SmartyKat Chitter Critter review: a kicker toy built for the bunny-kick, not the chase
Our take
A plush, not-stuffed kicker toy that chitters and chatters when a cat bats, kicks, or bites it. It gives a full-body bunny-kick outlet that puzzle feeders and wand toys on this site don't cover, but it doesn't move on its own, so a cat that only chases moving targets probably won't bother with it.
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The SmartyKat Chitter Critter is a plush squirrel-shaped toy built around bunny-kicking, not chasing. It’s not stuffed, so it flops and dangles instead of holding a rigid shape, and it chitters and chatters through a built-in speaker every time a cat bats, kicks, or bites it. There’s no self-propelled movement here. The toy stays still until a cat commits to grabbing it.
What the sound is actually doing
The chitter-and-chatter noise triggers off contact, not on a timer. It’s the toy’s way of answering back the moment a cat kicks or bites it, closer to how a struggling animal would sound than to a toy running on its own schedule. That immediate feedback is the whole point of the sound. It isn’t decoration.
Built for the bunny kick, not the pounce
Our guide on the predatory play sequence breaks hunting down into stalk, chase, pounce, and bite. Bunny-kicking, the full-body kick a cat does with its back legs once something is already grabbed in its front paws, sits right at the end of that sequence, alongside the bite. Most toys covered on this site are built for an earlier stage. A wand handles the stalk-and-chase. A motion-sensing mouse handles the chase. Almost nothing here is sized and shaped specifically for a cat to wrap around and kick, which is exactly what this toy is for.
How it compares to a self-propelled toy
Our Cheerble Wicked Mouse review covers a toy that moves on its own and rewards a cat for chasing it. This one does the opposite. It goes nowhere until a cat brings it into range first. A cat that wants a moving target to chase probably won’t engage with a toy that just sits there. A cat that already grabs and kicks things, a sock, a stuffed animal, an ankle under a blanket, is a much better match for this one.
One listing detail worth checking
SmartyKat sells more than one critter-shaped toy under similar names, and some of those are catnip-filled plush mice with no batteries and no sound at all. The electronic version has “Electronic Sound” in its title for a reason. It’s worth confirming that phrase is in the listing before buying, the same way our Cheerble Wicked Mouse review flags checking for the right SKU among several similarly named siblings.
Who this is wrong for
Skip it if your cat only responds to things that move on their own. A stationary toy that needs a kick to make noise won’t hold that cat’s attention.
Skip it if your cat destroys stuffed toys down to the stuffing within days. The “not stuffed” flop design already sits closer to disposable than durable, and a cat that shreds fast will go through it quickly.
Skip it if you already have a wand toy your cat prefers for supervised play. This adds a solo option. It doesn’t improve on a session where a person is holding the other end.
Bottom line
Buy it to give a cat a legitimate outlet for full-body kicking, the last step of the hunting sequence a puzzle feeder or a wand toy doesn’t cover on its own. Don’t expect it to hold a cat’s attention the way a moving target does. Confirm the listing matches the electronic sound version before ordering.
What we liked
- Plush and not stuffed, so it flops and dangles instead of resisting a kick the way a rigid toy does
- Sound triggers directly off contact, giving instant feedback the moment a cat bats, kicks, or bites it
- Long shape is built for a cat to grab with front paws and kick with back legs, the bunny-kick most toys here don't target
- Works both as a toy left on the floor and as something a person can dangle for a supervised session
- Low cost enough to keep more than one around a house with multiple cats
What we didn't
- Doesn't move on its own, so a cat that only chases moving targets is unlikely to engage with it
- Feathers, ribbons, and burlap trim wear down faster under heavy kicking than a toy with a hard shell
- SmartyKat sells several similarly shaped critter toys, including catnip-only versions with no electronic sound, so it's worth matching the exact listing before buying
- The sound doesn't build or vary. It's the same chitter regardless of how a cat interacts with it
- No way to size up for a cat that wants a bigger toy to wrap all four paws around
