You’re probably accumulating more and more toys for your kitten, and you know what? They deserve it! And you deserve all the adorable photo ops that come with them (please share them with us!).
However, we want to make sure we’re keeping the kitten’s safety in mind when choosing toys.
Kitten Toy Dos:
- Choose toys that encourage your kitten’s natural behaviors, including hunting, chasing and capturing. These include mouse or other small stuffed toys, crinkle or ping pong balls and motorized chase toys.
- Monitor your cat during playtime to ensure they don’t ingest anything they shouldn’t.
- Consider novelty! Make sure you’re switching out toys every few days or weekly. We recommend having 4 to 5 options at a time.
- Give catnip toys if your cat enjoys them.
- Consider puzzle feeders and other food-dispensing toys.
- Make sure you have cat trees and scratching pads or posts available.
- Give your kitten several 10-minute play sessions per day.
Kitten Toy Don’ts:
- Leave wand or fishing pole type toys out with your cat unattended. They could get tangled in the string, ingest the string or inhale/ingest feathers, which could be deadly.
- Use feathers, strings, rubber bands, hair bands or yarn as a toy—especially unattended.
- Give catnip toys if they make your cat act agitated.
- Allow your kitten to chew on or swat at your hands or feet during playtime.
If you have a question about whether a toy is a good option for your kitten, check in with your VCA care team or reach out via the myVCA™ app to Live Chat* with a licensed veterinary professional.
*Live Chat with a licensed veterinary professional is free for VCA clients through the myVCA mobile app, available at Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
