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Our cat has been playing with this toy for almost a month now, every day, for hours at a time and she loves it. Very smart idea. The cat seems to be entertained even just by watching it spin from up on the couch. One suggestion for added entertainment: place the toy near things that the cat can hide behind or on top of, and stalk and attack the wand from there. Our cat loves that!
There are two main problems people seem to be having with the toy, but I want to emphasize that both can be remedied pretty easily. One, yes, it does go through batteries, although it does last for hours and hours until it dies. Please get rechargeables and a charger, and your problem will be solved. A lot of people seem to keep buying more and more one-time batteries and then giving the toy one star just because of that. Please, just get rechargeables. Or, alternatively, you can get a $4 adapter from RadioShack and connect it to the toy so it plugs straight into the wall! No more batteries at all. All you need is the AC-to-DC adapter, some wire, and electrical tape. Super easy.
The second problem is also easy to fix. If the cat pulls too hard, the wand comes off. All you need is a piece of tape. Won't come off again.
Suggestion: the friction of carpet slows the wand down and wears out the motor, so for longer life, place the toy on a smooth bare floor.
Other than that, the toy has been performing well so far, and providing hours of entertainment for both cat and owners.
UPDATE: It has now been more than half a year since I wrote this review. I just wanted to let you all know that the toy lasted an impressive 4 months before it died, presumably from exhaustion. Honestly, I don't think these toys can last much longer, but don't be disappointed. Given how the cat was jumping on it, biting it, dragging it across the room... I'm impressed it lasted this long at all! I have been so pleased with the toy that when it died, I went out and bought another one. The cat is happy again. I still recommend it!
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My British Shorthair ("Bondi" in the video) and LH Burmilla wait for me dutifully every night to turn it on! Use rechargeable batteries though, as they do run out fast, otherwise such a great toy to keep cats entertained! And they do have LOTS of toys (the vid is of the Kitty Play Area), but their favourite has got to be this.
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My 3 cats went crazy over this! They thought it was the best thing that ever happened to them. EVER.That is, until 3 days later when it broke. Each cat had his/her own method for stalking/attacking the hidden critter. My 17 lb. part Maine Coon's approach was to sit on the wand. The motor kept running, of course, and the cheap plastic arm extending from the ring that goes around the motor snapped off, ending all the fun and any hope for repair. They are all heartbroken.
And even after only 3 days, I did notice signs of wear and tear that others have observed namely, the tail fell off (although it could easily be reattached, until the plastic arm broke), and the fabric was beginning to separate.
I would buy another, but I just don't believe it is a wise investment due to its flimsy construction.
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Bottom line for those who don't want to read the book of a review I wrote: This is a terrible product and I strongly discourage anyone from buying it.Here's my reasoning:
I bought this with high expectations because my cat loves to root things out and pounce on my hand or toys that are under blankets, etc. Once I receieved it, I immediately put in the required batteries and the toy worked...for a while. It has four settings: slow, medium, fast, and random. My cat stared at it for a while, but after he got over his initial misgivings, he started going to town chasing the little 'tail' under the yellow sheet on the toy. However, within an hour, maybe an hour and a half, the toy stopped and would not start again. The light would turn on for whichever setting I wanted, but the mechanism refused to turn the tail. I replaced the batteries, flicked the mechanism manually to try and jump start it, turned the toy on and off again all to no avail. Obviously I was more than a little disappointed because my cat enjoyed the toy and I was out $30-$40.
So I contacted the manufacturer of the toys and told them my problem. I was told that my individual toy was defective and that, if I sent it to them, they would replace it. Great! So I sent it to them, ensuring I put delivery notification on the package. Over a month passed and I still did not hear from them. I sent an email requesting an update on what they were doing with the toy I sent them. They asked if I put tracking information on the package so they could locate it, which I promptly gave to them (Note: I had the distinct impression that if I hadn't put delivery notification on the package, they would not have replaced the toy). So they found the package, sent me a new toy, and a week later, I had it in hand.
Took it home, opened it up, popped the batteries in there, started it up, and voila: it worked. My cat was very happy...for a day. After I got home from work the next day. Tried to turn it on for my cat and the toy would not even turn on. No lights, no movement, nothing. Now I'm out close to $50 for the toy itself and the shipping cost to send it to California.
Just to clarify: I did not drop the toy, step on the toy, spill water on the toy or anything of that sort. Little to no wear-and-tear in both instances. My cat is not heavy enough or violent enough to damage the inner workings of the toy itself either. My guess is the batteries overloaded the wiring on the inside of the machine or the mechanism that turns the 'tail' somehow got out of alignment or something. It's a very cheaply made toy with what I think are obvious design flaws. It's also very loud when it does run and if your cat stops the 'tail,' it makes an even louder clicking sound. Combined with minimal customer service, my equation for this product is simple: terrible toy + bad customer service = horrible experience. I would have serious doubts about purchasing this product or any product from this manufacturer.
It's a shame, really, because for the few hours the toy actually worked, my cat really enjoyed playing with it. He now lovingly lays on top of the cheap plastic sheet as the toy idly sits on my tile floor and bats at the 'tail' hoping it will move. He's going to be disappointed.
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