We all want to keep our pet cats happy, healthy and entertained.
Sadly, a high number of pet cats are brought to vet clinics due to the negative behaviours they develop from boredom and stress, including over-grooming, aggression and anxiety.
By providing them with fun toys and plenty of exercise and attention, we can ensure that our cats remain content and healthy.
As there is a dazzling array of toys and games on the market, we have found the five best remote-control cat toys available to make your choice much easier.
In this article, we’re going to review the following remote control cat toys:
- Forum Novelties Toy
- SmartyKat Scamper Bug Toy
- Pawbo Theme Park Cat Teaser Toy
- Mosuch Cat Catch
- Allytech Mouse/Rat Remote Control Toy for Cats
Though it’s true that some cats are happy enough playing with a cheap cardboard box or a rustling piece of wrapping paper, some felines are far too advanced and intelligent to fall for these old-fashioned diversions, or will soon grow out of them, on the hunt for a toy of more interest.
Naturally inquisitive and curious, cats love to discover and play with any new toy you provide them.
If a toy moves about seemingly by itself, all the better!
Remote-control toys give us the ability to make our cats move about and get active; something which many of them are badly in need of doing.
Considering the vast majority of American cats are now kept solely indoors and more than half of them are over-weight or obese, it is essential that we provide them with a captivating means of exercising inside.
As obesity shortens the lifespan and reduces the quality of life of every cay affected, it should be an owner’s priority to keep their cat slim and trim.
Many owners, particularly elderly people or those with disabilities, can find it challenging to meet the high demands of young, playful cats.
Some find it uncomfortable to constantly hold on to the more traditional ‘hanging feather’ or ribbon toys.
By using remote-control toys, they can ensure that their cat does not miss out on important exercise and muscle-building activities.
The 5 Best Remote-Control Cat Toys Reviews
1. Forum Novelties Toy
This one really is a classic and is the best remote-control mouse cat toy we have found.
Great value and a relatively simple toy, this electronic mouse is sure to provide your cat (and you!) with hours of pure, unadulterated entertainment.
The realistic mouse can move either forward or backward, encouraging hunting and tracking behaviour.
Cats love to chase it and enjoy the satisfaction of pouncing and catching it.
Why not spice things up by putting the mouse inside a paper bag and turning it on; watch your cat’s eyes light up as they think the paper bag has come to life!
Though we wish that this product could also go left and right, as it’s so affordable, we can’t really complain and it sure does get the job done.
The rubber tyres beneath the mouse are resistant and should last for quite some time.
Importantly, they perform well over a number of surfaces, including carpet, so your mouse won’t be at a disadvantage when being chased by an eager cat!
While the furry covering is not very realistic, it offers soft protection for a cat’s mouth.
Why not spray the mouse with some catnip spray to encourage play and allow for greater enjoyment for your cat?
Though this toy is very affordable, customers will have to purchase additional batteries to power both the remote and the mouse toy itself.
A toy that appeals to all, dogs and ferrets also love to chase this little mouse.
The children of the household (as well as the adults), will enjoy the simplicity of this remote-control toy.
In fact, some cheeky adults have loved it so much that they have even borrowed it from the cat to scare their colleagues at work!
2. SmartyKat Scamper Bug Toy
This cute and furry, bright yellow and green remote-control bug from SmartyKat is a great little toy that your cat won’t be able to resist.
The remote is easy to operate and only has one button, so even the least tech-savvy of us should have no issues in operating this toy.
It requires batteries, which are not included with the product.
Once charged, you can get a good 15 minutes of activity out of the little bug each time.
We love how swift and nimble this bug is, quickly changing direction and offering your cat a really challenging chase.
This is a perfect toy for young and active cats that love to energetically run about and chase things.
We have found some remote-control toys are just too sluggish to keep young and athletic cats happy but were more than impressed with the speed of this little bug.
Despite the small size, this bug can navigate well over most surfaces and doesn’t tend to snag on fabric.
As it is quite small and delicate, this may not be the best option for a boisterous cat, or one that loves to chew.
This bug works best when the remote is very close-by and does not function well with owners a long distance away, so is best for enclosed spaces.
There are no choking hazards or dangerous items with this toy and it is safe for even the smallest kitten.
One of our favourite things about the SmartyKat bug toy is that all of the plastic parts are made from recycled material, so you know that with every purchase you are helping out the environment.
3. Pawbo Theme Park Cat Teaser Toy
Okay, we have to admit, this is one cool toy!
Possibly the best remote-control cat toy around, we just love this remote-control cat teaser toy.
