Cats love to play, but their sharp claws and teeth can rip cheaply created toys into a piece of garbage in just a few minutes. Almost every cat owner witnessed their kitty rip apart a flimsy cat toy with just a few paw swipes. Eco-friendly cat toys are a perfect alternative to cheap plastic toys for your feline.
Low-quality toys have to be thrown out and replaced regularly, making them a waste of money and inadequate for the environment. Therefore, it is best to choose eco-friendly, all-natural cat toys that are also considered more sustainable cat toys.
Why Should You Consider Eco-Friendly Cat Toys?
Unfortunately, no US regulator is responsible for monitoring contaminants in pet toys, which means that toy manufacturers should self-regulate. With many pet toys manufactured overseas, it’s much harder to rely on specific criteria or standards.
- PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride is typically used to make many items, including PVC pipes, PVC flooring, auto parts, shower curtains, shoes, raincoats, toys, and more. And while you certainly wouldn’t chew on your shower curtain, your kitty may be chomping on its PVC toys.
- Manufacturers also use phthalates, linked to liver and kidney problems, to soften toys and make them more flexible. PVC is dubbed “poison plastic” because of its unfortunate propensity to leach ingredients.
- Another common plastic component Bisphenol-A (BPA), is associated with cancer and endocrine disruption. Some imported toys, particularly the painted ones, usually have Lead.
Due to all the hazards associated with traditional plastic toys, eco-friendly cat toys are becoming extremely popular as more and more pet owners are going green. You can purchase eco-friendly cat toys or make them from random household objects.
Organic Cat Toys
Toys have a significant environmental impact; thus, selecting toys made from natural or organic materials will help minimize your contribution to pollution. There is a growing number of people who prefer organic toys for their pets.
DIY Cat Toys
Does your kitty like a felt mouse toy? If you believe that DIY projects are fun, the internet is full of cool ideas to reshape empty cardboard boxes stacked in the closet into eco-friendly cat toys.
If you are a DIY lover with the right tools, you may also love building a cat tree out of recycled materials.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Cat Toys
What makes environmentally-friendly cat toys good for our planet? How are they different from the rest of the toys? There are several explanations for this:
Non-Toxic Cat Toys
Typically an eco-friendly cat toy is made of non-toxic material. These toys are safer for the environment; it means that they will be devoid of any dangerous material that your cat will unintentionally swallow.
Sustainable Cat Toys
Recycled or organic materials are used to make eco-friendly toys. It can either be cotton, paper, or even bamboo, which are natural alternatives to plastic.
This ensures that the method used to produce them is safer for the environment and does not require unsafe production practices.
Recycled Materials
Recycled plastic toys are more sustainable than brand new ones. Moreover, if you can make your toys out of recycled materials from your house, it reduces your kitty’s carbon impact too.
Reduced Packaging
The eco-friendly part of a cat’s toy doesn’t just stop with a toy but continues with the toy’s distribution and selling. Eco-friendly toys ensure that there will be as little packaging as possible, with all packaging being entirely recyclable.
It’s tough to find cat toys without plastic packaging these days. Yet manufacturers are doing more than that. You will now find minimally packaged eco-friendly cat toys in both larger pet shops and online stores.
Why does Your Kitty Need to Play?
Cats are natural hunters, which involves stalking the prey, searching, capturing, pouncing, and biting. The fun ends with the kitty performing the final kill bite and then settling down at the meal or moving on to the next victim.
Cats don’t necessarily hunt to feed themselves, but they can indulge in a hunt just because they’re bored and want to play. How can we have our cats to have fun without losing a mouse, bird or any other pet in the house?
One of the best ways to engage a cat physically, mentally, and emotionally is by playing. When we engage our cat’s predatory instinct through the use of toys, we carry out the genetic drive to stalk, bite and kill while allowing them to enjoy their natural predatory behavior
The 10 Best Eco-Friendly Toys for Cats
Luckily, as pet lovers demand eco-friendly options, there are now more choices than ever for beautiful cat toys that are sturdy, eco-friendly, and fun-filled.
All-natural cat toys can be found anywhere from big pet shops to niche online stores. Here is a list of the top ten eco-friendly cat toys:
Kitten Mitten
Some kitties like to flip and throw their toys. This mitten is just the right size for a medium to a large cat to throw. There is no tail on this toy, in case your kitty loves to chew its toys.
This mini mitten toy is stuffed with organic catnip and handmade from dye-free organic cotton in the USA. Kitten Mitten smells fresher than plastic dyed toys, and cats love to flip their mittens in the air.
