Toys for Senior Cats: 5 Age-Appropriate Options

Key Points

• A tree or tower provides exercise as your senior cat climbs and jumps.

• Engaging your cat’s natural hunting instincts may motivate an otherwise lazy cat.

• Be aware of your senior cat’s dental health and give them toys that they chew without causing pain.

Getting old isn’t fun, but there are still entertainment opportunities. As your beloved feline friend ages, you still need to select age-appropriate toys to keep them physically and mentally stimulated.

In this guide, discover the five best toys for senior cats. These toys are great choices for their ability to engage older cats while considering their age and physical limitations.

Key Highlights of the Petstages Tower of Tracks

• Made from durable materials with no small pieces to ingest.

• Keeps an indoor senior cat mentally and physically engaged.

• Good for cats with mobility issues as it doesn’t require jumping, climbing, or chasing.

• Multiple levels of rolling balls can keep multiple cats entertained at the same time.

Who Needs the Petstages Tower of Tracks and Why?

If you’re the pet parent of a senior cat, the Petstages Tower of Tracks is a great toy to get for them. This tower has three levels of tracks for three times the fun. Your senior cat may not like to run around, chasing toys or laser lights. That’s okay. Using this toy, they sit and swat at balls that roll around the track.

It’s also great for households with multiple cats, as each one sits on opposite sides of the tower. They may even make it a game, swatting the ball back and forth to one another.

The Petstages Tower of Tracks is a multi-level interactive toy designed to engage your senior cat both mentally and physically. Though your cat stays in one general area, they still get some movement as they swat at the balls. They may also move from one side of the toy to the other to get at a ball.

The balls stay in the track, but with enough force, your cat may pry them loose. They’re too big to swallow, so even if they become dislodged from the track, they don’t pose a risk. Just pop them back into the track.

If you leave your cat alone for periods of time, you need a toy that’s safe for independent play. The Tower of Tracks is safe and promotes individual interactive play. As with any toy, put it away occasionally and switch it out with other toys to prevent boredom.

Encouraging Cognitive and Physical Stimulation

With its unique design, the Petstages Tower of Tracks presents an exciting challenge that causes your cat to think and strategize. As your senior cat interacts with the toy, they’re not only exercising their body but also improving their cognitive skills to determine how to successfully manipulate the balls within the tracks.

Non-Slip Base for Safety and Stability During Play

Ensuring the safety of your senior cat during playtime is essential. The non-slip base of the Petstages Tower of Tracks provides stability and security, preventing it from sliding around or tipping over as your cat bats and paws at the toy. This design ensures that your cat plays without worry.

As you see in a TikTok video posted on March 13, 2023, a cat even stands on top of the tower while playing without tipping over. The safety of your senior cat is always the number one priority.

Top Budget Pick: Cat Dancer Deluxe

The Cat Dancer Deluxe is an exciting toy for your cat, but watching them is entertaining for you as well. You have control over how high they jump to bat at the toy, so you adapt it to your cat’s agility level. It’s also a great bargain for the amount of exercise your cat gets from interacting with this toy.

If you want an inexpensive interactive toy, this is perfect!

Engaging Natural Prey Instincts

Even as your cat enters its golden years, it’s still important to engage those natural prey instincts. The Cat Dancer Deluxe provides a fantastic opportunity to replicate the feeling of hunting and chasing. This simulates the appearance of prey and keeps your cat’s attention focused on the moving target.

Easy Wall-Mount Feature for Home

The Cat Dancer Deluxe is perfect for both hands-on play and unassisted solo play, thanks to its Command Strips for wall mounting. Simply attach the toy to a spot on the wall and watch your cat play independently. This setup allows your fur baby to stay active and entertained while you’re away. Adjust the height to match your cat’s level of physical abilities.

Benefits of Interactive Play for Senior Cats

Interactive play is invaluable for senior cats, helping to maintain their brain functions and keeping their bodies limber. Use the Cat Dancer Deluxe without the wall mount for interactive play between you and your cat. They get the needed exercise while fostering a bond between owner and cat.

The Importance of Exercise for a Senior Cat

Every cat needs exercise. This fact doesn’t change as they age; it simply looks different for a senior cat. They may not climb as well anymore, so toys they play with on the ground are more appropriate.

Cats’ physical fitness is important as seniors just as it was when they were kittens. Keep them in top physical form, but do it in a safe way that makes them feel secure.