This interactive cat stick has a bright ball and pink and yellow feathers on the end so is visually very appealing to both you and your cat.
However, this toy is just one attachment option, and there are a total of four fun toys that can be attached to the stick; adding variety to your kitty’s playtime.
While there is a remote included, for those more technologically advanced owners, they can even sync the toy to an app on their phone and control it via their mobile; how genius.
This toy is both easy to set-up and made from good quality material so should last for a long-time.
Cats love the different modes available, all of which result in different movements and speeds of the toy.
The downside of this toy is that, as it doesn’t move around the room, your cat is likely not burning as many calories.
This is probably not the best option if you are specifically looking for a product that will help to slim your kitty down.
Another minor worry with this toy is that it contains feathers.
Feathers tend to be safe for cats on the whole but can cause issues if ingested.
For those inquisitive cats who like to explore the world by eating things, it’s perhaps best to steer clear of this toy.
To save on batteries, this product can also be used with a USB charger, which is likely to save you money in the long run.
As this product uses infra-red light to connect, it tends to enjoy a good range of connectivity.
4. Mosuch Cat Catch
There are two things that cat’s truly love in this world: fast-moving objects and bright lights.
With this interactive laser-pointer, you can provide your lucky cat with both of these play-time musts.
We fell head-over-heels in love with this cute remote control laser that has buttons in the shape of a small, hot-pink cat paw.
Pressing any of the buttons results in light emission.
One press emits a blinking light, two presses results in a steady light, while the third press will turn the laser beam off.
This product does require batteries to use, but as it is quite energy efficient, the batteries should last for many hours of fun.
The two main features that cat owners love are that this laser can shine bright over long distances and there is no need to continually press the button down; the beam shines bright until turned off manually.
Remote-controlled lasers provide plenty of entertainment and encourage high levels of activity.
Why not have your cat chase the laser over a home-made obstacle course, or run from the front of the house to the back?
While cats are undeniably crafty and intelligent, most just don’t understand where the light is coming from and will happily continue to chase it, desperate to know the source.
Though simple, this interactive toy is a great idea and is a must-have for any cat owner.
For those cats that are true blue predators, they may become frustrated at the inability to ‘catch and kill’ the laser.
For these guys, a remote-control mouse may be a better option.
It is important to remember that, as with any lasers, this product should not be shone directly in the eyes of either animals or humans.
5. Allytech Mouse / Rat Remote Control Toy for Cats
With remote-control mice being by far the most popular cat toy on the market, it was only right that we included another popular mouse option on our top five list.
We love this product from Allytech because it comes in a variety of colours, including brown, grey and black.
If you have a few cats in the house, you may find that they want their very own mouse toy, and now they no longer have to share with their fur siblings!
Customers love the durability of this mouse and its ability to go fast over lots of different internal floor surfaces, including rugs and thick carpets.
Young kids will love the remote control provided which is black with bright red buttons and fire flames painted on.
Encouraging your kids to play with the cat will improve their bonding and may give you a moment or two of peace.
As with a number of other remote-control mouse toys, the range of the remote can be an issue and some customers have found that you have to stand rather close to the mouse for it to pick up the signal from the remote.
This can be an issue if your cheeky cat has a tendency to pick the mouse up in its mouth and carry it out of range.
While some cats may initially be nervous when you start the mouse up, give them time to get used to it and approach the toy themselves.
If they are fearful, chasing them with the mouse will only serve to reinforce their negative feelings.
For smaller cats, it may be wise to opt for a smaller mouse toy, as this one is quite large and better-suited to large, adult cats or even small dogs.
Conclusion:
Your energetic kitty deserves the best and will love you forever if you purchase them one or two of the best remote-control cat toys on the market today!
Whether they are natural born predators and have been waiting their whole life to chase a realistic mouse, or perhaps they go wild for feathers that move seemingly by themselves, there is a toy above that your cat is sure to go wild for.
We love the simplicity of the Mosuch Cat Catch laser pointer that cats never seem to tire of.
Practically every cat instinctively loves to chase bright lights and your cat will be kept entertained with little input on your end, as this laser can stay lit without being kept pressed down.
Most of the toys above do require batteries, so avoid disappointing both yourself and your cat by ordering some batteries from www.amazon.com at the same time as you order the toy.
All of these toys are versatile and can be used by cats of all sizes and ages, as well as any other household pet, meaning you get a good value and versatile product when you buy any of these remote-control toys.
Children in particular love to be in charge of the game and holding the remote, meaning you can leave the cats and kids to their own devices while you catch up on some much-deserved ‘me’ time!
