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Everyone, meet Piper, Alfie, and Sadie, my three, unbelievably spoiled kitties. They are my children and I am truly obsessed with them, so needless to say I buy them stuff ~constantly.~ If you were to go through my past purchases, I'd say at least 75% of the stuff is for them, so I would like to believe I'm an expert on all the things you need (and some that might be more of a *want*) if you are a cat owner.
1. An ~aesthetic~ cat tower for a great place to take naps and stretch out and scratch on one of the many scratching poles.
I bought this tower when I moved into my new house and I didn't want the regular, less-than-appealing tan tower that was in my old apartment. I searched for a while to find one that was cute but still tall enough for my cats to run and play on. I was so excited when I found this one because it is still over four feet tall and has a bunch of different soft and comfy places for them to take naps. As you can see from my photo on the right, we had to turn the little hammock part around because the space we were putting it was too narrow, but it still works totally fine and has become the favorite nap spot of Alfie. Cats are known climbers so it's honestly so important to have things for them to climb or else they may find things to climb (like your curtains...).
Get it from Amazon for $99.99 (available in two colors).
2. A drinking water fountain because cats are known to prefer drinking water from a moving source so this is a great option to make sure they are staying hydrated. Not to mention much easier than keeping your faucet constantly running.
Piper is not a fan of drinking out of water bowls and always jumps on the counter to drink out of the kitchen sink. I decided this would be a better alternative since I was tired of getting up and down to turn the faucet off and on constantly. When I first got this the cats were kinda confused about it but Alfie quickly learned how to use it (though he does somehow end up with a soaked face every time he drinks). To my dismay, Piper was not a fan, so I unfortunately still have to let her drink out of the sink, but now Alfie and Sadie both prefer drinking out of here far more than out of bowls. Obviously there is a bit of sound that is produced, but I think it's kinda peaceful, like I have my own personal water feature in my living room.
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
3. An automatic 3-in-1 cat toy with a fluttering butterfly, random moving feather, and track balls to keep the kitties entertained and not bored because you can switch up which toy is being used.
I got Sadie a few months ago and knew she was gonna have a ~bit~ more energy than my other two (who are five). I was trying to find a good automatic toy that could keep her entertained while I was working or not in the house. This was the winner. The butterfly turns on and moves in random fluttering positions so they don't get bored by tracking a pattern, the feather sticks out of the base at random intervals and they never know when it'll come out. There are also two track balls so they can spin them around when I have the rest of the toy turned off. Turns out all three of my cats actually love this thing! Piper is definitely more reserved, but she's a biiiig bird stalker, so she loves to watch the butterfly flutter around. Alfie likes to sit and smack the butterfly like he's playing tetherball. And Sadie loves the entire thing, but particularly likes to bite the feather and try to prevent it from getting pulled back into the toy.
Get it from Amazon for $38.99 (available in four colors).
4. A backpack carrier because I only have two hands yet three cats. So the math isn't quite mathing in terms of me being able to carry three traditional carriers at once. This makes it soooo much easier to get them from point A to B, and they get to look all around them while we walk.
I am (probably irrationally) afraid of the day when the fire alarm goes off and I have to figure out how to carry all my cats out of my house. I was trying to research carriers that can hold more than one cat at a time, but Alfie and Piper are both abnormally large, so even if they claim to hold two it doesn't really fit my two. The next best option for me was to find a way to carry them that didn't require me holding two (now three) huge carriers in my hands and risking shaking them all up with every step I take. This has been such a great solution. I feel like they are much sturdier on my back than in my hands, and it's way less strenuous for me. Plus they love the being able to look all around them.
Get it from Amazon for $21.24+ (available in five colors and two versions).
5. A scratching pad bed that functions as a great lounge spot, place to manicure their nails, and a fun play zone…what more could you want?! It also comes with two pieces, one that slides into the one below, so you're really getting two for the price of one.
