How to Find a Toy Your Cat Will Love

Healthy Cats |  January 22, 2026

Spotting Your Feline’s Cat Toy Preference

Have you ever wondered why some cats will snub a new toy and then enthusiastically play with string? Mud Bay’s cat toy category team theorized that felines prefer toys that mimic the types of prey they’d like to hunt. To help decode the charming and mysterious preferences of cats, we divided all our toys into five types of prey: birds, bugs, mice, snakes and squirrels.

To determine your own cat’s prey preference, watch them carefully. By noticing which toys intrigue, you’ll be able to glean valuable insights into what might delight your cat. Feathered toys may tempt cats interested in birds, but cats who want to hunt squirrels may ignore them. A love of buttons may suggest a love of bug-like toys. And if your cat likes to hoard yarn, wand toys that mimic snakes may spark their interest.

Finding a Toy Your Cat Will Love

With many toys in each prey category, you may want to consider other factors when shopping for a beloved feline. First, size is important. Choose a toy larger than a ping-pong ball, to reduce the chance your cat might swallow it. Meanwhile, large toys might discourage mousers, who like to carry toys in their mouths, but entice squirrel hunters. Second, materials matter to cats. Preferences for fabrics and scents can vary between them. Not every cat loves catnip, but those cats who ignore it may prize honeysuckle, valerian or silvervine toys. Other cats adore wool toys, while some felines will only play with real fur or leather.

Play Is an Essential Part of Being a Cat

Some owners believe their cats aren’t interested in playing. We’ve found that with the right toys and timing, nearly all cats will play. Playing—or hunting in cat parlance—is an essential part of being a cat. Cats instinctively want to hunt before meals, so a few minutes of interactive play before eating appeals to many felines. Having regular playtime is also a great way to promote feline-human bonding while encouraging exercise.

With so many variables to consider, it may take some time to decode your cat’s specific preferences with one-hundred-percent accuracy. But once you can identify which characteristics your cat prioritizes, you’ll be able to regularly pick toys that attract your cat.

With hundreds of different cat toys made each year, choosing a diverse selection can be a long process. We start by looking for innovative toys with unique materials and shapes. The toys Mud Bay sells must be completely nontoxic, and if any real fur is used, it’s sourced from the food supply. Our category manager also looks for toys with different herbs and sounds to fascinate all sorts of individual cats.

Muddies and their felines also test most toys. It’s during this process that we get valuable feedback about an item’s true durability and allure. Four-pawed testers let us know if a toy is too heavy, loud or boring. We also listen to staff feedback and customer requests to learn which toys felines love.

How We Choose Toys for Your Cat

Before we enter a partnership with any toy manufacturer, we work to get to know the company. Mud Bay prizes local companies that can provide uncommon cat toys for our customers. We want to partner with toy manufacturers who make sustainable and ethical business decisions. And we search for companies that can offer toys at a price that will delight cat owners.
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Fluff & Tuff's #IGIVEAFLUFF is Coming Soon! 
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Since 2015, with the support of pet parents like you and the generosity of Fluff & Tuff, over 22,000 toys have been donated to shelters and rescue dogs. Want to participate, but you need a Fluff & Tuff toy? Take a tip from Frank and stop by your local Mud Bay or visit us online. Click the link in our bio to learn more about #IGIVEAFLUFF
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We have all the treats, toys, and zoomie-inducing catnip options for your cat, both in-store and online at Mud Bay. 
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