How to Choose Safe Toys for Your Cat
This might surprise you, but not every toy labeled for cats is cat-friendly. In fact, many cat toys contain materials and parts that are hazardous if swallowed or chewed.
Here are some tips on choosing safe toys for your cat so playtime will be as stressful as possible for the both of you.
1. Avoid toys with small, removable parts
Bells, buttons, pompoms, feathers, and eyes can detach and pose choking hazards.
Long strings or ribbons can cause intestinal blockages if swallowed. Your cat may also get tangled in strings or ribbons and suffocate.
A lot of cat toys on the market? They have these things! I know it makes zero sense, since they’re cat toys for cats and all, but it’s true.
Ball toys with bells in the middle are safe if there is no way for the bell to get out of the ball, but bell noises may scare your cat. Wand toys with feathers are safe with careful supervision, but felines shouldn’t be left alone with feathers.
Some pompom ball toys are safe, with supervision. At the end of the day, consider your cat’s playing habits. Some cats behave more like toddlers than others and try to put everything in their mouths. You know your cat best.
Note: Cat toys with feathers are safe for cats who don’t try eat or chew the feathers. Plenty of cats love these toys! Keep these toys out of reach when you’re not playing 1:1 with your cat.
2. Select durable, cat-proof materials
Avoid cat toys made with soft plastics, foam or brittle parts that can break off. Nylon, hard plastic, rubber or tightly woven fabric is best.
Cat Dancer toys are vet-approved. Their wand toys are made of fleece that is tightly fixed to a plastic stick with rubber. Cats heavier than 5lbs that grab the fleece and cause the wand to bend may snap the stick in half, however. They have a wire toy with paper on the end that dances and is best for cats prone to eating all kinds of fabric strips (even fleece).
3. Check labels for safety indications
Cat-safe toys from reputable brands usually make it clear that their toys are safe for cats, by saying there are NO choking hazards.
Cat Dancer and Meowijuana, for example, create toys that don’t have any choking hazards and options that are safe for every cat.
If you’re unsure about a toy, consult your cat’s vet. If you’re shopping at a Petco or PetSmart that has a veterinarian clinic or office in the building, you may be able to get an answer from someone at the vet’s office before buying the product — just ask! Vets would much rather you ask them when you’re not sure instead of buying a toy that’s unsafe for cats.
4. Supervise playtime with new toys
Introduce new toys to your cat and watch how your cat interacts with the new toys. Inspect toys on a regular basis for any damage and discard the toys with loose parts, tears or bite marks that you cannot mend.
Some needle felt balls or sewn toys can be repaired if you know how to needle felt or sew, which means you can “rescue” your cat’s favorite toys instead of trying to find a brand new one.
Meowijuana toys last for years, even with aggressive cat play. My cat’s trout fish toy has been washed in the laundry machine and chewed all over, but it still looks good as new.
You know your cat best. The right cat toys will stimulate your cat’s natural hunting behaviors safely. Playtime should always be fun and hazard-free. When you can’t supervise your pet with their toys, remove the ones that aren’t safe without supervision to avoid any disasters or emergencies.
Some ball toys collect dust, fur, hair and floor fuzz, which your cat may inhale while carrying the ball in their mouth. Either clean them on a regular basis or don’t give them to your cat at all. Cats who breathe through ball toys may appear to be wheezing, when what you hear is actually the noise of air moving around the balls.