We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A cat dancing toy that literally costs less than $4 (it's just a steel wire with some rolled cardboard on the end) but proves IRRESISTIBLE to kitty babies the world over.
Promising review: "My cat is very picky when it comes to cat toys. I have bought feather toys, worm toys, remote-controlled mouse toys, laser pointers, and my cat just will not play long-term with them. However, after purchasing the cat dancer, my cat went absolutely nuts for it and will not stop begging to play with it. Do not be fooled by the price or somewhat generic packaging that this comes in. This cat toy works! The durability is not as strong as other cat toys so you may need to invest in a few of them, depending on how strong your cat is. But as the owner of a very picky cat, this toy works wonders and is worth every penny!" —Dustin Mesa
Get it from Amazon for $3.99.
2. A self-grooming toy if your baby needs 24/7 scritches and scratches and they just don't get the fact that you can't do that while you sleep/eat/use the bathroom.
Promising review: "My cat Grayson is what I like to call a 'hipster' cat — he likes things for a bit, more ironically than not, until I act excited that he likes it, then he never uses it again. Not with this thing. I catch him grooming himself on it all the time. He loves being brushed so I was hopeful that this would make him happy, and boy does it! Best $4 ever spent." —Katie & Chris
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
3. A three-tier cat toy with polka-dot balls they can bat at. One of my cats puts her arms on both sides and essentially plays a modified version of tetherball just with herself.
Both of my cats love this, but one, in particular, just can't get enough of this thing — especially in the middle of the night. More than once, I've woken up to her *punching* it and sliding it across the living room floor. She also loves to flip it over so it stands on the smallest tier, and idk why, but sure??
Promising review: "I didn't expect my cat to love this, but upon reading reviews, I figured I'd try it out. I have a 25-pound Maine Coon, and he went for it as soon as I unboxed it. This particular toy is nice because he can play with it on his own when there isn't anyone to turn on his other toys or he's in one of his 'I'm over that for the next month!' phases! Given his size and how lightweight the toy is, I thought he might destroy it, but he continues to be fascinated with it and hasn't tipped it over or broken it. It's definitely worth a shot because if my picky, spoiled boy loves it — and can't destroy it — your cat probably will, too!" —Jen H.
Get it from Amazon for $8.79.
4. A fuzzy, purring cat toy that helps calm kitties with anxiety. If your pandemic babe simply can't be separated from you or their siblings for any period of time, this is certainly worth a shot.
The toy purrs for a solid two minutes when squeezed or cuddled so your cat can activate it on their own.
Promising review: "My cat has been really stressed after moving. She's still not getting along with the other cats and has been needing constant reassurance and wants to always be by my side. She is really picky about toys and won't even touch a new one, with this one being the exception. She absolutely loves her new cuddle toy, and while she still misses me when I'm gone, she's not nearly as anxious." —Jessi Ellis
Get it from Amazon for $17.99.
5. A 12-piece set of spiral springs if your cat is ~basic~ and loves plastic toys that are basically just trash.
Promising review: "These springs — actually only the blue one, in particular (who knows why?) — are the only non-catnip toy my 1-year-old cat will play with. He ignores balls, he walks away from feathers on strings, but this blue spring has been all over my house 50 or more times. If it happens to go under a piece of furniture, Basil will wait until I get it out for him. The green and yellow are still available, but no, gotta have the blue one!! I am impressed with how well this one spring holds up after hours and hours of batting and rolling and carrying around in his mouth. I recommend this toy for picky cats like mine." —MM
Get the 12-piece set from Amazon for $5.35.
6. A stainless steel automatic water fountain for those with picky pets who refuse to drink from a regular bowl. My cats drank solely from *my* water glasses until I picked this up and now I only have to wash/refill it once a week!
Promising review: "Normally, I don’t write reviews, but I had to because this fountain alone has helped me stop losing sleep. Yes, you read that right. My cat is so, so picky when it comes to water. We had tried four other fountains before this, and he just refused to use them, which resulted in him only drinking water from the sink. That meant lots of being woken up in the middle of the night to turn the sink on and off. I decided to get this one because it somewhat resembles a sink, and he absolutely loves it. This is the only fountain he’s ever used, and I’m so happy he does because no more being woken up! Definitely has been a life-changer in this house, LOL." —Lauren Bath
Get it from Amazon for $36.99.
