Best Interactive & Automatic Pet Toys 2026
A bored pet is a destructive one — ask anyone who has come home to a shredded cushion or a cat yowling for attention at midnight. The fix is play that works the body and the brain, and the best of today's toys do it largely on their own: a ball that rolls itself, a laser that runs the show, a puzzle that makes a clever dog earn its dinner. Here are five that earn their keep for cats and dogs, from a few-quid kicker to a self-serve ball launcher.
| Rank | Product | Rating | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cheerble Wicked BallTop pick | Self-play that keeps a cat or small dog busy while you are out | Amazon → | |
| #2 | PetSafe Automatic Ball Launcher | Ball-obsessed dogs that never tire of fetch | Amazon → | |
| #3 | Nina Ottosson Dog BrickBest value | Tiring out a clever dog's brain, not just its legs | Amazon → | |
| #4 | PetSafe Bolt Automatic Laser | Cats that go wild for a laser chase | Amazon → | |
| #5 | Potaroma Flopping FishBudget pick | A cheap, irresistible kicker toy for cats | Amazon → |
#1 — Cheerble Wicked Ball
Top pickBest for: Self-play that keeps a cat or small dog busy while you are out
What we like
- Rolls and changes direction on its own to mimic fleeing prey
- Obstacle avoidance keeps it weaving around furniture
- Three intensity modes for lazy or lively pets
- Auto rest mode stops it over-revving the pet
- USB rechargeable and tough enough for paws and teeth
What we don't
- Sized for cats and small dogs, not big chewers
- Motor hum can put off a very timid cat
- Wants a fairly clear floor to roam
- Some cats lose interest once they finally pin it
The Wicked Ball is the closest thing to a robot playmate. Left on the floor it darts and rolls of its own accord, dodging the sofa and doubling back just like something worth chasing, which flips the hunting switch in most cats and small dogs. Three modes match a sleepy senior or a maniac kitten, and a built-in rest cycle stops it whipping an obsessive pet into a frenzy. It is the toy most likely to actually entertain a pet home alone.
The best hands-off toy. It plays back, which is exactly what a bored indoor pet needs while you are at work.
Check current price on Amazon →#2 — PetSafe Automatic Ball Launcher
Best for: Ball-obsessed dogs that never tire of fetch
What we like
- Lets a fetch-mad dog play independently, sparing your arm
- Nine distance and six angle settings fit a hallway or a yard
- Safety sensors pause the throw if something is in the way
- Auto rest mode guards against overexertion
- Runs on AC power or batteries, indoors or out
What we don't
- A big, fairly pricey unit
- Dogs must learn to drop the ball into the top
- Not for cats or very small dogs
- A loud thunk on each launch
Some dogs treat fetch as a religion, and your shoulder pays the price. This launcher takes over: the dog learns to nudge the ball into the top, and it fires out across the room or yard at a distance you set, up to nine meters. Safety sensors and an auto-rest timer keep an over-keen dog from hurting itself. It is bulky, it needs a little training, and it lands with a thump, but for a fetch addict it is liberating.
The arm-saver. For a dog that would fetch until you collapse, it takes over the throwing.
Check current price on Amazon →#3 — Nina Ottosson Dog Brick
Best valueBest for: Tiring out a clever dog's brain, not just its legs
What we like
- Works the mind, which tires a smart dog faster than a walk
- Hide treats under flips, sliders and lids for real foraging
- No batteries or noise, and food-safe, easy-clean plastic
- Affordable and reusable for years
What we don't
- Needs supervision so a chewer does not gnaw the plastic
- A clever dog can solve it quickly and want a harder level
- Not self-play in the automatic sense
- A dog toy, not for cats
People forget that thinking exhausts a dog faster than running. The Dog Brick is a treat puzzle that taps that: you hide food under flip-lids, sliders and removable bones, and the dog has to work out how to get at it. Ten minutes of foraging leaves a smart dog as satisfied as a long walk. It needs supervising with determined chewers and a genius dog will crack it fast, but as cheap, reusable brain food it is superb value.
The brains pick. Mental enrichment is the cheapest way to settle a bored, busy dog.
