Catnip teaser toys are a great way to keep your cat entertained, but how long do they last? Are they worth it?
Tippy and Misha always get super excited when a new box comes into the house. Usually, it doesn’t matter what’s in it – they just want the cardboard box!
Misha was absent from the box opening because she was at the vet (annual dental cleaning), so Tippy had rule of the roost. That meant she got to open the box!
What’s In The Box?
I barely got to see what was inside before Tippy launched herself into the box and started sniffing. “Ah,” I thought, “it’s probably something with catnip in it.”
Out came three catnip teaser toys from two different brands.
I’m familiar with the SmartyKat brand, but I’ve only ever heard of Fat Cat in passing. Tippy kindly agreed to try them out for me.
I think she likes them…
We didn’t let her have the bird toy right away because Misha was gone, and we wanted to have something for her to try out when she got home.
Mr. Birdy (as we’ve dubbed him) didn’t last long. Misha played with him so hard that she ended up throwing him into her water fountain!
I’m afraid that Mr. Birdy hasn’t been the same since, but let me tell you a little about the SmartyKat and Fat Cat brands.
SmartyKat’s Chickadee Chirp Electronic Bird-Sound Cat Toy ($4.99)
Yes, that is its full name. The SmartyKat brand aims to satisfy your cat’s instinctual needs, whether that be to hunt, play or scratch. They have a line of highly affordable products that are available in most big brand stores like Walmart, Target, Amazon and Chewy.
What I love the most about SmartyKat is how affordable its products are. Sure, they’re not built to last forever, but they last a lot longer than cheaper product versions. They’re also environmentally-responsible (a big deal for us!) and pet-safe.
This Chickadee toy satisfies your cat’s hunting instincts by mimicking the real-life sound of a bird. It also attracts your cat with a hidden catnip pouch (full of organic catnip, of course) that’s refillable. The bird is touch-activated, so it won’t chirp endlessly unless your cats are like mine and play with it endlessly.
Fat Cat Classic Appeteasers Cat Toy ($2.59 – normally $12.33)
As of the date of this review, this assorted 2-count pack from Fat Cat is on sale. Like, majorly on sale. Seriously, if you’re reading this right now, you’d better go grab yourself one from Chewy. Do it.
Fat Cat is a subdivision of Petmate, one of the most popular pet brands there is. If you like Petmate products, you’ll most likely adore these catnip teaser toys. As you can see in the above pictures, Tippy went berserk over them. I had to shove her out of the way to even get them out of the Chewy box they came in.
I have no idea what Misha thinks of these because Tippy never lets her play with them. From what I can tell, the fibers on this toy are infused with bamboo to make them more durable. It’s also a more natural material. There’s no word on whether the dyes on the material are artificial or not because somebody threw away the cardboard backing I was saving.
What We Liked About These Catnip Teaser Toys
Right off the bat, Misha and Tippy started trying to tear them apart. That’s a good sign in my book. They played with them for a good long while; I’m talking a couple of hours, not minutes.
The design and overall visual appeal of these toys is great too. The Fat Cat toys in particular have a cute, very unique design. They definitely catch your eye!
I love that the Chickadee (aka Mr. Birdy) toy appeals to a cat’s natural hunting instincts. True, it doesn’t fly like a real bird would, but you get a lot of value for $4.99. Just attach it to a pole toy or some string if you want to mimic bird flight for your cat.
What We Didn’t Like About Them
Mr. Birdy isn’t waterproof. I didn’t expect him to be, but it’s still a bummer that he could be so easily ruined. Miraculously, he still chirps, but the catnip inside has to be replaced after only half a day, and Misha isn’t as enthusiastic a hunter as she was when we first got it.
The Fat Cat catnip teaser toys also lost their luster to some effect. Tippy plays with them when she feels like it, but she’s not compelled to bury her face in them like she did upon opening the Chewy box.
A side note: I can’t find any information on how to change Mr. Birdy’s battery. Maybe that was on the back of the cardboard attachment – we may never know. It’s not a huge deal since you can just buy another one for only $4.99.
The Final Verdict
We give both of these catnip teaser toys 4 out of 5 Meows! They get minus one Meow because the toys’ appeal didn’t last long, but they’re still very affordable and use high quality materials.
Personally, I’d buy each of these toys over other catnip teasers. At the end of the day, our cats had a lot of fun with them.
What did you think of these catnip teaser toys? Would you buy them for your cat? Let us know in the comments section below.
(This post contains affiliate links. Any purchase made from these links will result in a small commission for the blog owner, at no extra cost to you. The Meow Place received these toys free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.)
