PetSugar

Geeky Cat Toys For the Nerdy Feline

PetSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:00:03 -0700

I spend tons of time on the computer, thanks to my obsession with finding the best pet products to share, so I'm pretty familiar with my desktop equipment, even though I'm not as tech-savvy as I would like to be. You might say I have a catlike love/hate relationship with my mouse since it likes to freak out when I'm bookmarking, leaving me clickless and desperate. But, thanks to my pal Geek, I have plenty of help in that department. Bonus, she likes kitties and tipped me off to these awesome geeky toys!

Brought to you by Etsy user Catsicle, these plush mouse and iPod cat toys are purrrfect for the geek in all of us, feline or not. The iPod Toy ($14) not only comes with an embroidered screen, but earbuds to boot. The Mouse Toy ($12) is totally life like with the USB connector, but you def don't have to deal with this one going dead. – unless you count your cat tearing it to shreds!

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Do Tell: Do Your Cats Have Electronic Toys?

PetSugar — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:00:15 -0700

What could possibly imitate a moving mouse better than an actually moving mouse?! This cat seems alternately creeped out and captivated by this zippy robotic rodent. Have you ever tested out electronic pet toys on your dogs or cats . . . or let them get some chase time in with moving toys of your own?

Female Cats Are Right Pawed and Males Are Lefties!?

PetSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:00:14 -0700

When using those interactive kitty toys, have you stopped to see which paw your cat bats? Turns out not only do animals, like dogs, favor one paw over the other, but recent research cites evidence of the role of gender in felines.

A study of 42 domestic cats in at Queen's University, Belfast, let kitties complete three play-like tasks at home with their owners . . . and found that female felines prefer to use the front right paw, while the males rely on the left adding to existing evidence that boy animals have greater left-handed tendencies than girls.

Curious what the exact tests were, so you can try it for yourself? Just read more.

Task One: Place tuna at the bottom of an otherwise empty, narrow-mouthed jar - which paw did kitty use to try to get treated?
Task Two: Suspend a fabric mouse on a string above the cat's head - which paw was first used to reach for it?
Task Three: Drag the same mouse toy on the ground in front of the cat - which paw did the cat swipe with first?

The study revealed that the results for tasks two and three varied but, for task one, paw preferences of left for male and right for female were obvious. Test it out at home and share your findings in the comments below!

New Product Alert: Play-n-Squeak!

PetSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:00:53 -0700

As the name most surely implies, when your cat plays, this toy squeaks. All Play-n-Squeak products include the electronic "RealMouse" sound module that quite convincingly mimics the real thing. The company recently redesigned and relaunched their popular cat toys for last month's Global Pet Expo and now offer a wider variety for all types of frisky kitties to use that instinct to hunt, stalk, and pounce on prey. They've got interactive cat-only toys like Batting Practice and Thrill of the Chase, in addition to Shake y'r Tail Feather and DangleMouse for you to get in on the action. I can't wait 'til these toys make it into my local pet shop – in the meantime, check out all their playtime offerings (or contact them for store locations) before their retail website is up and running!

Pet Peeves: Kitty Launches Attack On Unsuspecting Ankle!

PetSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:00:19 -0700

Q: I have a new(ish) kitten who won't stop attacking me! At first I thought Sparrow just wanted my shoelaces, but she even pounces at my bare feet when I'm trying to walk around the house. I've had her for about four months now, and I'm worried that it's getting worse . . . before it gets better. Please help!

A: It sounds like you have an instinctive cat who's always looking to play! Cats have natural predatory instincts – some more than others – that make them want to hunt out moving "prey," in this case, your ankles. Make sure your kitty gets plenty of playtime to work out that energy. It helps to redirect her attention with a toy she can use to entertain herself like the Play-n-Squeak product line or an Undercover Mouse which is a battery-operated moving mouse on a string. To see my DIY idea, read more.

Try securing fishing line to the top of a door by adding a couple of nails above the door frame and tying a string to the nail and a feather (or other small appealing object) to the bottom. Then set up a small fan pointing in the general direction of the strings and feathers – this should cause the lures to swing in the air and (hopefully) tempt your cat to bat, bat, bat away!

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Eco-tastic Essentials: Wooley Bully Mousey

PetSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:08:40 -0700

Bat, pounce, and bite. Then, wash and repeat. Let your kitty play cat and mouse with this minimalist toy made out of natural sheep's wool. Wooley Bully Naturals come in a variety of natural wool colors and shades for around $5 each. After your cat roughs this mouse up, simply put the toy in a nylon stocking, tie it closed, and pop it in the washing machine. Poof, it's good as new!

Recap our week of Eco-tastic Essentials, and share your own in the comments below.