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A lot of cats love crinkle toys. The crispy, crunchy playthings speak to both a hunter’s instinct and a pair of ears with a huge capacity for taking in nuanced sounds. Crinkle toys are strong choices for kitty enrichment—and they encourage your buddy to leave your bags, papers, and wrappers in peace.
All crinkle toys engage your cat’s ears, but different kinds engage different secondary senses: catnip crinkle toys tantalize the nose, soft plush toys are great for interesting touch, and toys that incorporate colors and movement have visual appeal. Whether you want to bond, entertain a house full of cats, or inspire some independent play, there’s a crinkle toy for that. We’ve rounded up the best for all kinds of cats and cat parents.
- Best Cat Crinkle Balls: SunGrow Cat Crinkle Balls
- Best Crinkle Kicker Toy: Frisco Rainbow Unicorn
- Best Crinkle Toy for Stress Relief: Fuzzy Tail Cat Crinkle Pillows
- Best Bouncy Crinkle Toy: Frisco Bouncy Teaser Crinkle Toy
- Best for Kittens: SmartyKat Fish Flop Crinkle Toys
- Best for Independent Play: KONG Pull-a-Partz Bugz Crinkle Toy
- Best Crinkle Puzzle Mat: AWOOF Cat Crinkle Mat
- Best Crinkle Bag: K&H Kitty Crinkle Sack
- Best Crinkle Tunnel Toy: SmartyKat Crackle Chute
Best Cat Crinkle Balls: SunGrow Cat Crinkle Balls
These classic crinkle ball toys come in packs of 12. Mylar gives them the desired crinkle sound, and the two-inch balls are both soft and easy for a cat to carry. Bright, reflective colors appeal to your kitty’s visual senses, and they’re popular among felines who like to fetch. If your cats aren’t super at picking up after themselves, these toys are safe for humans to step on—a big selling point for us.
Though they get high marks for exercise, stress relief, and satisfying a cat’s never-ending curiosity, these crinkle balls aren’t the sturdiest or longest-lived playthings, especially if you have a shredder on your hands. We recommend monitoring play.
Key Features:
- Comes in packs of 12
- Made from reflective, lightweight mylar
- Prone to wear and tear from playing
Best Crinkle Kicker Toy: Frisco Mythical Mates Rainbow Unicorn
This mint-scented rainbow unicorn kicker toy from Chewy’s Frisco line is packed with both catnip and crinkle paper to appeal to the bunny kickers and toy wrestlers out there. We like its sturdy tail and mane for kitties who really like to roughhouse, while US-grown catnip adds interest to the soft plush.
Note that the unicorn’s body is only about six inches tall without the tail and horn, which makes it a little smaller than your average kicker. That’s nice for kittens and smaller cats, but if yours needs something heftier, check out the rest of the Mythical Mates line, including a longer mermaid kicker—or read on!
Key Features:
- Filled with crinkle paper and USA catnip
- 11 inches from horn to tail, with a 6-inch body
- Mint scented
Best Crinkle Toy for Stress Relief: Fuzzy Tail Cat Crinkle Pillows
We like these funny plush cat crinkle pillow toys for kitty stress relief—their appealing shape allows a cat to bite, claw, scratch, pat, pounce, and roll in natural play. These ten-inch plushes come from Potaroma, the maker of the internet-famous flopping fish cat toy, and are made with soft cotton and stuffed with organic catnip.
Key Features:
- Shape inspires natural play
- Made from quality plush and cotton materials
- Comes in packs of three
- Catnip on the inside
Best Bouncy Crinkle Toy: Frisco Bouncy Teaser Crinkle Toy
Ready to join playtime? This bouncy, crinkly dragon is one of our favorites for interactive play and a good option for pet parents looking to get in some bonding time. The fuzzy beast is attached to a bungee string with a plastic loop for human fingers, while a tantalizing feather tail encourages your cat to leap and bat.
Note that speedy kitties can do a number on the (non-replaceable) feather—so you have your work cut out for you.
Key Features:
- Bouncy movement to attract cat’s attention
- Includes crinkle paper and feathers
- Great toy for bonding with your cat
- Inspect for wear and tear after vigorous play
Best for Kittens: SmartyKat Fish Flop Crinkle Toys
Though kittens can enjoy a lot of the crinkle toys on this list, we think exhausted pet parents might get the most mileage out of one that doesn’t require a lot of close supervision—which means a straightforward toy with lots of cat appeal and zero chewable feathers or snackable strings. These popular crinkle fish from SmartyKat fit the brief, with zero stuffing and lots of crinkle.
At just over four inches long and one inch wide, they’re lightweight enough for little cats to bat and carry. Though cats under six months aren’t likely to care much about catnip, more mature kittens can appreciate the potent filling.
Key Features:
- Stuffing- and feather-free plush fish toys
- Kitten-friendly size: 1.25″ x 4.25″
- Catnip filling
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Best for Independent Play: KONG Pull-a-Partz Bugz Crinkle Toy
This four-in-one crinkle toy was made for destructo-cats and puzzle solvers. It features a ten-inch crinkly leaf mat and three catnip-packed bugs that your cat can attach and detach to their heart’s content (or at least until they make their way under the couch). Small Velcro dots connect a bee, a ladybug, and a dragonfly to the very crinkly base.
Reviewers were thrilled by their kitties’ enthusiasm, though slightly less pleased at the amount of slobber generated—which is a bit of a shame, since spot cleaning, not machine-washing, is required.
Key Features:
- Powerfully crinkly mat
- Three catnip-filled bugs, attached with Velcro
- Strong choice for independent play and mental stimulation
- Mat can be spot cleaned but should not go in the washing machine
Best Crinkle Puzzle Mat: AWOOF Cat Crinkle Mat
If the KONG Bugz mat looked too easy for your challenge-loving kitty, try this puzzle-style catnip crinkle mat. The colorful 20- by 18-inch mat from snuffle champion Awoof comes with seven crinkle pockets to hide catnip pouches (included), treats, and toys—and it doubles as a comfortable and self-warming bag for sleeping. This mat is machine washable and made of safe, static-free fabrics. It also works well in a cat carrier if your cat has plans to hit the road.
Key Features:
- Seven crinkle pockets
- Comes with three catnip pouches
- Doubles as a bed or pad
- Machine-washable
Best Crinkle Bag: K&H Kitty Crinkle Sack
This crinkle sack is a more elegant take on the traditional paper bag and uses crinkle paper, a durable exterior fabric, and a soft Sherpa lambswool interior to entice your cat to play, hide, and explore. The sack uses an overstuffed bolster to keep it open and inviting for your cat. This classy sack is machine washable and measures 15 by 18 inches.
Key Features:
- Super soft Sherpa interior
- Machine-washable
- Sized well for small and medium-sized cats
- A step-up from the paper bag and looks nice in the living room
- Available in two colors
Best Crinkle Tunnel Toy: SmartyKat Crackle Chute
Cat tunnels are some of our favorite crinkle toys, especially for shy kitties who love a good hidey-hole. This lightweight plastic option crinkles with every footfall. A hole in the top is perfect for diving into (maybe after you’ve booped the dog on the nose), and three feet of length ensures maximum coziness.
When playtime is over, the spring-wire frame collapses down for easy storage.
Key Features:
- Openings at each end, with hole in middle
- 3 feet wide and 9.5 inches tall; may be too small for large cats
- Tunnel collapses flat for storage
How We Chose
The cat crinkle toys featured here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing and a comprehensive look at customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms. We prioritized strong crinkle paper, durable materials, and textures with lots of appeal for cat eyes, noses, and paws. We’re also guided by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated pets, who are never stingy with their feedback.
