The trouble with a flat track toy is that a clever cat solves it in an afternoon. Balls run round a single circle, the cat learns exactly where they will appear, and the whole thing goes under the sofa by the weekend. Stacking the tracks into tiers breaks that pattern, because a ball can drop out of sight on one level and reappear on another, and a cat that cannot predict where something will surface keeps checking.

The tiers sit on a turntable so the levels move relative to one another, and the winding labyrinth track holds the balls just out of reach behind the rails. That last detail is the important one. A ball your cat can hook out and carry off is gone within minutes; one that stays captive keeps the game available every time your cat walks past, which is what makes this a toy for the hours you are out rather than the ones you are home.

• Tiered turntable with a winding labyrinth track
• Balls stay captive rather than being carried off
• Layered levels make the ball's path harder to predict
• Measures 13.2 x 10.6cm
• Two colours: purple or green
• Six photographs of the tiers and track

Two things worth knowing. At 13.2 x 10.6cm this is a compact toy, not a large floor tower, so set your expectations by that footprint. And independent toys go stale wherever they live, so put it away for a fortnight when interest fades and bring it back out; rotation does more for a bored cat than buying a third track toy ever will.

Who it's for: indoor cats who work things out too quickly, and owners who want something that keeps a clever cat occupied while the house is empty.