7. An organic cat grass growing kit that will add some additional greenery to your house and keep your kitties from eating your actual houseplants.
The Cat Ladies is a family-owned, Southern California-based small business founded in 2015 by a mother-daughter duo who wanted to create unique, organic, nontoxic products for other passionate cat owners.
Promising review: "My two cats can be picky about toys, food, etc. but always seem to go after my live plants/flowers. So, I bought this just to see. Stella — the pickier of the two — absolutely loves this! Definitely recommend and will continue to keep this available for the spoiled ones of the house!" —Daniel & Jordon Johnson
Get it from Amazon for $28.90 (available in four planter styles).
8. A self-rocking teaser toy sure to tempt feisty bebes with its unpredictable movements, fluffy feathers, and colorful ribbons.
9. A floppy robotic fish that only moves when your cat interacts with it. Once they get the hang of it, I guarantee they'll be karate chopping and bunny kicking the ish out of it.
The fish comes with a small bag of catnip as well as a USB charger so you can juice it up whenever your cat kills the battery.
Promising review: "My cat is pretty picky about toys and gets bored with most quickly. This one, however, seems to be a winner as she keeps going back to play with it every day. This is a great size for kicking, and despite playing with it consistently since I got it a couple of months ago, the toy isn't showing any wear. The charge lasts quite awhile — generally about a week." —West Coast Shopper
Get it from Amazon for $12.98+ (available in seven styles).
10. A cactus scratching post for all the indoor kitties who miss the great outdoors, but not having to catch their own food, find their own shelter, or go without 24/7 snuggles.
Promising review: "My picky cat loves this scratcher. It's surprisingly sturdy, as he's an aggressive scratcher and has not pulled the cactus down yet. Worth the extra money to get the heavy duty version." —wyshoelover
Get it from Amazon for $89.99+ (available in three sizes).
11. A catnip-filled carrot your fur child can bunny kick as hard as it wants. That way, your arm (or other cat) can catch a break.
I've had this toy for ~two years now, and even though the catnip has long worn off, it's still my cat Salty's favorite toy. She chases it up and down the hall (it has great weight so it's easily toss-able), and she likes to lick and groom the feathers as if they were another cat, and I just find that SO freaking cute.
Promising review: "I have four rescue cats, one of which is a very large, very hyper Maine Coon. He's super picky, and no toy interests him very long, and most toys can't handle his abuse. He weighs 19 pounds and is the size of a small dog. He is very into catnip, though, so I decided to try this. My boy loves it, and I often see him carrying it around in his mouth and licking it like wild. My two boy cats fight over it so I realized I should have bought them each their own and came back for another. I highly recommend this toy. If your cat enjoys catnip, you won't be disappointed." —AM
Get it from Amazon for $5.14.
12. A pair of play-'n'-squeak mice if your formerly feral babies still love to hunt and you'd prefer they stalk these instead of your toes.
Promising review: "I could not be happier with these cat toys. The noise is faint and a hyper realistic whistle of sorts, not a stereotypical squeak like a dog or children’s toy. The noise only happens if the toy is really getting played with and jostled around. Our picky cat was so excited when I broke these out, and they remain one of her favorite toys." —MsDaveyBoy
Get it from Amazon for $8.12+ (available individually or in a pack of two).
13. A box of Lil' Soups so when you order a three-course takeout meal, your cats can also partake in appetizers of their own.
My cats go WILD for these. So much so that I now give it to them, like, once a month because they will hunger strike for them if they know they're in the house. So far, we've tried the sockeye salmon, shrimp in chicken broth, and chicken and butternut squash which is, surprisingly, their favorite.
Promising review: "My senior cat has a very small appetite and a very picky one. I feed her moist food in gravy twice a day. She no longer eats all her food. So a lot goes to waste. I read the reviews on these Lil' Soups and thought to try them. She LOVES them. They are small but perfectly portioned for her appetite. She licks the bowl clean! I will definitely continue to purchase these for her." —Malinda Solis
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $7.94.
