Whilst the rubber pet toy market was previously dominated by dog owners, a marked shift in consumer behaviour emerged in 2026, with cat owners driving a sharp rise in sales of small rubber cat toys. Rubber cat rings, rubber cat mint balls and elastic rubber cat paw toys became the top-selling cat toys, with overall quarterly sales rising by 90 per cent year-on-year .
Cats naturally love to chew and scratch; ordinary plush cat toys are easily torn, leading to the accidental ingestion of filling, and are therefore less safe. Cat toys made from food-grade TPR rubber are waterproof and scratch-resistant; when scented with catnip, they are extremely attractive to cats and remain intact even after repeated washing and use. Manufacturers have optimised the designs of rubber toys to cater to cats’ preferences, creating shapes such as small fish and mice, as well as spherical forms. Their compact size is ideal for cats to pounce on and play with, and they feature hollow structures designed to hold catnip.
The number of rubber cat toy variants on major e-commerce platforms has increased by more than 1,200 in the past six months, whilst several factories that previously specialised in rubber dog toys have added production lines for cat toys. Pet consumption analysts explain that the number of cat owners in China has exceeded that of dog owners for three consecutive years, and the growth potential of the cat products sector continues to be realised. Thanks to their safety and durability, rubber materials are gradually replacing plush and paper cat toys. Major brands are rushing to establish dedicated rubber product lines for cats, and the rubber cat toy sector is set to enter a period of production capacity expansion.
