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It’s not surprising that mouse toys are a favorite among cats of all ages. After all, cats are born predators, and mice are their natural prey. Mouse toys give cats scope to exercise classic hunting behaviors like stalking, pouncing, and batting.
It’s also not surprising that the market is full of options, from squeaky, catnip-filled plushes to futuristic remote-control rodents. We’ve sorted through them to bring you the best of the best for your feline friend, whether they’re an energetic young mouser or a sedate senior rodent watcher.
- Best for Kittens: Frisco Basic Plush Mice Cat Toy with Catnip
- Best Rattle Toy: Penn-Plax Purr Pet Mice Cat Toys
- Best for Cats Who Like to Kick: SmartyKat Rat Pack Kicker Cat Toy
- Best Squeaky Toy: Pet Zone Play-N-Squeak MouseHunter Cat Toy with Catnip
- Best Catnip Mouse Toy: Petlinks Catnip Mouser Compressed Catnip Toys
- Best for Cats Who Don’t Like Catnip: Ethical Pet Frankie Catnip Mouse Toy
- Best Bouncing Toy: Ethical Pet A-Door-Able Bouncing Mouse Cat Toy
- Best Wand Toy: Go Cat Teaser Cat Catcher Wand Toy
- Best Electronic: Petlibro Mouse
- Best Remote-Control Toy: Hexbug Remote Control Mouse Cat Toy
- Best Combination Toy: Doc & Phoebe’s Cat Co. Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder Kit
Best Mouse Toy for Kittens: Frisco Basic Plush Mice Cat Toy with Catnip
Kittens have endless energy, so frequent play sessions are necessary to keep them busy. These plush mice are perfect for a high-strung kitten who loves batting mice around—but also tends to get them lost under the furniture. Sold in a convenient five-pack, you’ll always have an extra on hand.
These Frisco Basic Plush mice toys have extra-long tails and are stuffed with Canadian catnip for added appeal. Whether your kitten likes to bite, bat, kick, or carry their toys around, these mouse toys are up for the challenge.
Key Considerations:
- Sold in a five-pack for around $5
- Made from soft materials with string tails
- Filled with dried Canadian catnip
- Small size is ideal for kittens
Best Rattle Mouse Toy: Penn-Plax Purr Pet Mice Cat Toys
Some cats are especially responsive to auditory stimuli and love toys that make interesting sounds. If that’s your kitty, try these two-inch polyester rattle mice, which build on the concept of crinkle paper and have tough, noise-making centers. Sold in a 12-pack, these mice are covered in faux fur and have long tails with strong cat appeal.
Penn-Plax Purr Pet mice come in three colors: gray, white, and black. You’ll receive an assortment of all three colors in the package.
Key Considerations:
- Makes a rattling noise during play
- Covered in soft faux-fur
- Mouse-like shape with long tail
- Sold in a 12-pack with three colors
Best for Cats Who Like To Kick: SmartyKat Rat Pack Kicker Cat Toy
Some cats love to grab hold of their favorite toy and “bunny kick” with their back feet. A little mouse won’t work for this behavior, which is why a kicker cat needs something with some heft—like this option from SmartyKat.
The plush Rat Pack Kicker mouse toy is oversized, which makes it perfect for wrestling, kicking, and even cuddling. It features a lifelike shape complete with four little feet, and it’s filled with soft stuffing. It also has dried catnip inside to get your cat’s senses going.
Key Considerations:
- Ideally sized and shaped for kicking
- Soft stuffing and filled with catnip
- Realistic mouse-like shape
Best Squeaky Mouse Toy: Pet Zone Play-N-Squeak MouseHunter Cat Toy with Catnip
The popular battery-operated Pet Zone mouse toy doesn’t just look like a mouse—it sounds like one too. Its lifelike appearance and powerful motion-activated squeaks make it a cat favorite.
The Play-N-Squeak MouseHunter toy measures a little over three inches long (without the tail), which makes it a good size for both batting and bunny kicking. It’s also filled with catnip to keep your kitty interested during longer periods of active play. Once the battery runs out, it can’t be replaced—but a lot of happy reviewers report they’ve ordered it on repeat.
Key Considerations:
- Makes realistic mouse noises
- Perfectly sized for batting and kicking
- Filled with catnip for extra interest
- Battery life for sound is limited
Best Catnip Mouse Toy: Petlinks Catnip Mouser Compressed Catnip Toys
The market is flooded with mouse-shaped cat toys filled with catnip, but Petlinks Catnip Mousers aren’t just filled with catnip—they’re made from it. These toys consist of compressed dried catnip, but their teardrop shape, string tails, and fabric ears make them look like mice.
Catnip stimulates your cat’s senses, giving them a burst of energy for an active play session. For cats who need a lot of catnip to take notice—or prefer it in leaf form as opposed to buried in a toy—this two-pack is ideal.
