Rattling Hypno Mice are available from Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.
Cat Exercise Wheel
if you want to get fancy with your exercise equipment for your feline family members, why not get them their very own “kitty treadmill!” The Fast Cat Exercise Wheel has an open design so cats can enter from either side. It is made of recycled plastics, yet is sturdy and lightweight for ease of moving it around. The run surface is made from EVA foam to prevent claws from catching and allows cats to run naturally. The Fast Cat Exercise Wheel is available from Amazon from third-party sellers.
Featured Image Credit: Grisha Bruev, Shutterstock
About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
We have two cats. One is a 6-month old black/white male and the other a 6-year old female. The younger male is a ball of extreme energy, never stopping, leaping in the air, running from room to room, climbing everything, ambushing us at every doorway and also rather destructive but he’s not mean or hurtful or angry. He chews everything and eats things he should not, such as our face masks and shoelaces. We have a cat tower, which they both love. We tied long rope pieces to it for them to chew on (he doesn’t eat those) but it’s not enough for the male. We bought him dog toys because they make more noise and are bigger. He loves them but they’re not enough. We bought calming treats and catnip which work but only for a little while. The two play together but the older female doesn’t have the same energy so she gets irritated with him easily so will hiss at him when she’s had enough but he doesn’t care. He’s relentless. We have to separate them several times a day to give the female and us a break. We’re waiting for him to grow out of this. but my next purchase might be a large cat maze.
It is very difficult if not impossible to motivate a couch potato cat to get moving. Chelsea is completely not interested in anything that may cause her to move. None of these toys look like they could change her mind so please keep testing, Allegra and Ruby.
I love the idea of exercise wheels, however the one you link to has numerous reviews of cat injury, poor customer service, arriving with broken parts, and poor construction.
We bought the Fast Cat wheel for our cats, more for the one cat, Turnip, as he has a lot of energy. He loves the wheel! He runs on it everyday. Every morning he waits for my husband to come into the room and then walks on the wheel while my husband encourages him. He’ll run his hands along the wheel as if he’s walking on it with Turnip. The other cat, Mary Read, doesn’t go on it, but she watches her brother.
It wasn’t until I just bought a retired show cat that I realized how playful cats can be. I have always had a house full of strays whom I never intentionally played with daily. Now that I know cats want/need/desire daily play time with their owners, my house has cat toys all over every room 🙂
I had one of those Rattling Hypno Mice… and I unraveled it! I still wanted to play with it, though, even though it was just a plastic thing with a long string attached to it. My human took it away “for safekeeping,” and I haven’t seen it since. 🙁
You are proof that no toy is indestructible, Summer. Maybe you should get a job as toy safety tester!
When I saw the title of your article in your mailbox, I pictured a cat using tiny barbells. Hey, maybe we should ask for kitty exercise gyms like people ask for public dog parks! ;_)
How fun would that be, Nancy!