A cat toy apparatus for occupying a cat or functioning as a hunting decoy includes a support structure, a motor assembly on the support structure that includes a motor and an electronic circuit for powering the motor, an elongated member having a proximal end portion connected to the motor and a distal end portion disposed radially outwardly from the central axis, and an object connected to the distal end portion by a flexible line. The motor assembly is adapted to rotate the elongated member in order to thereby move the object about the central axis of the support structure for purposes of attracting the attention of an animal, preferably with haphazard, unpredictable movement that a cat finds enticing. The electronic circuit may include a sensor for detecting an animal in close proximity to the apparatus in order to automatically turn the electric motor on.