If your cats are anything like mine, it is incredibly important to have things for them to scratch pretty much ~everywhere.~ If not, these little monsters will claw my carpet, couch, leg, whatever they can get their paws into. My parents got a scratching bed similar to this and when I saw how much their cats like it, I decided to find something of my own. This was a great option for me because it comes with two pieces so I could put one in my living room and one in my office. All the cats love laying on the top because it's super convenient to do a little mid-nap stretch and claw sesh. When we got Sadie, she and Alfie started having a ton of fun running around and playing on this. Sadie would hide in the middle while Alfie would sit on the top and paw at her underneath. It's honestly so adorable to watch, not to mention it truly has helped save my carpets from their claws.
Get it from Amazon for $35.17.
6. A sturdy, metal litter scoop because one thing I learned early into having cats is that the plastic scoops are *not* good enough. They can barely hold up any weight so they tend to bend whenever you scoop. I've also seen horror stories of the scoop bending and then flinging the dirty litter on people, but TG that hasn't happened to me.
This may seem like one of those things you can just choose to pick the cheaper version because why could it possibly matter and why would you wanna pay nearly $20 for a scoop? Well, let me tell ya, it's not. This scoop will last you forever and you won't have to worry about it bending or breaking when you get stuck on a big clump while cleaning the litter box.
Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in three handle colors).
7. And a litter box shield in case you have kitties prone to kicking like half the litter out of the box every time they go. Or worse, one who aims too high and misses the box entirely.
When we moved into our new house, we had to find a new place to set up a litter box. Unfortunately, the only place we could put one upstairs was in the linen closet that has carpet. I quickly found out that one of my cats is not the best at aiming and was peeing over the top of the box. I scoured for a solution that would protect my walls, carpet, and sanity, but couldn't find anything. I ended up having to MacGyver something that was not the most attractive or functioning system, but it worked enough. Well, when we adopted Sadie and needed to add another litter box to our collection, I knew I needed to find a better solution. I finallyyyyy found this solution and by golly, it is SOO much better than my jerry-rigged system. There is a little Velcro system that attaches to the inside of the box, and the shield attaches to that. Unlike some of the other systems similar to this, there is no gap between the different sections, so there's no room for litter (or pee) to sneak through. This has honestly been a game changer and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who uses a litter box, even if their kitty does know how to aim.
Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in two sizes).
8. Annddd a double layer litter-trapping mat because you still haven't figured out how to toilet train your cats and you're tired of feeling like you are walking on a beach when you go past their box.
This mat is water-resistant and has a unique design to not only trap the litter, but keep it between the two layers so you can easily dump it back into the box instead of wasting it.
I swear my cats think it's a game to throw as much litter out of their box every time they step foot inside it. But now the joke's on them, this mat makes it incredibly easy to clean up their messes as the majority of the litter gets trapped in the little honeycombs and stored between the two layers. Because of that, you can just wait a little while and eventually open this up and pour it back into the box. That means your house is cleaner AND you are wasting less litter because you can put it back instead of having to vacuum it up and throw it away. That my friends, is what I call a win-win.
Promising review: "I have purchased A LOT of mats that are supposed to help with litter control and have had very little success with finding anything worth using long term. Until now!! I bought two of these mats….one for under the litter box and one for outside in front of the box as the cats jump out and go on their way. So far these mats have caught 99% of the litter! They are very sturdy, yet soft. Before I bought these, I was constantly sweeping litter at the doorway and vacuuming the pieces that somehow made it to the rug. Not anymore!!! These mats catch nearly all litter. They are easy to clean. And very easy to pick up and dump. This will now be my forever go-to mat. And if you don’t have cats and just need something easy to clean to catch outside dirt and such, get this!! Worth every penny!!!" —HB
Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in two sizes and three colors).
9. A grass hunting box filled with little jingle balls that are attention-grabbing and apparently incredibly fun to try to yank out of the holes.
I bought this for my older cats before I got Sadie and the most interest they gave it was chewing on the fake grass. I was pretty annoyed, but honestly that wasn't my first failed toy purchase. Because I can never convince myself to get rid of anything, I hung on to it for a few months, and thankfully I did because as soon as Sadie laid eyes on it it was basically love at first sight. That little kitten is ~obsessed~ with this thing. She will run from a distance to try to sneak attack and pounce on the balls and will spend soo much time desperately trying to pull the balls out. Thankfully the balls are too large for the holes so they can't get out and end up all around your house.
