Motion-activated cat toys offer hours of entertainment and engagement for both older cats and kittens. Providing your cat with motorized cat toys can help to stimulate their minds and natural instincts. Because cats are naturally drawn to moving objects, motion-activated toys effortlessly grab their attention and encourage them to play.
Automatic cat toys, including lasers, are a good way to keep your cat entertained and active when you aren’t able to play with them.
To help you find the best toys for your cat, we have explored and analyzed a few of the different motion-activated cat toys on the market. To make sure that we have chosen nothing short of the best, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite options for kittens and cats that are both safe and entertaining.
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More Products to Keep Your Cat Happy & Healthy
Motion Activated Toys Your Cat Will Love
The three toys below provide lots of play value and received great reviews from both cats and their owners.
Keep reading for detailed reviews, plus a few other great toys to choose from.
PetSafe Peek-A-Bird – Electronic Cat Toy and Interactive Bird Hunt
Rechargeable Motion Activated Cat Laser ToyPotaroma Flopping Fish Motion Activated Cat Toy
Do Automatic Cat Toys Work?
Automated cat toys provide an advantage over conventional alternatives since they’re meant to appeal to your cat’s natural hunting instincts. Automated cat toys typically make fast, unexpected actions, encouraging your cat to hunt, hide, and pounce as they would in the wild.
However, there are a few things to consider before purchasing a product.
First of all, how energetic is your cat?
If yours isn’t the most active, you may want to steer clear of automatic toys that move too quickly. You want your cat to have fun, not get frustrated or worn out.
If you have a younger cat or kitten, you can use almost any automatic cat toy to keep it entertained for hours.
These motion sensor toys are fantastic for cats that need to lose a bit of weight or cats that are left alone at home on a regular basis. They’ll still get regular play time and exercise, so they’ll stay happy, healthy, and free from boredom — and they’ll be less likely to spend their time shredding up your couch!
Are Laser Pointers Bad For Cats?
As a cat owner, you probably know that cats go wild chasing lasers. But are they potentially harmful to your cat?
While the laser itself isn’t dangerous, the reality is that you will have to learn to use the pointer in a way that is safe for your pet as well as satisfies their hunting drive.
The first thing you’ll need to do is know your cat’s limits. For example, if you have a lazy cat, you’ll need to introduce play with a laser pointer in a staggered way. By starting slowly and gradually increasing playtime, you can make sure that you aren’t overworking your cat.
Second, you should only use a laser pointer in an area that is safe and free of obstructions. If your cat is distracted by the laser, you may find that they are blind to their surroundings. This can lead to injuries if your cat smacks into furniture or the wall.
Similarly, pointing the laser at a high point of your wall might cause your cat to jump higher than they should and hurt their delicate muscles.
You should also avoid pointing the laser at anyone’s face, whether they are a cat or a human.
With that being said, laser pointers can be useful for both weight loss and mental stimulation in cats. They can also support cats in learning to play with one another while increasing their self-esteem.
Potaroma Flopping Fish Interactive Cat Toy
If you’re a cat lover, you may have already come across this toy somewhere on the internet. And if you haven’t, don’t worry! We’ll explain exactly what this toy does and why it is our top pick for the best motion-activated cat toys.
The Potaroma Flopping Fish toy works with a built-in motion sensor that is triggered by detecting any motion around the toy. So, when your curious kitty comes near the toy, the fish will begin to mimic a real fish by wiggling and flopping around on the floor.
This fun motion will catch your cat’s attention and keep it entertained for ages, helping to alleviate your cat’s boredom and promote exercise and play throughout the day. There are also four fun different fish patterns to choose from, including carp, clownfish, red carp, and rainbow trout.
If you’re picturing a motorized toy as something that’s hard and going to bang around and possibly hurt your feline friend, don’t worry. The toy is covered in soft plush material and contains a small motor inside the belly of the fish. You can even remove the motor and let your cat play with the soft plush fish when you don’t want it to wiggle.
This toy comes with a bag of fresh catnip that goes inside a catnip pouch on the fish, and of course you can always replace it with fresh catnip when it starts to get stale. By adding catnip to the toy, it becomes even more exciting and appealing to your feisty pets.
Once your cat has had its fun, the fish will go into automatic standby mode. Once the battery has run out, the toy can be recharged through the use of the included USB charger. Although charging the toy is not as quick as replacing batteries, it saves a lot of money!