Note: It’s best to supervise your cat when playing with these mice, just in case the tail or ears come off. Storing the mice in a plastic zippered bag between uses may help keep the catnip fresh.
Key Considerations:
- Made from compressed catnip
- Mouse-like shape with ears and tail
- Catnip encourages your cat to play
- Store in a zippered plastic bag to keep fresh
- Supervised play is recommended
Best Mouse for Cats Who Don’t Like Catnip: Frisco Paw & Play Mouse Cat Toy
Not all cats love catnip—and some love it too much or have adverse reactions to it. If you tend to avoid catnip for your kitty, try this set of ten extra fuzzy mice from Frisco. They have hard plastic centers, which makes them less shreddable than other toy mice—a plus if you’re trying to keep the destruction to a minimum.
At two inches long with another two inches of tail, they make good fetch toys and are popular among kitties who like to travel the house with their furry toys in tow.
Key Considerations:
- Catnip-free
- Extra plush material
- Hard centers to prevent gutting
Best Bouncing Mouse Toy: Ethical Pet A-Door-Able Bouncing Mouse Cat Toy
We can’t always play with our cats as much as they would like, but just because we’re busy doesn’t mean our cats have to be bored. A bouncing mouse cat toy gives your cat a fun way to work off some excess energy all on their own.
The A-Door-Able hanging door bouncing mouse cat toy from Ethical Pet clips onto a standard door frame, teasing your cat with a fuzzy mouse dangling string. The elastic cord stretches with each pull, making the mouse move erratically to keep your cat’s attention. Just in case your cat gets a little too excited, the cord has a breakaway safety clip.
If mice aren’t your cat’s favorite, this toy is also available with a feathered bird instead.
Key Considerations:
- Clips onto a standard door frame
- Mouse bounces erratically on the elastic cord
- Cord has a breakaway safety clip
Best Electronic Mouse Toy: Petlibro Mouse (Verified Review)
Stimulate your cat’s senses without lifting a finger using this moving mouse cat toy from Petlibro. The toy moves quickly all on its own, encouraging your cat to give chase. It changes directions frequently to keep your cat guessing, and it corrects itself when it runs into obstacles.
The Petlibro electronic mouse cat toy features flashing LED lights and a rechargeable battery. To save battery life, the toy shuts down for 30 minutes after every 10 minutes of play. When your cat is ready to play again, they need only touch the mouse. Our testers were so impressed they bought backups for charging time.
Key Considerations:
- Fully electronic with rechargeable battery
- LED lights and erratic movements stimulate your cat
- Battery charges in about 1 hour
- Automatically shuts off after 10 minutes of play
Best Remote-Control: Hexbug Remote-Control Mouse Cat Toy
If you like the idea of taking a hand in the game, try this remote-control mouse toy from Hexbug. Unlike the PetLibro mouse, it has a realistic furry exterior. And instead of operating on its own, you direct the toy’s movements using the included remote.
The Hexbug is simple to operate and runs on replaceable batteries. It’s capable of 360 degrees of movement and can keep your cat engaged long enough to give them a little much-needed exercise.
Key Considerations:
- Great for interactive playtime
- Easy to operate with included remote
- Runs on replaceable batteries
- Realistic mouse-like appearance
Best Combination Toy: Doc & Phoebe’s Cat Co. Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder Kit
If you have a lazy cat who prefers napping over playing, these food-dispensing mice might be what you need to encourage a little extra activity. This cat feeder kit consists of three fabric mice with string tails and big ears. Inside each mouse is a plastic compartment you fill with your cat’s kibble.
Simply hide the cat toys around the house and send your cat hunting. Rather than gobbling down their food all at once, your cat will have to work for it. When the mice are empty, they double as toys your cat can bat around.
Key Considerations:
- Hide around the house for your cat to hunt
- Fill with low-calorie treats or kibble
- Mice have string tails and big ears
- Double as toys when the mice are empty
Best Mouse Wand Toy: Go Cat Teaser Cat Catcher Wand Toy
Wand toys are a great way to engage your cat in active play. Not only do they stimulate your cat’s senses and activate their prey drive, but wand toys encourage your cat to get some exercise.
This wand toy from Go Cat is perfect for cats who love mouse toys. It consists of a colorful glitter wand, a long wire, and a plush mouse toy. The mouse toy is covered in lifelike fur and comes complete with eyes, ears, and a long tail. As a bonus, this toy comes with two extra mouse attachments.
Key Considerations:
- Encourages exercise with active play
- Lifelike mouse toy
- Comes with two extra mouse attachments
How We Chose
The products 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 mouse toys that appeal to a variety of cat senses, including color, texture, and movement, plus novel solutions like electronic and slow-feeding mice.
As always, 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.
