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If Your Kitty Can’t Stop Gnawing On Your Shoes, Give 'Em These 27 Things Instead
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We hope you love our recommendations! While every product is independently chosen by our editors, BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. You can read more about how our affiliate partnerships work in our Editorial Standards & Ethics Guide. They’ll soon forget that they ever used your personal items as scratch posts. I am a contributor who has been writing for BuzzFeed Shopping since 2020, focusing on beauty, fashion, home decor, and pets (especially cats!), and whose work has been featured in publications like Marie Claire, Coveteur, Byrdie, The Zoe Report, Bustle, & more. Promising review: "This butterfly toy is great and so far as I can tell, durable. My cats are pretty rough on their toys, and this thing seems like it will last quite a while. The best thing about it is the balance. This is the first one of these types of toys that my cats have not knocked over! That's amazing!" —Kake Promising review: "My husband and I were huge fans of this tree because it was super easy to assemble, but our three cats are even bigger fans because of the coziness! All three now have a spot to hang out in in the office while we work from home. Love it!" —Lindsay Get the Ivy 3 tree from Mau for $329 (available in two colors). Promising review: "Obviously, every cat is different, but this toy has done a good job of entertaining mine! Although, strangely enough, she plays with it more when it's turned off. I like to stop it with the mouse hidden from view, and she goes to it whenever she's bored to try and reach in and pull it out. Often, I'll catch her dropping her milk rings in there herself so she can fish those out of the holes. When it's on (whether slow or fast mode), she doesn't attack it so much, but she does like to sit there and watch it go round and round. It's like she's mesmerized! It's done a wonderful job of distracting her from things I don't want her to be playing with." —Emily Get it from Amazon for $25.99+ (available in five colors). Promising review: "This is the best $ I've ever spent on a cat toy. She goes WILD! Even GLADLY flew into a TV once cause she was flying after it. No harm, she just grabbed it in her mouth, trotted to the kitchen, and continued to chase! I don't know if it looks like a bug to them or what, but I'm getting one for every cat owner I know. It's such a surprisingly great buy. I think even Big Cats would like this. Buy it now! It's only a few bucks :)" —ShawnaO Reviews Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in packs of one and two). Promising review: "This is the greatest invention for kitties EVER! Honestly, when my cats feel like they need a hit o' the nip, and mama's not around, they know exactly where to go. They love it, and I catch them rubbing up on it almost every day. We've had it up on the wall for about two months now, with three cats loving all over it, and I can't tell if it's lost any of its bulk. Seems like it's going to have a long life of mellowing out my kitties!" —Tiffany Lee Get a set of four from Amazon for $9.98. (Available in green or gray and in a catnip board version!) Bennie Bow is a Los Angeles-based small business that specializes in cat toys and accessories. Promising review: "I really appreciated the quality of this cat toy. They were very cute and fun to use with my cats. I was impressed with the quick shipping to my home. Would buy from this seller again." —Amy Spiller Get them from Bennie Bow on Etsy for $9.90 (available in nine colors). Simply B Vermont is a small business located in, you guessed it, Vermont. They make adorable pet accessories and toys for cats and dogs. Promising review: "Fast shipping, super thoughtful and attentive seller, and most importantly, our kitties are obsessed with these balls! Even my shy one is running around with these and having an absolute blast without my tossing them around. It’s also wearing her out, which is quite hard to do. Highly recommend!" —Ketti Schulenberg Get a set from Simply B Vermont on Etsy for $9.75+ (available in three styles and with refills). Promising review: "We run a rescue and have many cats. This toy was a hit. The year-olds immediately went to work while the older cats came up and watched intently. It wasn't too hard nor too easy, and kept their interest without frustrating them. I purchased another for my daughter's cats. Both were enthralled and kept very busy. This puzzle is a win!" —texasquilter Get it from Amazon for $18.69+ (available in three styles). Promising review: "My cats absolutely love this thing! When I was putting it together, my 20-pound tabby immediately went inside the tube and did not come out for over an hour! It was easy to put together (even with a 20-pound cat inside lol). But, this entire thing is about 3 feet long. It is HUGE. Make sure you have room!! The material is surprisingly soft, both outside and inside the tunnel. And the light coloring allows light to filter through, which my cats like (I had a black tunnel that neither of them would go into). My smaller 10-pound tabby (black nose) LOVES to run around the house, and now he has added running a few laps inside this tunnel to his run lol. Both cats play in this ALL THE TIME. Both on the inside chasing each other, or one on the inside and one outside batting at each other. They use the tunnel as a good napping spot, and also a spot to hide from the vacuum or guests they aren't sure of. This has gotten soooooo much use from both cats. I would highly recommend this!!" —Trebeca Get it from Amazon for $21.10+ (available in four