The 8 Best Kicker Toys for Cats of 2026

“Cat kicker toys are a great way for your cat to burn off excess energy along with providing mental stimulation,” Stephanie Mantilla, animal trainer, zookeeper, and author of “How to Clicker Train Your Cat,” told The Spruce Pets. We tested dozens of kicker toys by having our real feline companions pounce, attack, grab, kick, and nuzzle them. Kicker toys activate a cat’s primal instinct to hunt for prey. "These play behaviors, grabbing and kicking, are how your cat would defend itself and how they would attack prey,” Mantilla said.

Our Favorite Kicker Toy for Cats

Petlinks Jeepers Creepers Refillable Kicker Toy

$15 at Amazon View on Chewy

A cat kicker toy must be able to withstand a reasonable level of rabbit kick punishment before it falls apart. Petlinks’ Jeepers Creepers Kicker Toy checks this box. The exterior is made from a thick burlap that won’t be immediately torn to shreds. 

While many kickers come with catnip sewn in, we like that this toy features a Velcro pouch so you can refill the catnip. It’s also a nice touch that the toy comes with enough catnip for a few refills, rather than just the tiny bit that many toys include. While it is conceivable that a determined cat could figure out how to open the pouch and get at the catnip, this feels less like something to be fixed in design and more like a statement on the nature of our ferociously fun felines.

This toy is more expensive than other kicker toys. However, with the durable design that features multiple material types, including ribbons, and the refillable pouch, this kicker toy provides quality, value, and layered entertainment for your cat.

Though we are just looking at the mouse design here, Petlinks makes plush toys of other animals, including caterpillars and chameleons. At 8 inches, this may be a little shorter than some larger cats prefer, and if that sounds like your cat, we recommend you look at the Kitty Kick Stix Catnip Kicker Toy, our Best With Catnip selection below, which is available in three lengths: 6, 11, and 16 inches.

Length of 8 inches

An Interactive Kicker Toy

Potaroma Electric Flopping Fish

$10 at Amazon View on Potaroma.com

Our cats couldn’t resist this flopping fish. It triggered their instincts to pin it down to stop the flop. The Potaroma Electric Flopping Fish is an excellent choice for older and more picky cats that won’t play with just any toy. This kicker was a close runner-up for Best Overall for a number of reasons. 

The Potaroma Flopping Fish has a rechargeable electronic unit inside a zippered pouch. You turn on the switch, and the fish flops like a real fish. Cats returned to this toy often and played for longer periods because of the alluring flopping tail.

Some cats played with it on and off for more than 40 minutes at a time before needing a nap. Even after taking breaks, cats returned to chew on the fish’s tail and face. They rubbed and marked the catnip in the convenient zippered pocket. 

Even older cats who showed no interest in other toys enjoyed this realistic-looking fish. The toy showed no signs of wear despite several aggressive play sessions. The internal electronics recharged quickly using the provided USB cord and performed reliably.

The external cover is a soft yet durable plush that protects your cats as they nibble and struggle with the fish. The electronics and catnip can be removed so the fish can be hand-washed if needed. Plus, there are seven types of fish to choose from: carp, clownfish, koi, gemfish, red koi, and red carp.

While cats love the flopping fish, it is a little noisy, so you’re likely to get sick of it before your cat does.

Length of 10.5 inches

How We Picked

To choose the best kicker toys for cats, we tested 21 different cat kickers. We observed multiple cats play with the toys over multiple play sessions. Each toy was rated on durability, safety, entertainment, design, and overall value. We also applied our firsthand experience with our own cats and their kicker toys, along with guidance from Stephanie Mantilla, an experienced positive reinforcement animal trainer focused on cat behavior. 

Other Cat Kicker Toys We Tested

In addition to our recommended cat kickers, we also tested:

Multipet Katz Kuddlerz Elongated Plush Cat Toy: This is a solid value choice; it combines low price with high durability. However, the lack of choice of design, along with the very loud animal print designs, kept it out of the top choices.

Kong Kickaroo Cozie: This ultra-soft kicker is another solid choice. It is a nice size and is soft as well as durable. However, some owners were frustrated that they seemed to get a random animal and couldn’t choose the design they wanted.

Spot Cat Toy: This durable kicker toy features crinkly fabric and catnip inside; however, you can’t choose the design and may not like the version you receive.

More We Recommend

Mad Cat Cactus Kicker

$15

$13 at Amazon $11 at Chewy

Best for Kittens: For about the first year of their life, feisty kittens love to grab and kick and are often more responsive to catnip and silvervine. Although full-grown adult cats tend to prefer kickers that are at least 10 inches long, kittens and smaller cats find a lot of joy in grabbing and kicking toys that are shorter than 10 inches.

We liked this crinkly, well-made cactus-shaped kicker. Young cats were immediately interested in the pure and pesticide-free catnip and silvervine blend. Even after extensive kicking, the toy showed no signs of wear.

The cats liked the crinkling sound and enjoyed biting the cactus spines, which are simple yet sturdily bound strings. The craftsmanship of this toy was superb compared to many others, with high-quality stitching, embroidered eyes and flowers, and soft, plush fabric.

While our favorite is the cactus, there are several similar toys that our young cats have loved just as much, like the Refillable Bunny Plush Toy from Leaps & Bounds and the Kickeroo Kitten Toy from Kong.

