IGT does not publish a standalone no-deposit bonus for Cats. What the game offers on its own is a built-in Free Spins Bonus, triggered in play by landing paw-print scatters on reels 2 through 4. If you want to see this feature without risking money, the practical route is a demo version of Cats, which several casino and review sites host for free, no account or deposit required.
- Demo play lets you trigger the bonus with zero stake
- Five paw prints award 5 free spins; six award 10
- Any real-money no-deposit offer comes from a casino's promotion, not from IGT or the game itself
How to try Cats free spins without depositing
- Find a casino or review page offering the free-play (demo) version of Cats
- Open the demo — no registration or payment details are requested
- Set a line bet in the demo interface, purely for reference; no real money is at stake
- Watch reels 2, 3, and 4 for single or double paw-print scatters as spins land
- Land five paw prints for 5 free spins, or six for 10, and watch the split-symbol mechanic play out
Cats vs. related IGT cat-themed titles
| Cats Diamond Spins | A newer variant carrying the same feline theme but built around a different spin mechanic rather than the classic paw-print scatter trigger. |
|---|---|
| Fort Knox Cats | Shares the cat imagery but is part of IGT's Fort Knox jackpot line, with a different bonus structure than the original's five-or-six-scatter free spins. |
| MegaJackpots Cats | Same base game feel, but tied to a progressive jackpot layer that the original Cats does not carry. |
| Cats Split 'n' Win | Leans further into the split-symbol idea baked into the original, but reworks how those splits pay rather than reusing the paw-print free spins trigger. |
Terms worth knowing before you spin
The symbol that appears only on reels 2, 3, and 4; landing enough of them (in single or double form) triggers the Free Spins Bonus.
A cat symbol that occupies two positions at once (single or double), letting a single reel contribute more than one matching symbol to a payline.
Substitutes for regular symbols on a payline and carries the game's top listed multiplier for the best line combination.
How often the reels return any win at all on a spin, reported around 30-32% for Cats across separate technical reviews — not the same as how often the bonus itself lands.
An option in some slots to pay extra for instant access to a bonus round; Cats does not include this option in its standard online release.
How the Free Spins Bonus actually plays out
Cats keeps its bonus mechanic simple on paper but layered underneath. The paw-print scatter only shows up on the three middle reels, and it can land as either a single print or a double print occupying two symbol positions. Get a combined total of five prints across those reels and the game hands you five free spins; get six and it's ten. Positioning within a payline doesn't matter for this trigger — the game is only counting how many paw prints show up across reels 2 through 4.
One review notes that four paw prints alone pay out a scatter prize worth twice the triggering bet, without unlocking the bonus. That detail matters if you're watching the reels closely during a session: a near-miss on the bonus isn't necessarily a wasted spin.
Once free spins start, nothing about the underlying math changes. Your bet per line and number of active paylines carry over from the triggering spin — there's no separate bonus wager to think about. The same split-symbol cats and split paw-print scatters remain active throughout, and it's this carryover that gives the free spins round its bite: split symbols during the round can stack into much larger combinations than a typical base-game spin manages.
What's less settled across the available documentation is whether the bonus can retrigger itself. Sources describe the five-or-six trigger clearly for entering the feature, but none spell out whether a fresh set of paw prints landing mid-round adds more spins on top. Treat any specific retrigger claim you see elsewhere with some skepticism until a casino's own game rules confirm it for that build.
For Canadian players, Cats shows up on more than one provincial platform — PlayNow, PlayAlberta, ALC, and Espacejeux have all carried it as part of their IGT catalogue, though availability shifts over time and by province. A demo version is the more reliable way to see the free spins in action first, since it sidesteps any provincial account requirements entirely.
What the free spins feature does well — and where it falls short
| Plus points | Minus points |
|---|---|
| Demo versions are widely available, so you can watch the paw-print trigger and split-symbol combinations before wagering anything real | No bonus buy option, so triggering the feature depends entirely on natural scatter landings |
| Free spins automatically use your existing bet and paylines — no separate bonus stake to configure | Whether the bonus can retrigger mid-round isn't clearly documented, which makes the feature harder to plan around |
| Split symbols active during the round create genuine potential for larger-than-usual combinations | Published hit frequency covers the base game overall, not how often the free spins round specifically lands |
Free spins questions players actually ask
Does IGT offer a real no-deposit bonus specifically for Cats?
No. IGT doesn't publish a standalone no-deposit promotion for this title. Any no-deposit offer you see tied to Cats comes from an individual casino's own promotions, not from the game or provider directly.
Can I try the free spins feature without registering anywhere?
Yes, through demo versions hosted by several casino and review sites. These let the paw-print scatters and free spins trigger normally with no account or payment step involved.
How many paw prints do I need, and what do they get me?
Five paw prints across reels 2 through 4 award 5 free spins; six award 10. Four prints alone pay a scatter prize worth twice your bet but don't unlock the round.
Does the free spins round use a different bet than my base spins?
No. The round carries over the same bet per line and the same number of active paylines you had on the triggering spin — there's no separate bonus wager to set.
Can the free spins bonus retrigger while it's running?
This isn't clearly confirmed across the documentation available for Cats. Sources describe the initial five-or-six-scatter trigger in detail but don't consistently address whether it can happen again mid-round.
See the paw-print bonus for yourself
Try the Cats demo to watch the free spins trigger firsthand, or check a partner casino for its own current promotions. Gambling is restricted to those 19 and older in most of Canada (18+ in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec).
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