Pros:
• Comes in four variations
• Works with an automatic motion sensor and goes into standby when not in use
• Helps to alleviate boredom and promote exercise and play
• Made of soft plush material
• Includes a catnip pouch
• USB chargeable
• Inside motor is detachable
Cons:
• Takes time to recharge the toy
Amazon reviewer DeeJay was delighted to see this fish become her cat’s new favorite toy:
This. Is. Awesome!!! For the first minute it freaked her out a little. Then came the killing. And then the parading through the house with her trophy. Then more killing. This is now her FAVORITE toy. Watching my teeny tiny cat walk through the hallways straddling and dragging a struggling fish is the highlight of my day.
It charges FAST. The battery lasts a while (considering how rough she is with it). The packaging it arrived in was sleek and easy to get into. Also it deeply upsets my dogs which means they leave her toy alone …
Valonii Motion Activated Cat Laser Toy
Valonii Motion Activated Cat Laser Toy
We talked earlier about the benefits of laser toys for cats, so it makes sense to include a laser-based motion-activated toy.
Our favorite cat laser toy is the Valonii, which has a built-in thermal object induction sensor. So what does that mean in English? When your pet moves around in the laser’s radius, the toy will start up and turn on.
The toy works by emitting a fun laser beam and moving it around to keep your cat busy and active. Unlike other laser toy that only go in a circle and become too predictable, this toy uses a zig zag pattern and will even sometimes pause to let your cat pounce and “catch” it.
One neat feature of this toy is its automatic switch-off function. After 5 minutes of play, the toy will switch itself off after 5 minutes.
The Valonii works best when mounted at least 40 – 48” high but can work at up to 80” high. So, no matter where you mount it, your cat can enjoy their playtime safely. It can be mounted on a wall, window, or any other flat and vertical surface. You can even place it on a desk or countertop.
If you find that the toy is too sensitive and picks up the motion too quickly, you can move it higher on your chosen surface. The higher the toy, the less sensitive it will be to motion.
The Valonii also has two modes, fast and slow, to accommodate any cat, no matter their activity levels or abilities. The dual-motor also works quickly and quietly.
To charge the toy, you will need to plug it in using the USB charger. It takes around 3 hours to charge and gives your kitty up to 8 hours of playtime.
Pros:
• Built-in thermal object induction sensor
• Auto switch-off function after 5 minutes
• USB chargeable
• It can be mounted on almost any surface of at least 40″ high
• Includes fast and slow modes
• Quiet
Cons:
• Takes a while to charge
Maggie the tabby cat was kind enough to leave this Amazon review:
THIS is the toy I’ve been waiting for!
I prefer to play with toys that require my human’s interaction, which means that I doesn’t get as much play time as I want/need. (She has a “job.”)
The human had previously purchased many FrolicCat BOLT laser toys, but they:
- require my human to activate
- are too noisy
- suck up battery power
- don’t operate correctly after my human accidentally knocks them to the ground (which is why she’s bought so many)
My human plugged in this toy (no more weak laser beam when the batteries get tired!) AND it was easy for her to figure out how to turn on the “motion activated” option (with all due respect, she isn’t very tech savvy).
NOW THE LASER TURNS ON WHENEVER I WALK BY!! (And, for the scaredy-cats out there: It’s whisper quiet!)
My human has already knocked it on the floor a few times (maybe she’d be less clumsy if she got a tail for balance?) but this toy hasn’t broken …
PetSafe Peek-A-Bird – Electronic Motion Activated Cat Toy
PetSafe Peek-A-Bird – Electronic Motion Activated Cat Toy
If you’re looking for a unique motion-activated cat toy, we’ve found one of the most interesting toys on the market. The PetSafe Peek-A-Bird is exactly what it sounds like – a fun way to play peek-a-boo with a toy that resembles a bird.
The Peek-A-Bird comes with two different settings:
- The One-Time-Play setting, which can be used when you need to keep your cat occupied for a short burst of time
- The Play-All-Day setting, which provides your cat with up to 6.5 hours of interactive play
Whichever setting you choose, the toy will shut off after 10 minutes to give your kitty a well-deserved rest and conserve battery. So, whether you have a playful and energetic cat or a fluffy couch potato, this toy ensures that your cat isn’t over-exerting itself.
The toy works by pushing feathers out of the two openings, which will appeal to your cat’s natural hunting instincts. With the Play-All-Day setting, the motion sensors will activate as soon as it detects movement.
For cats that are a little more destructive, the Peek-A-Bird includes a set of replacement feathers. You can also purchase other feather replacements to ensure the longevity of your cat’s new favorite toy.
In addition to curing your kitty’s boredom, the Peek-A-Bird can also help to distract your cat from its destructive behaviors (like destroying your furniture).
If you have a rambunctious cat, you can rest easy – this toy is sturdy and durable and is difficult to tip over during play.