Key Features:
- Filled with organic catnip
- Made in the USA
- Handmade
- Made with dye-free organic cotton
The Ripple Rug
Cats might get bored very quickly, and that’s the idea behind this activity center design. The Ripple Rug is probably the best activity center for cats and consists of just two rug pieces.
It can be used for several different activities. Cats are allowed to hide, nap, scratch, and play. Jericho likes to look for ripples.
Key Features:
- Mold, mildew, and stain resistant
- Easily washable
- Made in the USA
- Made with 100% recycled polyester fibers
Catnip-Infused Brown Grocery Bags
You might throw some catnip into a brown grocery bag and let your kitty have fun, but these fantastic new Catnip Caves do the same thing without the total mess.
These unique bags are covered with micro-encapsulated catnip scent bubbles that burst when rubbed or scratched. Its unique Nano Burst Technology lasts for around six months or until your cat shreds the bag in a complete freak-out.
Key Features:
- Microencapsulated catnip scent and catnip scented bubbles
- Nano Burst Technology for long-lasting catnip scent
- Perfect for pouncing and hiding
- Made in the USA
Billy Bob the Cork Ball
Made from untreated natural cork and one of the best all-natural cat toys, Billy Bob Cork Ball is a biodegradable, fun ball.
It is perfect for chasing and batting, and its soft cork surface is suitable for cats to dig their claws in. The cork ball even comes in an organic catnip jar.
Key Features:
- Marinated in fresh organic catnip
- Biodegradable
- Made in the USA
- All-natural Cork
- Safe for cats and kittens
Atomic Flyers
Made from 100% Merino wool, this toy consists of a natural and sustainable fiber that cats love. Atomic Flyers are designed to whisk over hard floors, making them suitable for hunting.
Cats love the felt texture, and you’ll love the pleasant colors and shapes that create a little art installation on the floor of your living room. These small felt toys are great for sliding around the board, tempting the kitty to chase and pounce.
Key Features:
- Perfect for wild chase and toss
- Soft felt texture cats
- Safe to chew
- Multiple colors and abstract shapes
Pepperoni Pizza Slice Catnip Cat Toy
Who’s not in love with pizza? Pepperoni Pizza Slice Catnip Cat Toy is packed with organic catnip and a fun crinkle stuff, so they’re crunchy when your kitty chews it!
One of the best organic cat toys, this playful taco is handmade with Eco-Felt, an environmentally friendly fabric crafted from recycled plastic bottles of water.
Key Features:
- Handmade
- Eco-friendly felt
- Certified Organic Catnip
Great Green Cat Toy
This long tube holds three wooden balls and has a slot that’s wide enough for a cat’s paw.
Since the Great Green Cat Toy bounces around as it’s played with, the cats love stalking and wrestling with the tube. It is made of recycled materials and is 90% biodegradable and 100% recyclable.
Key Features:
- Made from recycled and reusable materials
- Completely recyclable
- Made in the USA
Smart Sheep Balls
Wool Dryer Balls are handmade and made from 100% sheep fur. There are no filters, chemicals, or synthetics used for these eco-friendly cat toys.
Although these are meant to be cat toys, they are perfect alternatives to plastic cat balls. These balls are safe for cats to play with and chew.
These dryer balls are 100% fragrance-free, so they are perfect for kittens or sensitive cats.
Key Features:
- Handmade
- Free of chemicals or dyes
- 100% fragrance-free
- Made in the US
- Soft and safe to chew
Kitty Hooch Catnip Mouse
Another great toy among all-natural cat toys, this catnip mouse has been made to last. Kitty Hooch Catnip Mouse is made of sturdy wool lined to maintain its shape and stitched to entertain playful cats.
It’s just the right size for bunny kick cats, and the hand-processed organic catnip filling makes this toy even more intoxicating.
Key Features:
- Organic catnip inside
- Made from recycled material
Yeowww! Big Baby Cigar
This cigar-shaped toy is stuffed with organic catnip and is made from cotton that has been colored with soy-based inks. The scent and shape make Big Baby Cigar a perfect wrestling toy for your cat.
Key Features:
- 100% organic catnip inside
- Made in the US
Final Verdict on the Best Eco-Friendly Cat Toys
By choosing eco-friendly cat toys, you can feel assured that your kitty is having a fun-filled time and that you’re doing your part to keep the planet greener!
Eco-friendly cat toys and organic cat toys also let your kitty enjoy for longer as they are sustainable cat toys.