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If there was a Guinness World Record for “Most Spoiled Cat,” I’m sure Allegra and Ruby would be in the running to win that title. Between the toys we get for product reviews and the toys that I buy them (yes, I still buy them toys – did I mention that they’re spoiled?), there’s never a shortage of toys here. But as we all know, cats get easily bored with toys, so I tend to rotate toys in and out quite a bit. It always amazes me how a previously ignored toy becomes a new favorite after it’s been hidden for a couple of weeks.
But among all of their toys, there are five that have been consistent favorites, even though they are never put away. I thought I’d let Allegra and Ruby introduce them to you.
SmartyKat Wave Scratcher
Allegra: We both love this scratcher. I like to stalk toys from underneath.
Ruby: I like to sleep in the little cradle!
Ingrid: We’ve had this scratcher for five years, and it gets used every day – and it’s held up incredibly well.
The SmartyKat Wave Scratcher is available from Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.
Neko Flies Kittycatterfly
Ruby: Wee!!! I LOVE this toy!!! I love when Mom brings it out. I bat at it and jump and run and chase it all over the house.
Allegra: I like this toy, too, but I think Mom should get a second one so Ruby doesn’t hog it all the time.
Ruby: blows raspberry at Allegra.
Ingrid: Neko Flies toys have been a perennial favorite at our house for many years, and we have several different attachments, but this one seems to be a consistent favorite.
The Kittycatterfly and other NekoFlies products are available from Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.
Pioneer Pet SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post
We have one of these right in the center of my office, and Allegra and Ruby both use it every single day. It’s nice and sturdy, and they can both run at it at full speed and it won’t even wobble.
The Ultimate Scratching Post is available from Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.
Ethical Products Springs
Allegra: I love these springs! I pounce after them when Mom tosses them for me, and I bat them all over the house. I especially love it when I bat them under furniture and Mom has to go retrieve them for me!
Ingrid: These springs are a hit with both girls, but Allegra in particular absolutely adores them. She’ll chirp at me as soon as she sees me reach for one. I bought three packs, and once we’re down to a handful of springs, we go on a “spring retrieval” mission. It’s always amazing to me where they wind up.
Ethical Products Springs are available from Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.
Peacock Feathers
Allegra: Playing with these feathers is so much fun!
Ruby: I love how Mom makes it interesting for us. She drags the feathers along the floor, up and down furniture, and makes us chase them.
Allegra: I like to chew on them, too!
Ruby: When I play with them, I feel like I’m chasing a real bird!
Allegra: Don’t be silly, Ruby. Peacocks are much bigger than you are!
Ruby: So? I can take one down!
There are many different peacock feathers available from Amazon. I have repeatedly ordered the Zucker Feather Products brand, and found them to last reasonably long even with rough play.
FTC Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associate links. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of these links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves.
I always worry about the “safety” of cat toys.. in the sense of swallowing parts.
Often little “eyes” etc are glued on .. and feathers and such can too easily be chewed off.
Is this something you “worry” about?
Yes, and I wrote a post about it a few years back: https://ingridking.com/2014/12/11/cat-toy-safety/
It’s ridiculously difficult to find toys that my cats love to play with, 4 out of 5 that I buy is a dud, and it gets expensive since each toy is $10-20. I always wonder if other cats play with the usual toys in the pet store (and thus I just have VERY finicky cats), or if all those cat toys are just junk and no one knows how to make a good one. The latest success was a long feather by National Geographic (found at petsmart), similar to the peacock feather (which I will definitely try). The jackson galaxy string/feather toys were all a dud, but they do come with a clip on the end so you can attach your own toy, AND then I found these great feather toys on Etsy that the cats love! (that I attach to the jackson galaxy string) https://www.etsy.com/shop/HoboCatCreations?section_id=13635439
So far we’re set for a while for good toys that give them good exercise (fingers crossed)
Also one of my cats goes crazy for rabbit fur, he carries them around like prize, I have to wrestle them away and toss them across the room. There’s a few toys on etsy for that as well
Kitty bloggers sure get spoiled don’t we? And we deserve it too for the hard work we do!!! –Mudpie
I have about 50 springs that I find throughout the house that I collect and spread out in my foyer. The next morning they are pretty much all gone with 4 kitties sleeping peacefully snuggled together.
Guess my kittens cleaned up after that horrible mess I made all night long.
We still don’t have the ESS, the Neko fly (actually the Neko furry mouse thingy) is Cody’s all-time fave, followed by the Springs!
My first cat, Abby, a gray Persian, was absolutely crazy about a peacock feather I had that I dragged along the floor for her. Sadly, she crossed the Bridge many years ago. My newest cat, Gigi, a sweet, older Tuxedo girl, loves one I call chirpy bird. It’ sized and shaped like a small bird and chirps realistically when it’s moved. Gigi has been playing with it every day now. The funny thing is that my old cat, Mingo, who crossed the Bridge in March, also loved that toy. He used to throw it up into the air and chase it. I sometimes found it in strange places, like my shoes or the little wicker basket I kept on my coffee table.
I love that Gigi continues to play with a toy that Mingo loved. it must be bittersweet for you to see that, Alice.
I bet those springs would be fun to play with and I know the feathers are.
Regarding the cat scratcher. I was going to purchase this item last week until I read the reviews. It seems the product is no longer of the same quality it once was (when you purchased it 5 years ago). Customers now are unhappy with it as shown by newer reviews with pictures showing comparisons between older & newer version. I decided against it and purchased a “Petfusion” product instead.
The Neko Fly is really high on my favorites list too!