The team at Animal Care Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, stresses the importance of safety when playing with your senior cat:

“Older cats can be a bit clumsy, and they’re more prone to slips and falls than their younger counterparts are. Pick soft areas with good traction. Don’t play with Fluffy near anything that could be dangerous, such as stairs, pools, or fireplaces.”

Use gates or closed doors to keep them out of unsafe territory. Each senior feline has their own abilities and limitations, so be aware of your cat’s tendencies. If they have limited mobility, the toys in this article are for them.

KONG Senior Cat Toy Dental Health Benefits

Kong is a giant in the pet toy world. They’re especially infamous for making treat toys. KONG Senior Cat Toys have a soft, rubber-like texture that’s gentle on your senior cat’s teeth and gums. As your cat chews, bites, and plays with this toy, the soft material massages their gums, making it perfect for older cats with dental sensitivity, which is something to watch as they age.

Encouraging Natural, Soft Chewing Behavior

Cats love to chew items instinctually, but this habit is potentially dangerous if they chew on things that are too hard or have small parts. The KONG Senior Cat Toy encourages safe, soft chewing with a satisfying texture and resistance to the bite.

This chewing action helps reduce boredom and soothe any anxiety your cat might have. Leave it with your cat when you are away to combat separation anxiety and keep them occupied to prevent idleness while alone. Hide it somewhere before you leave so your cat hunts for it.

Ensuring Safe Playtime With the Toy

Made from non-toxic materials, the KONG Senior Cat Toy provides your cat with harmless playtime. The hollow center allows you to fill it with your cat’s favorite treats to get them to play with it.

The size of the toy prevents your cat from swallowing it, and it has no small parts to worry about. Regularly check the toy’s condition and replace it when necessary.

OurPets Mouse in Sheep’s Clothing Cat Toy

This cute and cuddly catnip toy is a fun alternative to a regular play mouse. It’s made from two different materials to give variety to your cat’s senses.

Stimulating Hunting Instincts in Senior Cats

OurPets Mouse in Sheep’s Clothing Cat Toy is a fantastic way to stimulate your senior cat’s hunting instincts. It resembles a mouse hiding in a wooly sheepskin, but your cat isn’t fooled by this disguise. This toy prompts natural stalking and pouncing behavior, mental stimulation, and physical exercise for your elderly cat.

Health Benefits of Catnip in the Toy

Containing premium North American catnip, OurPets Mouse in Sheep’s Clothing Cat Toy enhances playtime and attracts cats toward it. Catnip is a natural herb that, when sniffed by cats, provides a burst of energy and increased playfulness.

Durable and Long-Lasting Design Elements

OurPets Mouse in Sheep’s Clothing Cat Toy withstands the test of time. Featuring durable materials and quality stitching, this toy endures your senior cat’s natural play instincts. There are small ears and a tail that may rip off from aggressive cats. Keep an eye on its condition and replace it if necessary for your cat’s safety.

SmartyKat Feather Whirl Electronic Motion Cat Toy

If you aren’t able to move around and play with your senior cat, this is a good option. Sit back and watch your cat play. It’s more entertaining than TV! Create stimulation when you invite your senior cat into a world of exciting play using the SmartyKat Feather Whirl Electronic Motion Cat Toy. With its unpredictable, erratic movements, this battery-operated toy captures your cat’s attention and spurs stalking and pouncing behaviors, just like when they were a kitten.

Encouraging Interaction and Playtime With a Senior Cat

By providing a stimulating electronic toy like the SmartyKat Feather Whirl, you allow interaction and playtime that doesn’t happen with stationary toys. This type of engagement helps reduce signs of aging, such as cognitive decline and reduced physical activity.

Importance of Battery-Operated Toys for Senior Cats

Battery-operated toys keep senior cats entertained without constant human interaction. These types of toys provide an opportunity for independent play. Continue to monitor your cat with this one, though. Small parts and feathers may come off during play. Remove loose feathers as your cat destroys them.

Turn Back Time

Okay, you may not be able to literally turn back time. You might make your senior cat feel young again by giving them fun toys to play with. If your cat is getting older and doesn’t play as much, it may not be because of physical ability. They might just get bored. These new and varied toy options get them going again.

This guide has laid out five of the best toys for older cats, including the Cat Dancer Deluxe, KONG Senior Cat Toy, OurPets Mouse in Sheep’s Clothing Cat Toy, Petstages Tower of Tracks, and SmartyKat Feather Whirl Electronic Motion Cat Toy.

By offering a variety of suitable toys, you’re ensuring that your furry friend stays active, engaged, and healthy well into their golden years.

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