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Puzzle toys can keep your cat active, happy, and out of trouble. Plus, they’re great for providing clever kitties mental stimulation and helping speed eaters slow down. But finding the best puzzle toy for your cat really depends on, well…your cat. A lot of factors can come into play, considering ability, age, and preference.
Fortunately, there are tons of options on the market—from beginner to advanced and in all shapes and sizes—to fit your particular cat’s play style and needs. We’ve rounded up the best for all kinds of kitties. New to cat puzzle toys? Hop down to our explainer on the different difficulty levels, or dive in and review our favorites below.
- Best for Beginners: KONG Puzzlements Pockets Cat Toy
- Best Intermediate Puzzle: Nina Ottosson Petstages Buggin’ Out Puzzle
- Best for Advanced Cats: Petstages Rainy Day Interactive Cat Treat Puzzle
- Best for Multiple Cats: TRIXIE Brain Mover Activity Strategy Game Cat Toy
- Best Feeder-Style Puzzle: Catit Senses 2.0 Cat Tree
- Best Multi-Purpose Puzzle Toy: TRIXIE 5-in-1 Activity Fun Board
- Best Catnip Puzzle Toy: Petstages Catnip Chase Track Interactive Cat Toy
- Best for Exercise: PetSafe SlimCat Meal-Dispensing Cat Ball
- Best for Food-Motivated Cats: ALL FOR PAWS Interactive Puzzle Cat Feeder
- Best for Prey-Motivated Cats: Petstages Grass Patch Hunting Box Cat Scratcher Toy
- Best for Wet Food: Lickimat Casper, Fish-Shaped Cat Lick Mat
Best for Beginners: KONG Puzzlements Pockets Cat Toy
Sometimes the best toys are also the simplest. This quilted mat has nine different play pockets to hide toys, treats, or your cat’s favorite household items—activating their hunting and foraging instincts. Adding sensory stimulation, the attached ball of cat-safe yarn rattles when batted and the material crinkles when touched. Tuck the included catnip mouse into the blanket, or supply your cat’s own favorites.
Key features:
- Measures 2.75 x 15.75 inches
- Easy to fold for travel
- Includes an extra supply of catnip
- Only comes in one design
Best Intermediate: Nina Ottosson Petstages Buggin’ Out Puzzle
This award-winning cat puzzle features adjustable levels, from beginner to intermediate, to help teach cats how to use it and sharpen their puzzle skills. Dextrous cat paws have to rotate the leaves and push the ladybug discs out of the way to reveal hidden snacks.
Not only is it a fun and interactive game for your cat, but it can also be used as a slow feeder that encourages your cat’s natural hunting instincts.
Key features:
- Holds up to 1/4 cup of food
- Best for intermediate and experienced puzzlers; not ideal for beginners
- Includes 14 hidden treat compartments
- Made with food-safe materials
Best Advanced: Petstages Rainy Day Interactive Cat Treat Puzzle
A great boredom buster, this cat puzzle treat toy relies on nimble paws to bat at the pegs and swivel the raindrops. It’s a step up from the ladybug model, with a tighter configuration with more interference between pieces, plus a spinning disc that can rotate to reveal hidden holes.
With 14 treat compartments, three different ways to customize the difficulty level, and a tips and tricks sheet, this advanced puzzle provides a varied range of ways to keep your kitty’s brain busy.
Key features:
- Holds up to 1/4 cup of food
- Made with food-safe materials
- No removable parts for safe play
- Can be adjusted to three different levels
Best for Multiple Cats: TRIXIE Brain Mover Activity Strategy Game Cat Toy
With four different and interchangeable modules, this cat puzzle toy is fantastic for multi-cat households, especially if your kitties are at different skill levels. We especially like the strings and levers that pull loose extra drawers and the huge range of movement types the toy encourages.
The four modules span from intermediate to more advanced, making it a strong choice for curious cats who like a challenge but not the best for first-time puzzlers.
Key features:
- Dishwasher safe
- 6.5 inches long x 7.75 inches in diameter x 3.5 inches high
- Non-slip rubber feet on the base
- Good for cats of all ages, though it may be challenging for beginners
Best Feeder-Style Puzzle: Catit Senses 2.0 Cat Tree
Another puzzle that uses your kitty’s batting and swatting skills, this indoor feeder transforms meals or snack time into an intriguing hunt. Place kibble or treats at the top of the three-tiered maze and let your cat paw them down the bowl beneath to catch the food. Use this food tree alone or attach it to other puzzle toys in the Catit line to create an entire activity center.
Key features:
- Rotates to three different sizes
- Base doubles as a no-spill dish
- Made of BPA-free materials
- Can be messy and loud
Best Multi-Purpose: TRIXIE 5-in-1 Activity Fun Board (Verified Review)
Challenge your cat in five different ways with this multi-textured activity board. With cavities that require licking, digging, and pawing, this interactive feeder encourages your cat to use a wide range of skills in a variety of ways. Non-slip rubber feet keep the board in place while your cat climbs, scoops, and hunts out food.