Get it from Amazon for $10.39.
10. A pair of pet nail clippers so you can get their torture devices under control. There's something about cat nails that just seems like they are made from razor blades...how are they SO sharp?! These clippers will help tame them with quick and easy cuts that won't cause your furry friend any pain.
I have been using these clippers for about four years now and they are definitely the best version of clippers I have tried. The blades are sharp enough that they can quickly and painlessly go through my cats' nails without causing any damage (other than the emotional damage my one cat seems to experience…). I think they are so good and easy to use I was able to convince my parents (who have had cats for 30+ years and never cut their nails) to get them and they *actually* use them. Highly recommend these if you need to cut your pets' nails, especially if you are debating between these and just using regular nail clippers for humans, please pick these. Using human nail clippers on your pet can cause pain or damage to their nails, and there's nothing worse than seeing your fur baby in pain!!
Promising review: "I love how easy these nail clippers are to maneuver. I had a different set for my cat before and they were way too bulky in my hands and difficult to use and I was worried about accidentally clipping too far due to lack of control. These clippers are lightweight and easy to use, and it is also easier to see what you are doing and give you more fine-tuned control as you clip your pet's nails. Highly recommend, I will be getting rid of my old clippers and using these exclusively." —Gretchen Gainor
Get them from Amazon for $7.68.
11. A BPA-free airtight food container to keep their food nice and fresh and safe from germs. Plus if your kitties behave like little monsters this will prevent them from ripping open the bag and helping themselves to a mid-afternoon buffet.
This is such an essential pet purchase. It helps keep their food fresh and keeps any critters (including the cats) out. Be sure to wash it before you add new food, just to keep things extra fresh and clean. I love it and just added a little scoop inside so I don't have to try to pour and end up with a massive mess. Piper loves when it's time to refill the bucket because she gets to sneak a few pieces straight out of the container, idk why but that truly brings her so much joy.
Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in three sizes and three colors).
12. A self-grooming brush that your cat is sure to become obsessed with. Finally they will stop rubbing their face all over your computer screen while you're trying to get your work done.
I have had at least one of these in my house (I've moved three times) since I got my cats five years ago. My one cat absolutely loves this thing. He is almost always begging for face scratches, rubbing his face against our computers, or going to town on this little contraption. I have it at the bottom of my stairs so he pretty much uses it constantly, especially when he is about to go upstairs — he will always pause at the bottom to rub his face for a few minutes. It took a little trial and error to find the perfect height for him, but I found the best technique was to just force him to sit near where I was going to put it and use that as a guide to decide how high to put it. This little thing is so great for the time when I'm working and can't stop to brush him for hours on end. As a bonus, he sometimes likes to chew on the little pegs, and doing that distracts him from chewing on cords or other things he shouldn't chew, so I'll take it!
Promising review: "My cat loves to brush up against my MacBook and I have been worried she was going to bite it and ruin it, so I gave this a chance. I am so glad I did. I attached it to the bottom of one of our end tables with the included adhesive strips. It stuck fine, hasn't come off and my cat will not leave it alone. She's in love! I can barely get her to sit on my lap now (I might be a tad jealous!) Definitely worth the purchase and I will be buying a couple more for other areas around the house!" —Jill Smith
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
13. A laser pointer to help them use up some of the energy they have so they don't get the zoomies at 3 a.m.
I have pretty much always had a laser pointer for my cats. It's such an easy thing and requires so little effort from me. As they've gotten older, they've either gotten smarter or just lost their energy because they don't want to play with it as frequently, but when they are in mood, they go bonkers chasing it around. I love pointing it up high on the wall and watching them jump all the way to try to catch it. The one thing I will say is I don't love doing it for too long because I've seen that it can eventually stress them out, plus it just becomes kinda sad after a bit when they can't catch it. That's why I like to reward them at the end of a play session with either treats or some play time with a physical toy they can actually grab and bite.
