Comments on: Moderncat Faves: Must-have Cat Toys

By: Rosalind C

Rosalind C — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:17:46 +0000

I just got Da Bird because of this post (a little late, I know). My cat can’t get enough of it. He still keeps trying, even when he’s totally pooped. By the end, he just flops down and feebly motions his paws in the direction of the “bird” but his eyes are still crazily looking out for it.

By: elaine

elaine — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:48:51 +0000

Yup. Da Bird. #1 cat toy – I concur.

By: Lizzi K.

Lizzi K. — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:02:40 +0000

I kept thinking Ã¢â‚¬Å“Oh, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s just another stick with a feather on a string.Ã¢â‚¬Â

That was EXACTLY what I thought as well! People kept telling me how great Da Bird was but I just kept thinking, well I already have a toy that has a feather on a pole so why do I need it? Then I bought the “Da Bird” toy and I was shocked at the difference! My cats leap twice as high and play twice as long with Da Bird compared to other feather-on-a-string toys. It’s great!
This was BEFORE I got Da Bird so you can imagine the fun we have now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDTWjdk3HM

By: jenn

jenn — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:30:56 +0000

@ 6 & 23

One of my cats totally loves the fling am a string as well, but managed to destroy it only a week or so! At first I thought she just wore the batteries down as she wanted it on CONSTANTLY (seriously, she’d bang on it in the middle of the night until I’d get up and turn it on.), but after a battery change it only lasted another day or two. I think there’s still some life in it, but the bottom line is they need to give this great product a reworking to improve its durability!

By: Mark Keller

Mark Keller — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:17:50 +0000

We got the FlingAmaString for our cats and they did love it. But it was only 2 days old when they totally chewed it apart. We’ve got one hard core chewer and she wrecked it.

By: Satya Peterson

Satya Peterson — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:40:09 +0000

My friend just got one of the bird on a stick toys, and it drives her cat absolutely nuts running after it and chasing it around. If your cats like chasing things that move a lot, it is a great motivator, even if your cat is somewhat sedentary.

By: Talessen

Talessen — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:46:10 +0000

Something like Da Bird was one of the best toys I ever got for my kitten (now grown). She loved the whirring noise like a bird. If this one does that, we’ll be very happy! She shredded it and now she still carries around the little plastic stick part that was between the pole and the feathers. She really misses that toy!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:38:07 +0000

Just have to say I love the picture of the cat playing with the Fling-ama-string.
So goofy and cute!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:09:17 +0000

1. I want all these toys for my kitties…but I think my boyfriend would kill me if I bought anything else for my spoiled babies : )

2. We have a laser pointer – possibly the best toy ever! My cats know the sound of the “click” when it gets turned on and come running from all over the house to play!

By: a f r

a f r — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:57:49 +0000

(Thanks, I know, but at Amazon they have to be purchased from different sellers, so there are extra shipping costs! No good!)

I did some research, and both of these can be purchased from Drs. Foster and Smith:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=11643 and http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19218

By: moderncat

moderncat — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:48:32 +0000

@ a f r Click the links in the post to purchase these toys at Amazon.

By: HouseWench

HouseWench — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:51:40 +0000

Hm, I may have to get da bird for Tai. His last dangly thing was a Christmas toy with Santa’s head on it, but that died quickly. Now we’ve tied a ribbon to the string. I bet he’d love ‘bird’ chasing, though!

By: Brandy (PaintandSoul

Brandy (PaintandSoul — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:08:03 +0000

The only thing I would add is the starchaser I think it’s called. It’s my cats go to toy for when he’s frustrated or I haven’t spent enough time with him. My other more sedentary kitty likes to just lounge and scratch on it – but any toy that is a hit with both of them is usually pretty popular with other kitties! It’s also called a turbo chaser – whatever it is THEY LOVE IT!

http://www.amazon.com/Bergan-Turbo-Scratcher-Colors-Vary/dp/B000IYSAIW/ref=pd_sim_misc_6

I also have the fling a mah string and for mine the novelty wears off after a bit. I think if I were to put it away then bring it back out every couple of weeks it would be more of a hit than it is just always sitting there on the door.

