Cats love to get inside things, boxes, bags, suitcases and of course the coveted cat tunnel. Every time they come across a new object they can climb inside they can’t seem to resist going for a peek! I guess that’s where the phrase “Curiosity killed the cat” came from.
On the bright side, these days we can satisfy feline curiosity at home with purpose built toys. Namely, cat tunnels! Tunnels are super lightweight, easy to move around and on top of this most of them collapse into a tiny little package making them easy to pack up too.
They are well known for serving multiple purposes for your feline friends. They give them a new place to explore, a place to observe from, a place to hide and of course…a place to ambush their feline pals from. All in all they are some of the best toys money can buy, so let’s take a look at 13 of the best.
The Best cat tunnels Quick Guide | |
|---|---|
Key Highlight | Product Name |
Best Overall | |
Best Multi Tunnel Deal | |
Best Single Tunnel | |
Most Extensible | |
Easiest To Collapse | |
Most Affordable 4 Way | |
Most Economical | |
Most Tunnel Space | |
Best for Large Cats | |
Most Novel Design | |
Most Durable | |
Uniquely Shaped | |
Most Affordable 3 Way | |
Additional Information | |
The Best Cat Tunnels
Prosper Pet 3 Way Play Toy & Cat Tunnel
Prosper Pet is hands down the most coveted tunnel on the market today. With well over 3000 total reviews on Amazon and an average review rating of 4.8 stars you know they’ve hit a home run with this product.
There are a laundry list of reasons that this is the best overall tunnel around, so let’s dig right into them:
You can also check out this video of several kitties playing with a brand new Prosper Pet 3 way tunnel, they are having an absolute blast!
Pet Magasin 2 Pack of Tunnel
If you’ve got cats that get bored of toys easily then this might be the best choice for you for a cat tunnel. Not only are you getting two different tunnels, but they have different toys attached to the ends and both are filled with crinkly fabric to make lots of noise as your fur balls run in and out of them.
This combo is an excellent choice for any cat owner and will provide hours of entertainment to a single or to multiple cats. Key features worth noting:
Check out this video to get a little better idea of what comes in the package:
Pawz Road Collapsible S-Shaped Cat Tunnel
Pawz Road has released one of the coolest cat tunnels on the market with this S-Shaped tunnel. Most tunnels on the market are designed as a single straight piece of ‘pipe’ or ‘chute’ to ensure they are easy to expand and collapse. While straight tunnels work well it is always nice to see something new!
Pawz Road decided to try something different with this tunnel and they’ve got a hit! Here are the key features worth noting on this awesome tunnel:
Easyology 3 Way Crinkle Cat Tunnel
Easyology has been one of my favorite companies ever since I first picked up their awesome Cat Litter Mat (see review here). They make amazing cat products that are high quality and clearly well tested and I’ve had nothing but good luck with every product I’ve picked up from them.
One of the coolest things about the Easyology tunnel is that it is specifically designed to tie into other products to create a full on maze or cat hideout! Check out some of the other things worth noting:
You can also check out this awesome short video of a couple of different cats playing with the Easyology tunnel and love it!
Pawaboo 3 Way Tunnel & Toy Maze
Pawaboo brings to bear another awesome cat tunnel that comes in a variety of different colors to match your home decor. Pawaboo makes a solid tunnel that will easily appeal to both kittens and adult cats.
Not only does this tunnel weigh less than a pound, but it is super easy to pop open and collapse. It also comes with a nice elastic strap that will make it easy to shrink it down into a tiny little space for travel or storage. Key features that are worth noting for the Pawaboo tunnel are:
Purrfect Feline 4 Way Collapsible Cat Tunnel
Purrfect Feline was one of the first to the market with the 4 way cat tunnel. A pioneer in the space of cat tunnels if you will. While they were the first to the market with the 4 way tunnel that didn’t stop that from producing a well thought out and high quality product. They definitely learned from other products that came before them!
While there are now other four tunnel vendors on the market this still stands as one of the best available for you and your kitties, check out some of the key features:
SmartyKat Hideout Tunnel
If you’re looking for an incredibly economical tunnel then this is it. At the time of writing this the tunnel is a little over 8 dollars which makes it by far the most affordable tunnel in the entire list! But don’t let that fool you, that takes nothing away from the quality of this tunnel and how well it will entertain your feline friends!
Let’s dig into the specifics:
You can check out this video from FloppyCats for some more in depth info on the tunnel if you desire.
Myguru 4 Way Crinkle Cat Collapsible Tunnel
Myguru followed in the footsteps of Purrfect Feline and went after the 4 way tunnel market. They’ve had a great success so far with their tunnel. Their key claim to fame is they have by far the biggest tunnel on the market in overall tunnel space, a total of 104 inches of tunnel length!
Outside the length of the tunnel Myguru has done an excellent job with their cat tunnel
Pawz Road Extra Long & Wide Collapsible Tunnel
We’ve already discussed Pawz Road above, but the claim to fame on this version is obviously the amazing cheetah or leopard print coloring on the outside. Just kidding! It is that this particular model is the longest single tunnel I’ve been able to track down.
Most others are in the area of 36 or maybe 42 inches long and maybe 10 inches in diameter. This one comes in at 51 inches long and 12 inches wide. It is great for large cats! Outside being great for large cats though let’s look at the rest of the important pieces:
The Original Hide and Sneak Paper Cat Tunnel
The Hide and Sneak is definitely the most novel of all of the tunnels out there. It is also the most environmentally friendly in that it is completely made of paper so it is 100% biodegradable. The Hide and Sneak is a cat tunnel that is is made of 100% paper, similar to the paper you’d get from a shopping bag. Admittedly it is quite a bit tougher than that!
