Woven jute is one of the few textures cats keep coming back to, because it stands up to claws in a way plush never does; the fibres catch and resist rather than tearing straight through on the first go. Shaped into a fish and filled with catnip, it gives a cat something substantial to grab with the front paws and kick at with the back ones.

That back-leg kicking is really the point. It is what a cat does to prey they have caught, and a toy has to be roughly the size of the cat's own body for the movement to happen at all, which is why a small jingle ball never triggers it. This one is sized to wrestle with. Jute is a natural fibre rather than plastic, and it stays light enough to bat across a floor and throw in the air.

• Woven natural jute body, sized for grabbing and kicking
• Filled with catnip
• Fish shape for batting, carrying and bunny-kicking
• No plastic and no batteries
• Three colourways: yellow, green and orange-red

Two things worth knowing. Catnip fades, so keeping the toy in a sealed bag between play sessions will keep it interesting for months longer. And jute sheds a little fibre as it is chewed, which is harmless in small amounts but worth watching if your cat is a determined eater of things they should not eat.

Who it's for: Indoor cats who play hard on their own and get bored of anything that does not put up a fight.