By: a f r

a f r — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:54:07 +0000

Does anyone know an online store where I can purchase both Da Bird and Fling-ama-String?

By: Kii

Kii — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:46:45 +0000

If you have a string eater in your house, don’t buy the Fling-a-ma-string. It’s a great toy, except the string can be bitten off with one chew and go down a kitties gullet. We didn’t know we even had a string eater until we bought this toy. Kuma had never tried to eat a ribbon/string before. We only used it under supervision, I had turned it on and then walked 5 feet away to change out of my work clothes. I look over at Kuma, because he is oddly quiet, and he is making these odd jaw movements and there is no string. I dart over there and open his mouth, but he has already swallowed the entire string. We got to spend 12 days searching his poo with rubber gloves to see when it passed and watching him very carefully for signs of any stomach trouble. He turned out fine, but it was a stressful and stinky two weeks.

So, the lesson is: great toy, but not for string eaters. Always use under really close supervision. I checked the string… he had severed it in one bite, it looked like. The string was in good shape beforehand. I wish I hadn’t walked away but I never imagined he could get the string off and eaten so quickly.

By: Rhonda K.

Rhonda K. — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:26:17 +0000

Thank you SO much for putting together this post! I’ve been contemplating whether I should get ‘da bird’ or not, for the exact same reasons. I will definitely purchase it now that I know it truly IS different!

By: Robyns Online World

Robyns Online World — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:42:10 +0000

Our cats LOVE our laser pointer and our friends and family love playing with the cats with it when they come over. Always a hit. Going to have to get one of the string fling toys too – that looks like something they would really enjoy!

By: evening

evening — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:34:55 +0000

I’ve been wondering about the string thingy, so thanks for all the comments about it.

and I ditto Julie re: laser pointer

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:14:47 +0000

You know, I’ve tried laser pointers with my cats, and they do like it, but I’ve stopped using it for the most part. I can’t help but wonder if it is frustrating or confusing to them to be chasing something they can never catch. When they’re stalking and chasing a toy on a string, they get to a point where they’ve caught it and can either relax with it, or bring it somewhere else for more playing. They never get that reward with a laser dot…

By: brieanne

brieanne — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:46:21 +0000

my kitties (no shocker here) have…well…chewed the string off fling-ama-string. several times. they catch and chew, and then i suddenly notice the string is half the size it was…then half again, etc. now when they want to play (i take notice when they start whacking at the fling-ama-string incessantly), i simply tie more string onto it and let them have at it. we were lucky and were able to purchase it with a rewards program at our local pet shop. must try da bird! we’ve gone through 2 cat dancers in about 2 months…must buy our 3rd.

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:44:12 +0000

My parents have the flingamastring for their cat (she loves it) and I am thinking about getting it for mine. Yeowww! catnip is a big favorite in my house. My siamese kitties look like little monkeys when they carry the bananas around. They love the fish, too. I’ve gone through several Da Bird toys… the boys have a tendancy to play hard. My Pippin also does the crying at the closet thing for Da Bird. I think the only thing which didn’t go over well was the laser pointer. They just weren’t that interested.

By: Clara

Clara — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:31:17 +0000

FlingamaString is a house favorite. Tico has managed to actually destroy it. She’s killed the motor and managed to mostly work the string loose. She goes and sits next to it and chirps for me to move it for her.

First time I’ve had an expensive cat toy live up to the billing on it.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:21:16 +0000

I bought a Fling ama String after seeing it here and my cats do really love it.

By: Leah

Leah — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:18:29 +0000

Thanks for the great suggestions. I think I buy a new toy every time I go for kitty food. My cat children are so spoiled.

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:10:00 +0000

My cats would be so fat if it wasn’t for Da Bird!! The pole with feathers sticking out of the end does nothing for them but they LIVE for Da Bird. One of my cats makes a routine out of meowing non-stop for only 2 things: food and Da Bird. She in the closet, directly underneath where she knows I hide it and looks at me, meows, looks at Da Bird, meows, looks at me, meows….you get the point….