Cat Treat Toys Review

Cat treat photo by the author.

I have gotten my cats various treat toys over the years. The one before the current one, that is pictured above, was a plastic round ball, that had a hole in it where the treats could fall out of as the ball was rolled. The one that we had, had a hole size that could be adjusted to make it easier or harder for the treats to fall out of. Our cat did seem to enjoy it to an extent, but it did not seem to be a favorite toy. I did not find the particular cat ball treat dispenser that we had, on Amazon.

Last Christmas, I came across the ladybugs and leaves design cat treat toy. With this toy, the treats seemed to be more directly retrieved from the toy. It's been over eight months now, and it is still a hit with our cat. There was a little bit of a learning curve at the very beginning, but it did not take long for her to figure it out. The way to get treats from this toy was a lot more straight forward. It was and is still a winner; it has two paws up from our cat. She comes to get me when it's treat time, without me having to call her.

This last toy is a home made treat toy made from a toilet paper roll. The toilet paper roll is folded in half, with both ends meeting, and then cutting slits, stopping around a half inch or so from the ends. Unfold the toilet paper tube, then push the middle part of the tube out a bit and add some treats. Our cat was immediately intrigued with this, once I put the treats in it! This is a nice way to add some extra fun for your cat, in a quick and easy way.

Why provide treat toys for your cat(s).

It offers some fun, play, and an intriguing way to play on their hunter instincts.

Another reason, is it is a way to help slow down a cat's eating habits. If they were used to eating fast, as in perhaps they came from an open room type shelter, they may have had to eat fast to make sure they got to the food when it was out. We had two cats where that was the case. Providing a mechanism that helped slow the cat's eating down, was a big help in getting their weight under control.

Which cat treat toy would I recommend?

My choice would be the ladybugs and leaves cat treat toy. My cat seems happier with this treat toy more so than she did with the dispensing ball toy. She looks forward to using it and I don't have to encourage her to use it.

Ladybugs and Leaves Cat Treat Toy; Catstages Buggin' Out Puzzle: Check price.

My second recommendation, is to try the toilet paper roll option; it's a good way to see if you want to invest in a treat toy that is more long lasting. However, they are relatively easy to make and toilet paper rolls can be in easy supply.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Alternative Toys for Cats Review

For many of us cat lovers, we strive to please our fur babies. Many times we buy the next toy at the pet store hoping this will be the one to strike their fancy. Today, I will share some of the lesser known toys for cats that you won't find at the pet store.

First up is hair bands. I purchased a package of thick ones, made for pony tails. I wanted thicker ones, figuring that they would hold up longer and probably go farther than the thinner ones. I shot the thick hair band across the floor, and it caught Tori's attention. She was after it in no time.

Tori is most intrigued with the hair band when I shoot it but has also been observed playing swat and bat it around, and carry it, without my input. That's a winner for me. The ones that I bought are around 5/8 of an inch wide, and are rated as no damage as far as hair goes. You can check out the options for these types of hair bands on Amazon.

While I was checking out things that might intrigue my cat, I considered other alternative options that fly. Hince, the paper airplane.

The first one I made was from a post it note. Post it note airplanes do not travel far at all, but they do kind of float down. Tori was somewhat intrigued, and also showed interest in it even when I didn't make it fly. But not as much interest as she showed in the hair band. I give the Post it note airplane a medium thumbs up.

Then I tried making an airplane from a larger sheet of paper, without any takiness on the edge of it. It too, didn't go that far. Then I added a flip up on the long folded edge. I also did this modification to the Post it note airplane; they both went further! Yay! Tori's interest however was short lived, even with the longer distance. She did though prefer to bat the smaller airplane around in some of her passings though. So if you make paper airplanes for your cat(s), I recommend the smaller size.

If you need a refresher course on how to fold a paper airplane, here is one of the options.

If your cat or cats like the proverbial cardboard box, then a box train can be a fun alternative for your cat(s). Some pet owners have made a train with multiple boxes attached; some held together better than others. It can also be a fun alternative for a single cat. This video shows how the cord can be more entertaining than riding in the box. However, it is still a fun adventure. It is one I'm definitely considering once I get a good box size that is in decent shape.

For my last alternative cat toy option today, I present the idea of Dominos. From what I've seen, the Dominos cat adventure appears to be more of a spectator sport. Unless the cats already know how to press buttons, in a way that the Dominos builder has made in an intriguing way for the cat to nudge a Domino, it is pretty much just the cats being aware of all the Dominos falling in various formations. If you have lots of time on your hands and want to entertain your fur babies in this way, I would pass on this. But there are many people who love building Dominos in this way.

In this video, however, is a fun toy meant for children, where a cat was most intrigued in trying to retrieve a ball that was ready to go down a spinning hole. I would say, forget the Dominio buildng, and play with the spinning ball toy. Here you go:

The marble run toy looks similar to this one. I chose the one with the Lego base, as I figure it would be less likely to get knocked over, and would make for a longer, and therefore more playing time with your cat(s).

Marble Run Toy on Amazon

What are your opinions? Do you have a favorite alternative you would like to try with your cat(s)? Do you have a different cat toy alternative that you would like to share?

Thank you in advance for your comment.

Check out other favorite cat toys for cats on my blog: Fun Cat Toys to Play with Cats.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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