Entertaining toy for smart bored dogs

We have a Buster cube a Pawprints giggle treat ball and several Kongs (and similar toys). Our smart mutt (who seems to be some kind of herding dog) loves this toy. I pull it out whenever he seems bored or depressed. It has never failed to cheer him up. He immediately starts playing with the cube usually for 15 minutes to about 40 minutes at a time.



Our lab has never figured the Buster Cube out though. We bought a Pawprints treat ball (easier to use than the Buster Cube) for the lab but he chewed it up to get the treats out instead of hitting it around. (He did learn to hit the Pawprints treat ball around after we taped the hole he chewed in it but he gives up pretty quickly.)



Our mutt likes all kinds of treat toys but he likes the Buster Cube the best bc it's the most challenging. He'll play with it for about a while then come back later (if we put more treats in ;). He likes the other treat cubes too but generally gets bored with them faster than he does the Buster Cube.



The cube is very durable. We've had the same one for several years. Our lab hasn't chewed through the Buster Cube in the 3 years we've had the lab even though he destroys most dog toys (even the TireBiter toys) sometimes in a minute or two.



Downsides: the toy is noisy on hardwood or tile floors. Also the dog bangs it into walls furniture etc. It's hard to clean and hard to open. I don't bother to open it i just pour treats in the middle shake them through the hole and turn the cube several times.



Overall an excellent toy for smart dogs who don't mind working for a treat. Your dog will probably either love it or ignore it. If your dog likes challenges go for it. S/he'll probably play with this toy for hours.More detail ...

MEOW - My cats LOVE it!!!!! (video's lighting a bit dark)

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RNC3VP2LO9UKP Bergan Turbo Track Cat Toy GreenMore detail ...

Gotta Get That Red Butterfly!!!!

My cat loves this. She very quickly learned that I was the one controlling the image and every time she wants to play she'll go and nudge the device and look at my hand.



She doesn't seem to respond very well to the smiley face or star option --- I think they're harder for her to see. The other three shapes more than compensate for that failing.



I only wish the batteries would last longer. It's cheaper just to buy a new laser toy than replace the batteries.More detail ...

My cats love it!

I have two cats and these springs are their favorite. They just love batting these around and chasing them and they never get sick of these inexpensive toys. I suggest buying extras as these springs get lost pretty easily. I used to buy them at a local store and then was disappointed when the store stopped carrying them. Luckily I found them on Amazon! These springs end up under furniture doors kitchen appliances and the washer and dryer. You can fetch them out with a yardstick but these things do have a knack for disappearing. I usually ration them out to my cats until all have disappeared and then every once in a while I get out the yardstick and go searching for the lost ones.More detail ...

Best Cat Toy Ever

FroliCat Bolt Laser Toy / B0021L8W6K



I wasn't too certain about buying this toy for my cats' fifth birthday. I knew that they like to chase lasers so that wasn't the problem - my concern was that they don't like to STOP chasing lasers. Our last foray into laser pointer territory ended with me letting the laser dot "escape" through an air vent in the wall thinking that would end the game - no they just sat vigil under the air vent for five hours. I didn't want a repeat of that.



On the other hand they are housecats and seem pretty bored and listless and they definitely need the exercise so I broke down and bought this... and could not be happier.



The best thing about this laser toy is that if has a mechanical 'servo' sound - a kind of light-pitched soft whirring and turning whenever it is in operation. The sound is soft enough to not really bother a human (although you probably wouldn't want to sit next to it while you watch TV) but it is distinct enough for a cat to hear it in the other room and come running. The practical upshot of this is that your cats figure out really quickly that the magical laser dot ONLY appears when the whirring noise turns on. So if the whirring noise goes off the laser is gone and they don't hunt endlessly for it. Indeed my most active cat has figured out that the laser dot COMES from the whirring thing and will lead me to its spot on the table and demand that I push the button to activate it. Awesome.



I suppose the other best thing about this toy is that it works. It's silly that has to be a product 'plus' but such is the state of the cat toy industry these days I suppose. But boy does this thing work! It takes 4 AA batteries and I recommend they be fully charged (try Eneloop batteries you won't be disappointed) in order for the light to be as bright as possible. We have the toy sitting on a coffee table with the adjustable mirror set to the perfect angle so that the light appears on the carpet a few feet away. The light swirls in slow patterns jumps in fast leaps and holds still for a few seconds so that my lazy calico can leap on it and cover it with both paws. The best part is that the cats never seem to get frustrated with not being able to 'catch' the light - they seem to recognize that it's a game not real prey and that's fine with me. My tuxedo always plays but sometimes my calico just likes to lay on the floor and watch the light. Thy both come running at full speed though when they hear that motor start.



The toy has a fifteen minute shut-off point so you can turn this on and leave the room without worrying that your cats will make themselves sick chasing a dot for hours. It's as easy as putting the batteries in (with an easy sliding-door chamber - no tricky maneuvering required) setting it down on a table and pressing a button to turn on. If you want it to shut off before the 15 minutes are up you press the button again. So easy! I am seriously considering buying more of these - one for each room in the house.More detail ...

One kittie at a time.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RMYPIV0BGEXLL With a little catnip on the scratching pad in the middle it's a hit. Both for laying on it and sleep and for play - but a lot of times I do have to get the ball moving before they start to play with it. And it's usually one cat at a time but that's the way my cats are...

I just got the toy so who knows how long my cats will continue to play with it....



The toy is fairly well made but the ball did have a flat spot that I had to fix - it still rolled around in the track but without the flat spot it didn't make as much noise and it roll a little bit better.More detail ...