Natural cat toys
This is where we keep the cat toys built from natural materials rather than moulded plastic: catnip mice and sticks, sisal and jute scratchers with toys built in, and rope or fur teasers your cat can actually chew on safely. If your cat likes to bite what it plays with, this aisle is the one to start with.
What counts as a natural toy here
We mean toys made mostly from things you'd recognise: dried catnip stuffed into cotton or felt, sisal rope and matting, jute fibre, and untreated wood or cardboard. A catnip mouse or a sisal-wrapped scratching post toy both qualify; a plastic laser pointer does not, even if a cat loves it just as much.
The Rosewood Natural Catnip Sticks and Classic Catnip Mouse are good examples of the plain, single-material end of the range — nothing more to them than fabric, stuffing and dried catnip. At the other end, something like a Sisal Cat Tree Tower With Cubby is really a scratching post with a toy built into the design, which is why we keep scratchers and natural toys close together on the shop.
Why cats respond to catnip and natural fibre
Most cats (not all — it's an inherited sensitivity, and kittens under a few months old often show no reaction at all) respond to catnip with rolling, rubbing and short bursts of play, which is why it turns a static toy into something worth chasing. Silvervine and matatabi work the same way for some cats that ignore catnip entirely, so if one doesn't land, it's worth trying the other before assuming your cat just isn't interested in toys.
Sisal and jute matter for a different reason: they give a cat something with real texture to grip and scratch, which is what most cats actually want to do with a toy rather than simply bat it across the floor. A Jute Fish Cat Toy with Catnip combines both of those in one product — a catnip charge inside a fibre a cat can properly get its claws into.
Choosing one for your indoor cat
For a cat that plays alone for long stretches, a fixed sisal scratcher toy like the Wall-Mounted Jute Cat Climbing Step outlasts a loose catnip toy by months, because there's nothing small to lose under the sofa or chew apart. For a cat that wants you involved, a lighter catnip toy or a fur teaser is easier to flick and drag across the floor to start a chase.
Refresh dried catnip toys every few months — the scent fades well before the fabric wears out, and a toy that no longer smells of anything gets ignored regardless of how new it looks. Rotating two or three toys in and out of a drawer, rather than leaving everything out permanently, keeps a cat interested in something it has technically owned for a year.
In this section
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Rosewood Naturals Willow & Catnip Marbles Ball
A willow ball filled with 100% natural catnip, for cats that respond to scent over squeak
£4.50
Rosewood Naturals Catnip Marbles Balls
Mini 100% natural catnip marble balls, for cats who prefer a smaller toy to bat around
£3.50
Rosewood Natural Catnip Sticks
100% natural catnip sticks for cats, for gnawing and chewing play
£3.50
Rosewood Naturals Catnip Ball
A 100% natural catnip ball for cats, made in the Bavarian style with no fillers
£3.50
Sharples N Grant Natural Sup R Catnip
Natural loose catnip in a resealable bag, sold in 50g and 20g sizes
From£1.85
Natural Pet Crinkle Assorted
A natural cotton cat toy combining a hideaway sack with a fuzzy bell ball on a string
£8.99
Rosewood Naturals Wooden Ball
A wooden ball filled with 100% natural catnip, from Rosewood's Bavarian Catnip range
£3.00
Natural Sisal Rope for Cat Scratchers
A coil of strong natural sisal rope for re-wrapping cat scratching posts and DIY scratcher repairs.
From£11.99
Tall Cat Scratching Post Strong Natural Sisal
A tall column wrapped in natural sisal, giving an adult cat somewhere to scratch at full stretch and climb, instead of starting work on the arm of your sofa.
£31.99
Paw-Shaped Flying Disc Launcher Cat Toy
A fun paw-shaped launcher that fires soft flying discs across the room for cats and kittens to chase. Rechargeable and easy to load, it turns hunting instincts into active indoor play.
£10.99
Giant Catnip Cotton Swab Cat Kicker Toys
A set of oversized cotton-swab cat toys with catnip-infused, teething-friendly handles. Cats love to bite, kick and wrestle them, giving great exercise and boredom relief while the soft tips help soothe gums.
£9.99
Electric Scurrying Mouse Cat Toy
A motorised plush mouse that scurries around on unpredictable routes, triggering your cat's chase and hunt instincts for hours of active, independent play.
From£7.99
Common questions
- Is catnip safe for cats to have all the time?
- Yes, dried catnip in a toy is safe to leave with most cats permanently. A minority of cats become briefly overstimulated after a strong reaction, so if that happens, it is enough to put the toy away for an hour rather than stop offering it altogether.
- Why does my cat ignore catnip toys completely?
- Sensitivity to catnip is inherited, and roughly a third of cats show no response to it at all, kittens included until they mature. Silvervine or matatabi toys are worth trying instead, since a cat that is unresponsive to one often reacts strongly to the other.
- Are sisal and jute toys safe to chew?
- Plain sisal and jute are safe for a cat to gnaw on in normal play, which is exactly why they're used on scratching posts a cat is expected to bite as well as scratch. Keep an eye out for a toy fraying to loose strands and replace it before your cat can swallow a long piece.
- How is a natural toy different from a normal plastic one?
- The material is the whole difference: natural toys use catnip, sisal, jute, cotton and untreated wood rather than moulded plastic or synthetic fur. Many cats prefer the texture for scratching and chewing, and a natural toy is generally easier to dispose of once it's worn out.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.