Tag: katzenworld

* Originally written by me for katzenworld.co.uk

It’s almost Valentine’s Day again!

If cats gave each other presents to show they liked each other, I’m sure they would give their cat friends the 4cats Cuddly Heart. That is, if they can bear to part with this lovely and soft toy….

No, I haven’t seen the Cuddly Heart…

The Cuddly Heart is really super soft and feels quite luxurious. It’s quite big, so your cat can give it a proper pounce or kick, but Dirk prefers cuddling with it and then sleeping with it. It’s maybe not the most energizing toy or one that will give your cat some exercise, but then 4cats have plenty of other toys to do just that.

As you can see, Dirk is more than happy to snuggle with it.

Dirk’s Cuddly Heart actually hasn’t left his cardboard box bed for a while. He’s often asleep on top of it or just grabbing a hold of it. He tends to play with it when he’s chilling inside the box.

All this snuggling and cuddling is of course exhausting in its own way. So what better way to relax than one last cuddle and pose and then it’s time for a nap!

The Cuddly Heart comes with a catnip or valerian filling, so you can keep your cat happy no matter which they prefer.
The colour is actually a gorgeous deep red, but apparently a bit tricky for my camera to process.

* Originally written by me for katzenworld.co.uk

I think this picture says it all, no need for me to tell you Dirk loves 4cats Premium Motif Cushion 🙂

Those of you who are familiar with the 4cats toys will have noticed the green strings on this toy and you will know that means there’s catnip inside this cushion (they are available with valerian filling too).

When it comes to playing with this cushion, Dirk loves to cuddle this cushion. It’s bigger than the 4Cats Cuddly Cushion, but that’s no problem 🙂

No, you let it go of it, I want it all for myself

Another favourite game is the cat version of tug of war (a game loved by many dogs too). Though in Dirk’s case I’m obviously the opponent and Dirk always wins – well, I let him win 😉

Dirk doesn’t really kick this toy a lot, perhaps just because it is slightly smaller than the 4cats Premium Rustling Cushion or their Wrestler Toy. I can imagine other cats won’t be put off by this though and will love kicking the cushion too!

Yeah!! It’s all mine now!!!

Dirk loves rolling around with his toy and sometimes even sleeps on top of it. I might be reading to much into that, but I really think he just wants to make sure I won’t “steal” his toy while he is napping.

Dirk’s version of this cushion has a bird on it, but there are others too and the toy also comes in various colours.

You can order yours with the catnip or valerian filling and pick your own colour too, so it’s almost perfectly tailored to your – or your cat’s – preferences!

* Originally written by me for katzenworld.co.uk

The Tail Tikkler is one of those toys that’s great for an interactive game with your cat.
I make Dirk chase it around the house or up and down the stairs. We also play with it around his scratching barrel – at the moment it’s ‘hidden’ inside the scratching barrel!
I love this toy as it gets Dirk running, jumping and climbing.

What’s that up there on my scratching post??
It looks interesting, let’s have a closer look.

Dirk mainly seems to love it because it’s fluffy and has feathers. He loves catching it and the dragging it with him to his ‘lair’ – in other words a cardboard box 🙂

No way I’m ever giving this back

He’ll lick the feathers and sleep on top of it so no-one else can get the Tail Tikkler. Obviously adding catnip to the mix makes this toy even more interesting. He’ll roll all around the living room with it. Keeps him entertained for quite a while and us as well just watching him 🙂

Yummy feathers!! I love it 🙂

* Originally written by me for katzenworld.co.uk

As I mentioned in my previous post, Webbox also has a Festive Teaser Wand. I have to admit, this is my favourite of their festive toys as I can actually play with Dirk rather than just watch him play. Granted, I might feel differently after a big Christmas dinner 😉

I really love making Dirk chase toys around the house. There are many “fishing rod” style toys out there and many cats love them. These toys appeal to the cat’s inner hunter, which is great for all cats, but especially those who live indoors. It mimicks their natural behaviour to chase animals (which is why I also love making Dirk chase his treats).

Dirk loves it when we play together as the interaction means the toy is less predictable. In the wild, chasing prey is also unpredicatable and from Dirk’s body language and the look in his eyes you can tell he’s very focussed and in hunting mode when playing with this toy. You can add some extra variety to the game by dangling this toy over your cat’s scratching post or your sofa. This means they will have to jump and climb to get to the toy and are a lot more active as a result.

The teaser comes in a festive red or purple colour. The teaser is a tin foil ball with a fluffy tail and also has some gold foil in the tail. The foil makes a rustling sound when you play with the toy, which many cats find very appealing. The fluffy tail looks very similar to a feather tail – I’ve not yet met a cat who doesn’t like feathers!

When you notice your cat is no longer in a hunting or chasing mood you can reward them by giving them the toy. Dirk sometimes drags it along to “his lair” (aka his bed) or he licks the feathers on the spot – much like cats do with their prey in the wild. Dirk has a very satisfied look on his face when he gets hold of the Teaser Wand after chasing it for a while. I’m sure your cat would too!

(As mentioned in the post about the Festive Pom Pom, Webbox toys are sold by many retailers, probably even your own supermarket too)

* Originally written by me for katzenworld.co.uk

What better way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year by giving your cat a festive toy! At least, Dirk can’t think of a better way to celebrate Christmas.

Christmas came a little bit early this year when we received the Webbox Festive Pom Pom. They come in either red or purple with festive gold details as well! Let’s see if Dirk was interested….

Dirk’s inner football player came out once again, though he doesn’t actully chase the Pom Pom quite as much as the football toy. He’ll actually really only chase it once: I throw it through the living room for him and he runs after it only to then grab it and kick it about. The cat version of fetch 😉

 

 

The texture of the Pom Pom is very similar to a ball of yarn and as we all know many cats love playing with balls of yarn (of course we need to keep an eye on our cats when they play with any types of string toys, such as a ball of yarn, as they can actually choke on it or it can get stuck in their intestines). Dirk is actually not one of those cats who play with balls of yarn! Yes, there are toys he doesn’t like!! The good news is that he does like the Webbox Pom Pom. I’m sure your cat will love pouncing and kicking it and they will provide some Christmas entertainment for the family 🙂

 

Now once your cat gets their paws on this Pom Pom they probably won’t let it go for quite a while. As you can see Dirk is certainly not about to give up 🙂

I mentioned that Dirk is actually not that big a fan of balls of yarn. Somehow rolling a ball of yarn around the house isn’t his thing. Maybe because there’s seemingly no end to the yarn! I don’t know, but anyway, if your cat doesn’t like them either then this Pom Pom is still worth a try. You can buy this toy online, but you can also find it in your local supermarket or pet shop. Webbox toys are sold by many retailers which gives you the bonus of seeing and touching the toy for yourself before buying it.

For people looking for a more interactive Christmas toy for their cats: Webbox also has a Festive Teaser Wand. Read all about it in my next post!