Cat Toy Review - Flying Seagull Wand Toy
Made by: Jakks Pacific company under the name of "CFA Products" (Cat Fanciers Association)
Found at: Walmart, although it is not offered on their website, I bought it in person. Online it can be bought at Pussycat Galore
Price: 4.99 + Tax (When bought at Walmart.) 6.99 + Shipping if bought online from Pussycat Galore.
Socalization: This is a toy for cat and human bonding. You might be able to use it for more than one cat at a time, but not at my house and I wouldn't recommend doing that, untill you know your cats can play well together.
Action style: Flying toy.
Catnip Enhanced: Yes. I made a phonecall to Jakk and their representive said that all toys enhanced with catnip said so on the packaging. This is false. No where on the packaging did it say the Seagull wand was enhanced with catnip. However, when my cat broke one apart, I did find a small bag of catnip inside.
General Information: The Flying Seagul Wand is a stuffed animal style seagull with a feathered tail. It comes on a wooden stick. It is fastened to the stick with fishing line (something I don't like at all) and has a bell.
I bought this toy after Jesse ruined an inexpensive feather dangler I'd bought him. I was looking for something similar, and saw this. I thought the stuffed seagull would allow him to grip it better. I was right about that. The moment I brought the toy home, Jesse went nuts for it, grabbing it, refusing to let go of it, and growling feircely if anyone came near him while he was grabbing it. Clearly, he loved it.
However, within five minutes the string snapped and the bell fell off. I had to chase Jesse down, take the seagull away from him (not an easy task!) and see what I could do to fix it. I put it on a more sturdy string and tied it to the poll again, removing the bell. He played with it for about ten minutes, then again, broke the string.
I have since bought two of these, because he loves them. However, the first thing I do is take them apart, remove the bell completely, and "remake" them with a stronger string. This modification takes away a bit from the "flutterability" of the toy, and thus, doesn't seem to appeal as much to Jesse. He still, however enjoys it.
Cat Opinions
Chrissy: Big deal. Okay, I admit, I took a swipe at it once, when it was attached by the fishing line, but now Mommy takes that away. It does keep Jesse entertained, which means he's leaving me alone when he uses it.
Goten It looks like fun, and I do enjoy taking a whack at it from time to time, but not when Jesse is around! He's way too posessive of it. It's an okay toy, but Jesse's agression it's not worth it to me.
Jesse THIS TOY IS THE MOST AWESOMEST THING IN THE WORLD! I wish Mommy didn't have to take it apart and remake them all the time. They are the mostest fun! Just don't get too close to me if I have it in my mouth. It's a serious toy, for serious playtime.
Rating:
Value:
Five dollars, while not completely outrageous, is a bit to spend on a cat toy. For that money, it should last longer than five minutes, without needing a massive overhaul.
Overall cat enjoyment Jesse =
Goten =
Chrissy:
Rebuying Chances
Well, since I already have bought three of them, I have to give this a six. However, the only reason why I've rebought them is because Jesse does love them so much. If Jesse liked them a little less, or if he ever shows disinterest in them, I will happily never buy one again, only because of the durability factor. Jesse is amazingly rough on toys, but he can't be the only cat like that.
Human Amusement
I have to admit, watching Jesse play with this is amusing. I only wish it would last longer.
Safety Very High Danger Unless you modify it, like I did. If correctly modified, I'd rate it as Moderately High Danger No matter what, this toy should not be left with a cat that is not being supervised for any length of time. Significant safety issues are: 1: The bell is a choking hazard.
2: Fishing line. Some cats are fascinated with fishing line and try to eat it. This can raise havok in their digestive system. It's easily as dangerous as dental floss, and in many cases, even worse.
3: The stuffed part is not the sturdiest. Jesse did manage to rip one to peices in about fifteen minutes, when I stupidly thought it would be fairly safe to give him one, sans bell, string, etc.
I would also never leave this cat toy anywhere where a young child could get his/her hands on it either.
Final Word This could easily have been one of the best cat toys in the world, if Jakk hadn't skimped out on some important things. The string attaching the toy should be made of something much more durable, like nylon rope. The bird itself should be more carefully stitched. The bell should either be put inside the bird (if better stitched) or eliminated. For the hazzards the bell offered, it didn't seem to enhance the toy enough to make it worth it.
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