Cat Purchase Fails

[AbbysMom]

Some of these stories are hysterical, particularly:

I could have sworn that I had a photo of hubby trying on the crazy pants but I can't find it. Maybe he made me delete it.

 

[muffy]

Shane Kent: That picture of Taz in his coat is so adorable.

Muffy

 

[Shane Kent]

...decided the cat grass was the prime spot for a nap and slept on it until he killed it...

I got in big trouble because I tried to grow cat grass in the house. Taz dug the dirt out of the tray and it was all over the living room. He made a really big mess and my wife was not impressed. OOPS, it seemed like a good idea.

 

[kissthisangel]

They do like to make a mess with it all!

 

[cassiopea]

I bought Morgana a leopard print bed similar to this some years ago. She didn't take to it, I guess she thought it looked too tacky

 

[kissthisangel]

that's the same style as the bed collecting dust on top of my wardrobe! Mojo's upstairs sleeping on a towel instead. If I was small and round (rather than big and round) I would snuggle up in that all say long!

 

[danteshuman]

I bought a treat puzzle toy.. where the lids slide around when your cat theoretically bats at it ... then the cat gets their treat. I couldn't get my cats to use it even with the lids open 2/3's !!! So much for keeping my cats entertained
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/leaps-and-bounds-slide-n-nibble-cat-treat-toy

 

[di and bob]

When will any of us learn? Instead of that 100.00 cat tree, they much prefer to climb the curtains and scratch a $1000.00 couch. They love tearing up any newspaper that is laying on the floor to all those crinkle balls I buy. They will bat a dead mouse around for two days and totally ignore the expensive motorized toys I buy. They will drink out of a bird poop filled bird bath rather than the $80.00 fountain I bought. They much prefer my black dress pants to lay on then the expensive beds I buy. We would be better off to let them dig through the trash and find their own toys!

 

[mokapi]

I think my favorite part of this thread is the opening sentence.

"Once again, I have failed." That bitter resignation...known so well by human servants, only trying to do their best by their feline rulers...why must they treat us so...

 

[kissthisangel]

I've just remembered the actual most recent one. I'd forgotten the JML true touch pet massaging glove. Here.
They run away on sight. I got it because I have a very mild allergy to the cats, what triggers it is the big bails of hair that roll off them... It's summer and they're indoor, so they are shedding heavily. I thought this would be ideal! stroke the cat, peel off the hair and then voila it's not in my eye or throat. It is not to be. Charlie loves to sleep on my face so it's like waking up with hayfever I guess. But it's cat related so... Catfever?

 

[nahui]

This comes just at the right time Just today I went to buy my cat a new collar and I couldn't resist getting him a toy mouse that buzzes and moves around. Suffice it to say that the toy costed more than the collar, which is all I was planning to get initially. As soon as I got home, I was all excited showing him the mouse and...He just walked away!

Oh well, at least one of my dogs seems to be interested in the toy mouse.

 

[muffy]

My cats always liked the beds I brought them but not the toys except for the balls. After Tiger passed away I found a bunch of balls under one of the kitchen chairs that he had hidden. I felt so guilty for not playing more with him when I had the chance.

Muffy

 

[vyger]

I think rather than thinking its your (our) fail, its the person or team who came up with the design idea to start with.
Do they actually do product testing? Take a bunch of their prototypes to a place that actually has cats and throw them all out there to see what happens. Probably not. Most likely they pick designs that appeal to people because that is really their target customer. Kind of like baby clothes. Does a baby really care if those pants make her diaper look full? They design that stuff for the parents. Same thing with cat toys. They should have a bin system where you can bring your cat and let it wander around and pick something out of a bin that they actually like. Of course once they got it home it would not be interesting anymore.

I found a good way to recharge cat nip toys. I have a big gallon glass jar that I fill up with bulk cat nip. It has to be glass otherwise they will bite through it. I take all the slobbered toys and throw them in the jar and shake it so the toys get buried in the nip. After a few days they are ready to go again and it appears that the cats actually prefer the recharged toys so I treat even brand new ones. As soon as I open the jar I have an immediate audience. Just remember, when it comes to nip they don't like to wait very long.