Our test kitty found the bar a little high for some of these cavities, and there aren’t moving pieces—which is a blessing for some kitties and a curse for others. We recommend this for strongly food-motivated cats and kitties who need to be able to see the food to think it’s worth getting.
Key features:
- Dishwasher safe
- Challenges include globes, pegs, alleys, tongues, and tunnels
- Some reviewers have noted this toy is better for cats with smaller paws
Best Catnip Puzzle Toy: Petstages Catnip Chase Track Interactive Cat Toy
For kitties less interested in food, catnip puzzles provide a good alternative. Relying on your cat’s sense of smell and interest in movement, this catnip chase track toy features peek-a-boo openings for your kitty to pounce, stalk, and paw at the balls. To fill the toy, just rotate the top to reveal the hole, then add catnip and spin the top so the perforations line up with the compartment.
Note that especially rambunctious kitties can flip this toy, which may result in a light sprinkling of catnip on your carpet.
Key features:
- Adjustable catnip compartment for varying scent strength
- Comes in two colors (green and red and blue)
- Hand washable with warm water and mild soap
Best for Exercise: PetSafe SlimCat Meal-Dispensing Cat Ball
Need to get your cat moving? Puzzle balls are a popular choice, since they add exercise to mealtime or provide an extra energy outlet for cats who love to chase. Adjustable openings allow for a slower or faster feed, depending on your cat’s ability and energy level. We especially appreciate that this puzzle ball is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
Key features:
- Top-rack dishwasher safe
- Fits 85 grams of dry cat food
- Distributes meals in smaller portions
- Comes in four colors
Best for Food-Motivated Cats: ALL FOR PAWS Interactive Puzzle Cat Feeder
This puzzle maze is an strong choice for food-motivated cats to get both mental and physical exercise. The clear top makes the treats in the puzzle visible so your cat can swat and paw to free the treats. It also features three interchangeable designs to keep up with your cat’s skill level, ranging from beginner to advanced.
Key features:
- Non-slip rubber feet to keep it from moving
- Works as a slow feeder
- Hand-wash only
Best for Prey-Motivated Cats: Petstages Grass Patch Hunting Box Cat Scratcher Toy
Not all cats are food motivated, and this hunting box from Petstages does a nice job of speaking to a wide range of feline puzzle solvers. The faux grass on top allows for scratching, lounging, or napping, while the jingling balls inside tempt curious paws. Pet parents can sprinkle in treats, toys, or kibble for added food enrichment, but snacks aren’t required for a cat to appreciate this puzzle.
Key features:
- Multiple paw-sized openings
- Sturdy cardboard structure, easy to tuck away
- Includes three jingle balls
Best for Wet Food: Lickimat Casper, Fish-Shaped Cat Lick Mat
If your cat prefers wet or raw food to kibble, a lick mat offers some of the interactive, mentally stimulating qualities of a treat ball or slow feeder. Designed with low-profile ribs and ridges, this appealing fish-shaped lick mat encourages your kitty to slow down and crouch—mimicking feeding styles in the wild. For even slower feeding and an added challenge, freeze food on top.
Key features:
- Freezer and microwave safe
- Made from non-toxic, recyclable material
- Not suitable for kitties who love to chew
New to Cat Puzzle Toys? Here’s Where To Start
Paying close attention to your cat’s likes, dislikes, and overall behavior is a good place to start when choosing a cat puzzle toy. Do they like to chase, swat, scratch, scavenge—or all of the above?
You’ll also want to pick an interactive cat toy that suits your kitty’s skills and abilities. For beginners, go with a simple but interactive stationary design like a lick mat, slow feeder cat bowl, or catnip toy. Starting with easier cat puzzles can help prevent frustration and build positive associations while you introduce them to the world of enrichment toys.
As your cat levels up to the intermediate stage, give them a wide variety of cat puzzle toys that work their brain in various ways to keep them engaged—think treat-dispensing balls, feeder boards, and box puzzles. Opt for toys with multiple difficulty settings so you can increase the challenge without moving too quickly.
Once your cat reaches a more advanced level (you’ll know when the treats start disappearing quickly), choose more complex puzzle toys and mazes that work multiple skills like sliding, spinning, and digging. (Then sit back, satisfied that your kitty has achieved Einstein status in the cat world.)
Every cat is different, so it may take a few tries to find the perfect interactive cat toy for them—but we’ve found it worthwhile so far, and the science agrees.
How We Chose
The cat puzzle toys featured here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing, a comprehensive look at customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms, and interviews with veterinary and behavioral experts. We prioritized durability, versatility, and popularity. We’re also guided by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated cats, who are never stingy with their feedback.
