Beyond Stuffed Mice: Toys For The Discerning Cat

You know the old adage about children playing with the box a toy comes in more than the toy itself? In my experience, cats are the same way. The real toys I buy my cats have been batted away to some far-off corner in the basement, while stray bits of ribbon and felt stay in heavy rotation. Occasionally, though, I can’t resist spoiling them with cute and clever toys, like the ones featured here.

Combining the analog charm of mix tapes with corny puns, Too Bad Mice specializes in organic catnip-stuffed cassette tapes, but also makes toys
in designs like pizza slices and cartoonishly large gemstones. Each cassette is emblazoned with the name of a kitty-themed band (Purrvana, Spayer, and Alice Scooper are among my faves). They’re available for $6 each (plus shipping) or up to $30 for multi-packs in the Too Bad Mice Etsy shop.

A mix-tape 6-pack from Too Bad Mice

Oh Boy! Cat Toy’s irreverent designs are sometimes hilarious, sometimes disturbing. Perhaps best known for their felt homage to The Human
Centipede, the company also sells toys in shapes like fat, organic catnip-loaded joints; beer mugs; tacos; and toilet paper rolls – many of them anthropomorphized with adorable felt eyes. Their toys range from $10 to $26 (larger toys contain up to ¼ pound of catnip!) and are available on their website and in specialty stores.

Beer mug by Oh Boy! Cat Toy

I’ve always had an affinity for plush food (my own cat, Stu, plays regularly with a Duktig felt breakfast set from IKEA), so the Polydactyl Cats Etsy shop — filled with faux Chinese takeout sauce packets (with ric rac “sauce”) and hash browns — is right up my alley! Added bonus: a portion of proceeds from each sale is donated to PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society). Toys — which come authentically packaged down to the tiniest details, and are stuffed with your choice of organic catnip or organic bamboo fiberfill — are $14-$26 each ($49 to $81 for sets), plus shipping, in the Etsy shop.

Deluxe Asian sauce packet set by Polydactyl Cats