Every step through this tunnel provides the sound that cats love and find so intriguing because it is basically a giant paper bag with two holes in the end of it. That being said, it is not nearly as durable as other tunnels on the market so you’ll have to weigh that in your decision to buy one. A few other things worth noting:
It is worth noting this item before you choose this open for your cat:
Trixie Pet Products Scratching Tunnel
Trixie Pet is known for all sorts of creative and unique combinations of cat toys and other cat products. The key claim to fame on this model is it is specifically designed for your cats to scratch it up. It isn’t made to just withstand it, it is designed to encourage it.
This model is basically two mini cat hideaways strung together with a tunnel in the middle and holes poked in it and in both ends. Both of the hide away rooms are covered in sisal scratching material which is perfect for your cats. A few other things worth noting here:
You may want to consider this before you choose this tunnel:
Auoon Cat Tube and Tunnel with Central Bed
Auoon has come to market with a creative version of the cat tunnel that is more a cat circle than a standard straight tube. This model zips together at a couple of joints to create a donut shaped tube for your kitties to hide in, play in and run through. It is by far one of the coolest models out there and it is definitely unique.
Not only do you have the tunnel itself, but it comes fully equipped with a nice sleeping spot in the middle. Your kitties will have to hop up over the tunnel into the middle to nap though, so good exercise and good rest! A few things worth noting on this model:
One thing worth considering before hitting the buy button:
Eyourlife Collapsible 3 Way Pet Tube
Eyourlife has come out with one of the other most successful tunnels on the market. While it isn’t the most easily understood company name, it does provide an excellent cat tunnel your feline friends will absolutely love!
Here are some of the key things worth noting on this tunnel:
Additional Information
Why Are Cat Tunnels Pawesome?
Cat tunnels are amazing toys because they play on numerous natural instincts that your cat already has. Tunnels are simply incredibly versatile products that help fill a lot of gaps for cats.
Curiosity
Cats are notoriously curious creatures. They love to go exploring and while they certainly don’t like huge changes they definitely love to check out new places in the house or slight changes in the house.
Enter cat tunnels. Tunnels provide a new space in the house that can easily be moved around to always have some level of novelty. You can also easily pack them up and put them in the closet or a drawer for a few days or a week to help maintain the mystery when you bring the toy back out!
Hunting
Cats love to hunt. It is a natural instinct. You’ll see them do it with their toys and even with their fellow cats in the house. From the minute they are old enough to pounce they are practicing their hunting skills.
Tunnels not only provide excellent places for your cat to hide and to stalk from, but they also provide an amazing place for your cat to pounce and ambush from.
Exercise & General Play
Whether it’s an open paper bag or a box, your cat likes to keep herself entertained throughout the day. They’ll often make their own games up and bat their toys all over the place or jump off of the wall.
Tunnels provide an excellent distraction for your cat in the sense that they are a new space and they are often equipped with built in toys. Many have built in crinkly paper to make new noise and almost all have hanging toys built into the ceiling for your cat to bat and swat at. Last but not least, most tunnels are somewhat see through and you can drag a wand or a finger down the outside and your cat will attempt to pounce on it.
Safety
If you have a new cat that spends most of her time under the bed or in the closet then a tunnel might be a good option to help her come out of her shell. Tunnels can be placed in strategic locations that are closer to humans so your kitty will come out, but they give an added level of safety for your cat as well because it minimizes the number of ways people can approach her.
The use of tunnels will allow a frightened cat to be able to feel protected enough so she can start to step out from her anchored hiding spot.
Systems & Mazes
Depending on the amount of room you have and the curiosity of your cat you can easily create an entire maze or a cat tunnel system. Most of the tunnels can easily be strung or clipped together even if they don’t come with the parts. This means you can always switch them out to create new and novel shapes for your cats.
Can I Use These Outdoors?
I didn’t specifically note it, but many of these tunnels can be used indoors/outdoors. Any tunnels made of polyester and metal sprung frame can definitely be used outdoors. That being said, I wouldn’t leave them outdoors if they aren’t currently in use.
If the weather changes it can certainly damage them and on top of this most of these tunnels are designed to be super lightweight and can easily blow away in a strong gust of wind.
On the bright side, polyester is generally very easy to hand wipe or hand wash if the tunnel does get dirty. Just grab a wet washcloth and you can scrub most substances right off of the tunnel.
Can Cats of All Ages Use Tunnels?
Cat tunnels are generally designed to handle adult cats, but kittens can easily use them too. I’ve not seen any kitty tunnels specifically, but every tunnel can and will accommodate small cats or even young kittens if necessary.
Some of the biggest users of tunnels are cats that are older or even senior. They love the quiet and safe space tunnels can provide for sleeping or just relaxing.
The only thing I’d be careful of is choosing a tunnel that will accommodate the size of your cat. Big cats definitely require bigger tunnels. The best two tunnels above for big cats are the Hide and Sneak and the Pawz Road Extra Large.
Wrapping It Up On Cat Tunnels
The market is loaded with all sorts of ways to entertain your cat these days. From remote controlled toys to apps to traditional tinkling bells. Every time I pop open Amazon or surf a pet site I see something I never would have expected. And I’m cat crazy so I normally consider myself on top of it.
Every toy has its uses and some cats will certainly be drawn to one type more than another. Cat tunnels do seem like one of those toys that are universally loved by cats. Given this they are a great option to consider whether you’re a new or an experienced cat owner.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works for your cat! If you have any cat tunnels you love then please please leave a comment below! Or leave a note below so we can get some pictures of your crazy cat maze at home!
StuffCatsWant.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
