DVDs/Videos for cats--which one is the best?

Hello,

My kitty Skylar is at home by herself for nine hours a day. I am always looking for ways to keep her entertained while I'm gone. I discovered several movies for cats that claim to keep my cat intrigued and on her toes while I'm away.

Here are the three options:
1. Kitty Show
2. Video Catnip
3. CATDVD

Does anyone have experience with one or more of these videos? If so, can you give me a recommendation please?

Thank you!

I have all 3 of those videos. Zara is the only one of my 4 kitties that watches tv though. She does enjoy all 3 but especially likes scenes with little furry critters. She seems to like the birds OK but she *never* chatters at the tv screen the way she does with a real bird she sees out a window. She doesn't care anything for the scenes with fish or butterflies or the laser light. Oddly, she *does* like to chase a laser light moving on the floor.

Which one is "best" will depend entirely on your kitty. She may not like any of them.

Interesting question. Agreed that it will only work if your cat is already a TV watcher. If you've never seen her respond to anything on TV, she probably isn't the type.

I'd imagine birds would be most interesting.

But then you don't even have to buy a DVD. You could always record a nature show off of Animal Planet, etc.

So far, there are three things my cat has liked to watch: movie credits rolling up the screen, fireworks broadcasts on the Fourth of July, and weather reports (in that case I think it's the swirling green screen animations). Conversely, when I watch "The Dog Whisperer," he often goes into another room.

As far as entertaining a cat while you're gone, I think toys and a cat tree would be better in terms of providing stimulation. But your cat likely sleeps most of the time while you're gone, quite happily. A kitten or young cat might be playing a lot, but most adult cats use the time to catch up on their napping or look out the window.

I have the "Kitty Goes Hunting" DVD. It has birds, mice, bugs and fish. Not all of mine watch it, but the ones that are interested in TV can't take their eyes off of it.

I got the Catsitter DVD from petsmart and all 3 of my girls love it, even though they don't really care for regular TV the rest of the day (I got the DVD, though, because when Molly was still a young kit, she showed interest in the TV so I figured she'd like watching birdies on it). Sometimes all I have to do is turn it on and when the bird chirping noises come on, the cats come out of their various sleeping spots and come to the living room to watch. Well, except Willow. She loves sleeping on the cat tree, so all she really does is raise her head and watch TV from a nice, high position, lol

They hate the parrots, though. You can see a quick change in their behaviour (from interest to disgust) when the sqawking comes on. They prefer the rodents (sorry!) and birds (Willow once forgot herself and lunged at the TV when a bird flitted away, and crashed into the screen)

Willow and Molly


Buffy (lol, when she's interested in something, she yawns, and then moves. She does this when I'm handing her her food, when she's admiring a toy that she wants to push off a ledge, when she's getting the highjinx and is getting prepared to take off racing around the house)


Willow

Willow is so cute !

I have been thinking of buying the catsitter DVD, but right now Stanley's favorite show is the screensaver on our DVD player (it "bounces" around from corner to corner and changes color). He has been known to get up on his hind legs and try to catch it

I got CatDVD this week and so far the girls love it! Haven't tried the others, but CatDVD is very professionally made. It comes with a flyer explaining how to get your cat to watch it if they don't seem to have much interest.

It has 3 hours of footage and can be set to play a number of ways. If your cats like one type of animal best, you can select a specific chapter to loop through continuously. If they like a variety, you can put it on a random loop. Or, you can play straight through. Apparently, you can also select to play with or without music (just animal sound effects).

Belle and Delilah like the chipmunks (oddly, more than the squirrels) and the bugs. They also like the "cat toy ballet, which is basically a string toy being dangled around on the screen. Right now, I go anywhere near the DVD player and Belle gets up on her stool waiting for the fun to start!

I think the laser parts overstimulate them a bit - I do wish there was a way to take those out.

I

Thank you everyone for the great feedback! AussieDog, your kitties are precious! I think I'm going to get a couple of them and see which one she likes best.