Check current price on Amazon →#4 — PetSafe Bolt Automatic Laser
Best for: Cats that go wild for a laser chase
What we like
- Hands-free random laser patterns trigger relentless chasing
- Adjustable mirror sends the dot up walls and across floors
- A 15-minute timer stops it running flat or over-exciting the cat
- Tiny, cheap and dead simple
What we don't
- A laser gives no catch, which frustrates some cats over time
- Battery-hungry on AAs
- Patterns are random, not clever
- Must never be aimed at eyes
The laser is a cat-toy cliche because it works. Set the Bolt going and it throws an unpredictable red dot around the room, and most cats simply cannot help themselves, sprinting and pouncing until the 15-minute timer calls time. The one rule is to finish on a physical toy or treat so your cat gets a real catch, since a laser they can never grab can frustrate. Keep it off their eyes and it is brilliant, cheap exercise.
The cat classic. Few toys deliver this much frantic exercise for so little outlay.
Check current price on Amazon →#5 — Potaroma Flopping Fish
Budget pickBest for: A cheap, irresistible kicker toy for cats
What we like
- Flops realistically the instant a paw touches it
- Catnip pouch and lifelike feel make it an instant hit
- USB rechargeable with a washable cover
- Costs about the same as a fancy coffee
What we don't
- Cats can wear out the plush over time
- Not for heavy chewers
- Novelty fades, so put it away between sessions
- Cat-focused, though small dogs enjoy it too
For the price of a takeaway coffee, the flopping fish punches absurdly above its weight. A motion sensor sets it wriggling the moment a paw lands, and between the lifelike flop and the catnip pouch, even aloof cats end up wrapped around it bunny-kicking. The plush wears with heavy use and the novelty dips if it is always out, so stash it between sessions. As the cheapest reliable hit here, it is the easy budget buy.
The budget banker. The toy most likely to get an unimpressed cat off the windowsill.
Check current price on Amazon →Tired body or tired brain?
Pets get restless for two different reasons, and the cure differs. Under-exercised animals have physical energy to burn, which is what the ball launcher, the rolling ball and the laser are for — pure chasing and sprinting. Under-stimulated animals, especially clever dogs, are bored in the head, and no amount of running fixes that; they need a puzzle that makes them think. Work out which problem you actually have, because buying a laser for a bored-brained collie will not calm it down.
Toys that play on their own
The quiet revolution in pet toys is self-play. A Wicked Ball, an automatic laser or a ball launcher will entertain a pet without you holding the other end, which is gold when you are at your desk or out for a couple of hours. They are not a substitute for company or a proper walk, but they break up a long, dull afternoon and take the edge off the pent-up energy that ends in chewed skirting boards.
A word on safety
Play should not end at the vet. Choose a ball or toy too big to swallow, and never leave a hard-chewing dog alone with a plastic puzzle or a motorised toy it could crack open. With lasers, the rule is simple and absolute: never at the eyes, yours or theirs. And lean toward toys with an auto-rest timer, because an obsessive pet — the spaniel that will not stop, the cat that chases to exhaustion — needs protecting from itself.
Rotate, don’t pile up
The cheapest way to make toys last is to hide them. Leave everything out and it all becomes wallpaper; keep three or four toys in circulation and swap them every few days and each one feels new again when it reappears. It is the oldest trick in the nursery and it works just as well on cats and dogs as on toddlers.
Boredom and anxiety can look alike — if it is nerves rather than restlessness, see our calming products guide. And to watch the chaos unfold while you are out, a pet camera does the spying.
Frequently asked questions
Will an automatic toy keep my pet busy while I am at work?
To a point. Self-play toys like the rolling ball, the laser and the launcher give a pet solo entertainment and exercise, but they top up your attention rather than replace it. Their auto-rest timers stop overstimulation, and for longer absences they pair well with an automatic feeder and a camera to check in.
Are laser toys bad for cats?
They are fine and great exercise, with two caveats. Never shine the laser at your cat's eyes, and finish each session with a physical toy or a treat so the cat gets a real catch — chasing a dot they can never grab can leave some cats frustrated over time.
My pet destroys every toy — what actually lasts?
Match durability to chewing strength. Robotic balls are tough but still want supervision with a power chewer, and plastic puzzles should never be left with a dog that gnaws. For serious destroyers, hard rubber toys outlast electronics, and you should never leave a motorised toy unattended with a determined chewer.
Do cats and dogs need different toys?
There is overlap — the flopping fish and the rolling ball suit both cats and small dogs — but some toys are species-specific. Fetch launchers are for dogs only, and most treat puzzles are designed around dogs. Match the toy to the animal's size and instincts rather than assuming one fits all.