colors/patterns). Promising review: "My cat loves this thing. I leave it plugged in and leave it on. When it turns on automatically my cat will go wild with it for a little bit even though I have had it for a while. This is one of his favorite toys." —Cody Get it from Amazon for $16.80+ (available in white and grey). Promising review: "This toy is awesome! At first, my cat didn't understand it — I would put the treat in and cover it, and he thought it was gone. So I started putting treats in the cups uncovered and he would just eat out of the cups. After a couple of days of that, I put the treat in and just partially covered it, so he could see it, but had to move the drop out of the way to get the treat. Once he'd mastered that, I was able to cover it completely and he knew to move the drop to get the treat. We haven't gotten to the advanced level with the pegs yet. It's SO much fun teaching him and seeing him get the hang of it, and it's great for indoor cats to have a mental challenge and 'hunt' for their food. Highly recommend!" —Trudi M. Rosenblum Promising review: "Our kitten, Spazz, LOVES the Purr Pillow!!! He loves to tackle and body slam the purple guy, as we call it, and grab it, bite it, and kick it with his hind legs! If there were ever a soft plush kitten/cat toy that can take extreme punishment, the Purr Pillow is it!!! He loves it so much that when we give it to him, he'll run off with it in his mouth and put it in his special mini cardboard box. The Purr Pillow is more than worth its cost!!!" —Denice C. Get it from Amazon for $6.53+ (available in three styles). Promising review: "The dragonfly in the pack is my playful 6-year-old cat's favorite thing! He plays with it for literally HOURS every day. And it’s been up for a month and a half now. It might not have wings or eyeballs anymore, but it’s still entertaining him!" —Ashley BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jenae Sitzes had this to say: "I have this exact toy for my cats, and it's easily their favorite thing to play with — and they have a lot of toys. I first noticed they loved string because they tore apart a mouse toy that was basically string wrapped around a plastic mouse shape — they didn't care about the mouse, but they loved the torn-apart string (aka literal trash at this point). I got this rainbow toy because I realized they really just wanted to chase long tail-like objects, and they sure do light up whenever they see me pick up this wand and know that it's playtime. I love that it's long, so I can just sit on my couch and whisk it around the area, and even shy little Chicho, who likes to sit further back and watch while his older brother plays (as seen in the GIF above), can still bat at it. It's a super simple toy, but the amount of joy it'll probably bring your kitty is worth every penny." Promising review: "We bought one of these about five years ago, and it was a hit. It has been well used and finally starting to fray a bit. We have a new kitten, and she absolutely loves this toy. Like others have said, she will drag this thing around and bring it to us to get us to play with her. I just ordered another one." —Jayster BuzzFeed Shopping writer Courtney Lynch says, "Listen up, people. If your cat loves to take their scratching habit out on your furniture, you absolutely *need* one of these in your home. They're especially great for kitties who automatically take up residence in any cardboard box you bring into the house. 😆 (iykyk.) These last a really long time, so you only need to buy 'em every few months — maybe more often in a multi-cat household. It comes with a box, three scratching pad refills, and three small bags of catnip. The scratching pads are reversible, allowing you to flip them over once the first side is worn out and get more use out of them. I keep one of these in the living room and one in my bedroom, and my cat now has no interest in scratching anything else. Additionally, she loves these so much that she often ends up taking a little snooze inside the box. Promising review: "I have a cat that only likes a few things, and she obsesses over those things. Cardboard scratchers are one of her favorite things. I love that this comes with three inserts that can be flipped over. Basically, it's six scratchers. This will last her several months and we will be back for more when she goes through them all. Also, the price for this item was so much better than many others I see out there." —Samantha Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in five sizes). Promising review: "Perfect distraction for bored kitties. My cats will play with this toy for hours. Requires recharging often if not turned off when not in use. Very durable and safe for bigger cats that bite and play rough. Excellent product." —Terri Get it from Amazon for $9.98 (available in a carp or clownfish design). This is made of sisal wood, which is stronger and sturdier than cardboard (the common material for scratching posts). Promising reviews: "The average cat scratching post is a hideous blend of string and beige carpet that sucks the soul from any room in which it is placed. Not this one. This scratching post is sleek, well-made, and unassuming, blending easily into any room. It arrived well packaged and was easy to install with the hardware provided. Furthermore, it is robustly constructed and stands up to constant use by my cat." —D James "My cat absolutely loves this, so we ended up buying a second one for him. It's great for mounting on the wall. It gives him a good spot where he can really stretch and scratch without damaging our walls. If your cat tends to scratch vertical surfaces like walls, like ours does, I highly recommend this scratcher." —Luke Promising