Length of 10 inches

Kitty Kick Stix Original Catnip Kicker Toy

$20 at Amazon View on Kittykickstix.com View on Walmart

Best With Catnip: Although this kicker might not look like a splurge at first glance because it's just a long fabric tube, it is worth the price tag. It’s an excellent length at 15 inches and has organic catnip sewn in, with durable double-stitched seams. Kitty Kick Stix has been a family-owned business since 2012 and is one of just a few toys that are handmade and shipped in the United States.

You can choose from among nine vibrant, rainbow-colored prints or elect to be surprised by choosing the “mystery” option. The fabric is cute and double-layered to last. The toys come in a pack of two, so you can put each in a different room or save the second one for later.

Cats loved the length and played with it for longer periods of time than with other toys. Most cats returned to it multiple times and enjoyed scratching and biting it. It showed no signs of wear after each use, although it got quite damp from mouthing, and cat hair sticks well to the soft yet durable cotton-blend fabric.

This same product is also available in 6- and 11-inch lengths, for kittens and smaller cats. Plus, with each purchase, the brand donates a percentage of the sale to a cat rescue organization.

Lengths of 15, 11, and 6 inches

Twin Critters Kittilush Refillable Plush Organic Silver Vine Toys

$24 at Amazon View on Twincritters.com

Best With Silvervine: A zipper pocket on a toy allows you to remove stale catnip and replace it with fresh catnip so that your cat will have renewed interest in it. This also enables you to remove the catnip for hand- or machine-washing if needed. Those without pockets tend to have a shorter life because cats can lose interest in the toy.

Our favorite cat toys with zippered pouches are the Twin Critters Refillable Plush Organic Silvervine Toys, which use powdered silvervine instead of catnip. Silvervine is a species of kiwifruit that has a similar effect on cats as catnip and will often work with cats that don’t respond to catnip.

Since not all cats respond strongly to catnip, the addition of silvervine fruit ensures your cat will go wild for this toy. Of course, with the zippered pouch on each Twin Critters Refillable Toy, you can always switch to catnip. 

These toys are available in a wide range of designs, including fish, coffee, and sardines, but our favorites are the “Kittilush” line, which includes kicker wine, liquor, and beer bottles. The vice-based designs make for great photos and are an excellent gift for the cat owner in your life with a sense of humor.

The zipper is sturdy and sewn in well. The soft plush polyester-blend fabric is durable and can be hand- or machine-washed if necessary once you remove the catnip or silvervine.

Lengths of 12.5, 12, and 8 inches

Legendog Bite Resistant Catnip Toy for Cats

$10 at Amazon View on Kol.pet

Most Durable: In addition to being a great choice for durable kicker toys, Legendog’s Bite Resistant Catnip Toys are also a great bang for your buck. They’re also double-stitched, which adds durability at the seams.

Depending on your cat’s taste in kicker toys, these may be a little small, however. Each toy in the pack of five is just under 6 inches long. Larger cats may prefer a longer toy that they can easily hold with their front paws and kick with their rear paws. 

The kickers are styled as cute, cartoon cats, and you get a variety of colors and facial expressions in each pack. Beyond that, you have four different pack options to choose from for further differentiation. The other packs not only provide alternate color palettes and shapes, but also alternate design choices in how the cats are characterized. The styles range from extremely simplistic to full cartoon faces that use multiple colors. 

Length of 6 inches

Potaroma Catnip Crinkle Kicker Plush Toys

$10

$9 at Amazon View on Potaroma.com

Best Multipack: If you want to stock up on kickers, the Potaroma Interactive Cat Kicker Toys come in packs of three and are suitable for cats of all ages. Each plush toy in the multipack is soft, fluffy, and slightly under 11 inches in length.

The long and narrow toys are filled with an auditory-stimulating crinkly material to encourage continuous play when kicked, chewed, and tossed around. Each set of kicker toys from Potaroma comes in three pastel shades—green, yellow, and violet—and each kicker is filled with 100 percent organic catnip. But these kickers aren't as durable as others on our list, and they can't be washed or refilled with fresh catnip.

Length of 10.6 inches

Potaroma Cat Chew Ropes, 3 Pieces

$9

$8 at Amazon

Best Rope Chew Toy: While we haven't had a chance to test this product ourselves, pet parents on Amazon praise these cat chew ropes for durability and design, with many awarding the product five stars. They're constructed of natural braided cotton that's gentle on a cat's teeth, yet tough enough to withstand rough play, like batting, chewing, tugging, and kicking—particularly in multi-cat households. Cats can also cuddle with the 19.5-inch-long rope snaked around their bodies.

The set comes with three different colors of rope. Each is infused with catnip and has sturdy cotton tassels on both ends and a gall fruit (silvervine) attachment. The toy also comes with a pouch of catnip to refresh the used ropes once the scent wears off. You won't get quite as strong a catnip scent as actually refilling the toy with catnip, but it's still enough to keep cats engaged.

Length of 19.5 inches

Why Trust The Spruce Pets?

This story was updated by Ellie Welles, who has raised dogs, cats, rabbits, and even a green-cheeked conure. She’s passionate about finding the best products for your littlest family members. For this article, she consulted countless product reviews and feedback from cat owners to find products that will bring pleasure to the cat owners in your life and their feline companions.

Stephanie Mantilla is an experienced positive-reinforcement-based animal trainer with a focus on cat behavior. Her 12 years as a zookeeper have given her experience and training with a range of animals, from lions, cheetahs, and tigers to bears, elephants, shrews, and monkeys. Mantilla is also the author of the book "How to Clicker Train Your Cat," where she walks pet parents through the steps for training their cats the fun way. 

A previous version was written by Lorraine Wilde, a dedicated pet lover and owner of cats and dogs for the past 35 years.