If your cat has chewed through a phone charger, a shoelace, or the corner of a paperback, you already know that chewing is part of living with a cat — and one of the most misunderstood things they do. In the wild, a cat uses its mouth the way it uses its paws: to explore, to test, to finish a hunt. Indoor cats keep the instinct but lose most of the outlets, which is why cat chew toys exist in the first place.
Here at Purromp, we're cat people first. This guide comes from our own experience living with cats, published feline behavior research, and the questions cat owners send us every week. We also make some of the toys mentioned here, so we've tried to be plain about where a chew toy helps and where it doesn't.
Tip: If you're not sure whether your cat's chewing is normal or something more, our guide to why cats chew on everything is a good place to start.
Why Do Cats Chew? Understanding a Normal Feline Instinct
Chewing isn't a behavioral defect. Kittens mouth and gnaw while their adult teeth come in, and grown cats chew to burn off energy, relieve stress, and gather information about the world around them. When it turns into a problem, it's usually not the chewing itself but the target — a cable, a couch corner, or your hand.
It's also far more common than most owners assume. In a UK birth cohort of 534 cats, owners reported at least one pica-type behavior — chewing or eating things that aren't food — in roughly 42.9% of cats at six months, 32% at twelve months, and 30.9% at eighteen months (Kinsman et al., 2021). Those numbers come from owner questionnaires in a single UK cohort and describe associations rather than causes, so read them as a snapshot of how ordinary mouthing behavior is, not as a prediction for your cat. A separate case-control study found that when cats do fixate on non-food items, the most common targets were shoelaces and string, followed by plastic, fabric, rubber, paper, and wood (Demontigny-Bédard et al., 2016). Some cats swallow what they chew; many only mouth it. Drooling, bleeding gums, loose teeth, or a cat who regularly swallows non-food objects all point to a vet visit rather than a new toy.
Chewing has a dental side too. The 2025 FelineVMA oral health guidelines note that dental disease is common in cats and that cats are good at hiding oral pain, and they're blunt that the home care with real evidence behind it is regularly removing plaque — by brushing or wiping (Lobprise et al., 2025). The same guidelines warn that commercial products claiming to prevent periodontal disease vary widely in quality. Chewing can add some mechanical friction, but it isn't a substitute for that routine.
Deep Dive: The Four Types of Cat Chew Toys
Nearly every cat chew toy on the market falls into one of four families. Each one suits a slightly different kind of chewer, and you'll find all four shapes grouped together in our Cat Chew Toys collection if you want to compare them side by side.
Catnip balls — Filled with catnip or silver vine, these are firm but yielding, which suits cats who like to hug a toy with both front paws and deliver a few unhurried bites. The scent does most of the work; the round shape invites the grab.
Silver vine sticks — Natural woody stems that hold up to real gnawing. The fibrous texture gives teeth and jaws something to work against, and silver vine's scent tends to reach cats that shrug at catnip.
Fishbone-shaped toys — A catnip or silver vine core wrapped in fabric, shaped so a cat can wrap both front paws around it. That length is the whole point: it makes the grab-bite-kick sequence feel natural instead of awkward. Our Silvervine Fishbone Toy was built for exactly that combination.
Fabric-stuffed toys — Soft, light, and easy to carry. These suit cats who mouth slowly, carry a toy from room to room, or curl up next to something that smells like catnip. Less about the chase, more about comfort.
The four aren't mutually exclusive, and most cats end up with one or two clear favorites. Pick up a pair in different shapes, watch which one gets chosen on its own, and build from there.
How to Match a Chew Toy to Your Cat's Chewing Style
Chew toys work best when they match the way your cat already uses its mouth. Watch one play session before you buy anything and you'll usually spot one of four patterns. The hunter snaps quickly and shakes its head, treating the toy like prey that still needs finishing off — whippy, throwable shapes suit them. The wrestler clamps on with both front paws, kicks with the back legs, and chews while it holds on, which is exactly what a ball or a fishbone shape is for.
The soother mouths a toy slowly, sometimes with a little drooling, and is often the cat who prefers something soft to gnaw on quietly. The collector carries toys around and hides them under the couch — light fabric toys are the ones that actually get carried.
If your cat shows no interest, don't push it. Place the toy near a favorite resting spot and walk away for five to ten minutes; the cats who are curious usually come to it on their own. Age matters as well: kittens in the teething window do better with softer catnip balls and fabric, strong adult chewers do best with a woody stick, and seniors often prefer something light they can bite without much effort.
And if your cat has never reacted to catnip, that isn't a dead end — plenty of cats simply aren't wired for it. In our own cats, silver vine draws a reaction more reliably than catnip does, so it's worth trying Silvervine Sticks before you write off scent-based toys. We'd rather flag that as an observation from living with cats than dress it up as a study.
