Cat tree is a must to give the cat a place to scratch without damaging your furniture.

I found that little mice work best as toys for a young cat, he can entertain himself with them but over time lose interest. Toys on strings work universally well, and let you interact with the cat.

It may be a good idea to install some shelves so your cat isn’t limited to floor and furniture, and can explore your home vertically as well.

All cats are going to have their own personalities/preferences that you’ll just have to observe and work out. But probably the most universally loved cat toys are going to be empty cardboard boxes. Put a couple different sized ones around the house and swap them out for different ones every few weeks. They’ll usually love that more than any toy you can buy them.

The wand toys like this: https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/collections/toys/products/da-bird-collapsible-wand-toy-by-go-cat are great for kittens with excess energy. As are these: https://smartykat.com/products/instincts-soarin-squirrel-happynip-launch-cat-toy/ Jackson Galaxy and Smartykat are both brands my cats love.

As far as cat trees go; I saved and bought a huge floor to ceiling one. The cats absolutely loved it, for about 2 weeks, now they couldn’t care less about it. So your mileage may vary.

In my experience its extremely cat dependent.

Rags, toilet paper tubes, cardboard boxes, wicker baskets to sleep in

Why do you want a toy made from REAL cat?

Cardboard box. Not a joke. This is famously the most universally enjoyed object for cats.

So I know this is a thread about toys, but it looks like you got a lot of good advice, and since you’re new to cats, one thing that most people either don’t realize or ignore is the number of litterboxes. 1 is not enough, even for a single cat. General rule of thumb for litterboxes is Number of cats + 1. You want them to view the entire place as their territory and a big part of that is scent markers. And the biggest of them is the litterbox. Many cats will, as soon as you change the litter, use it. That’s because they want it to smell like their territory (To their sensitive noses). Spreading that around for them makes for a happy cat and reduces the chances of “accidents” or just marking territory later on in times of stress.

I’ll also say you should probably have a scratching post on every room that they hang out in regularly. They’re not going to go to another room to find it if they want a good stretch or scratch. I suggest angled or flat ones at first because they will often use them to really stretch out their spine so they need to get a lot of distance between stretched out back and front feet. That’s a lot easier (and cheaper) in flat or angled ones. If they end up preferring upright ones they got to be real tall to give them what they want. And those are expensive.

One more tip. Even if you decide to feed them dry food, use designated feeding times. Read the package and figure out how much they should eat a day and split that in 2-3 parts and measure that out giving them meal times. It’s better for their physical health and it’s more in line with their body’s natural rhythm.

In general though, it’s best to establish routines for behaviors you want to promote (Cats love routine) early on and keep it up. If you try to introduce new routines later it’s a lot harder to establish. The change of moving into a new home is the perfect time to create a new routine since everything is kinda chaos for them anyway and it helps them establish order in their lives.

Cheap plastic springs are the most effective cat toy, bar none. Google ‘plastic spring cat toy’, you’ll find what I mean. Check your local dollar store before ordering anything online

You still haven’t paid the cat tax, where are those pictures we were promised? :P

Others are right about a scratching post. I like a carpeted tower that they can perch upon and nap (they like to be up where they can see their surroundings).

Best toys for mine are those that are on a wand with string and feathers or wand and felt that they can chase. They like to hunt and stalk, so try to play up that aspect by dragging it slowly on the floor. They also like to run around and just get crazy, so sometimes give them lots of fast action once they’re already engaged in playing.

Last tip: some people think cats are standoffish. They aren’t if you socialize them correctly. My kitties want to be around us all the time and love engagement. It’s all about how you raise them. Look for advice toward that end, as I have to get back to watching a show with my partner.

Congrats! Best wishes for you and kitty!

Trees and scratchers are a must, cats usually scratch furniture because there isn’t something else nearby to use. Trees give them a place to climb and feel safe up away from things. You should also have places for them to hide (boxes, piles of blankets, a bed in a quiet room, etc). As for toys, it really depends on the cat. Ours is super picky and only likes specific rattle balls from Amazon, small rattle mice, and some kickers (there are few others but they are all small and easy for her to cray around). But for every one toy we found she likes we have half a dozen she won’t touch. You’ll likely need to try a bunch to find what yours will enjoy.

Cardboard boxes, paper bags, and sheets of paper are all better than anything I could buy my cat, haha. But all cats are different! He also loves to hunt birds (part of why he’s indoor only) so bird toys with birdsong were his favorites for years. I’d recommend not spending a lot until you “learn” your cat! And also, if you’re getting a kitten or a youngish kitty, they will be way more playful and like anything you throw at them!

What I’d consider a must: a Cat tree or two and scratching posts everywhere. Beds of the cave variety and up high variety (better yet if it integrates with the tree). If they’re a friendly sort, figure a bed near where you spend time or prepare to lose an armrest. Not all cats like sitting in laps (especially if it’s not cold) but might still want to be nearby.

Different cats have different preferences. Sticks with a dangly thing on a string for interactive play seem super popular but they have to be in the mood. Flingable toys and cat nip infused toys especially vary a lot with the cat. Consider if things will get accidentally vacuumed when considering flingable toys. There’s some “robotic” toys that spin around (either with dangly bits or laser bits) that they might like but they can also be very hit or miss, aren’t as cheap, and require battery maintenance.

Try to do what you can to give them a nice “cat haven” that’s out of the way and quasi-outside but without the risks and bird killing from actually being outside. At the least a window perch but access to an enclosed porch or such is ideal if you have it.

My cats favorite toy is a plain black hair tie.