review: "Our cats love this, and it's the perfect way to give them food overnight without them eating all of it within the first 30 minutes and vomiting on the kitchen floor! They really like the challenge, and the size makes it really easy to regulate the amount of food we are giving them. We got two of them so they could both play/eat, and that really solved our problems." —Charity Crabtree Get it from Amazon for $7.95 (available in three colors). Promising review: "This toy was definitely considered a disposable toy for us; however, my cat loved it so much! It took him a good two to three weeks to tear up all the cardboard. He loved scratching at the grass part. The cardboard pieces are all torn off, but I kept the turf/grass part around as a scratcher. Highly recommend if your cat needs a new activity to keep them busy!" —Marissa Czyzewski Oddball Cat Toys is a woman-owned, Rapid City, South Dakota–based small business that specializes in toys, collars, and bandanas for cats. Promising review: "Beautiful handcrafted cat toy. It came super quick, and is the perfect size for both my kitties to enjoy. My tabby is in love with this toy; she bops at it with her little paws and chases it around all the time. My sphynx was a little more hesitant at first, but once she realized mommy wasn't going to get her in trouble for playing with this particular 'forbidden toy' (cotton swabs are her favorite, but I don't let her play with them), she was all for bopping and chasing and chewing it lol. I plan on buying more!" —katherine810 Get it from Oddball Cat Toys on Etsy for $7 (available in three colors, with or without a jingle bell, and with catnip, silvervine, or valerian). The 9 x 9-inch mats come from 3 Kitties and 2 Humans, a Willowick, Ohio-based shop with all sorts of cat goodies. Promising review: "My cat LOOOOVESSS this genius product. (: She’s an odd one and doesn’t play much, catnip or not, but she does snooze around pretty much all the time so this is perfect! She won’t give it up! Shipped super fast, super soft fabric, great quality! I definitely recommend! (:" —BreAhnna Stephens Get it from 3 Kitties and 2 Humans on Etsy for $8 (available in several colors/prints). Promising review: "I bought this for our cats because their plastic roller exerciser broke. The ball kept coming out. This roller exerciser has exceeded my expectations. The toy is well-built and made of bamboo. It is easy to assemble and clean with a damp rag. Our kittens love their new toy, and it keeps them entertained. Our older cats are even playing with it. This is a good quality toy that will last longer than any other toy. I highly recommend this toy. I would purchase again." —Bvolbr Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in three sizes). Promising review: "I bought this for my coworker’s cat, Mr. Socks, who is always trying to ‘help’ his owner during the day. This was perfect. The stickers are so much fun and so cute. The ‘laptop’ itself is hilarious and entertaining for not just Mr. Socks. The ‘screen’ has all of Mr. Socks’ coworkers in a video conference. The ‘mouse’ was hilarious, and the little slot for small toys is a great addition. I highly recommend this for any of YOUR furry coworkers. They won’t be disappointed." —Michelle Meowy Janes is a New Jersey-based small business that specializes in catnip alternatives. They work with sustainable, family-owned farms to source their natural products. BuzzFeed Shopping editor Chelsea Stuart gave these to her kitties: "I recently tried some of these out with my cats, and they were a hit! TBH, they've never really been super into catnip — they'll play with it, but they don't go wild — so I was excited to see they were into these. They bat them around, rub their faces all over them, and ultimately, when they're done, hide them under a chair or in their cat condo so they can come back to them later." Promising review: "I have two cats, one almost blind kitty, and one very lovey-dovey, very vocal kitty. The kitty has not warmed up to these yet, but she usually needs extra time with new things. But my talkative kitty just loves them! I scraped off some bark as instructed, and she gnawed, tossed, chased, and altogether enjoyed them." —Grace Cook Get them from Meowy Janes on Etsy for $14.56 or Amazon for $11.33. Promising review: "I have a very active, playful cat who gets bored easily. I’ve bought him a lot of toys, and this is by far his favorite. It actually keeps him entertained and is big enough that it won’t get lost under the couch. He goes nuts for it and plays with it until it tires him out. It’s been amazing for getting his energy out. Highly recommend!" —Emma Bode Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in three colors). Promising review: "Best toy ever purchased. This is our second one. We gave our first after a year to a friend for their new kitten. It stays charged for a long time. Super easy to put together. Very durable, especially with a toddler in the house. Our cat has absolutely loved this toy. I would highly recommend." —Luv2shop Get it from Amazon for $24.98 (available in two patterns). Promising review: "My boys freaking LOVE this thing! Ended up getting a second tunnel so I could place the tent out into the yard more, but they took to it immediately. Construction seems excellent, and all the parts zip together to make it escape-proof." —Brian B. * Ahem, It Has Come To My Attention That Your Pet Deserves A Little Treat — Here Are 28 They’ll Probably Love * If Your Roommates, AKA Your Pets, Are Creating A Mess In The House, Here Are 27 Things To Help * If You Have Kids *And* Pets, These 22 Products Will Seriously Come In Handy BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.