14. Or a pack of squeezable treats that are basically Gogurts — just in feline-approved flavors like tuna and chicken.
Tbh, I saw these on TikTok and bought them immediately. My cats LOVE them and immediately ambush me whenever I pull them out of the cabinet. I like that they don't have any grains, preservatives, or artificial flavors or colors. They also provide extra hydration which is great for cats who don't drink a whole lot of water.
Promising review: "My cat is ultra picky. She doesn't like chicken which is a common flavor for treats. She has shown a liking for fish, so I tried this seafood variety pack. She absolutely loves it! I give her one tube a day, dividing it in half so she gets treated in late morning and late afternoon. It took no time at all for her to become accustomed to this schedule. She'll remind me if I'm distracted and forget!" —Yarnalee
Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $14.42 (available in 23 flavors).
15. A banana toy sure to please as it's filled with nothing but 100-percent catnip! One reviewer said the faux fruit is so potent, their fur baby is still attacking it a full year later!
Promising review: "I've spent a crap ton on toys for my picky cat only for him to ignore them. My coworker gave me one of these unassuming bananas, and it's like crack for cats! He cant get enough! I got three for backup. They are super durable (I don't clip his claws) and the right size to hold and kick. Smoosh and twist to activate the catnip, and he's ready to play. This is a staple in his toy box now." —Lan
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $23.98.
16. A tunnel bed should your bbs' love for toys only be surpassed by one other thing: sleep.
Promising review: "We have a picky cat who has to discover everything on his own. We thought it would take a while for him to 'discover' the tunnel after we assembled it, but...it was an instant hit! It is now his 'safe place,' and when he leaves our lap, he goes right to it. His absolute favorite! The assembly was easy enough, and the zippers worked fine. The center cushion is smaller than the center opening." —Nila Sanders
Get it from Amazon for $39.50+ (available in four colors/patterns).
17. A trusty box of Greenies in oven-roasted chicken flavor, because if there's one thing your cat loves more than endless pets, it's the sweet, sweet sound of a shaken treat container.
Promising review: "I have three fur babies, and two of the three are very picky eaters I have a hard time finding treats for. So far, these are the only treats I have found that all three of them seem to like equally, and I like the fact that it might be helping their oral health at the same time. I originally got a smaller package, but this time, I went for the big jug because I know they will go through them. I like how easy it is to open and knowing that when it's closed it's totally sealed unlike the little zipper closure envelopes." —Harvey Elwood
Get them from Amazon for $3.28+ (available in six sizes and five flavors).
18. A zebra-print activity mat that looks exactly like a baby play mat and that just tickles me pink. If your kitties could use some tummy time, the attached hanging toys will keep them entertained.
Promising review: "Good quality, and my cat was interested the moment he saw it! He is very picky with toys, but he loves playing on the bathroom rug or any other mat, and he only play with wands, strings, and feather toys, so this was a good combination. I’m so happy he liked it. I just changed the balls that make sound because it’s annoying for me, and he doesn’t like those either LOL, so that’s good I could change it." —Nicole
Get it from Amazon for $20.99 (available in two styles).
19. A plush anti-anxiety donut bed with a raised rim that keeps your kittens feeling nice and secure. The fluffy material also mimics cat fur, so it feels like they're cuddling their mom.
Promising review: "My old lady cat is extremely picky when it comes to beds. She’s used the same bed for the last three years, but I had to throw it away when she had a hairball in it. I was very skeptical at first because it came in a vacuum sealed bag, but after about two days and some gentle fluffing, it was absolutely perfect! I got a size medium so she could have some room to spread out since she is a bit ✨chonky✨ and this is the perfect size for her! 10/10 would recommend." —Elizabeth
Get it from Amazon for $13.49+ (available in 8 sizes and 18 colors).
20. And a set of elevated ceramic bowls that are not only super sleek, but also ergonomically designed to help your bebes avoid whisker fatigue and prevent throwing up.
Reviews in this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.