A sizeable minority of cats have no reaction to catnip whatsoever. The response is inherited, so if a cat has not got it, no amount of good toy design will create one. That is the best reason to choose something carrying both catnip and silvervine: cats who shrug at one very often respond strongly to the other, which makes this far more likely to get played with than a plain catnip mouse.

The owl body is stuffed with catnip and mounted on natural silvervine sticks, so the toy offers two quite different things at the same time. The catnip drives the rolling, kicking and general daftness, which lasts a few minutes and then wears off for a while. The silvervine sticks are for chewing, and cats gnaw and rub their teeth and gums along the bark, a habit that tends to hold their interest for longer.

• Owl-shaped body stuffed with catnip
• Mounted on natural silvervine chew sticks
• Two different responses in one toy
• Sticks give something to gnaw and rub against
• Three options: green owl, brown owl and a double ball
• Small enough to bat, carry and kick about

On how long it lasts. Catnip fades. The oils dry out over a few weeks in an open room, so keep the toy in a sealed bag or a tub between play sessions and it will keep working for months rather than days. The silvervine sticks are natural wood and will splinter as they get chewed, so look them over now and again and take them away once they are down to short pieces.

Who it's for: Cats who ignore ordinary catnip toys, and any cat who enjoys something to chew as much as something to bat about.