Christmas toys and treats for cats: what works, what to skip
Quick answer
The Christmas cat toys that get used are the same ones that get used all year: something to kick, something to chase, something to scratch. Festive shape is for you. For treats, keep to proper cat treats and keep the Christmas dinner off the floor.
The pet aisle in December is full of cat toys shaped like reindeer, puddings and Santa. Cats can't see the joke. What they can see is whether the thing is the right size to grab, soft enough to kick and interesting enough to chase. Those are the toys that are still around in February; the pudding is under the sofa by New Year's Eve.
This is the short version: which Christmas cat toys get played with, which treats are safe, and the handful of festive things that shouldn't be in a cat's reach at all.
Christmas cat toys that get used
A kicker toy. Long, soft, the right size to hold with the front paws and kick with the back ones. This is the toy cats would choose if they shopped. It doesn't matter if it's shaped like a candy cane as long as it's the right size and the eyes are stitched.
A wand with something to chase. The toy that gets you involved. Ten minutes of wand play on Christmas afternoon is the best thing in the house for a cat that's been overstimulated by visitors. Put it away afterwards; wand toys left out go stale and the string is a chewing risk.
A scratch board. Not festive, always used. If there's a new sofa or a new rug in the house this Christmas, a scratch board is the toy that saves it.
A box. The one from the biggest present. Hole cut in the side, pinch of catnip inside, done.
Anything with catnip on it. A toy that smells of fresh catnip beats a toy that looks like a snowman. Rub a pinch of the pouch into any soft toy, or mist it with the spray, and it becomes the toy of the day. Catnip is for cats over about eight months; kittens get the toys without it.
If you want the whole set in one box, the Chew & Chase Play Set is three kicker toys, a feathered-mouse wand, a corrugated scratch board and a 60ml catnip spray, £21.99, in a gift box. None of the toys are pre-filled; the spray is how you add the catnip, and add it again when it fades.
Christmas cat toys to skip
- Anything with glued-on eyes, noses or bells. They come off and get swallowed. Stitched only.
- Tinsel and ribbon toys. Swallowed tinsel can tangle in the gut and need surgery. That includes the ribbon on the presents.
- Hard plastic novelties. Nothing to grab, nothing to kick.
- Costumes and antlers. A photo, then off. A cat that can't move freely can panic.
- Laser pointers as the only toy. A hunt with nothing to catch. If you use one, end it on a real toy.
Christmas treats for cats
The safe version is simple: proper cat treats, in small amounts, counted towards the day's food. A sachet of good treats in the stocking is fine. Twenty-four days of them (the advent-calendar problem) is a lot for one cat; we've written about cat advent calendars separately.
From the Christmas table: a sliver of plain cooked turkey breast, no skin, no stuffing, no gravy. That's the list.
Never: chocolate, mince pies, Christmas pudding or anything with raisins, sultanas or currants; onion, garlic and anything cooked with them (stuffing, gravy, most leftovers); cooked bones; alcohol; anything from the cheese board beyond a crumb.
And the treat with no calories: a pinch of fresh catnip. Ours is grown on a family farm, leaf and flower only, air-dried so it still smells like catnip when you open it. A lot of cats don't respond to catnip, which is genetic; if you buy ours and yours is one of them, our money-back cat guarantee covers it, 14 days, nothing to send back.
The Christmas Day plan
For what it's worth, here's what works in a house full of people and noise:
- Morning: open the catnip, rub a pinch into one kicker toy, step back.
- When the guests arrive: a quiet room with the cat's bed, water, litter tray and the scratch board.
- Late afternoon, when everyone's asleep: ten minutes of wand play, then the box.
- Boxing Day: a mist of spray on the toys that have gone quiet.
Order by 21 December for Christmas delivery. Free UK delivery, 2 to 3 working days.
Related guides: Christmas gifts for cats · What to put in a cat Christmas stocking · Cat advent calendars · The Catnip Guide
Questions cat owners ask
What Christmas toys do cats actually like?
Kicker toys they can wrestle, a wand with something to chase, and a box. The reindeer antlers and Santa-shaped plush are for the photo. If a toy has catnip in it or on it, most cats will give it a go.
Can cats have Christmas treats?
Cat treats, yes, in small amounts counted towards their food. Human Christmas food, mostly no: chocolate, raisins, mince pies, onion, garlic and anything cooked in them are toxic. A sliver of plain cooked turkey breast is fine.
Are festive cat toys safe?
Check for glued-on eyes, bells, ribbon and tinsel, which come off and get swallowed. Stitched features only, and nothing with a long string left out unsupervised.
Is catnip a good Christmas treat?
It's the one treat with no calories in it. A pinch on a toy or in a box, for cats over about eight months. A lot of cats don't respond, and that's genetic; if you buy ours and yours is one of them, the money-back cat guarantee covers it.
