The reference box
What Meowbox costs and includes
Meowbox sends a themed box of cat toys and treats every month or every other month. Recent themes run from bowling night to football season, and every box comes with a handwritten note to your cat by name. The company has team members in Canada, the US, and the UK.
- Contents
- At least five items: four or more toys, most of them made for Meowbox, plus a treat. A “No treats” option swaps the treat for another toy.
- Price and billing
- $27.95 a box on either plan. Skip, pause, or cancel anytime. Gift plans start at $34.95 for one box and don’t renew.
- Delivery to the US
- Free. Plans renew on the 1st, and boxes ship mid-month from the Portland, Oregon, area, then take 3 to 12 business days.
- Worth knowing
- Payments are processed in Canada, so some US banks add a foreign transaction fee. There’s no bigger box for homes with several cats.
- On Cratejoy
- No. Meowbox sells direct.
Compare the boxes
| Box | Best fit | Cost and commitment | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meowbox Reference box |
Themed toys and a treat, with a note to your cat | $27.95 a box, monthly or every other month. Free US shipping. | Ships mid-month from Oregon. |
| KitNipBox | The same toys-and-treats box for a little less | $25.99 a month for up to 5 items, or $33.99 for up to 7. Free US shipping. | Ships by the 1st or the 15th. |
| Pet Treater Cat Pack | The lowest monthly price | $15 a month for 3 to 4 items. The cart adds no shipping. | Ships around the 10th. |
| BoxCat | Beds, scratchers, and handmade treats | $45 a month, or $50 a quarter for the seasonal box. Free shipping in the lower 48. | Monthly, or four times a year. |
| Coffee & Pet Box | Coffee for you, a toy and treats for your cat | $42.99 a month. | First box within 7 days, then between the 10th and 20th. |
| Cat Mom Mystery Box | A gift for someone who loves their cat | $59 a month, shipping included. | Ships on or before the 1st. |
Meowbox alternatives, compared
Closest match
KitNipBox vs Meowbox
Best for: A Meowbox subscriber who wants the same monthly mix of toys and treats for a little less, or a home with more than one cat.
KitNipBox packs cat toys, treats, and accessories into a box each month, and its US-based team designs the toys. The Happy Cat box holds up to five items and the Multi-Cat box up to seven.
What feels familiar
Toys and treats for the cat every month, a no-treat option for special diets, free US shipping, and a share of each month’s proceeds going to shelters and rescues.
What changes
The Happy Cat box costs about $2 less than Meowbox, and the Multi-Cat box gives a house of cats more to share, a size Meowbox doesn’t sell. There’s no every-other-month plan, and you need to cancel at least a week before your next box ships.
Lowest price
Pet Treater Cat Pack vs Meowbox
Best for: Keeping a monthly box of cat toys going on a smaller budget.
Pet Treater fills each monthly Cat Pack with 3 to 4 toys, treats, and accessories. Most of its treats are made in the US or Canada, and none come from China. The Multi-Cat Pack holds 5 to 8 items for $25.
What feels familiar
Surprise toys and treats every month. Checkout asks about peanut, chicken, and grain allergies, and a cat with more than one gets toys in place of treats.
What changes
Each pack holds fewer items than a Meowbox. The first shipment is a welcome pack of past favorites, and later packs go out around the 10th. You cancel by email, and packs that are already billed or shipped can’t be refunded.
Beds and scratchers
BoxCat vs Meowbox
Best for: A cat who’d rather have a new bed, tunnel, or scratcher than one more catnip toy.
BoxCat bakes its cat treats by hand and builds each box around something big. The Luxury Monthly box holds six items, including a bag of treats and one large piece such as a bed, a scratcher, a water fountain, or a blanket. The Seasonal box comes four times a year with 7 to 9 items, and you choose its large piece.
What feels familiar
Treats and toys you won’t find at a pet store, packed in what BoxCat calls a giant box.
What changes
The Luxury Monthly box costs about $17 more than a Meowbox. Each box also carries a skincare or gear item, such as a shampoo or balm, and shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico adds $15.
Coffee for you, too
Coffee & Pet Box vs Meowbox
Best for: A cat person who wants the monthly box to bring them something, too.
Puppy Paws Coffee & Tea Company sends a 12-ounce bag of fresh-roasted coffee, a toy and a bag of treats for your pet, and a small surprise for you. Pick Cat when checkout asks about pets in the home.
What feels familiar
A new toy and treat for the cat every month, and a box that gives back: the seller donates 10% of every purchase to animal rescue, much as Meowbox donates cat food to shelters.
What changes
Your cat gets two things instead of five or more, and most of the box is coffee. Prepaid plans lower the price to as little as $39.99 a box.
A gift for a cat person
Cat Mom Mystery Box vs Meowbox
Best for: A gift for someone who loves their cat, with toys for the cat and much of the box for them.
SinglesSwag packs 10 or more surprises: toys for the cat, plus accessories and gadgets for the person it lives with. Order by the 15th to get that month’s box.
What feels familiar
A monthly mystery box with cat toys inside, and a gift option right on the listing.
What changes
Much of the box is for the human, so the cat gets less to play with than in a Meowbox. It’s also the priciest monthly box here.
The honest part
When Meowbox is still the better fit
Stay with Meowbox if you want a full box of cat toys and a note written to your cat by name. KitNipBox’s Happy Cat box costs about $2 less, but five items is its ceiling and Meowbox’s floor. Meowbox is also the only box here with an every-other-month plan, which helps when the toy basket is already full.
How we chose these boxes
We started from the reasons Meowbox subscribers look elsewhere: the price per box, a home with several cats, bigger items than toys and treats, and wanting something in the box for themselves. Then we went through every cat box on Cratejoy and kept the ones taking orders. Most cat toy boxes there aren’t taking orders right now, so we added three brands that sell direct. The photo at the top is Meowbox’s own product image of a themed box beside a tuxedo cat.
Questions before switching
Which box is closest to Meowbox?
KitNipBox. It sends a monthly box of cat toys and treats with free US shipping and a no-treat option, and it costs about $2 less than Meowbox.
Is there a cat box with more items for several cats?
Yes. KitNipBox’s Multi-Cat box holds up to seven items for $33.99 a month, and Pet Treater’s Multi-Cat Pack holds 5 to 8 items for $25. Meowbox doesn’t sell a bigger box for multi-cat homes.
Can I get a cat box without treats?
Meowbox and KitNipBox both let you skip treats and send another toy instead. Pet Treater swaps treats for toys when a cat has more than one of the allergies it asks about: peanut, chicken, and grain.
Does Meowbox ship to the US?
Yes, for free. US boxes ship from the Portland, Oregon, area and take 3 to 12 business days once they leave. Meowbox processes payments in Canada, so some US banks add a foreign transaction fee.
Is Meowbox part of BarkBox?
No. Meowbox’s own FAQ says it isn’t affiliated with BarkBox. If there’s a dog in the house, too, our guide to BarkBox alternatives compares six dog boxes.