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
14. A fishing toy with a bunch of different attachment options so you can keep their interest. There are feather attachments for the air hunters and little worm ones for ground hunters. This will definitely be a hit in your house.
The set comes with two rods, a ribbon toy, and 10 refillable attachments.
Cat fishing rod toys are always a hit so I have had some version of that pretty much my whole life for all my cats. This is definitely one of the better versions I have found. Not only does it come with a wide variety of toys, but it also has two bases that are sturdier than other ones I've found. My cats are pretty picky and aren't interested in this type of toy unless the string is clear like fishing wire (I guess it makes it seem more real? IDK), but this one has that and it's perfect. The rod is also retractable, but unlike some other versions I've had the pieces lock into place so you don't have to constantly re-extend them. So far the feather toys seem to be the winners in my house, but I also left one of the little ball caterpillar guys on the floor and Sadie has a blast carrying it around in her mouth like her little prey.
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
15. A pet hair cleaner that will find hair that you didn't even know existed. Prepare to be humbled — you may have just finished vacuuming your carpet, but trust me, this will pick up a lot more hair, and it won't take 10 sheets of sticky paper to do it.
I always tell people my cats don't really shed *that* much. Well, I guess I was proven wrong when my husband decided to buy this and we used it on our carpet. When I tell you we audibly gasped. We then decided to make it a game because it was honestly so funny how much hair was coming up even though we thought the house was clean. 😩
Promising review: "I generally don’t write reviews, simply because most often I’m buying products with a ton of reviews anyway so mine wouldn’t really matter, but HOLY CANNOLI, I don’t care how many reviews this thing has, I’m FLOORED (pun intended). I vacuum almost daily with a cattle dog and a staffy in my house, and there’s always hair. I used this for the first time on my rug last night and I cannot BELIEVE how much hair this thing pulled up AND IT DIDN'T DAMAGE MY RUG. THIS THING IS AMAZING!!!! 100/10 stars!!" —Tabitha
Get it from Amazon for $23.99.
16. A pop-up, collapsible cat tunnel set so your kitty can ~zoom~ through and pounce on its toys (or maybe your other pets) on the other side.
The tunnel has one hanging plush toy ball and also comes with a feather stick toy.
I think this tunnel was one of my very first purchases when Piper and Alfie came into the picture. It has been an absolute hit for the past five years. When we got Sadie a month ago we decided we needed to upgrade because it looked like it had been through war, so we ordered the exact same one to keep the fun going. I have the three-way one, so two kitties can kind of stay out of eyesight of each other before aggressively pouncing on the other. It also has a dangling ball on one of the sections, which Piper loves, although I think her ultimate mission is to chew through it so it detaches. This is definitely one of the more used toys in my house (and if you haven't gathered, there are a lot of options). The top entry point is also a great place for Sadie to dive-bomb the very unsuspecting Alfie. My cats have had so much fun with it that I convinced my parents to get one for theirs, and they love it just as much. Be warned though, all black cats can blend into the darkness of the tunnel to make for an extra sneaky attack!
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in four versions and five colors).
17. A pack of matatabi chew sticks designed to appeal to more cats than traditional catnip sticks (the silvervine plant they come from causes stronger and longer lasting reactions). You're bound to find your kitty cat batting these around the house or going to town gnawing on them.
Meowy Janes is a New Jersey-based small business that specializes in catnip alternatives. They work with sustainable, family-owned farms to source their natural products.
My cats (one more than the others) are notorious chewers. Nothing is safe — power cords, books, computer screens — if he can put it in his mouth, it's getting chomped. I was trying to find a way for him to channel his chewing that isn't destructive to any of my stuff, and I came across these. He absolutely LOVES gnawing away at these. I think the texture and smell (and maybe taste) are all factors in making it so appealing to cats. I have personally found my cats are more interested in these when I am holding them or they are stuck somewhere so they can be fully vertical, I think that makes it easier to chew on. They don't love them when they are just laying on the ground as it's harder to get a grasp on it to actually chew. Once they start chewing they can do it for what seems like hours, aka to the point where my arm starts hurting from holding it out for them.