What to Look For In a Safe Cat Chew Toy
Material safety — Natural catnip or silver vine, food-safe dyes, and no small plastic parts. Skip detachable bells, thin strings, and buttons, all of which come loose and get swallowed.
The right size — A toy that disappears entirely inside your cat's mouth is one they can try to swallow. For most adult cats, something roughly two to three inches across stays in the safer zone, while kittens can handle smaller toys as long as you're in the room with them.
Durability — A silver vine stick fraying into loose fibers is normal wear. Sharp splinters, a snapped stick, or stuffing escaping a seam means the toy is finished, not fixable.
Supervision — A chew toy is not a babysitter. Fabric toys and anything with feathers should come back out of the rotation when you leave the room.
Cleaning and rotation — Fabric can be hand-washed and air-dried, sticks can be wiped with a damp cloth, and catnip scent fades over a few weeks. Sealing toys in a bag between uses stretches the scent out, but eventually you'll want a refresh.
Note: don't let your cat play unsupervised with string, ribbon, or feather toys. Yarn and thread can be swallowed but don't pass easily, and that's a surgery rather than a vet visit.
One last thing worth saying out loud: if your cat's real goal is shredding, a plain cardboard box does the job and costs nothing. Save the chew toys for the cats who actually want to bite something.
Cat Chew Toy FAQs
Are cat chew toys safe? Will my cat swallow one?
Most cats mouth and chew without swallowing, and a toy with no small parts is low risk. The two things that raise the risk are size and supervision: a toy small enough to sit entirely inside your cat's mouth can be swallowed, and a cat with a history of eating non-food objects needs a vet conversation before any new toy. If your cat has ever needed help passing or vomiting up something they ate, treat every new toy as something to supervise.
My cat ignores catnip. Can she still use chew toys?
Yes. Plenty of cats simply don't react to catnip, which is why silver vine and mixed-fill toys exist. In our experience silver vine gets a reaction from more cats than catnip does, and a plain silver vine stick has no filling to ignore — the appeal is the wood and the texture.
Can kittens use chew toys?
Yes, and during teething they often want them. Kittens do better with softer, smaller options such as a soft catnip ball or a small fabric toy rather than a hard woody stick, because their gums are sensitive while adult teeth come in. Stay in the room while they play, since small toys are easier to swallow at that age.
How often should I replace a chew toy?
Rotate two or three toys at a time and swap them weekly so the selection stays interesting. Replace a silver vine stick once it frays into loose fibers or snaps, and replace any fabric toy the moment you see a hole, a split seam, or stuffing coming out. Catnip scent fades over a few weeks, so sealing toys in a bag between uses helps, but eventually you'll want a fresh one.
Do chew toys replace brushing my cat's teeth?
No. Chewing adds some mechanical friction, which isn't nothing, but the 2025 FelineVMA oral health guidelines are clear that the home care with real evidence behind it is regularly removing plaque by brushing or wiping. Think of chewing as a small supplement to that routine rather than a replacement for it.
My cat bites my hands instead of the toy. What now?
Hand-biting is usually a play problem rather than a chewing problem. Redirect with something that keeps your hands at a distance — a wand, or a toy long enough to grab and kick — and end the session the moment teeth touch skin, so biting stops the fun instead of extending it. It also helps never to use your hands as the toy in the first place.
Conclusion
Chewing is a normal cat need, not a bad habit, and the goal is simply to give it a safe place to land. The four families of cat chew toys cover most chewing styles, so watch how your cat bites, start with one or two options, and rotate them. If your cat eats non-food objects, bites itself, or destroys furniture no matter what you offer, that's a conversation for a vet or a behavior specialist rather than a shopping trip. It may take a couple of tries to find the one your cat actually claims.
Suggested Reading
- Cat Pica: Why Your Cat Eats Plastic, String, and Fabric
- Cat Teething Toys: What to Give and When Teething Ends
- Do Dental Cat Toys Actually Clean Your Cat's Teeth?
Sources
- Kinsman, R., Casey, R., & Murray, J. (2021). Owner-Reported Pica in Domestic Cats Enrolled onto a Birth Cohort Study. Animals (Basel), 11(4):1101. link
- Demontigny-Bédard, I., Beauchamp, G., Bélanger, M. C., & Frank, D. (2016). Characterization of pica and chewing behaviors in privately owned cats: a case-control study. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 18(8):652-657. link
- Lobprise, H., St Denis, K., Anderson, J. G., Hoyer, N., Fiani, N., & Yaroslav, J. (2025). 2025 FelineVMA feline oral health and dental care guidelines. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 27(11):1098612X251398793. link