 

[DreamerRose]

I think rather than thinking its your (our) fail, its the person or team who came up with the design idea to start with.
Do they actually do product testing? Take a bunch of their prototypes to a place that actually has cats and throw them all out there to see what happens. Probably not. Most likely they pick designs that appeal to people because that is really their target customer. Kind of like baby clothes. Does a baby really care if those pants make her diaper look full? They design that stuff for the parents. Same thing with cat toys. They should have a bin system where you can bring your cat and let it wander around and pick something out of a bin that they actually like. Of course once they got it home it would not be interesting anymore.

I found a good way to recharge cat nip toys. I have a big gallon glass jar that I fill up with bulk cat nip. It has to be glass otherwise they will bite through it. I take all the slobbered toys and throw them in the jar and shake it so the toys get buried in the nip. After a few days they are ready to go again and it appears that the cats actually prefer the recharged toys so I treat even brand new ones. As soon as I open the jar I have an immediate audience. Just remember, when it comes to nip they don't like to wait very long.

Different toys appeal to different cats. I bought a squeaky mouse for Mingo, and he was totally uninterested in it. My son gave him a squeaky bird, and he played with that for a while, then stopped. Lily, on the other hand, adores the squeaky mouse and bird. They are the only toys she plays with consistently.

 

[karrotlover]

When my hyperactive cat was an even more hyperactive kitten, I bought one of those Catit tracks with the ball that rolls around inside. I did my research, read all the online reviews, to try to determine if it would be a fail or a win with my kitty. One review said that they replaced the heavy rubber ball inside with a ping pong ball, and their cat liked it much more. Armed with this knowledge, I bought the Catit track AND a box of ping pong balls and brought them home.

I unboxed the Catit track and carefully assembled all the pieces and put the ball inside. Kitty was not interested. I tried to entice him with treats, showed him how to play, tried arranging the track differently.... to no avail. I broke out my secret weapon: the ping pong balls. As soon as I opened the box of ping pong balls and put a ping pong ball inside the track, my kitty started playing -- with the partially full box of ping pong balls, that is. I took out some ping pong balls and put them on the floor....... He immediately began playing soccer with one of them all over the house. Get this: He had never shown ANY interest in any other toy balls I'd bought for him. So, go figure. Also, cost for Catit track: $15. Cost for a box of 6 ping pong balls: $5. So also go figure.

I returned the Catit track the next day. The ping pong balls, to this day, remain a staple for my cat's entertainment. So I guess this is a fail and a win story. =)

 

[Columbine]

Does it count as a fail if the cats work out how to dismantle it? I have a Petstages tower toy, and the boys have managed to remove one of the balls so far...and I'm sure the other two won't be far behind...

I bought a Catit Super Circuit to extend the Play Circuit I already had. It arrived and got put together at around 5pm yesterday. By around 10pm, mum informed me that she'dfound whole sections of the track in the hallway. How two kittens were able to dismantle a track that I have trouble dismantling I'll never know...

karrotlover - I have a hunch that the catit tracks are more popular when there are two cats playing with it together. The ball keeps moving that way I'll bet your kitty would like the motion-activated light-up replacement balls though - my guys go nuts for them Amazon.com: Catit Design Senses Illuminated Ball - 2-Pack: Pet Supplies

Not to hijack the thread, but...anyone have recommendations for a floor scratcher that's heavy enough to not slide around on carpet?

I'd bet money on @bengalcatman's floor scratchers being heavy and sturdy enough to stay put! artmotionandsound.com/t/cat-scratchers I can't personally vouch for them (I'm in the UK, and postage would be crazy and impractical ), but they look fantastic

 

[AbbysMom]

Does it count as a fail if the cats work out how to dismantle it? I have a Petstages tower toy, and the boys have managed to remove one of the balls so far...and I'm sure the other two won't be far behind...

Wow. That's impressive. Abby has one and loves it, but certainly hasn't managed to take it apart.

 

[betsygee]

*WE WANT TO SEE THAT PHOTO!!!*

Some of these stories are hysterical, particularly:

I actually went back through my photos but no luck. I know he tried them on--I can't believe I didn't get a photo of it.

 

[kissthisangel]

I know this is fails but I thought I'd share a win. I purchased this attatchment for the wand.

Charlie absolutely loves it.

 

[Ardina]

I know this is fails but I thought I'd share a win. I purchased this attatchment for the wand.

Charlie absolutely loves it.

My cats go crazy for it too! I just bought a whole new pack after the last one disintegrated.