Promising review: "We have three cats and all three have positive reactions to these Matatabi sticks. The cats love to roll on these and throw them around the room. The cats have been playing and chewing on these for months and the sticks are still holding up. These last so much longer than catnip and give a much more enjoyable experience. Highly recommended for any cat parent." —Brandon Levesque
Get it from Amazon for $10.21.
18. An interactive dancing toy, because just look at how happy this cat is. This toy is naturally springy so you barely have to move at all to create the *most* fun your cat has ever had.
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If you didn't already know, I like to spoil my cats. Like if my husband didn't stop me I would probably buy them at least one new toy a day, so I'm not surprised that I ended up buying this. Thankfully it's so cheap that it wasn't really a risk, but my cats ended up liking it anyway so it's a double win! I truly don't know what it is about this thing, but they absolutely love playing with it. It's super easy to use as it basically moves itself around being on a semi-hard wire, so I don't really have to put that much effort in to it. It's also a great option when I can't play with them. I just shove one end between the couch cushions and it moves around whenever they bat at it. Once they've gotten tired from actively playing, they like to just sit and gnaw on the little cardboard bits. I also bought one for my parents' cats and even the older ones loved playing with it!
Promising review: "I was so disappointed when I first took this toy out of the package. It looks like something you'd find on the ground in a seedy parking lot. But my cats were immediately onto it and haven't left it alone since. I guess the little cardboard slivers look like an insect's wings, and it bounces around in a mindless pattern sort of like a mayfly, so their new goal in life is to get to the slivers. I am not allowed to put this toy away, and when I do they bring it to me like a dog would! I hear them pulling it all over the house at night. I am so happy that they have found a new purpose in life. Wonderful product." —Wallflower
Get it from Amazon for $3.53.
19. A cat donut tunnel that will have your kitty doing circles chasing toys, siblings, or even just their tail. Once they've tuckered themselves out enough they can curl up on the top of it for a cozy nap.
I ordered this for my kitties and I can say it is truly a hit. I was a little nervous when I first got it because my cats would sniff it and run away, but after a little bit of warming up they started to explore the inside. Even my more skittish cat now likes to spend time in here which is honestly shocking. As you can see in the photo above, Alfie has really taken to spending time on top of the donut. He has actually claimed that as his official playing spot and when we break out his stick toy he assumes his position in there, I can only assume for better hunting angles 🤷🏼♀️. The only downside of this thing is I spend a lot of time wondering where my cats are only to realize they are probably shoved perfectly in the back of the donut to the point where I literally cannot see them. But, other than that I can say I would highly recommend this. They love it as a place to burrow for peace and quiet or during their more rambunctious times as a place to go in and chase the toy of the day.
Promising review: "My cats usually like the boxes better than what’s in it but not this time! They LOVE this thing! The only bad thing is I’m going to have to get another one because they are fighting over it! My large cats fit just fine inside it and they love to chase each other in circles. Great invention!!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in two sizes and two colors).
20. A rolling cat kicker toy filled with a blend of catnip, valerian root, and silver vine, aka a magical concoction of a kitty's favorite things. This will keep your cat entertained for hours, and when (if) they get tired of it, it's surely just because they wore themselves out.
Hoff-n-Paw Pet Toys is a small business based in Chicago, Illinois creating unique, handmade and eco-friendly toys for cats.
One of my cats loves to do what I call back foot scratchies, and he typically likes to do it while holding on to my arm (yes, it hurts). In an effort to alleviate his desire of absolutely attacking me, I ordered him this thing since it's the perfect shape and size to hold on to and go to town kicking. The catnip and silvervine are just an added bonus.
Promising review: "Very happy with this! I got the small size, which works well as a roller toy. Both of our cats like it, but it works particularly well for our blind cat. The internal rattle helps him track it, and he can grab onto the textured sisal really well. Highly recommended, especially if your cat has sight issues!" —nutmegmeg
Get it for Hoff-n-Paw Pet Toys on Etsy for $15.25+ (available in three sizes and four colors).
The reviews used in this post have been edited for length and clarity.