We originally purchased a card (they come three to a card) of FlutterBalls because of their enticing appearance. They are balls covered with an eye-catching animal print fleece cover, with a detachable feather section which gives them a very lifelike resemblence to real "prey," and the fiberfill stuffing gives them the bouncing action that cats love.
Indeed, our GuideCats, Jaspurr and Joey, as well as crochety old Bubba, loved batting and chasing their FlutterBalls around our "Great Room." It was hilarious to watch Joey proudly trotting along with his "catch" displayed in his mouth, and Jaspurr in hot pursuit, attempting to steal Joey's "prey."
Although throwing or bouncing a FlutterBall for a cat to chase and capture provided a certain degree of interactivity, we decided to up our advantage by introducing another toy into the mix. I had previously reviewed a product called "Pole Kat Pole," which is a sturdy fishing pole type toy that allows for interchangeable lures. We tied a FlutterBall to the fishing line and my son stood in our loft and cast the FlutterBall to the floor below, where the cats waited with anticipation.
What a great show they provided, as Jaspurr and Joey hurled themselves into the air time and time again to catch the FlutterBall. One or the other of them would catch it, then swagger around the room proudly guarding his catch. Then I (the designated "retriever") would wrest it from the victor's jaws for another cast. Once in awhile, for fairness' sake, we'd detach the FlutterBall and let the victor enjoy his rewards.
I'm so "sold" on FlutterBalls that I not only buy them for my own cats, but have also purchased them as gifts for friends' cats and prizes for contests on my Cats Forum.
For that reason, I was doubly impressed when I visited the manufacturer's web site and found that the parent company, WorldWise, was founded on the premise of producing environmentally responsible consumer products. Their watchword is "sustainabilty," which means "meeting our human needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same."
Worldwise produces several other interactive toys for cats, which you can plan on seeing reviewed here in the future. Meanwhile, I enthusiastically give FlutterBalls my top rating for a long-lasting, irresistible toy for cats.
