Best Cat Toys: 20 Brands Compared on Catnip, Materials and Price

Le Croissant is a hand-stitched cat toy made in France by Ponoto, and designed to look like a French croissant. It is made from natural materials only, including premium OEKO-TEX certified cotton, and filled with a blend of two whole-herb blends: organic Catnip (Nepeta cataria) and Silver Vine (Actinidia polygama). It contains no synthetic materials, no plastic parts, and no pesticide-treated materials.

Le Croissant contains a blend of two whole-herb blends: Catnip (Nepeta cataria) and Silver Vine (Actinidia polygama). While standard catnip toys only work on about two in three cats, our dual-herb blend reaches over 90% of cats. It works because Silver Vine contains a completely different natural compound (actinidine) that triggers a response in the cats who are genetically immune to regular catnip. We carefully select the most active parts of each plant to ensure a strong and lasting response for your cat. Like catnip, Silver Vine is 100% cat-safe, doesn't create any addiction, and is guaranteed to improve your cat's well-being.

Le Croissant is made in France in small batches. Each toy is individually stitched, not mass-produced. We source our raw materials from suppliers that meet the highest quality and safety standards to ensure the durability and longevity of the product.

We use only premium, cat-safe, natural materials:
• Premium OEKO-TEX Certified Cotton: Sourced from French and Belgium suppliers, our cotton is strictly certified to be free from harmful chemicals for both humans and cats.
• 100% Organic Catnip: Cultivated by certified organic suppliers for maximum safety and purity.
• Silver Vine Fruit Gall: Silver Vine (Matatabi) is native to the mountains of East Asia. We source ours directly from producers who grow this plant in China, Japan and Korea.

Mass-market pet stores often use ground Silver Vine leaves or stems, which quickly lose their potency. Ponoto exclusively uses the gall fruit and the leaves of the Silver Vine plant, the most potent and long-lasting parts, ensuring instant reaction for your cat.

Yes. All our cotton fabric are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, which means they are free from harmful susbtances for humans and cats. There are no synthetic materials, no plastic components, and no small detachable parts. Catnip is organic, cat-safe and non-toxic — it produces a temporary, harmless euphoric response and has no long-term health effects, like Silver Vine, which constitutes the second herb in the blend.

Sensitivity to catnip is hereditary, and around a third of cats do not respond to it. Whether your cat is one of them or not, Ponoto's Croissant makes an excellent solution : by combining the Catnip buds with the Silver Vine fruit, Le Croissant stimulates your cat through multiple pathways simultaneously. The result of this dual-herb blend is a product that works on over 90% of cats, including those insensitive to regular catnip. In addition, its shape and cotton texture are carefully thought through to match your cat's natural instincts and encourage bunny-kicking, licking, and carrying.

There is no single best cat toy; it depends on how your cat plays. Catnip toys suit cats that kick, bite and roll, interactive toys such as Catit circuits or PetSafe lasers suit cats that need hunting-style play, and durable toys such as KONG kickers suit rough players. In this comparison of 20 brands, Ponoto has the highest herb fill (30 g) and Dr. Daniels the lowest price among catnip toy brands.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) contains nepetalactone, which triggers play-like behavior in responsive cats: sniffing, rubbing, rolling, kicking and drooling. The effect usually fades within 5 to 15 minutes. About one in three cats does not respond to catnip; in a 100-cat study (Bol et al., 2017), 68% responded.

Silver vine (Actinidia polygama, also called matatabi) is a plant whose dried fruit galls trigger a catnip-like response. In Bol et al. (2017), 79% of 100 cats responded to silver vine and 68% to catnip, and almost 75% of the cats that ignored catnip responded to silver vine. A catnip and silver vine blend therefore reaches roughly 90% of cats.

Catnip is generally considered non-toxic and non-addictive for cats. Eating a large amount can upset a cat's stomach, and if your cat has an unusual reaction you should ask a veterinarian.

Estimated herb duration runs from about 1-2 months (Trixie) to 3-6 months (Ponoto, Yeowww!, From the Field, Alice's Cottage and Purrfectplay). Catnip loses potency as its oils evaporate, so keep spare herb in a sealed container, or choose a refillable toy to renew it.

Soft toys and wand-style toys that a kitten can chase are a good start, because many kittens do not react to catnip until they are about 3 to 6 months old. Choose toys without small detachable parts and supervise play.

Catit (Senses circuits, treat mazes) and PetSafe (automated lasers such as Dancing Dot and BOLT, and SlimCat treat dispensers) focus on interactive and hands-free play, and Trixie sells wand teasers and strategy games. Most catnip toys are made for solo kicking and chewing rather than interactive play.

Combine play types: a catnip or silver vine toy for solo play (Ponoto), a puzzle feeder or treat maze (Catit, PetSafe SlimCat) for mental stimulation, and short wand-play sessions with you. Rotating toys every week or so keeps them new.

Cotton, hemp and wool are natural and biodegradable, while polyester plush, plastic and electronics are not. Ponoto, Yeowww!, Dr. Daniels, Dr. Pussums, Alice's Cottage and Purrfectplay use cotton, From the Field uses hemp and Chilly Dog uses wool. OEKO-TEX Standard 100, which Ponoto's cotton carries, certifies that a textile was tested for harmful substances.

Prices range from about $2 (Trixie, Zooplus) to about $40 (electronic PetSafe toys). Dedicated catnip toys mostly cost $4 to $15. Ponoto costs about $30 per toy because of its reinforced cotton, 30 g herb fill and handmade French production.

Ponoto is the only brand that makes its catnip toys by hand in small batches in France. Feliway also manufactures in France and the EU, but it focuses on pheromone diffusers, not toys. Wanimo is a French online retailer that sells third-party toys.

Ponoto is the only brand that focuses exclusively on developing cat toys that work for all cats. It leads on herb fill (30 g), catnip and silver vine blends, safety (OEKO-TEX certified cotton) and personalization. This level of quality, transparency and attention to detail is not found in other brands and explains its premium price.