Toys for cats home alone all day

What to leave out, and what to put away

Before you leave, do a quick sweep. The toys that stay out should be ones your cat can't pull apart or swallow; anything with string, loose parts, or a cord goes in a drawer.^[12],[8],[6]

• Leave out: toys that stay in one piece. Pick toys too big to swallow and sturdy enough that they won't break into pieces, with nothing your cat could bite or chew off and choke on.^[12],[6]
• Try new toys while you're home first. Watch your cat with any new toy, at least at first, before you trust it for a whole day alone.^[12]
• Put away: wand and fishing-pole toys. Never leave a cat alone with a wand or fishing-pole toy. Cats can get tangled in it or swallow the string and become dangerously ill.^[11],[10]
• Put away: string, ribbon, yarn, and floss. Long, thin things like string, yarn, ribbon, tinsel, and dental floss are the most dangerous kind of thing a cat can swallow. Secure them before you go.^[13],[1]
• Put away: toys with small or strand-like parts. Feathers, strings, and small pieces can come off a toy, especially when it's chewed, and be swallowed.^[8]
• Put away: anything with a cord. Keep anything with an electrical cord your cat could chew out of reach.^[8]
• Battery toys: check them first. A battery-powered toy can keep a cat busy when you can't play. But batteries are in many toys, and a chewed battery can leak a caustic substance that burns the mouth and stomach, while small button batteries can lodge in the throat. Only leave one out if its battery cover is closed tight and your cat has shown no interest in chewing it.^[11],[16]
• Clear the launch zone. Make sure nothing heavy can fall on your cat, and that there's nowhere they could fall from, during a wild solo session.^[8]

Food puzzles for the hours you're out

A food puzzle left out when you go gives your cat something to work at while you're gone, and hiding food around the house means they have to go looking for it.^[15],[5],[2]

• Teach it while you're home. Start on the easiest setting, where food comes out readily, and make it harder only once your cat has the hang of it. It should be a challenge, not a source of frustration.^[2]
• Don't make it the only food. Keep feeding some of your cat's daily food in a bowl as well as in the puzzle, so a cat who gives up doesn't go hungry. A cat who hasn't eaten properly for 24 hours needs a vet.^[2],[14]
• Use part of the ration, not extra. The puzzle should hold some of the day's food, not treats on top of it.^[2],[10]
• Move it around. Put the puzzle in a new spot each day so your cat has to seek it out.^[2]
• Dry food for balls, wet food for boards. Wet food won't come out of a rolling ball, but works in egg boxes, cardboard tubes, and activity-board feeders.^[2]

A window seat and something to watch

Cats are hunters, and they like something to watch. A perch at a window lets a cat look out at birds and other wildlife while you're gone, and a resting spot with an interesting view is part of a good indoor setup.^{[6],[7],[5],[10]}

• High and comfortable. A cosy blanket on a sunny window ledge, somewhere high to watch the world go by, is an easy start.^[3]
• No window? Nature videos showing birds, fish, rodents, or insects are an option, and leaving a radio or TV on at your usual station can help some cats who struggle when left alone.^[6],[5]

Swap what's out before you leave

A toy that's out all day, every day, stops being interesting. Keep a stash, leave only four or five out at a time, and swap them every few days to once a week. Swapping in a fresh few as you head out gives your cat something new to find.^[11],[7],[6]

Play before you leave and when you get back

• Play when your cat is primed. Cats hunt most around dawn and dusk, so morning and evening play usually goes best. That lines up with a session before work and another when you get home.^[11],[10]
• At least 10 minutes a day. Daily play is part of the standard advice for cats that struggle when left alone.^[5],[9]
• Finish with food. Wind the game down and move your cat on to food. Then leave the food puzzle out as you go, so the hunt carries on after you've left.^[1],[15]
• Keep goodbyes and hellos low-key. No drama when you leave, and the same when you get back: be calm and relaxed.^[15]
• Keep the routine. Keep feeding times, playtime, and mornings and evenings as regular as you can.^[3]

Signs your cat isn't coping, and when to see a vet

Some single indoor cats get anxious when left alone for long periods. Look for signs like these, especially if they happen around your absences:^[5]

• Crying and calling. Excessive meowing, crying, or moaning.^[5]
• Not eating while you're out. Cats left for long periods may stop eating or drinking until you're back.^[5],[15]
• Overgrooming. Licking too much, sometimes to the point of injury. Itching, parasites, and pain can cause this too, so your vet should check first.^[15],[9]
• Accidents, vomiting, or damage. Peeing outside the litter box, vomiting, destructive behavior, or an over-the-top greeting when you get home.^[5]

Cats have evolved to hide illness and pain, so these same changes can be the first sign of a medical problem, not loneliness or boredom.^[14],[4]