Recommend sturdy aerial toys?

[Sonatine]

I got my cats one of those Jackson Galaxy aerial play toys for Christmas and they LOVE it. Love it so much, in fact, that they're well on their way to destroying the feathers. I try to keep them from getting too many "catches" while we play but Millie in particular is really fast and always gets it eventually.

One thing I've wondered about is just replacing the feathers as they fall off. My friends have a duck they keep as a pet that lives mostly indoors, and as such is clean and free of parasites. I could get feathers from them. Maybe my cats would like the smell.

Has anybody found a toy that simulates a bird that can stand up to a rough play session or two? Mine like to drag their prey around after they've caught it, show it off, and then hide/bury it in something, so a toy that could stand a little abuse would be good.

 

[neely]

Maybe your cats would like this loco motion cat toy: SmartyKat Loco Motion Electronic Cat Toy - Chewy.com

 

[justlexi93]

I usually purchase cat toys and accessories from an online shop called Petstreetmall. My fur babies love playing with the Frolicat Bolt Interactive Toy and those mice wands.

The suggestion from Neely is currently on sale, you can purchase it if you want.

 

[kittenmittens84]

Real feathers aren’t super sturdy unfortunately, so if that’s the part your cat really likes it might be hard to find a great alternative. I’ve tried a bunch since my cat loves Da Birds, but I haven’t had much luck. Instead I just buy bulk packs of da bird refills, and I let him catch it and take it back to his little spot when we’re playing, but I don’t let him sit there and chew on it. They last a lot longer now.

 

[Margret]

It doesn't simulate a bird, but I found years ago that if I cut a piece of denim maybe 3 inches by 1 inch and tied it in the middle it made a plausible and durable moth which my cat just loved to chase and play with. It works best if you tie the string to the end of a rod; there's no need to hem the denim because a bit of fraying just makes it a better moth.

Here are some other options you may want to consider:

• This one doesn't use feathers, but does look like a bird: Paws & Pals Bird Dancer Cat Toy - Chewy.com
• This looks nothing like a bird, but cats just love it: Cat Dancer Cat Charmer Toy - Chewy.com
• This also looks nothing like a bird, but it's aerial, it's durable, and cats adore it: Cat Dancer Original Cat Toy - Chewy.com
• And this is the same as the last one, except you can attach it to the wall so the cats can play with it without human intervention: Cat Dancer Deluxe Cat Toy - Chewy.com

Margret