The toy works using 3 AA batteries, which can provide enough charge to keep the toy working for up to a month.
Pros:
• Includes two different settings
• Auto shut-off after 10 minutes of play
• Appeals to your cat’s natural hunting instincts
• Helps to cure boredom and distract from destructive behavior
• Good for destructive cats
• Sturdy
• Up to 6.5 hours of play using the Play-All-Day setting
Cons:
• Not rechargeable
• Using batteries can become expensive
Amazon reviewer Debbie described how this toy is great for some cats, but might be too overwhelming for others:
Because this toy makes a motorized sound (plus a few tweets when it starts up), timid cats may be overwhelmed by this, but playful, assertive cats will likely love it right away.
It randomly sticks out a yellow feather on one side or the other, just long enough for your cat to pounce. When the cat tires of it and walks away, it goes into sleep mode. When it detects motion, it will start up again.
If your cat doesn’t take to it right away, give him time. Some cats, particularly timid ones, need to get used to a new object, particularly one that moves by itself and makes noise …. If nothing else, this will amuse you. It’s a hilarious toy.
All for Paws Interactive Motion Activate Cat Butterfly Toy
All for Paws Interactive Motion Activate Cat Butterfly Toy
This motion activated butterfly toy rotates up to 360 degrees for 30 seconds your cat approaches it.
It comes with a replacement butterfly, in case your cat “kills” the original one. It requires 3 AA batteries (not included) and comes with a money back guarantee and a one year warranty.
Reviewers loved how this toy was so durable and that it kept their cats happy for a long period of time. (One reviewers said that they cat played with it for 45 minutes straight!)
Pros:
• Sturdy
• Replacement butterflies are available
• Appeals to your cat’s natural hunting instincts
• Helps to cure boredom and distract from destructive behavior
Pros:
• Sensor depends on a very bright light source shining on a small hole in the side
BENTOPAL Motor Activated Toys Ball for Cats
BENTOPAL Motor Activated Toys Ball for Cats/
If your playful kitty loves chasing and playing with toy balls, this may be your cat’s new favorite toy. The BENTOPAL is a ball-shaped toy that incorporates rubber ends to help it roll around your home and keep your cat entertained.
This motion-activated toy will run for 5 minutes before switching itself off so that your cat can rest and relax in between play sessions. The ball will turn on again after 1.5 hours or can be woken up from its sleep mode when your cat paws the toy. This may be difficult for some cats who may not understand how to get the ball to respond.
The ball can be set to one of two different modes:
- Soft rolling mode — great for older, lazy, and/or overweight cats
- Bouncing mode — for playful, high energy cats
The rechargeable battery takes 3 hours to charge and provides up to 8 hours of fun and interactive play for your cat. It also comes with multiple accessories that resemble objects such as feathers which will further excite and entice your curious kitty.
Pros:
• Good for cats of all ages
• Good for cats of all activity levels
• Automatic shut-off
• Can be woken from sleep mode through touch
• Two different modes
• Rechargeable battery
• Comes with multiple accessories
Cons:
• Takes a long time to charge
• Not all cats will understand how to wake the toy from sleep mode
Automatic Electronic Pet Rolling Toy for Cats
Automatic Electronic Pet Rolling Toy for Cats
The HONGCA Interactive Robotic toy includes a removable rod with a feather and bell attached to it to further entice your playful kitties.
The teasing motion of the toy will have your cats chasing, pouncing, and stalking the attached accessory and help your cat sharpen its natural hunting skills. The irregular rolling patterns allow the toy to move forwards, backward, and 360-degrees, so your cat won’t get bored with the same old predictable pattern.
This toy also includes LED lights instead of lasers to protect your cat’s eyes during unsupervised play.
With two different modes, the toy can either move on its own or activate once it detects inductive motion. If you have a naughty kitten that is a little more destructive and mischievous than others, you may be interested to know that this toy is made out of durable and high-quality ABS material.
The HONGCA is also sturdy and scratch-resistant to protect itself against sharp claws. The rubberized wheels work brilliantly on most surfaces, including carpets, but you should avoid thick or fluffy carpets that can slow it down or make it more difficult to move.
Once the battery has run out, the toy is easy to recharge. The robotic toy is USB rechargeable and has a battery life of up to 10 hours. It does take around 4 hours to recharge, though, so you should try to charge it up before leaving for work or leaving your cat unattended.
Pros:
• Fun irregular rolling patterns
• Colorful LED lights
• Includes two different modes
• Made of high-quality and durable ABS material
• Sturdy
• Scratch-resistant
• Works on most floor surfaces
• Up to 10 hours of playtime
Cons:
• Takes up to 4 hours to charge